Dear Saddleback Family, 

This weekend is going to be fun for a couple of reasons:

First, we’ll look at “The Benefits of the Bible in Your Life” for Week #2 of 40 Days in the Word. 

Second, we’re going to celebrate all the babies born at Saddleback last year! You’ll get to see some of them on stage at each service. I think the total is over 100 new babies! 

CNN featured The Daniel Plan this week!

Saddleback church tackles obesity

(CNN) — The epiphany occurred at a baptism.

With more than 800 people waiting, Pastor Rick Warren took them one by one and immersed them in the church's baptism pool. During this spiritual rite at Saddleback Church, the pastors hold the people briefly underwater, and then pull them out.

"On that particular day, I was baptizing 858 people," Warren told his congregation last fall. "That took me literally four hours."

"As I'm baptizing 858 people, along around 500, I thought this ... 'We're all fat.' "

Warren turned his realization to himself.

"But I thought, I'm fat," he said. "I'm a terrible model of this. I can't expect our people to get in shape unless I do."

Warren, considered one of the most influential pastors in the country, delivered the inaugural prayer for President Obama in 2009 and wrote the best-selling book "The Purpose Driven Life." Now, he was embarking on a new mission: Curbing the obesity epidemic at church.

Warren seems like an unlikely man to lead an anti-obesity crusade. A ruddy man with plastic frame glasses, he has admitted to gaining 90 pounds over the last 30 years and failing at various yo-yo diets. He declined an interview for this story.

Based in Lake Forest, California, Saddleback is one of the largest churches in the United States and has eight locations throughout Orange County. Warren has a casual style in his ministry, usually preaching in jeans.

A slimmer Rick Warren addressed the congregation on January 14.

Since January 2011, Warren has been shrinking. He gave up carbonated drinks, dairy and fast food, he told the church. He works out twice a day, according to his trainer, Tom Wilson. Warren shed 60 pounds on a diet-lifestyle program devised at Saddleback Church called the Daniel Plan.

The program's name comes from the biblical story about Daniel. In the story, Daniel and his friends, who are Israelites living in Babylon, refuse to consume royal food and wine. By eating vegetables and water, "they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food," according to Daniel 1:15 in the Bible's New International Version.

The Daniel Program, which started at Saddleback Church last January, advises how to eat healthier foods, encourages workout routines, and urges participants to join small groups. The program was free.

Warren recruited three doctors to develop the plan: Daniel Amen, a psychiatrist; Mark Hyman, a family doctor; and Mehmet Oz, a TV host and cardiac surgeon.

"The secret sauce of Saddleback is we do this as a community," said Amen, one of the medical contributors. "It's very different than most health plans where you do it with yourself or your wife. You get to do this with a whole community."

Studies indicate that people who try to lose weight or adopt healthier habits in groups are more likely to be successful than individuals working independently.

The small groups have health and spiritual curricula, and provide a support network. Saddleback was the ideal place, because small groups already existed at the church and Warren had "instantaneous capacity to make this happen," said Hyman, another contributor to the Daniel Plan.

"The church was the perfect incubator," he said. "This was a way of leapfrogging and getting a social experiment done."

Chiquita Seals said she lost 125 pounds with the emotional support offered by her small group.

Chiquita Seals, a member of Saddleback, said that having a small group was instrumental to her 125-pound weight loss. Her group met twice a month to discuss their health, and they also hiked together. Each small group has a health champion, whom Seals credits with "helping me emotionally, physically."

"The health champion guides the group -- 'This is what we're cooking, this is what we're doing' -- and cheers you on and helps you out. It's not just the food you're eating, it's also mental gain," she said.

The church held a race, cooking demonstrations and various workout classes led by Tae Bo founder Billy Blanks. It overhauled the menus and vending machine products sold at church and placed symbols to indicate which choices were healthy. Doughnuts often given to the congregation were replaced with trail mix. The church developed a website with recipes, advice on physical activity and health information.

"It's not a diet, not a healthy quick scheme, it's designed to be a way to create health," Hyman said.

