The Whole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns

WOW!!! The Whole in Our Gospel is a hard hitting book that slaps you directly in the face. The book is part personal story, part statistical overview, and part get up off your butt and do something about this. The book is written by Richard Stearns and discusses his reluctance to becoming the president of World Vision, a problem that many can relate to in some way or another. It also shows how the Gospel is about, and has always been about, faith and works, a theological topic that is highly debated. All in all it is a hard hitting book that says look around at the problem of the world, most of them are still here because many members of the Christian Church have allow them to happen because they/we simply live within the walls of our churches and stay nice and comfortable with our American lives.

I find this book very relevant for the times when there are large masses of people around the United States ranting and complaining that they are the 99% and that they want the 1% to not be so greedy. Yet, they forget that no matter how hard they try to show how big and bad their alleged 1% are, they are Americans and in the Global scheme they are the 1% as well.

The Whole in Our Gospel is a book that everyone should read and probably should read at least once a year, so that their hearts continue to be broken by the brokenness of the world in which we live in. If you have not already read this book do so now. It will light a fire within you to do your part in helping heal the broken world we all live in.

Currently Being Read For Reviews

Currently, I am in the process of reading The Hole In Our Gospel: the answer that changed my life and might just change the world by Richard Stearns (President of World Vision USA). I also have Ascent from Darkness How Satan's Soldier Became God's Warrior by Michael Leehan and Why Church Matters by Joshua Harris in the line up. Please bear with me in the reading process as it is currently quickly approaching Law School Exam time.

The Vertical Self How Biblical Faith Can Help Us Discover Who We Are in An Age of Self Obsession

I received this book over a year ago to review. At that time, I read the book and started to attempt to put together a review that would properly state how I felt about the book. This task clearly became harder than one would think. Now, some time has passed and things in my life have changed as well. Remembering, that I still had to review this book, I re-read The Vertical Self.

With this passing of time has come a better appreciation for this book. Originally, I was not sure that this book achieved what it set out to do. Now, this book speaks directly to today’s culture of consumerism, where you can attempt to buy your identity at your local shopping center. Mark Sayers presses the point that we need to find our identity in something other than other people’s views. This attempt to find our identity in others is what Mark Sayers has called the horizontal self. An attempt that he tries to show will always leave us unfulfilled. As the name of the book suggests, the vertical self is Mark Sayers alternative to the horizontal self. Mark states that the only way to truly find yourself in this world of crazy consumerism is to find your identity in God.

I believe that this attempt at handling a very deep psychological and sociological issue in a small paperback book aimed at those who are not psychologist or sociologists has successfully pointed out a serious problem in today’s society. I recommend this book because it will make you take a serious look at determining why you believe and do certain things that you do.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”