Take the First Step to Integrity

Current Teaching Series Building My Life on Values That Last

Take the First Step to Integrity Rick Warren — July 14, 2018 "If you pray to God and seek the favor of the Almighty, and if you are pure and live with integrity, he will surely rise up and restore your happy home. And though you started with little, you will end with much" (Psalm 40:17 The Message). It may be tough for you to read a devotional about integrity, because you're replaying in your mind all the times you've fallen short, all the opportunities you had to show integrity and didn't, all the moral failures in your life. We could all make a similar list of failures. St. Augustine said that the confession of bad works is the beginning of good works. If you are serious about becoming a person of integrity, the first step is to admit that you haven't had integrity. You just admit that you don't always keep your promises. You often gossip, and you like it. Sometimes you slack off at work. You pretend to be someone you're not. Just admit it all to God! A lot of people segment their lives and think they can live with integrity when they are harboring sin in one area of life as long as it doesn't affect the other areas. I call this the Titanic myth. The Titanic was supposed to be unsinkable because it was the first ship to segment and compartmentalize the hull. Theoretically, if the boat took on water in a certain area, you could batten down the hatch, and it wouldn't sink the whole ship. But folks, when it comes to your life, a hole in the boat is a hole in the boat, and eventually it's going to sink you. That little area you thought you had under control will eventually take you down. And it will affect the people around you, because while sin is personal, it is never private. No one is perfect, but God doesn't expect you to be perfect! He does, however, expect you to have integrity, and the starting point is to own up to your sins — no matter how long your list is. God is more interested in your heart than your sins. You're never going to be perfect. You're never going to be sinless. But you can sin less. That is the choice of integrity. PLAY today's audio teaching from Pastor Rick >> Talk About It What area of your life have you chosen to keep separate or hide from your family and closest friends? How has it affected you spiritually, emotionally, and physically? Why does God want you to confess your sins when he already knows what they are? How can your sin affect other people, even when they don't know about it?

Our Gift: Building My Life on Values That Last Complete Audio Series Each day, you have to make important life choices—How am I going to think, speak, and act? Many people struggle with making the best choices—because they're taking their cues from the wrong people and living by values that are at odds with God's values. Pastor Rick Warren shares the practical advice you need to make life-giving moral choices in his complete audio series, Building My Life on Values That Last. Messages include: • Choosing My Standards • Accepting Responsibility • Developing Trust • Developing Self-Control • The Balanced Life • Showing Respect • Offering Forgiveness • Maintaining Moral Purity • Showing Fairness LEARN MORE

Complete Audio Series (Purchase) Includes 9 full-length teaching CDs from Pastor Rick's series Building My Life on Values That Last LEARN MORE

Series Summary Session 1: Choosing My Standards Session 2: Accepting Responsibiilty Session 3: Developing Trust Session 4: Developing Self-Control Session 5: The Balanced Life Session 6: Showing Respect Session 7: Offering Forgiveness Session 8: Maintaining Moral Purity Session 9: Showing Fairness PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST

Pastor Rick Warren

Enjoy today's Devotional? Listen instantly to the full radio message at Daily Hope Radio. Did someone forward this devotional to you? Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional. This devotional is based on the current Daily Hope radio series at pastorrick.com. Rick Warren has helped people live with hope and on purpose for more than 40 years. He's the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Southern California and author of several books, including The Purpose Driven Church and The Purpose Driven Life, which has been translated into 137 languages and sold more than 50 million copies in all formats. He created the PEACE Plan (plant churches of reconciliation, equip servant leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, educate the next generation), which is used by churches in 196 countries. His radio teaching and daily devotional, Daily Hope, is offered around the world. This devotional © 2018 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe at any time by changing your e-mail preferences. Update your preferences | Unsubscribe