At the end of the first year, about 15,000 people had registered for the program and 250,000 pounds were lost, according to Saddleback Church. The Daniel Plan is a program the founders intended to spread to different faith communities across the globe, Hyman said.

But many at Saddleback wondered why the church would get involved in health and weight loss.

Julie McGough said her family has become healthier by going on the Daniel Plan.

"I wondered whether this was something church should be doing," said Julie McGough, a member of Saddleback Church for 18 years.

McGough and her husband decided to try the plan, because they had gained weight during his illness with multiple sclerosis. Between his doctor's visits, hospital appointments and busy schedule, the family came to rely on fast food as their staple.

The couple and their two kids, ages 10 and 16, cleaned out their pantry, gave up the In-N-Out burgers and started cooking as a family activity. They started eating chicken, broccoli, squash and a variety of vegetables, and in smaller portions. They bought a trampoline for the kids and also started hiking.

One year later, McGough has lost 28 pounds. Her husband has lost 55 pounds and stopped taking as many medications.

"This is what we should be doing," McGough said about the church's involvement in the health plan. "I am far more able to serve God because I'm healthy."

Warren said in several speeches to the congregation that he never paid much attention to the perils of obesity such as diabetes and heart disease. But when he heard that obesity could affect a person's brain power, it snapped him into action. Growing evidence indicates that obesity is associated with impaired cognitive function, such as attention and memory problems.

Warren often repeats the same phrases when discussing the Daniel Plan.
"The Father made your body, Jesus paid for your body, the Spirit lives in your body. You better take care of it."

The New Year is a great time to sign up for The Daniel Plan and get    healthy!

Click here to read an article on the health danger of sitting too much! 

You can sign up for the Daniel Plan by clicking here.

A cool picture of 40 Days in the Word workbooks being mailed to churches just today!  The cross is the reason we help other churches.

January 17, 2012

Dear Saddleback Family,

Welcome to Day 2 of 40 Days in the Word!

1. To watch Today’s Video Devotional, click here.

          You’ll be able to sign up (or sign in) and get all 40 campaign videos for free!

2. To Find a Small Group near you, click here.

            It’s not too late to start a new group either!

 3. To watch “7 Reasons We Can Trust the Bible”, click here.

          I urge you to share this message with others!

4. To watch “How to Build Your Life on the Bible”, click here.

THIS WEEKEND

• We are recognizing and honoring, on stage, all the babies born in our church in 2011! Click here for more info.

Our PEACE 3.0: Twelve-City Rally is this Saturday from 6:30 – 9:00 p.m. on the Lake Forest campus. Learn the specifics of how you can be a part of helping start 12 new Saddlebacks around the world in 2012. Click here for more info.

January 17, 2012

Dear Saddleback Leader,

   Once a year, I plan a week of “Vision Nights” to meet with the core leadership of our church family. These inspiring nights let me report to you all the ways we intend to enrich your life and help you grow to your greatest God-given potential in the new year.

   Our theme for 2012, Year #2 of Decade of Destiny, is . . .

Change your Life!  Change the World!

   In spite of the recession, I’m expecting, praying, and planning for this Decade of Destiny to be the most successful, fulfilling, and purposefulyears in all seven key areas of your life. 

   So, I’m eager to meet with you this week . . . either Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday night.  I want to let you in on all the things we’ve been preparing for you for 2012. Our staff has worked tirelessly on these ideas during the last year, and now you get to hear it all! 

Join me at one of our 2012 VISION NIGHTS this week. 

   Choose the night that’s best for you and your small group – Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday of this week. Make sure to bring your small group with you! The meetings start at 7:00 p.m. in the Worship Center on the Lake Forest campus. By the way, we will be baptizing each night. 

   Also 40 Days in the Word begins this weekend!  The next six weeks are going to revolutionize your life.  If you missed my Intro message last weekend (“How to Build Your Life on the Bible”) here’s the link to watch it, so you won’t be behind everyone else. 

   I am so excited to see you, both at Vision Night and this weekend, as we begin 40 Days in the Word.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012!

