Jan David Hettinga - Still Restless: Conversations That Open the Door to Peace

If youve been searching for a clear explanation of the core message of Jesus, look no further. Here is a book of fascinating stories, some old, some new, that will take you to the heart of what Jesus called good news. The search for spiritual peace is universal. Finding an end to inner restlessness is much less common. This is a helpful guide to experiencing the missing peace of lifes puzzle.

Marcus Brotherton, author of the award-winning Feast for Thieves

One of the greatest needs in our world is for people in touch with the living God to share their faith. This book is going to be a great help to people all over the world who are willing to do that. Please not only read it but pass it on to someone else.

George Verwer, founder of Operation Mobilisation

Its not Jans knack for stringing words togetherthough hes certainly good at itthat makes this book a treasure. Its his knack for pinning down exactly why so many Christians feel frustrated with a life that seemed to promise so much more. This book is going to help a lot of people.

Mark Atteberry, award-winning author of The Samson Syndrome

In Still Restless, Jan Hettinga provides a compelling and eminently readable response to what some have called the insufficiency of all things attainable, which has become the chief malaise of contemporary culture. With powerful, practical stories from his many years as a spiritual leader and teacher, he leads the reader on a gentle journey toward satiating the inner restlessness that stalks so many people today by inviting them to find rest in Jesus and his kingdom. Jan helps us identify the sources that spawn our spiritual restlessness and then deftly leads us on the journey to finding the source of satisfaction for this holy longing. I highly recommend this book to everyone who longs to be restless no more!

Dr. Sam Rima, lead pastor of North Seattle Alliance Church and author of Overcoming the Dark Side of Leadership and Leading from the Inside Out

In life and in writing, Dr. Jan Hettinga is a gifted and humble man who loves Jesus and draws great wisdom from Gods Word. In Still Restless, Jan beautifully melds powerful stories from Scripture with those of his own life in ministry. By example, Jan demonstrates how to give clear, thoughtful answers to complex life issues by relying on the wisdom found in the kingdom gospel of Scripture. This book is an inspiring guide for those who have attempted to play God in their own lives or at least have sought to slow his advances. For those of us in ministry, Still Restless holds up a mirror to our own motivations, while allowing us to become better prepared to respond to those who seek God or have yet failed to recognize that they need him. I strongly recommend this book to all who know Jesus as Lord, and to those who have yet to meet him. Yes, that means everyone.

Gary Irby, director of Seattle Church Planting and Northwest Baptist Church Planting

The kingdom message is not just another gospel technique, it is the way Jesus chose to connect with those he met. Eleven men understood this message and changed the world. Our work here is not done! Imagine what the church would look like today if this message were shared in the pulpit and lived in the marketplace. As long as there are lost souls and broken hearts, may the church feel restless as well. Thank you, Jan, for being obedient.

Lee Harris, Kingdom Builders Ministries

Still Restless is written from a pastors heart. Nestle in, and let Jan Hettinga unlock the Scriptures and take you to the God who is, who may be different from the God youve known.

Laurie Short, author of Finding Faith in the Dark

Still Restless: Conversations That Open the Door to Peace
2016 by Jan David Hettinga

Published by Kregel Publications, a division of Kregel, Inc., 2450 Oak Industrial Dr. NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49505.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwisewithout written permission of the publisher, except for brief quotations in reviews.

The persons and events portrayed in this book are compilations of various stories, with all names and identifying details changed to protect individual privacy.

Epigraph: Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God (New York: HarperCollins, 1998), 390.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.TM Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com

Scripture quotations marked MSG are from The Message. Copyright by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked VOICE are from The Voice. Copyright 2008 by Ecclesia Bible Society. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

ISBN 978-0-8254-4390-9

Printed in the United States of America
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For my children,

Nathan, Holly, and Jeremy,

who found their home in Gods kingdom.

A lady I know refused to talk about life beyond death with her children because, she said, she didnt want them to be disappointed if it turned out not to be there. Well now. If there is no afterlife they certainly wont be disappointed. If there is, they may find themselves badly prepared. The only possible way they could be disappointed is if they do continue to exist.

If, indeed, what happens at physical death is the cessation of the person, then approaching death is, at worst, like going to the surgeon. It is unpleasant, but at least it will be over soon, and there will then be no pain, no suffering, no regrets. No you. No anything, so far as you are concerned.

The truly brave person is surely the one who can cheerfully face the prospect of an unending existence. Suppose you are never going to stop existing and there is nothing you can do about itexcept possibly make your future existence as desirable an existence as possible? That would call for real courage.

Dallas Willard, The Divine Conspiracy

When I was young I had a drug problem. My parents drug me to church every weekend. It made sense. After all, I was the son of a pastor who was trying his best to lead congregations into much needed personal, congregational, and community change, so church became a family endeavor. Every Sunday morning Mom would throw the four of us in the back of the Country Squire station wagon in our Sunday best (I am still in counseling for the plaid bow ties and suits), give us the behave lecture, and send us off to class.

My dad was great at his job. Everywhere we went, the churches he led grew. In fact, he got the reputation of being a great fundraiser and became the leader of choice any time a church needed an expansion campaign. He rose very quickly in the ranks of our denomination and, as a result, was in great demand all over the state. I was very proud of my dad. Yet somewhere in that journey of ministry success, I got lost. I cant say that it was my dads faultI dont think it was. But the result of that season was unsettledness in my experience with church. You could even say I was cynical about church, but still curious about God. I was restless.