Lead Like It Matters to God by Richard Stearns is about how the values Christian leaders embrace are more important than the success they achieve. This eight-session companion study guide explores seventeen values that will transform your leadership. Following the structure of review, reflect, and practice, this dynamic guide also provides discussion starters for groups to have honest conversations about how values-driven leadership not only improves their witness for Christ but also influences culture and creates healthy workplaces where people and teams flourish. Take a look at the seventeen leadership values you will explore in this study guide: Surrender Sacrifice Trust Excellence Love Humility Integrity Vision Courage Generosity Forgiveness Self-Awareness Balance Humor Encouragement Perseverance Listening

Richard Stearns is a leader who has been tested as a CEO in both secular companies and also as the head of one of the world’s largest Christian ministries. After stints as CEO of Parker Brothers and then Lenox, Stearns accepted the invitation to leave his corporate career to become the president of World Vision US, where he became the longest serving president in their seventy-year history. During his tenure there he implemented corporate best practices, lowering overheads while tripling revenues. His leadership in calling the American church to respond to some of the greatest crises of our time, notably the HIV and AIDS pandemic, and the global refugee crisis, challenged Christians to embrace a bold vision for compassion, mercy, and justice.

In Lead Like It Matters to God, Stearns shares the leadership principles he has learned over the course of his remarkable career. As a leader who has navigated both secular and sacred spaces, Stearns claims that the values Christian leaders embrace in their workplaces are actually more important than the results they achieve—that God is more concerned about a leader's character than a leader's success. With wisdom, wit, and biblical teaching, Stearns shares captivating stories of his life journey and unpacks seventeen crucial values that can transform leaders and their organizations. When leaders embody values such as integrity, courage, excellence, forgiveness, humility, surrender, balance, generosity, perseverance, love, and encouragement, they not only improve their witness for Christ, they also shape institutions, influence culture, improve team performance, and create healthy workplaces where people can flourish. Through this book, Stearns will inspire a new generation of Christian leaders to boldly take their values into their workplaces to tangibly demonstrate the character of Christ, the love of Christ, and the truth of Christ as they live out their faith in full view of others.

So you believe in God. Now what?

Just before he left, Jesus sent his followers into the world with a revolutionary mission: to change the world by proclaiming God's truth and demonstrating his incredible love. But the single task he gave us to accomplish remains "unfinished."

In this six-session small group Bible study, bestselling author Rich Stearns takes you and your small group on a breathtaking journey to rediscover the critical mission of Christ in our world today and the richness of God's calling on our lives.

Why are you here, what is your purpose, and where do you fit in the bigger story that God is writing? How should your faith affect your career, your money, your families, and your life? And why does it matter? You will find your deepest purpose only when you discover the unique role God created for you to play in his unfolding story.

The six sessions include: The Meaning of Life and Other Important Things, Magic Kingdom, Tragic Kingdom and the Kingdom of God, The Invitation of God, We Were Made For More, Spiritual Dominos, God's Great Adventure for Your Life

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?"

"Insightful and inspirational work from one of the most important evangelical voices of our time. Rich Stearns reminds us about God's initiative in the world and shows] that we are privileged to participate in God's unfolding story in the world. With powerful stories and practical solutions, "Unfinished "directs us out of our passivity toward an active and authentic faith."--Soong-Chan Rah, author, "The Next Evangelicalism"; and Milton B. Engebretson Associate Professor of Church Growth and Evangelism, North Park Theological Seminary

"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"

"Do you ever battle with a deep sense of dissatisfaction in your life, a knowing that you were made for more? In a world that still peddles the lie that more "stuff "will fulfill us, Rich points us to the truth that in losing ourselves for the sake of the kingdom of God, we will find ourselves. Believing in Christ is just the starting line; running the race is what we were made for."--Sheila Walsh, author, "God Loves Broken People"