Dear Saddleback Family,

1. A NEW YEAR ENCOURAGEMENT: “HOW TO GET THROUGH WHAT YOU’RE GOING THROUGH”

   I am so eager to share this hope-filled message with you this weekend. I’ve been praying and studying all week for a message to help you begin this New Year with a new boost of energy. I guarantee you’ll need and use what you learn this weekend.

Text: 2 Corinthians 1:3-11

Topic: The six things God wants you to do when you feel overwhelmed

Testimony: Nobel PEACE Prize nominee Chai Ling!!!  This courageous Chinese woman led the Tiananmen Square Freedom Revolution against communism in Beijing, China. Author of the bestselling “A HEART FOR FREEDOM”, Chai Ling committed her life to Christ in 2010 after reading The Purpose Driven Life! Bring a friend to hear her!

2.  A NEW YEAR RESOLUTION:

   1710.  It’s a number that has eternal significance. It’s a number that shows who really cares (and who doesn’t care) about their lost friends. It’s a number that caused a party in heaven, and will be celebrated forever! 1710 is the number of people who opened their lives to Christ and became saved forever at one of our Christmas services.

Now let me ask you five hard questions:

1. Were any of your friends, neighbors, or coworkers included in that great number?
2. If not, why not?
3. Would your friend be one of the 1710 now assured of heaven if you had invited him or her to Christmas?  It’s likely.
4. Do you intend to let your neighbors live and die without Christ or hope?
5. Who is on your prayer list and what is your plan to invite them in 2012?   

   We have the GREATEST message in the world. It is a message of Good News that everyone needs to hear. Jesus died for your friends. Now he waits for you to invite them to come to him.

   Let me suggest the most important New Year’s resolution you could possibly make.  It will have eternal impact:

“I resolve to bring a lost friend to church before January is over.” Will you make that resolution? If you are available, God will certainly use you to change someone’s eternal destiny. Make the invitation, for love’s sake.

3.  NEW YEAR OPPORTUNITIES:

   Your staff works tirelessly to serve you with opportunities to deepen your growth, strengthen your fellowship with others, and help you fulfill the life mission and ministry God has called you to. Here are the January opportunities for you to bring a lost friend to Jesus:

• If you know someone who doesn’t know Jesus yet and is going through a tough time, invite them this weekend, January 7-8, to hear Chai Ling’s story and my message “How to Get Through What You’re Going Through”.

• If you know someone who doesn’t know Jesus yet and is interested is health, fitness, or weight loss, invite them to our Daniel Plan Rally, Saturday morning, January 14, at the Lake Forest campus, from 9 a.m. to noon.

• If you know someone who doesn’t know Jesus yet, invite them to attend a kick-off service of 40 Days in the Word, January 14-15, when I will explain all the wonderful benefits God promises to us if we follow the Bible.

4.  NEW YEAR VISION RALLIES: “Change Your Life! Change The World!”

   Our church theme for 2012, (Year #2 of Decade of Destiny) is “Change Your Life! Change The World!”  You’ll hear all the exciting details by attending one of three evening Vision Rallies, Wednesday, January 18, Thursday, January 19, and Friday, January 20. I always look forward to these events when I get to share “inside information” with you that I can’t share on weekends. Where God is leading me to help you in 2012 will blow your mind. Choose one night to attend and bring your small group with you!

A personal note:  I loved all the Christmas cards you sent me, especially the ones with family photos so I could pray for you. They made me smile. I’m sure you understand that I get hundreds of letters every month and thousands of emails every day.  While it is physically impossible for me to personally answer every note I receive, my team prays for each note.

I love you.

Dear Saddleback Family,

Here are four things to know about Christmas at Saddleback:

   1.  My Christmas week message is “Lost & Found: God’s Rescue Mission at Christmas”. ON CHRISTMAS DAY (we’ll have one service at 11 a.m.) my message will be “What Time Is Christmas?”

   2. You, or a friend or relative, can be baptized after any Christmas service!

   3.  In our first three Christmas services this week, 190 new people committed their lives to Jesus!

   4. The GREATEST GIFT YOU CAN GIVE JESUS for his birthday is to bring someone to him! Who are you inviting? Don’t waste this opportunity!

