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Review: Unfinished: Believing is Only the Beginning by Richard Stearns



Review: Unfinished: Believing is Only the Beginning
Richard Stearns
Thomas Nelson
2013

He is right and his title sums things up.  Believing is only the beginning of a new life and the commission to the church and disciples is unfinished.  

I jumped on this book when I got the notification that it was available.  Stearns has his act together in many ways and writing is but one of them.  Communication is one of his strengths and this book, as well as his previous one, demonstrate that well.  Yes, I do recommend this book.  Get that part done first.  

This book took me a little longer to like than the other, but after he sets up his argument it takes off nicely.  The basic theme is we are here for a purpose that is determined by God Himself for each of us individually and as we congregate together as groups.  Each person matters and each task matters.  Yes, we have heard this before, but his approach to this covers most of the usual reason why knowledge and application seems to drift apart for many of us.  

He is involved in World Vision as their president and used their activities as examples of a few of the areas that are available for any who will step up and say yes.  But not just in the World Vision organization.  The take away here is to get up off the pew and get busy in some way.  Don’t have any skills?  Failed before?  His short bio of a person finally identified as Abraham Lincoln covers that.  Stearns meets most of the objections that many of us use.  No wiggle room, but he doesn’t bludgeon the reader with this either. 

He’s an encourager.  His style is so open and inviting that if someone walk away from this there may be other issues that need attention.  

There is a study guide included and I noticed that there is also a video driven option which I have not seen.  Like I said earlier, I do recommend this book.  

This book was provided by Thomas Nelson in exchange for a review.

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