Unfinished: Filling the Hole in Our Gospel - Softcover

Stearns, Richard

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0529101149 ISBN 13: 9780529101143

Publisher: Thomas Nelson, 2014

Synopsis

Believing Is Only the Beginning

Do you long for a deeper sense of meaning and purpose in your life? Do you believe all the right things, go to church, and faithfully read your Bible, still feeling that something is missing? You may be right.

Two thousand years ago Jesus gave an urgent assignment to his followers right before he left. At its essence it was not just an invitation to believe; it was a bold call to action. It was a challenge to go into the world to reclaim, reform, and restore it for Christ.

Simply stated, the message of this book is that God has invited you to join him in this world-changing mission. And if you are not personally participating in God’s great endeavor, you could be missing the very thing he created you to do.

Best-selling author Rich Stearns invites you not just to stand on the sidelines but to get into the game. That is when the adventure begins.

“Unfinished, just might challenge everything you thought you understood about your Christian faith. Unfinished is a call to finish the job Christ gave his church to do. If every Christian read this book and took it seriously, the world would never be the same again.”―Bill Hybels, senior pastor, Willow Creek Community Church; and chairman, Willow Creek Association

“Just when I’ve gotten comfortable with my faith, here comes Rich Stearns, reminding me what matters and who God loves and why. Just when my world is the way I want it, Rich reminds me the world is not the way God wants it. Hungry families. Malnourished kids. Just when I dare think my work is done, Rich reminds me that we are just getting started. First in The Hole in Our Gospel, now in Unfinished, Rich gives me a kind, gracious kick. Thanks, Rich. (I think.)”―Max Lucado, pastor and best-selling author

“Okay, admit it: sometimes you wonder . . . don’t you? Is this it? The life you’re living. Is there more? From his journey in corporate and nonprofit leadership―in very good causes―Rich Stearns concludes there is, indeed, more. More purpose. More meaning. More life. In Unfinished you will discover how your life can be about more.”―Elisa Morgan, author; speaker; publisher, FullFill; and president emerita, MOPS International

“Rich Stearns has done it again! In this winsome, engaging, and challenging book, he calls us back to some of the key issues of what it means to be followers of Christ in a world full of distractions and false gods. This is a book for everyone, about finding the place of our calling in God’s global mission. It is a book about fulfillment, adventure, and a lifetime of transformation. It made me hungry for more of the life God has in store for us.”―Dr. Stephen Hayner, president, Columbia Theological Seminary

“Your story can be a part of the Great Story. Rich Stearns knows the story and lives the story. Unfinished may call you to the greatest chapter of your life.”―John Ortberg, senior pastor, Menlo Park Presbyterian Church; and author, Who Is This Man?

“The kingdom is both already and not yet, the work of Christ both finished and to be completed. Stearns reminds readers of every Christian’s responsibility to live on mission, in light of Jesus’ example and call. Richard shows us by his life, the ministry he leads, and the passion of this book that there is much to be done and we are to be a part of God’s grand plan.”―Ed Stetzer, president, LifeWay Research; and author, Subversive Kingdom

“Every generation of Christians needs a wake-up call to remind us of how serious and strenuous are the demands of discipleship. May Rich Stearns’s Unfinished be that alarm for our time.”―David Neff, editorial vice president, Christianity Today

About this title

About the Author

Richard Stearns went from success to significance when he left the corporate world behind to become president of World Vision U.S. in 1998. After 20 years as the longest-serving CEO of the Christian relief and development organization, he plans to retire in January 2019. Stearns holds a bachelor's degree from Cornell University and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. His professional career included leadership roles at Gillette, Parker Brothers Games, The Franklin Mint, and Lenox Inc., where he became president and chief executive officer in 1995. Stearns brought corporate best practices to World Vision, where he inspired a culture of outcome-focused management. His lasting legacy is his leadership in calling on the Church in America to respond to some of the greatest needs of our time, notably the HIV and AIDS pandemic and the global refugee crisis. Stearns and his wife, Reneé, have five children and five grandchildren and live in Bellevue, Washington.

Review

"an inspiring, action-oriented book that is long overdue ... a dynamic and logical exhortation."Publishers Weekly

"some of the best, clearest advice I've seen on how to [follow Jesus]"Christianity Today

About this edition

• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 0529101149
• ISBN 13: 9780529101143
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 288