Author: Ronnie Floyd
Located in: Fayetteville, Arkansas
Submitted: June 24, 2011
Tell us a little about yourself. I was born and raised in Texas. After pastoring churches for ten years in Texas, the Lord called me here 25 years ago to Pastor what is now called,
Cross Church, which is located in Northwest Arkansas. You can go to crosschurch.com and ronniefloyd.com to learn more about us.
On December 31, Jeana and I will be married for 35 years. We have two boys, Josh and Nick. Josh and Kate have three boys: Peyton, Parker, and Jack. Nick and Meredith have two children: Reese Caroline and Beckham. Within the next few months, they will finalize adopting twins from Ethiopia.
What was your motivation behind this project? Jesus asked us to tell every person in the world about Jesus Christ and make disciples of all the nations. This is known as the Great Commission. Since the Lord called me to preach as a sixteen year old boy, the Great Commission has always been my heart. Yet, I have gone through major progressive growth in both understanding it and leading people to fulfill it. In the year of 2009-2010, I was asked to serve as Chairman of an incredible group of twenty-two leaders. We were known as the Great Commission Resurgence Task Force of the Southern Baptist Convention. Our task was to study all we had and were doing to see how we could fulfill the Great Commission more faithfully and effectively. In leading this effort that was approved overwhelming by a three to one margin in 2010 and reaffirmed organizationally in June of 2011, the 45,727 churches and our twelve convention entities
from this very point forward, are joining together in an unprecedented way to do all we can to fulfill the Great Commission. Through my year of service, God changed my life. In September of 2010, Thomas Nelson Publishers came to me and told me they wanted to publish a book by me on fulfilling the Great Commission. They wanted me to take the thirty-five years of experience as a Pastor and all I have learned about the Great Commission in all of my life, leadership, and service, and tell people what it would take to complete the Great Commission. When they shared with me they did not want me to theorize about it, but provide them a book that was action-driven, I knew God wanted me to do it. Therefore, together we entitled it: Our Last Great Hope: Awakening The Great Commission.
What do you hope folks will gain from this project? I pray they will be challenged to face where they are spiritually and that God will awaken them to the dire lostness of the world. Never has there been a greater moment to fulfill the Great Commission than today. Now is the time for us to do it. I hope they learn a few things personally and as a church they can do to finish the task of telling every person in the world about Jesus Christ and make disciples of all the nations.
How were you personally impacted by working on this project? Over these past two years, God continues to change my life and ministry, both relating to the Great Commission. Jesus is awakening me to it as never before. When people read this book, they will read words written by an author whose life has been changed dramatically by the Lord.
Who are your influences, sources of inspiration or favorite authors / artists? I am influenced by people who are on fire for Christ and energized to tell every person in the world about Jesus Christ and make disciples of all the nations. Through studying the Bible, praying, and journaling, God continues to motivate me daily to see the Great Commission completed. My church is more committed to it than ever before and what God is doing with them is inspiring me greatly!
Anything else you'd like readers / listeners to know: I would like for them to read "Our Last Great Hope" and tell their church about it and every person they know. We need a global movement to see the Great Commission completed. Please share books with your small group and Pastor. If you are a Pastor, share it with your people as well other Pastors and spiritual leaders. Again, we need a global movement to see the Great Commission fulfilled.
People without Christ are destined to an eternity in hell. Billions need to know of God's love and forgiveness. Now is the time we tell them and not letting up until we penetrate every people group of the world. Let's do it! It will take ALL of us. Prayerfully, God will raise this book up to inspire thousands of churches and Christ-followers from all across the world to complete the Great Commission. With God's vision and power, we can do it!
