The Rev. Rick Warren began his ministry in his home in 1980 with a formula used by Baptist pastors. His small, intimate congregation grew to an astounding 50,000 known as Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California.
Warren's ministry does not stop with the mega church, but has blossomed into bestselling books, such as "The Purpose Driven Life," and an international outreach that includes the homeless, AIDS orphans in Africa, and more.
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Warren frequently speaks about heaven and our final destination. Here is a collection of what he has had to say about getting to heaven:
1. Warren also said during his ABC News interview that God's grace is the only way to get into heaven, and that people may fudge a bit on living a perfect life in order to get there. "Most of us want to have enough … good works to get into heaven, but enough bad works to be fun."
2. Warren added the only way to reach heaven is by God's grace. "I'm not getting to heaven on my integrity. I'm not getting to heaven on my goodness."
3. When it is all done and we face God, there will be an accounting of how we lived. Warren advises in his book, "The Purpose Driven Life," that an audit of your life will be read, so be careful on how you live. "You weren't put on Earth to be remembered. You were put here to prepare for eternity."
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4. Warren also says in his book God wants us to develop character as described in the beatitudes of Jesus. "Why is this happening to me? Why am I having such a difficult time? One answer is that life is supposed to be difficult! It's what enables us to grow. Remember, Earth is not heaven!"
5. In his book, "The Purpose Driven Life," Warren warns about spending your life on trivial things. "You will not be in heaven two seconds before you cry out, 'Why did I place so much importance on things that were so temporary?'"
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