 I’ve never been more amazed by you and how you have “loved your neighbor as yourself” the past three weeks:

• On Global Neighbor Weekend over 4,000 of you instantly volunteered to be a part of PEACE 3.0 as we start 12 new Saddlebacks in 2012 in gateway cities around the world!

• On Good Neighbor Weekend 30,000 of you served your neighbors in thousands of creative ways! 

• We opened The PEACE Center in temporary facilities on Tuesday, December 20 thanks to your giving of $600,000 at Thanksgiving! The PEACE Center is our Christmas Gift to Southern California.  Read the OC Register article here.

• NOW, you are bringing friends to our 39 different Christmas services! You genuinely care about your friends who don’t yet know Jesus.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CHRISTMAS CARDS!

Kay and I especially enjoy the ones with pictures of you!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Dear Saddleback Family,

I want to hear from you! Watch this video to learn about what’s going on at Saddleback this week, as well as a special request I have for you.

November 30, 2011

Dear Saddleback Family,

Here are five items I want you to know about this week:

If you missed any of the five messages from last weekend, you can watch them online!

Click on the links below to watch each message:

Why Historians Take the Gospel Seriously  - Dr. John Dickson

The Reliability of the New Testament - Dr. Sean McDowell

Ten Reasons We Know the New Testament is True - Dr. Frank Turek

The Truth in the First Three Chapters of Genesis - Dr. Paige Patterson

A Biblical Philosophy of Truth - Dr. Doug Groothuis

 You can learn the truth about HIV/AIDS, and how to help families struggling with AIDS, at three services on Thursday, December 1 as we observe World AIDS Day at Saddleback. Join us in the Refinery on the Lake Forest campus for:  

“AIDS: A Fearful Reality” 6:30 – 7:15 a.m.

“From Fearful to Fearless” 12:15 – 1:00 p.m.  

“Fearless in the Father” 7:15 – 8:30 p.m. (with Crave)

I’m speaking this weekend, AND Sunday afternoon will be our last membership Class 101 of the year! If you haven’t attended Class 101, know that we love you, we appreciate you, and we want you to join us this week!  Register for Class 101 here.

If you’d like to give any of my books as Christmas gifts to your family or friends, I’d be happy to sign them for you. Just drop off the books at our church office. The receptionist will give you a card to fill out and leave with your books. You can also purchase books and pick up additional cards from the church bookstore which is open on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. I’ll sign the books and you can pick them up next week from the church bookstore.

 HELP US NOT REPEAT WHAT HAPPENED TWO YEARS AGO!

Do you remember the crisis that hit all American churches during Christmas two years ago? Christmas fell on a Saturday, so millions missed their regular weekend worship services. That low attendance weekend meant low tithes, which created a big deficit for most churches.  Gratefully, at Saddleback our deficit was made up in 48 hours because you mailed in your offering, gave online, or brought it to the church office.  Your generosity made national news, and made me so proud of your maturity!

            Now, this year the problem is DOUBLED!

1.  We’re cancelling our December 10 – 11 services so we can serve our neighbors!

2.  Christmas Day is on Sunday this year, which means many of you will miss two services this month.

So here’s my request:  Please bring TWO WEEKS of your regular offering THIS WEEKEND to cover the two weekends you’ll miss!  In the middle of a recession we’re trying to open our new PEACE CENTER which will help the poor, sick, and unemployed. Your gift matters more than ever right now!  So give this weekend, or better yet, you can give online here.

I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR YOU! MERRY CHRISTMAS!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Dear Saddleback Family,

Let me brag about YOU.  I’m so thankful for…

1. … how you show love, grace, and mercy to everyone. It’s made our church famous as a place where people can get a second chance, a fresh start, and an opportunity to begin again.
2. … how you welcome all races, cultures, age groups, and economic status. No bigots here! We’ve become an all-nation congregation that speaks 67 languages and looks the way heaven will look.
3. … how you actually practice the Bible, and don’t just study it. You have an amazing desire to keep growing spiritually . . . and that keeps me growing as your pastor!
4. … all the ways you serve each other in small groups, in our community, and even in other nations. When God says ‘Love your neighbor as yourself,’ you really do it!
5. … your bold faith and willingness to take risks as a church.  Time after time I’ve challenged you to stretch and dream big, and each time you’ve risen to the challenge. No other church has accomplished, or even attempted, the daunting global goals that you have reached. It is fun being your pastor.
6. …your outrageous generosity. You consistently give sacrificially in faith, even in this on-going recession, so we’re able to help more hurting people than ever.
7. … your commitment to growing strong kids and families. Saddleback’s next generation is exceptionally strong because of our brilliant children’s and student’s ministries. 

