Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., and author of The Purpose Driven Life (Zondervan), preached an Easter message yesterday that he called "The Sermon on the Mound" at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Calif.

Nearly 50,000 people attended two special Easter weekend services--which featured popular boy band the Jonas Brothers singing worship music, Assist News Service reported.

"Last year was a tough year, as many people here got the hope kicked out of you by the economy or the loss of a job, a loved one or your health," said Warren. "You can live a month without food, a day without water and seconds without air, but you can't live two seconds without hope.

"Hope is what keeps your soul alive; it's how you cope," he added. "You need hope now-not because you're going to die tonight, but because you have to live tomorrow."

Meanwhile, Warren's The Hope You Need (Zondervan) will be released in December, according to the Grand Rapids, Mich., publisher's Web site. Initially scheduled to release last December, the highly touted book centers on lessons learned from the Lord's prayer. Warren's The Purpose Driven Life is the best-selling hardcover nonfiction title in publishing history.

• Prev
• Next