Preachers Too Lazy to Write their Own Sermons? Franchised Rick Warren sermons

[Jillian]

Remember saddleback sells these sermons as a series to many churches out there.

In the new place where I live, away from my old decent church where my pastor prayerfully wrote a new sermon every week, I have seen RECURRING SERMONS SERIES: some churches in other words are downloading pastors.com so fast, we have had 4 churches in this town all running the same sermon series all at once. I remember when TOXIC PEOPLE WAS UP, now there is some other series that is running in a few church heres concurrently...I think for December it is called TOTAL FORGIVENESS.

I think there is something sad, about these churches that they are so sold out, the pastors who are more business CEOS, are not even writing their own sermons anymore!

Quote:Saddleback’s Sermons = Steady Diet of Self-Help & Pop-Psych

Did you know that Rick Warren claims that the book the Purpose Driven Life is NOT a self-help book? It’s true. Here is what he says on page 19:

This is not a self-help book. It is not about finding the right career, achieving your dreams or planning your life.

Notice that Warren, in this quote defines self-help as information that will...

1. Help you find the right career
2. Achieve your dreams
3. Plan your life

On page 20 Warren goes on to talk about the type of truths that God wants us to build our lives on. Said Warren:

‘You must build your life on Eternal Truths, not pop-psychology, success-motivation, or inspirational stories. The Bible says, “It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for.”

You would think that since Rick Warren so emphatically denies that the book the Purpose Driven Life is self-help and because he so confidently declares that God wants us to build our lives on Eternal Truths rather than Pop-Psych that the sermons at Saddleback Church would NEVER veer into self-help or pop-psych. If you thought that then you were dead wrong!

Rather than preaching Christ-Centered sermons and the the eternal truths of scripture, Rick Warren and the other pastors of Saddleback preach a steady diet of Pop-Psych and Self-Help sermons.

Let’s review some of their recent offerings and you will be able to see this fact for yourself. (The artwork for each sermon listed below is the artwork created by Saddleback Church for each sermon series)

---

GoalsettingSermon Series: Growing Through Goal Setting

Sermon Title: Setting Financial Goals

Date: May 27, 2007

Presenter: Rick Warren

Genre: Self-Help (All Law, Zero Gospel)

Question: How many "financial goal setting" sermons did Jesus and His Apostles preach? Are ANY recorded in the scriptures?

---

GoalsettingSermon Series: Growing Through Goal Setting

Sermon Title: Managing Your Time

Date: June 3, 2007

Presenter: Rick Warren

Genre: Self-Help (All Law, Zero Gospel)

Question: How many "time management" sermons did Jesus and His Apostles preach? Are ANY recorded in the scriptures?

---

ToxicSermon Series: Handling Toxic People

Sermon Title: Handling Toxic People

Date: September 23, 2007

Presenter: Rick Warren

Genre: Pop-Psych

Question: Can you please point us to ONE systematic theology text or even ONE historic confession of faith that addresses the doctrine of toxic people?

---

RunningonemptySermon Series: Running on Empty... Learn the Ancient Secrets From God's Word for a Less Stressed, More Relaxed, and Lighter, Freer Lifestyle.

Sermon Title: Lightening Your Load

Date: April 15, 2007

Presenter: Rick Warren

Genre: Pop-Psych

Question: Since when is Christianity a religion that offers stress relief? Jesus told us to take up our crosses and follow him and He promised Christians that they would be persecuted for their faith in Him.

---

BreakingfreeSermon Series: Breaking Free from Desperate Hidden Lives

Sermon Title: What I Eat and What's Eating Me

Date: March 4, 2007

Presenter: Recovering Overeater, Steve Arterburn

Genre: Pop-Psych

Question: Which Biblical epistle was written to those who need to join a recovery support group for overeaters?

---

Why on Earth would Rick Warren and his pastoral staff preach Pop-Psych and Self-Help sermons from the Saddleback pulpit when Warren makes it clear in his book that this is NOT the type of information God wants us to build our lives on?

Shouldn't we instead be following the example of the Apostle Paul who said:

“For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” (1Cor. 2:2 )

Posted at 06:12 PM in Purpose Driven Madness | Permalink

LINK

 

[rbell]

Good grief.

Oh, be sure and attack anyone who has a book of Spurgeon's sermons, too.

 

[Jillian]

Good grief.

Oh, be sure and attack anyone who has a book of Spurgeon's sermons, too.

Attack?

Sorry I called them lazy, they do work hard, but work hard at other things, I though maybe I shouldnt have wrote that they were lazy.

Actually I think its ok for a pastor to study the sermons of others, but they need to do their OWN sermons. Spurgeon, well he wouldnt get on with Rick Warren, and Rick Warren would have considered Spurgeon a "hater" and seperatist against unity, ever read Geeses in Hoods?

 

[rbell]

Attack?

Sorry I called them lazy, they do work hard, but work hard at other things, I though maybe I shouldnt have wrote that they were lazy.

thanks for tempering that comment.

I do have problems with a pastor plagiarizing stuff...but if a pastor looks at other sermons as a method of research...I'm fine with that.

 

[mcdirector]

As Media Center Director, I've found that there a tons of books of published sermons. CBD offers quite a few. There are probably less for our contemporaries than of those that I'd call the masters, but their sermons are available via means other than print. AND I'd venture to say that many of the modern preachers use their sermons as a basis for books instead.