TWO THINGS TO REMEMBER ABOUT THIS WEEKEND

1. FIVE WORLD-CLASS BIBLE TEACHERS will teach on “How We Know We Can Trust the Bible” at our 3^rd annual apologetics weekend. Click here to read the each speaker’s bio.
2. Our THANKSGIVING OFFERING will be used to build our PEACE CENTER which will eventually house (when completed) our food bank, employment office, legal aid, immigration assistance, HIV testing, free medical clinic, clothing exchange, personal, family & financial counseling, and all the other compassion & Good Samaritan ministries that we offer, and will offer, free to everyone.
   
   This is a very important offering that counts toward your Decade of Destiny commitment.
   
   Kay & I are leading with our gift of $20,000. Give in faith and watch God keep his promise: “When you give to the poor, it is like lending to the Lord, and the Lord will pay you back.” (Prov. 19:17)
   
   You can give online here, bring it by the church office, or give this weekend when you worship. 

I love you, and I’m SO thankful for the privilege of being your pastor. Happy Thanksgiving!

Hello Saddleback!

Are you ready for a great weekend at Saddleback? There are some exciting things taking place at Saddleback, so watch this video to hear more about what’s going on.

• To read the New York Times articles on how small groups are making The Daniel Plan a great success, click here.
• To read the New York Times article on how The Daniel Plan utilizes teamwork and trust, click here. 
• Don’t forget to give online giving a try – you can learn more at our online giving page.

Come see us at the 9:00 and 11:15 a.m. services if you want to have your copy of the Lord’s Prayer signed.

Dear Saddleback Family,

I’ve got a few updates for you as we move in to November and gear up for a great fall season here at Saddleback.

Watch this video to hear what’s going on at this week.

To pick up the Just Walk Across the Room small group curriculum, visit the patio or Pavilion after the weekend services. To register for Uprising, click here.

Dear Saddleback Family,

We have had an incredible week here at Saddleback! From our third Daniel Plan rally to Bill Hybels’ great message, Just Walk Across the Room, we’ve been growing, getting healthier, and learning how to reach our community for Christ like never before.

Watch this video to learn more about what’s going on at Saddleback this fall.

• To watch the Daniel Plan rally, click here.
• To watch Bill Hybels’ Just Walk Across the Room message, click here.

Don’t forget to pray for Commissioned, our first church-planting seminar and Uprising, our greatest men’s conference ever.

Dear Saddleback Family,

I want to tell you about a life-changing event taking place at Saddleback Church next week. On October 22, our church will host an historic Daniel Plan rally where we will be joined live, in person, by all three of our Daniel Plan doctors - Dr. Mehmet Oz, Dr. Daniel Amen and Dr. Mark Hyman.

The Daniel Plan has literally changed the lives of thousands of people. On Saturday, we will hear some of their success stories and also learn new tips and tools for starting, or continuing on in, the journey to become healthier.

Watch this video to learn more about what’s in store for the Daniel Plan rally:

This is a great event, not only for Saddleback Church, but for our community as well. So, here are two things I want you to do:

• INVITE A FRIEND! The Daniel Plan is too important not to share it with someone you love. So bring a friend. And, if you come to the rally with a guest, you’ll be able to get preferred seating! We are holding seats for first-time visitors to Saddleback.

• DON’T COME ALONE! Grab your small group, spouse, kids, neighbors and workout buddy and bring them with you. Carpool to the rally and enjoy this great event together. Fitness is always more fun when we do it together.

Are you ready to eat healthier, think healthier, and live healthier? Then bring your friends and join me at the Daniel Plan rally!

For more information about this event, visit www.danielplan.com.

