If You Want to Change, Then Face the Truth

Current Teaching Series Life's Healing Choices

If You Want to Change, Then Face the Truth Rick Warren — August 13, 2018 "You have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him" (Ephesians 4:21 NLT). The secret to personal change is not willpower. The secret is to know and face the truth. You must know and face the truth about yourself and your nature if you want to change. Nothing will change in your life until you know and face the truth about your weaknesses, your relationships, your successes and failures, and your past and future. Nothing changes until you know and face the truth. And that truth is found in Jesus Christ. Why is it necessary to learn the truth before anything can change in your life? Here's why: Behind every self-defeating habit in your life is a lie that you believe. If you get in debt, it's because you believed some lies like "I can spend and get away with it" or "I can always pay it back." You might have overestimated how much you were going to make, or you believed the lie that you needed a much bigger house. But do you? Are you sure it's the truth? Can you prove it's the truth? Are you absolutely certain that what you believe you've said about your finances is true? What about your relationships? What about the things you say to yourself about yourself? Is the way you think about your past or about some event the truth, or is the truth what God says about it? The Bible teaches that personal change starts with truth. It is the truth that sets you free. The apostle Paul says, "You have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him" (Ephesians 4:21 NLT). Who is the truth? It's Jesus, and because Jesus is the truth, he will always tell you the truth. His word is the truth. The Bible is his Word, and that means the Bible is truth (2 Timothy 3:16-17). What you hear on television or read in books isn't always going to help you, because it's not always the truth. Have you learned that? But what God tells you is always going to be the truth. God's Word shows you how to get back to the life you were created to live, and then it shows you how to stay on God's path. This is why it is so important for you to have a daily quiet time in the Word of God. Nothing will change until you get the truth into your heart. As long as you build your life on a foundation of lies, misconceptions, deceptions, or half-truths, you will never change. But when you face the truth and respond to the truth, you will begin to see change in your life. PLAY today's audio teaching from Pastor Rick >> Talk About It Have you ever taken the time to think and pray about your weaknesses? Why is this an important thing to do? Why can you trust that the Bible is God's Word? What do you need to change about your schedule and priorities so that you can spend time every day reading God's Word?

Our Gift: Life's Healing Choices Study Kit No one is perfect. We live in an imperfect world. We hurt ourselves. And we hurt others. Overcoming hurts, hang-ups, and bad habits isn't easy. Some people carry the pain with them for years, even forever. Pastor Rick Warren shares eight sessions in this video study and workbook that will lead you step-by-step through the recovery and self-discovery process. This biblically-based, practical process will help you confront, overcome and heal from your hurts, hang-ups and habits. You'll find out how to . . . • Get help • Let go • Repair relationships LEARN MORE

Complete Audio Series (Purchase) Includes 10 full-length teaching CDs from Pastor Rick's series Life's Healing Choices. LEARN MORE

Series Summary Session 1: The Reality Choice Session 2: The Hope You Need for Change Session 3: Letting Go and Letting God Session 4: The Housecleaning Choice Session 5: The Transformation Choice Session 6: The Relationship Choice Session 7: The Growth Choice Session 8: The Sharing Choice Session 9: Breaking Free from Abuse Session 10: There's No Recovery without Prayer 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