Rick Warren recently received a ‘tweet’ from a 22 year old called Mark asking, “How do I know what my purpose in life is?”
Since 2002 ‘The Purpose Driven Life’ has sold over 32 million copies, becoming the bestselling non-fiction hardback in publishing history. Rick Warren took the universal question Christians and non-Christians were asking and wrote a book that connected with the masses. It seems this question is being asked again, but this time by the emerging generation.
This is the pre-text to the new edition – there is a whole generation of 'Marks' looking for their life’s purpose, and the old book is now showing its age. The new book isn't a follow-up with new readings and fresh thinking, it’s a rebrand for a new audience who’ve never read ‘The Purpose Driven Life’. To engage this audience, the publishers have enriched the 40-day motivational readings with video content and social media.
VIDEO CONTENT: At the start of each daily reading, a QR Code stands out inviting smart phones into the conversation. It directs you to a video of Rick Warren, sitting at a table with the book open, introducing today’s topic. The website also features further study, with an audio sermon from Saddleback Church.
SOCIAL MEDIA: If there’s something you’re desperate to share, you can easily click on the options to post the day’s video on your social media page.
Word for word, the book is exactly the same (except for two extra readings at the end). So the question is: 'are there young adults in your church drifting through life asking the same questions you were asking when you picked up the book?' “Why am I here? Does my life matter? What is my purpose?”… I can think of just shy of a dozen!
This book has been sharpened for those people – the smart phone wielding university graduates struggling to find work, the college students standing on the edge of their future, newlyweds tackling all those big decisions. In fact, I’d even say to those people who have read the original: 'If you’re feeling spiritually dry (and you own a smart phone) this refocused edition to a 40-day commitment to God is the cure.'
For me, this book (the original and now the rebranded one too) is Romans 12:2 captured in a spiritual journey of self-discovery and God-discovery: “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.”
February 5th, 2013 - Posted & Written by James Warwood
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