My notes started to get a bit longer so I’m cutting these down to 5 days at a time. Here are my day 11-15 notes on Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Life

Day 11: Becoming best friends with God

• 6 secrets to becoming a friend of God (1-2):
  • Constant conversation
    • Don’t change what you do, change your attitude toward what you do
    • What you normally do for yourself, do it for God
    • Pray shorter prayers throughout the day vs long, sustained prayers at 1 time
    • Could be 1 liners depending on the situation
    • Train your mind to remember Him throughout the day
  • Meditation
    • Can’t love Him unless you know Him
    • Focused thinking on God and His Word
    • Prayer lets you speak to God, meditation lets God speak to you
• Ending:
  • Point – God wants to be my best friend
  • Ps 25:148
  • What can I do to remind myself to think about and talk to God throughout the day?

Day 12: Developing your friendship with God

• This takes desire, time and energy
• 6 secrets to becoming a friend of God (3-6):
  • You must choose to be honest with God
  • Trust Him always and be obedient
  • Choose to value what God values
  • Have passion toward Him
• Ending:
  • You’re as close to God as you choose to be
  • James 4:8a
  • What practical choices will you make today to grow closer to God?

Day 13: Worship that pleases God

• 4 characteristics
  • Accurate – based on the truth of scripture
  • Authentic – no hypocrisy, be yourself
  • Thoughtful – engage your mind, praise him specifically
  • Practical – serving, giving, growing, discipling, etc
• Ending:
  • God wants all of you
  • Mark 12:30
  • Which is more pleasing to God right now, your public or private worship? What will you do about that?

Day 14: When God feels distant

• Faith is more important than feeling
• Tell God exactly how you feel
• Remind you of exactly who God is
• Trust God in times of trials
• Familiarity brings complacency
• Ending:
  • God is real, no matter how you feel
  • Heb 13:6
  • How can you stay focused on God’s presence especially when he feels distant?

Purpose 2: I was made for God’s family

Day 15:  Formed for God’s family

• What does this mean?
  • Be with God forever
  • We will be completely changed
  • We will be free from all pain and suffering
  • Rewarded and given positions in heaven
  • Share in Christ’s glory
• Should be living for this and not for a comfortable retirement
• Ending:
  • You were formed for God’s family
  • Eph 1:5a
  • How can you start treating other believers like members of your own family?