Everything you need to race your way up through the fleetIf you sail--even a little--you've probably thought about trying your hand at racing. Now you can stop thinking and do it. Getting Started in Sailboat Racing makes this endlessly fascinating lifetime sport accessible to anyone who wants to give it a try, whether you own a sailboat, are hoping to crew, or spectating from a nearby perch. This complete course in racing fundamentals breaks the racing experience down into bite-size pieces, making the process easier to understand and reflecting the leg-by-leg nature of a typical race. With scores of helpful illustrations, this user-friendly manual takes you around the buoys, explaining new rule changes and tactics that apply to each part of the race. You'll learn how to: Execute quick, competitive startsMaximize speed and efficiency on the windward legManeuver for position around the windward markTake full advantage of downwind and reaching legsHandle the spinnaker (even when asymmetrical), and beat the crowd at the jibe and leeward marksEke out every last bit of speed as you sprint to the finish There are few things in this world more satisfying than racing a sailboat. Get in on the action and find out what you've been missing. All you need is a competitive spirit and a little help from Getting Started in Sailboat Racing. "Cort and Stearns deftly break down racing, from start to finish, into basic elements, making the sport more accessible by giving the novice a strong understanding of the fundamentals . . . this book should be required reading for anyone wanting to get out on thecourse. The book goes into enough detail on tactics and sail trim to make the average sailor not only comfortable on the racecourse, but competitive, as well." -- SAILING "With Cort and Stearns' enthusiasm for the topic and straightforward advice, it's hard not to read this book without picturing yourself rounding the buoys just ahead of the rest of the fleet." -- Soundings

This tenth-anniversary edition of The Hole in Our Gospel features a new chapter and updated statistics, along with full-color photo and infographic inserts, a study guide, a concordance of scripture on poverty and justice, and personal accounts from readers whose perspectives have been changed by The Hole in Our Gospel.

Is our faith only about going to church, studying the Bible, and avoiding the most serious sins? Or does God expect more? Have we embraced the whole gospel or a gospel with a hole in it?

More than twenty years ago, Rich Stearns came face-to-face with that question as he sat in a mud hut in Rakai, Uganda, listening to the heartbreaking story of an orphaned child. Stearns's journey took much more than a long flight to Africa. It took answering God's call on his life, a call that tore him out of his corner office at one of America's most prestigious corporations, to walk with the poorest of the poor in our world.

Stearns's compelling story demonstrates that the whole gospel was always meant to be a world-changing social revolution, a revolution that begins with each one of us.

When a perfect storm of personal, professional, and natural disaster threw Mike Mantel into a dark night of the soul, he embarked on a journey through his own life and around the world to rediscover God's presence through the diverse body of Christ. In Thirsting for Living Water, Mantel invites readers to join him on this adventure and open their eyes to their own stories of God's faithfulness. It's an invitation to see where God is already at work: at home, among neighbors, and to the ends of the earth. Here is a story of the holistic gospel, driven by compassion, justice, and mercy, with Jesus at the center. Here is an inspiring vision of a unified, global church-in which each of us has a vital role to play.

Ford Foundation Doctoral Dissertation Series.

Que haces despues de creer?

Antes de su partida, Jesus les encomendo a sus discipulos --y tambien a nosotros-- una mision muy importante: iniciar una revolucion espiritual y social que le diera un giro total al mundo. Debiamos ir a los confines de la Tierra a proclamar el evangelio y demostrar el amor de Dios a un mundo lastimado y hostil. Jesus llamo a esta mision "apresurar la llegada del Reino de Dios" y prometio regresar cuando el trabajo estuviera hecho.

Sin embargo, dos mil anos despues, la mision sigue inconclusa. Este libro es una invitacion a descubrir la vida para la que Dios te creo. No es sobre fracasos y culpas, sino sobre oportunidades y regocijo, porque Dios no nos obliga --El nos invita--. Nos ofrece darle sentido, satisfaccion y trascendencia a nuestra vida pero siempre nos da la opcion de no aceptarlo, y lamentablemente, muchos lo hacen. Es momento de redescubrir nuestro llamado. Es momento de reiniciar.
Del exitoso autor de "El vacio en nuestro evangelio, "ganador del premio ECPA en la categoria de Libro cristiano del ano 2010.