I've been payin' attention to Francis Chan lately and he especially captured my attention when he announced his plans to leave the church he planted 16 years ago to go…elsewhere. He's not so sure of the "elsewhere" at this point, but he wants to go to some obscure place (he's thinking third world country) where he's unknown and serve a people in need.
While he's in the midst of serving and not having the breath of life sucked out of him by well-meaning people who want a piece of him, he's going to seek God to determine where he and his family will next serve. It might be Los Angeles.
He's leaving a life of comfort and success (worldly and "religiously" speaking) for the unknown and uncomfortable.
When I listen to and watch him, I see Christ. It's undeniable and magnetic. His freedom, his enthusiasm, his unashamedness of the Gospel? Makes me want to know Jesus better so I can be a better reflection of him to those who might not know him.
Regardless of whether or not you're familiar with his preaching, teaching or best-selling books, he'll get you thinking ~
"We need to stop giving people excuses not to believe in God. You've
probably heard the expression 'I believe in God, just not organized
religion'. I don't think people would say that if the church truly lived
like we are called to live." ~ Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God"Lukewarm living and claiming Christ's name simultaneously is utterly
disgusting to God." ~ Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God"Our greatest fear should not be of failure but of succeeding at things
in life that don't really matter." ~ Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God
"Has your relationship with God changed the way you live your life?" "I think a lot of us need to forget about God's will for my life. God cares more about our response to His Spirit's leading today, in this moment, than about what we intend to do next year…. It is easy to use the phrase "God's will for my life" as an excuse for inaction or even disobedience. It's much less demanding to think about about God's will for your future than it is to ask Him what He wants you to do in the next ten minutes. ~ Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit
On second thought, you might not wanna read or listen to anything Chan says. He can be dangerous….
Oh so true, Robin. That book will change you, convict you, challenge you. I read it a year ago and am still processing it. Hard, hard words.
I’m so there, Robin. I’ve been reading and listening to Francis for more than a year now and it is hard and convicting and challenging and intense. Yet I agree that it is all God. I love his teaching, not because I’ve got some weird fan thing going on, but because I hear the heart of Christ from a man who’s not afraid to be transparent and who wants to live biblically, even when it’s not easy. As much as he wants to be liked, he wants even more to honor the Lord. I want to live like that. Every time I hear or read what God says through him, I am moved to become more Christ-like and less like me.
His teachings are not for the faint of heart, nor for those who want to stay in their comfort zone.
THANK YOU for this link. We visited our old church a few months back and in lieu of a regular sermon we watched one of his and I’ve been dying to show it to my husband.(I mention that it was our old church becuase, well, let’s just say the prayer at the end of service didn’t jive at all with what Chan preached. Now there’s a sign for you, eh?)
I hadn’t heard about his plans. I just started reading Forgotten God. His writing is definitely dangerous to your comfort zone.
Everything God is telling me right now is dangerous. Makes me wonder what I have been listening to up until now.
I DIG Chan! Through Chan, God challenges me to think outside of the box. I like what Crazy Love says about lukewarm Christians. I actually wrote this down in my journal as I was reading: “We will not see lukewarm Christians in Heaven.”
Wow. I pray that God continually helps me to remain on fire for Him!
PS- I just found your blog today!
Erin
http://www.erin-brady.com
I liked his book, and a lot of what he had to say. As an atheist, however, I think it’s important to do things because you think you’re right, not because “God” told you to.
Very dangerous. Highly. His words have rocked my world… because Jesus shines through him. It’s Jesus.