CHAPTER 1

THE MEANING OF LIFEAND OTHERIMPORTANT THINGS

"The meaning, purpose, and significance of our lives arefound only by aligning our lives with God's purposes, inlives committed to following Jesus Christ."

(Unfinished, p. xviii)

PRE-SESSION PERSONAL STUDY

Based on the introduction and chapters 1–2 of the Unfinished book

INTRODUCTION

Read the introduction to Unfinished (pp. xvii–xxiii); then meditate onthe following quotes and answer the related questions. (This samebasic format will repeat in each pre-session of the guide. Use thespace provided or a separate notebook to record your responses.)

"So why is it that so many Christians seem to lack that senseof fullness of life? They go to church, read their Bibles, and saytheir prayers but still feel that something is missing." (p. xviii)

Do you ever feel something is missing from your life? If so, when doyou feel that way? Why do you feel that way?

How would you answer the question posed in the quote if someoneasked you?

"Our Christian faith is not just a way to find forgivenessfor sin in order to enter eternal life, yet it is that. It is notjust a system of right beliefs about ultimate truth and theorder of things, though it is that. Nor is it just a way to findGod's comfort in times of trouble or a helpful code of conductfor how to live a good and productive life, though it isthose things too. Fundamentally, the Christian faith is a callto leave everything else behind, follow our Lord and SaviorJesus Christ, and join in the great mission of Christ in ourworld. It is a call to forsake all else and follow him. Only thenwill we become completed people—people living accordingto God's deepest purpose for our lives." (p. xviii)

How do you experience this quote from Unfinished? Does it inspireyou? Make you angry?

What would it mean for you to leave everything behind?

What are you most afraid to leave behind?

"Listen carefully to these next few statements: You don'thave to go to the Congo or to Uzbekistan to change theworld. You don't have to be brilliant to change the world—orwealthy or influential or a spiritual giant. But you dohave to say yes to the invitation." (p. xxii)

Can you change the world for God's kingdom right where you are?

What does it mean to say yes to the invitation? What will saying yesrequire of you?

Does a quote like this sound like good news? Why or why not?

CHAPTER 1: THE MEANING OF LIFE ANDOTHER IMPORTANT THINGS

Read Unfinished chapter 1 (pp. 1–16).

Pick one quote or concept that really connected with you from today'sreading and write it down to share, as appropriate, with the group duringsession one.

"I want to suggest to you that our lives are part of a muchbigger story—one that began in eternity and one that willcontinue indefinitely into the future. And unless we understandhow our story fits into this bigger story, we will live ourlives with little sense of real purpose or significance, driftingthrough life like a ship without a rudder." (pp. 6–7)

Do you know someone with a real sense of purpose? What is he orshe like?

Do you feel like your life has purpose? Why or why not? Does youranswer have anything to do with your Christianity? Why or why not?

What does it mean to you that God has a purpose for your life?

CHAPTER 2: GOD'S BIG STORY

Read Unfinished chapter 2 (pp. 17–30).

At the end of the chapter Rich retells the entire biblical narrative. Haveyou ever heard the story told the way he does? How did you experiencehis version? What are the implications for our lives when the storyis told this way?

"I came to believe that the most plausible explanation for theuniverse was that God was real and he had created all that wesee; that there was a painter behind this incredible painting,an author behind this astonishing story. I also came to believethat Jesus of Nazareth was indeed God incarnate—thatGod had taken human form in order to inaugurate a newand deeper kind of relationship with us." (pp. 19–20)

In this section of the book, Rich shares his experience of coming tofaith in Jesus. What was your experience of coming to faith? How wasit similar or different from Rich's?

"The truth is that the only things we can really know aboutGod are the things he has chosen to reveal to us in one wayor another. We can discern things about God from observingwhat he created. When we see the world around us, wesee vastness, complexity, power, order, beauty, creativity,precision, and majesty. And all of these words say somethingabout the Creator." (p. 23)

What are three adjectives you would use to describe God? Why did youpick the words you did?

What does the creation itself tell us about the great Creator?

GROUP STUDY

INTRODUCTION

One of the subplots in the 2003 movie Finding Nemo is about of agroup of fish who long to live in the ocean but are trapped in a dentist'saquarium. They can see the harbor from their prison in the dentist'soffice, but no matter how many escape plans they devise, they cannever quite get there. Finally they succeed. As the last of the groupplops into the sea, the newly freed fish silently take stock of their situation:they're floating in individual plastic bags in the midst of a vastharbor, with no tools or opposable thumbs with which to get out ofthe bags. After a moment, one of them humorously asks the obviousquestion, "Now what?"

"Now what?" indeed.

"Now what?" is a question many Christians find themselves askingafter they make an initial commitment to Jesus. They truly love Godand have a sincere belief in Jesus, but they sense something missing.They wonder what they are supposed to do next. Is there more to thislife of faith than simply going to church, praying, reading the Bible, andwaiting to die? The answer to this question is a resounding yes!

Over the last century, American Christianity has become hyper-focusedon believing the right things. We have produced thousandsof theology books, used countless bytes on the Internet defendingour religious particulars, and even left old churches to start new onesbased on differences in doctrine. But what if belief is...