Dear Saddleback Family,

We are in the midst of one of the most challenging and unusual economic climates we have ever experienced. That’s why I started a series two weeks ago on the biblical laws of money management.

I am concerned about your family’s financial fitness. If you’re upside down on your mortgage, deeply in debt, struggling to make ends meet, or just concerned with managing your money well, this is a series you won’t want to miss.

Watch this video to hear more about this series and why it’s so important for not only you, but your friends and family as well.

We’ll see you this weekend!

Dear Saddleback,

            Your church family will be a key support and encouragement TO YOU this fall season. We’ve planned it all to help you get through these tough times.

To help you manage your finances...

This weekend, we begin a new series on your FINANCIAL HEALTH. This is module #2 of the Seven Key Areas of Life that we are improving during the Decade of Destiny. Just as I brought in three nationally-known expert doctors for module #1 (improving your physical health through The Daniel Plan), I’ve lined up the best to help you out in this area too, including Dave Ramsey, Dr. Robert Morris, and others. 

Don’t miss my new weekend series on the biblical principles for money management that God blesses. It starts this weekend! 

Watch this video to hear me explain the series.

To help you start each day with spiritual energy...  

            Our fall series of Drive Time Devotions with Pastor Tom will focus on the life-changing truths from the Book of Exodus, a book literally jammed with truths you need for getting through tough times. You can get this free daily encouragement at www.drivetimedevotions.com.

          In the next News & Views I’ll tell you about even more exciting ways in which we intend to help you in the coming months.

I love you!

Dear Saddleback Family,

I have animportant message for you about Saddleback's next teaching series, God's Word on Spending, Saving, and Stress, whichbegins this weekend. It's an important series because of the tough economicclimate in which we find ourselves right now.

I hope you'll join me this weekend as we study God's Word on Spending, Saving, and Stress. Be sure to invite a friend!

Dear Saddleback Family,Ten years ago, our country was forever changed. Because of the terrorist attacks on our own soil, life in America will never be the same. Join us this weekend for special services in which we will remember those who died and those who fought as a result of the attacks on 9/11.

• We'll come together for a remembrance and celebration.
• We will honor those who lost their lives on 9/11, the first responders, and the servicemen and women who fought to defend our freedom in Iraq and Afghanistan.
• The service will include music, testimonies, a message from Pastor Rick, and some very special guests.

Everyone is welcome, so pass this message on to your family, friends, and neighbors. Ask them to join us as we gather together to remember the hope we have in Christ despite the violence that was brought upon our country.

Dear Saddleback Family,

This Labor Day weekend, we kick off our most helpful Fall for you:

 Tonight & Sunday

Honestly, you can’t afford to miss what I’ve prepared to share this weekend.  I’ll explain how we intend to help you not just survive, but THRIVE, in the difficult days ahead.

 Spend Monday Morning with Our Church Family!

Join me at our Lake Forest campus for a morning of fun as we work together and enjoy a lunch BBQ.  Wear old clothes and bring your paint brush, rake, loppers, broom, and other clean up tools. There will be projects for every age group and family member!

We will clean up the campus together, and then I will barbecue burgers for your lunch.

   Next weekend: Orange County's 9/11 Memorial Services

At our weekend services on September 10^th and 11^th we will honor and remember:

- All who lost family and friends in the 9/11 attacks

- All who have served in Afghanistan or Iraq since the war on terror began

- All air marshals who have kept our flights safe for ten years

If you have friends or family who should be honored, let us know.

We will be linking up with our daughter Saddleback Church in New York City which meets on Warren Street (!) two blocks from Ground Zero.

Start praying for and inviting your unchurched friends to attend a service with you as your guest. This is an unequalled opportunity to bring someone to Saddleback.

Hello Saddleback Family!

There are so many exciting things happening at our church right now, it was simply too much to write down! So please watch this video that I filmed for you today.

In the video, I share about some of the great things taking place this week, including:

Celebrate Recovery Summit

• This international summit, which began today, has brought together leaders from throughout the world.

Radicalis Music & Art Festival

• This music and art festival begins tomorrow and is a historic chapter in the next phase of our church’s story.

