#59 Empty Shelf Challenge 12 [101 in 1001]



Book: The Purpose Driven Life.

Author: Rick Warren

Info: Copyright 2002 by Zondervan

Where acquired: Acquired from a friend.

Why:  I have attempted to read through this devotional several times, but never finished.  I decided to use the last 40 days of this year as a challenge to read the whole thing. Maybe it will help me better prepare for the new year.

Rating (on a scale of 1-4 hashtags):  # # # #

What it's about:  We've all asked the question "Why am I here?" and wondered if our lives serve and real purpose.  Warren takes the reader on a 40 day journey to find life's true purpose.

Favorite Quotes: 

"Because God is love, the most important lesson he wants you to learn  on earth is how to love.  It is in loving that we are most like him..." - p. 123

"Many who claim to believe the Bible 'from cover to cover' have never read it from cover to cover." - p. 188

"Whenever you feel apathetic about your mission to the world, spend time thinking about what Jesus did for you on the cross."  p. 294

What I Liked:

• The daily reading/devotional format appeals to me.  That way I can take in the information in small doses and have time to think about it.
• The questions at the end of the chapters and in the appendix were great to help me focus.  I'm hoping that someone will want to do this as a group study and these questions would be great discussion starters.

What I didn’t like: 

• The book used a lot of end notes.  I'm used to authors citing Bible references within the text or using footnotes.  Having to flip back and forth for references was annoying.  It wasn't a deal breaker, just annoying.
• I didn't agree with some of the concepts in the book.  But, I guess the day I agree with everything someone writes is the day I stop thinking for myself--which won't happen.

To sum up: 

Although this book was a frustrating journey for me, I would highly recommend it to anyone.  Even the strongest of us struggle with identity sometimes.  This book is a great help in dealing with that struggle.

This review concludes the Jon Acuff Empty Shelf Challenge.  Hop on over to join my Auntie's Full Shelf Challenge.