 

[annsni]

I know at the beginning of our sermon series on Romans, our pastor used some materials from John Piper because he had some great stuff on the beginning of Romans. Our pastor has preached on Romans 4 times and has done all the work himself for all of this - but when you find some materials that are right on, why NOT use them?? Hey, the Word of God says what it says. It's been around for atleast almost 2000 years and I'm sure someone has said a good portion of what's in there at some point. So to use someone else's material is not "lazy" but a good use of resources.

 

[Jillian]

Just so everyone knows I am NOT against a pastor going to someone else's sermons to get ideas or notes from.

The problem here is churches that are buying and downloading and preaching sermons Verbatim...and even using handouts and media, to the point that in the place where I live there can be 2-4 churches at once CONCURRENTLY all preaching the same sermon at once...it is like MCDONALDS, a franchise of sermons, the same thing everywhere and often including the same visuals even too!

Just wanted to explain that.

 

[rbell]

Distinction: plagiarism is the fault of the plagiarizer, not the one being plagiarized.

This isn't a "Rick Warren" problem, any more than Charles Spurgeon is responsible if someone plagiarizes his sermons. (OK, the fact that he's dead does mitigate things a bit...)

 

[Jillian]

Rick Warren SELLS his sermons, so I dont think technically that is plagiarism....

He WANTS other pastors to preach them in other words...word for word even.

Any of you ever been to a Rick Warren affected church, they pass out even fliers with each sermon where you are to do word fill-ins.

 

[rbell]

He WANTS other pastors to preach them in other words...word for word even.

...source?

 

[SBCPreacher]

...they pass out even fliers with each sermon where you are to do word fill-ins.

Oh my gosh!! I use fill-in-the-blank outlines with my church. Now I'll be I'm going to be linked with RW.

 

[mcdirector]

Oh my gosh!! I use fill-in-the-blank outlines with my church. Now I'll be I'm going to be linked with RW.

I don't use them anyway, so it doesn't matter. I've been meaning to tell you.

 

[webdog]

Oh my gosh!! I use fill-in-the-blank outlines with my church. Now I'll be I'm going to be linked with RW.

We do too

I guess RW is the antichrist, and I'm involved in the great apostacy

It's amazing the junk people will start in regards to Rick Warren...:BangHead:

THIS JUST IN!!!
Rick Warren has declared everybody who has a PDL or PDC book and attend Saddleback or another purpose driven associated church needs to purchase black Nike shoes and blackaberry Kool-Aid in anticipation of the next comet that is scheduled to fly over earth (source: National Enquirer)

 

[EdSutton]

Rick Warren SELLS his sermons, so I dont think technically that is plagiarism....

He WANTS other pastors to preach them in other words...word for word even.

Any of you ever been to a Rick Warren affected church, they pass out even fliers with each sermon where you are to do word fill-ins.

Is there something inherently wrong with any of this, aside from possible violation of Copyright laws? I would not do it, per se, but that is me. Of course, that fact that I am not a pastor or preacher might play a very small role in this, as well. :laugh: :laugh:

Would one have the same objections to such outstanding sermons as "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God", "A Coffin or a 'Hope Chest'?", "Standing on a Rock", or "Payday! Someday!" being preached verbatim, by another?

Just wonderin'.

Ed

 

[trustitl]

Lazy preachers?

Just a reminder that these "bulleting boards" on the information super highway may be looked at by people seeking information about Jesus.

Eph. 4:29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. 30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Edited later:
"Bulleting" was an unintended mistake and should have read bulletin (or maybe it shouldn't have :laugh: ).

 

[PastorSBC1303]

While I do not think we should be preaching or using others material word for word. There is a time and place for borrowing ideas, outlines, etc and giving the appropriate credit.

For example, while in seminary I heard a professor preach a wonderful message on Acts 1 with an outline that really hit home with me. I emailed him and asked if I could borrow the outline to preach my own message and he said use the outline, or anything else I wanted.

I used the outline and at the beginning of the message shared that I had heard this message and the outline stuck with me and wanted the church to hear it as well, and I gave him the credit for coming up with the outline.

 

[donnA]

they pass out even fliers with each sermon where you are to do word fill-ins.

And the problem with this would be?
It's called notes, it's an outline, outline is done for you, not all know how to write an outline, and you have to actually listen to the sermon and fill it in.

 

[donnA]

Many preachers sermon, from old and current are available for to purchase. If theres anything wrong With Rick Warren selling sermons, then theres something wrong with any other sermons for sell.

 

[tinytim]

And the problem with this would be?
It's called notes, it's an outline, outline is done for you, not all know how to write an outline, and you have to actually listen to the sermon and fill it in.

It's too Warrenish to Jillian.

Notice she loves to put down Catholics, Rick Warren, and Baptists not like her.

PDC is Biblically based.. I have used some of his outlines...
I guess I am a heretic now...
The outlines came with the 40 days of purpose stuff the church I was youth pastor at did a couple yrs ago..
I still have the stuff, and it is pretty good stuff...

I am sickened that people's prejudices against Christians allow them to paint people as "lazy" or worse.

It sounds as if someone is drinking the neo-Ifb koolaid.

 

[donnA]

It's too Warrenish to Jillian.

Notice she loves to put down Catholics, Rick Warren, and Baptists not like her.

I noticed that, nearly all her posts are about warren, catholics and other baptists.

I guess I am a heretic now...

I knew it, I knew it!
you old heritic you
:BangHead: