How Do I Know What’s True — Part 1

Pastor Rick Warren
Four Steps to Strengthening Your Worldview

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Romans 12:2 (NIV)

We all have a worldview—a set of beliefs we build our lives on. And that worldview affects absolutely everything: your relationships, your work, how you spend your money, and how you handle suffering. So how can you strengthen your worldview to live the life God has planned for you?

1. Learn the truth. Jesus told a story about two men who built themselves houses—one on a shaky foundation of sand and the other on a solid foundation of rock. When storms came, the house on the shaky foundation collapsed, but the house built on solid rock stood the test of time.

The point of the story is this: You’re going to build your life either on popular opinion or on God’s unchanging truth. If you build your life on eternal truth, you’ll be able to stand up under the most difficult circumstances.

The Bible says, “Learn the truth and never reject it. Get wisdom, self-control, and understanding” (Proverbs 23:23 NCV). You can learn the truth by studying God’s Word, reading good Christian books, and being part of a church family.

2. Discern what is false. The Message paraphrase says, “Don’t believe everything you hear. Carefully weigh and examine what people tell you. Not everyone who talks about God comes from God. There are a lot of lying preachers loose in the world” (1 John 4:1). Even people who claim to be speaking God’s truth sometimes aren’t. But when you know the truth of God’s Word, you’ll be able to discern false teaching when you hear it.

3. Turn from the world to the Word. The Bible tells us to not be part of the world’s value system or, in other words, to not take on the world’s worldview: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2 NIV). You have a choice: Will you get your advice on life from God’s eternal Word or from a world that is filled with constantly changing opinions?

4. Concern yourself with God’s agenda. Jesus promised this in The Living Bible paraphrase: “[God] will always give you all you need from day to day if you will make the Kingdom of God your primary concern” (Luke 12:31). You can have only one “primary concern.” God wants to be number one—and for your other interests and goals to be secondary. He promises that if you put him and his agenda first, he’ll take care of everything else in your life.

All over the world, people are looking for meaning, significance, and purpose. If you build your life on shifting sand—on things like power, pleasure, and wealth—you’ll never find what you’re looking for. Instead, build your life on the truth of God’s Word and concern yourself with God’s agenda. You’ll find yourself with a clear worldview and a consistent, purposeful life that stands up to all of life’s storms.

Talk It Over

• What foundation is your life built on? How can you strengthen your foundation?
• Think about the teaching you’ve been listening to lately. Is there anything you’ve been believing that actually might be false?
• In what ways have you been listening to the world’s values instead of the truth of God’s Word? How can you start changing that?

Lazarus Rises, Israel Returns: Transformation, New Life, and Hope in Jeremiah and John 11

Jeremiah 3-4; John 11

Jeremiah 3:12-15
Therefore, go and give this message to Israel. This is what the Lord says:

“O Israel, my faithless people,
come home to me again,
for I am merciful.
I will not be angry with you forever.
13 Only acknowledge your guilt.
Admit that you rebelled against the Lord your God
and committed adultery against him
by worshiping idols under every green tree.
Confess that you refused to listen to my voice.
I, the Lord, have spoken!

14 “Return home, you wayward children,”
says the Lord,
“for I am your master.
I will bring you back to the land of Israel—
one from this town and two from that family—
from wherever you are scattered.
15 And I will give you shepherds after my own heart,
who will guide you with knowledge and understanding.


John 11:20-22,27
20 When Martha got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. But Mary stayed in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask.” 27 “Yes, Lord,” she told him. “I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God.”

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The Need for a Spiritual Twin in Jesus

Summary
The recording discusses the spiritual journey of Thomas, a disciple of Jesus, who initially had good intentions and bold declarations but had to learn that these were insufficient to overcome human brokenness and mortality. The speaker emphasizes the need for a 'better twin' than Thomas, someone who can triumph over death and reconcile humanity to God. This role is fulfilled by Jesus, who, as a brother, overcomes sin and death, calling individuals to join him in new life. The speaker shares a personal prayer for understanding and experiencing the life offered by Christ, extending this prayer to his family and the audience.

Key Topics

Thomas's Journey and Limitations
The speaker reflects on Thomas, a disciple of Jesus, who had good intentions and bold
declarations but had to learn that these were not enough to overcome human
brokenness and mortality. The speaker highlights the need for a 'better twin' who can
triumph over death and reconcile humanity to God.

Jesus as the Spiritual Twin
The speaker explains that Jesus fulfills the role of the 'better twin,' overcoming sin and
death. Jesus calls individuals to join him in new life, offering a way out of the grave. The
speaker shares a personal prayer for understanding and experiencing the life offered by
Christ, extending this prayer to his family and the audience.

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Hunter
Now may our Lord, who gathers his children from all around the world, may he now give
his blessing to the reading of His Word. Amen. Thomas was full of good intentions and
bold declarations. Let's go too, and die with Jesus, he said. But Thomas had to learn that
all the best intentions, all the bold declarations, cannot overcome the reality of our
brokenness, our slavery to the flesh and the certainty of the grave. What we need is a
better twin than Thomas. We need someone who can do for us what we cannot do for
ourselves. We need a twin who will triumph over death and reconcile us to God. We need
someone who has emerged from the tomb, someone who will draw us into his
resurrection life, right here, right now. That's what Thomas would need, and that's what
Thomas would eventually get. But it wouldn't be accomplished by his good intentions, his
piety, or his boldness.

He didn't see it at first, but soon he would see and believe that his friend Jesus would
stick closer than a brother, even closer than a twin. And that brother would make a way
for him and for us to come out of the grave, to remove our grave clothes and step into
new life. Jesus, our brother, has overcome our brokenness, our slavery to sin and the
certainty of the grave. And now he calls us by name to come out from the grave and join
him who his life. And the prayer of my own heart today is that I will see and understand
and experience what Christ has done, that I will participate in the life that is mine now in Him. That's the prayer that I have for my own soul. That's the prayer that I have for my family, for my wife, my daughters, my son. And that's a prayer that I have for you. May it be so.

Following the Good Shepherd: Hearing Jesus’ Voice and Living God’s Story

 Jeremiah 1-2; John 10

Letting the Light In: Seeing God’s True Nature Through Zephaniah and John 9

ZEPHANIAH 1-3; JOHN 9

TODAY'S DEVOTION:

He opens our eyes to the truth of who God is. What is God to do with a world trapped in darkness, unable to see, fumbling after answers and lost beneath lies about who he is? Many of us, even those who have walkead with God, labor under the false assumption that God is distant, angry, and waiting to punish us, that his aim is to make an example out of us for our sins or our parents’ mistakes. But when Jesus steps onto the scene, he is the light of the world, shining in our darkness—a living answer to every doubt and misbelief about God’s heart.

We witness this firsthand in John 9, as Jesus bends to the earth, forms mud from his own spit and the dust, and spreads it across a blind man’s eyes. What was lifeless and incapable of sight is remade by the hands of God, and suddenly the impossible happens—this man sees. The very power of God is revealed in this healing, but it’s not just a physical miracle. This is a sign. Jesus is showing us what he longs to do for each of us: to remove the scales from our eyes, to free us from crippling untruths about the Father, and to welcome us into the radiant light of his presence.

Yet, so often, lies keep us bound in darkness. Religion might paint God in the colors of our own fears, as if he is more interested in punishment than in restoration, as if he is more judge than Father. But Jesus shows us something utterly different—self-giving, radically forgiving, co-suffering love. When we look at Jesus, we are seeing the heart of the Father. As he told Philip: “If you’ve seen me, you’ve seen the Father.” There is no shadow side to God, no surprise cruelty or hidden rage, only the faithful love we see in Jesus.

Are you weary of the darkness, of striving and fearing separation? Let Jesus open your eyes today. Let him show you who God really is: the one who heals, who welcomes, who sings over you with joy. You are not separate or abandoned; you’re invited into his light, already embraced in his love.

This is the prayer I carry for my own soul, for my family, for my wife, my daughters, and my son. And it is the prayer I hold for you. May it be so.

Seeing Jesus for Who He Is: Habakkuk’s Vision and Freedom in John 8

Habakkuk 1-3; John 8


TODAY'S DEVOTION:

Who are you? That was the question on everyone’s lips in John 8. The religious leaders, confused and threatened by Jesus, kept demanding an answer. Who could he possibly be? Why did his words stir up so much fear—and so much hope? Sometimes, just like those early listeners, our own hearts are not ready to truly hear Jesus’s answer. We find ourselves blinded by lies—lies that feed our fears, that swell our pride, that paint God with the colors of our own anxieties. These lies keep us from seeing Jesus for who he really is, and they keep us from the healing he longs to give.

So what does God do when we are lost in that darkness? He comes. He doesn’t shame us or turn away—he steps into our confusion and brokenness with love. In Jesus, God shows us the way of love: self-giving, radically forgiving, co-suffering love. Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man on the cross, then you will know that I am he.” If we want to see who Jesus is, we have only to look at the cross. There, we see what the woman caught in adultery saw: the one who stoops down, enters into the dust of our lives, and writes something new—a story not of condemnation, but of mercy and life.

At the cross, we see the one who takes away the sin of the world, who includes us in the love he shares with the Father. We see love; that is who he is.

That’s the prayer of my heart today: that I would truly hear and see Jesus answer that old question, “Who are you?”—and that I would recognize Love lifted up for the world. This is my prayer for myself, for my family, for my wife and my daughters and my son. And that’s my prayer for you, too.

May it be so.

From Covenant Renewal to Rivers of Life: Bible Readings and Reflection

2 Kings 23; 2 Chronicles 35; John 7


TODAY'S DEVOTION:

He is the Source of Living Water. Picture the scene at the festival of shelters—each day, the priest carries water from the pool of Siloam, pours it out upon the altar, and it runs down the temple steps. For seven days, this ritual is repeated, and on the final day, the expectation and hope of the people reach their pinnacle. This act was more than tradition; it was a symbol, a living picture of the Messiah pouring out the Spirit upon God’s people, a promise rooted in the Scriptures—“I will pour out water to quench your thirst and irrigate your parched fields… I will pour out my Spirit on your descendants and my blessing on your children” (Isaiah 44:3).

And in this very moment, Jesus stands and shouts to the crowds: “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me. Anyone who believes in me may come and drink.” It’s as if Jesus steps into the very heart of the ceremony and says, All of this points to me. I am the One you’ve been waiting for. I am the Source of the Living Water the world so desperately needs. The promise, the hope, and the life the ritual anticipated is found in Him—and received by coming to Him, trusting Him, believing.

That’s the invitation Christ makes to you and to me: to come to the Source, to drink freely, to allow His Spirit—like streams of living water—to flow within us and out of us into a thirsty, longing world. No longer do we look for life in ceremonies or traditions—good as they may be—because the true fulfillment is Christ Himself, the One in whom all God’s promises find their “yes.”

We don’t come to Jesus for fame, for recognition, or for any fleeting thing. His brothers sought notoriety, but Jesus came, not to be applauded, but to do what the Father asked—to seek, to save, and to invite us into the overflowing life He shares with the Father and the Spirit. His heart is to give, to pour out, so that we too would be channels of living water, blessing, hope, and renewal to the world.

So, today, let’s come to Him who is the Source. Let’s drink deeply of the life He freely gives. Let’s allow the living water to flow through us—transforming us, refreshing us, and reaching out to others.

That’s the prayer I have for my own soul. That’s the prayer I have for my family, for my wife, my daughters, my son. And that’s the prayer I have for you. May it be so.

Finding the Bread of Life: Josiah, Jesus, and the Word Hidden in Plain Sight

2 Kings 22; 2 Chronicles 34; John 6


TODAY'S DEVOTION:

For generations, the Word of God was lost to God’s people—even lost right where you would expect to find it, right in the temple. But no one was looking. No one was listening. King Josiah, by God’s providence, would eventually find it. When it was read, it broke his heart and drove him to deep repentance.

In our reading from John today, we see that once again the Living Word is right where you would expect to find him: among God’s people, in the synagogue. And yet, he’s hidden in plain sight. Jesus is present, performing miracles, feeding the multitudes, walking on water. All of this points unmistakably to who he truly is—the Bread of Life, the Living Word made flesh. Yet, many still do not see him. They are distracted by their own needs, their own expectations. Their eyes are on the gifts, not on the Giver.

The living Word can be lost in the midst of ruins—the ruins of our past, the self-indulgence of our lives. The living Word can even be lost among God’s people when we lose sight of him, even when he is right before us. Jesus challenges the crowds because they are looking for provision instead of understanding the signs; they are preoccupied with the food that perishes, instead of seeking the eternal life he offers.

He tells them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again.” He invites us not simply to look for what we want, but to see who he is. The one who satisfies, who fills the emptiness within, who gives us himself. It is a call to shift our focus—from ourselves and our anxieties, to him, the One who has come down from heaven for us.

We see it in Josiah, who, when confronted with the Word, tears his clothes in repentance, realizing how far the people had strayed. We see it in Peter, who after witnessing Jesus’ power and presence, falls to his knees and confesses his own brokenness and need. We find Jesus, the Bread of Life, at the center of it all—our true sustenance, our source of life.

Are we seeing the Word of God that is right before us? Are we letting our hearts be satisfied—not by what we can acquire, but by who he is? Are we, like Josiah, like Peter, humbling ourselves before the living Word, turning from what is perishable to what is eternal?

May you see the bread that has been hidden in plain sight. May you take it, eat, and be satisfied. That’s my prayer for my own soul, for my family—my wife, my daughters, my son—and that’s a prayer I have for you. May it be so.