Discussion question your group will work through:
1.Warren's first sentence is: "It's not about you." How did you react when you first read that? Did it feel liberating, offensive, or somewhere in between — and why?
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About This Study Guide
The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren begins with one of the most disarming sentences in modern Christian literature: "It's not about you." From that opening provocation, Warren unfolds a 40-day journey through five God-given purposes that every human life is designed to fulfill — worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, and mission. Drawing on more than 1,200 Scripture references from 15 different Bible translations, Warren argues that you cannot discover the meaning of your life by looking inward; you must look to the One who made you. True purpose, he insists, is not found but received — a gift from the God who created you for His glory.
This study guide is designed to walk you through The Purpose Driven Life one section at a time, over 13 weeks. Each week, read the assigned chapters, then sit with the discussion questions — either alone with a journal or together with a small group. The questions are arranged to move from comprehension (what did Warren say?) to personal reflection (where do I see this in my life?) to gospel application (how does this connect to who God is and what He has done?). A closing prayer closes each week's session, inviting you to respond to what you've read not just intellectually but with your heart. You don't need theological training to use this guide — only honesty and a willingness to be changed.
By the end of these 13 weeks, you should have a clearer answer to the question Warren poses at the outset: What on earth am I here for? You should also have concrete language for each of the five purposes, a deeper sense of your God-given SHAPE for ministry, and — most importantly — a stronger conviction that your life is not an accident. It was planned by God, for God, and it matters far more than you may have dared to believe.
13-Week Schedule
- Week 1Introduction — It's Not About You (Days 1–3)8 questions
- Week 2Purpose One — You Were Planned for God's Pleasure (Days 4–10)8 questions
- Week 3Purpose Two — You Were Formed for God's Family (Days 11–18)8 questions
- Week 4Purpose Three — You Were Created to Become Like Christ (Days 19–27)8 questions
- Week 5Purpose Four — You Were Shaped for Serving God (Days 28–36)8 questions
- Week 6Purpose Five — You Were Made for a Mission (Days 37–40)8 questions
- Week 7Review & Reflection — What on Earth Am I Here For?8 questions
Week 1: Introduction — It's Not About You (Days 1–3)
Free sampleRead the Introduction and Days 1–3 of The Purpose Driven Life. Key Scriptures: Colossians 1:16; Ephesians 1:11; Romans 8:28–30.
1.Warren's first sentence is: "It's not about you." How did you react when you first read that? Did it feel liberating, offensive, or somewhere in between — and why?
2.Warren argues that self-help books, introspection, and even philosophy cannot tell you the purpose of your life because the creation cannot discover its purpose by examining itself — only the Creator can reveal it. Do you find that argument convincing?
a.What methods have you personally tried to find meaning or direction in your life?
b.How have those methods succeeded or fallen short?
3.In Day 1, Warren uses the analogy of a product and its manufacturer: you discover a product's purpose from the owner's manual, not by asking the product. How does this image shape the way you think about reading Scripture as a source of life's meaning?
4.Warren distinguishes between "what am I here for" and "what do I want" — treating them as fundamentally different questions. Where in your own life have you conflated personal desire with genuine purpose?
5.Day 2 emphasizes that you are not an accident — that God planned your birth, your genetics, and your circumstances before you existed (Psalm 139). Does this truth feel personal to you, or does it feel abstract? What would it change if you fully believed it?
6.Warren identifies five purposes that will structure the entire 40-day journey: worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry, and mission. Which of these five words feels most familiar to you, and which feels most foreign or challenging? Why?
7.Warren says, "The purpose of your life fits into a much larger, cosmic purpose that God has designed for eternity." How does connecting your individual life to something eternal change the weight you assign to ordinary daily choices?
8.How does the gospel — the good news that Christ came not to be served but to serve and give His life as a ransom (Mark 10:45) — reinforce Warren's claim that life is fundamentally not about us?
Week 2: Purpose One — You Were Planned for God's Pleasure (Days 4–10)
Read Days 4–10 of The Purpose Driven Life. Key Scriptures: Revelation 4:11; John 4:23; Romans 12:1; Hebrews 11.
1.Warren defines worship as "bringing pleasure to God" and says it happens whenever you enjoy, honor, or reflect God's character — not just in church. How does this broader definition change the way you've thought about worship?
Week 3: Purpose Two — You Were Formed for God's Family (Days 11–18)
Read Days 11–18 of The Purpose Driven Life. Key Scriptures: Ephesians 2:19; 1 Corinthians 12:12–27; Hebrews 10:24–25; 1 John 4:11–12.
1.Warren says, "You were made for community." He argues that the church is not a building or a service but a family — and that God intends for us to experience life deeply together. How does this compare to how most people in your experience actually relate to their local church?
Week 4: Purpose Three — You Were Created to Become Like Christ (Days 19–27)
Read Days 19–27 of The Purpose Driven Life. Key Scriptures: Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Galatians 5:22–23; James 1:2–4.
1.Warren states that God's ultimate goal for your life is not comfort, happiness, or success — it is Christlikeness. How does that goal differ from what you most often find yourself pursuing?
Week 5: Purpose Four — You Were Shaped for Serving God (Days 28–36)
Read Days 28–36 of The Purpose Driven Life. Key Scriptures: Ephesians 2:10; Romans 12:4–8; 1 Peter 4:10; 1 Corinthians 12.
1.Warren argues that you were not saved to sit — that every Christian is called to ministry, whether or not they are in paid church work. How have you understood the word "ministry" up to now, and how does Warren's definition expand it?
Week 6: Purpose Five — You Were Made for a Mission (Days 37–40)
Read Days 37–40 of The Purpose Driven Life. Key Scriptures: Matthew 28:18–20; Acts 1:8; 2 Corinthians 5:18–20; Romans 10:14–15.
1.Warren says that "the Great Commission is your commission" — not a special calling for missionaries and pastors but the mandate of every Christian. How have you understood your own responsibility for evangelism up to now?
Week 7: Review & Reflection — What on Earth Am I Here For?
Review your notes, journal entries, and any highlighted passages from the full 40 days of The Purpose Driven Life.
1.Warren opened with the declaration, "It's not about you." After 40 days of reading, journaling, and discussing — how has your answer to "What on earth am I here for?" changed or deepened? Try to put your answer into your own words.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many weeks is the The Purpose Driven Life study guide?
This study guide covers The Purpose Driven Life in 13 weeks, with chapter-by-chapter discussion questions, reading references, and closing prayers for each session.
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The complete guide includes 56 discussion questions across 13 weeks — an average of 8 questions per week, designed for group conversation.
Can I use this guide for a book club?
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