Don’t Miss Part 7 of the Invisible War Series This Weekend

• I’ll be teaching this weekend, and you won’t want to miss the next message of this important series.

The Amazing Gift of Rancho Capistrano!

THIS WEEKEND

             Why is everything in life so hard?

                         Why does doing the right thing often feel like a battle?

             Because there are unseen spiritual forces working against you! You’re in the middle of an invisible war between good and evil, and Satan foolishly tries to hurt God by hurting his children. The result is often fatigue, frustration, and discouragement in your life.

             My message this weekend is titled “When You Feel Like Giving Up.”  If you know anyone who is feeling discouraged, this weekend is the right time to bring them to church.

             This message is the first one in my new summer series: The Invisible War: How to Win the Battles of Life. I’m going to be sharing the insights from God’s Word that have help me for over 35 years, so I know this series is really going to benefit you.

SMALL GROUP STUDY ON DEFEATING TEMPTATION

             To compliment this new weekend series, I’ve videotaped a six-week curriculum on

Understanding & Defeating Persistent Temptations.  I taught this to our staff, and their feedback was overwhelmingly positive. One staff person said “This is going to revolutionize my life. It’s deep!” The DVD will be available in July.

YOUR AMAZING COMMITMENT TO SHARE JESUS!

             There is simply no church family on the planet like you! Two weeks ago, I made a simple request: Would you begin to pray about helping with one of Saddleback’s new churches that we will plant across America, around the world, and in the 3,800 People Groups that still don’t have any Christian church?

• Over 1,300 of you IMMEDIATELY volunteered to be a 90-day “Scaffolding Person!”
• Hundreds more volunteered to LEAD a Church Planting Team!
• Over 250 picked up materials to start a NEW small group (our “rabbit” churches)!

             Amazing. Literally amazing. I challenge all other churches to follow your model of service.

DANIEL PLAN PROGRESS

             Over 12,000 of you are now participating in our “get healthy in 2011” plan. We’ve lost over 200,000 pounds!!! ... over 4,000 pounds a day!!! www.DanielPlan.com has thousands of visitors daily as you check up on yourself, learn meal plans, shopping tips, and exercise advice.  Nearly 2,000 showed up last Saturday for our Daniel Plan Fun Walk & Run and Health Expo. Try our new healthy Daniel Plan menu in our Refinery Cafes. To join us as we get in shape in 2011, go to www.DanielPlan.com. There is no charge for participating in the Daniel Plan.

SADDLEBACK IN THE NEWS

             Here are some links to just a few of the recent news articles on our church family:

             ”The Biggest Loser” former contestant celebrates with Saddleback http://bit.ly/jBS2IR 

             Thousands participate in Saddleback Daniel Plan Fun Walk & Run http://bit.ly/iqg3Hp

             Kay Warren Speaks to National Pastors Wives on Lessons from Suffering http://bit.ly/jhffbc

             Like a Teaching Hospital, Saddleback is a Teaching Church http://bit.ly/jNgb1J

SOME OF MY RECENT TWEETS

             If you aren’t receiving my daily wisdom quotes on your phone or computer, you should sign up on Twitter, Facebook, or Linked In to follow me!  Just click on the links below!

Assuming God is a myth since we can’t see him is like an ant crawling over a man's shoe thinking "No life on this hill!"

The more you rely on God, the more reliable you'll realize he is.

Music has the power to either remind us of our grief or relieve it.

Behind every sin you commit is a lie you’ve believed.

The more complex a decision is, the more you're tempted to procrastinate. Boil it down to the essence first.

The world doesn’t need a new definition of Christianity; it needs a new DEMONSTRATION of it.

I love you and I’ll see you this weekend!  Bring a discouraged friend.

Dear Saddleback Family!

I AM SO PROUD OF YOU!     #1 

I was hoping that maybe 500 of you would join us at our Saddleback Rancho Capistrano campus on Memorial Day for our Spring Cleaning Work Day. THEN NEARLY 2,000 OF YOU SHOWED UP TO HELP! Amazing!

Entire families...of all ages...raking, cleaning, paintin