Francis Chan

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Crazy Love was instrumental in my relationship with God. You taught me how to pray to my Papa in a way that is childlike at the age of 41. in a span of 2 months i have given my business to God and amazing things have happened(to many and definitely undeniable),but the greatest thing that has happened is i have new salvation and i own a cigarette store in Oklahoma City and have for 15 years. i have just recently been asking a gentleman that frequently holds a sign for me at the corner of my business so he can make a little extra cash if he went to church. he gave the standard organized religion speech. i asked him if he would come to my store on Sundays and watch church online(LifeChurch.tv). he agreed and now this Sunday in only 4 weeks we plan on having around 8 people watching online in a little cigarette store in Oklahoma City. I'm on fire with the spirit of Jesus Christ and have been for 2 months.The only way i can explain this new salvation is that i feel every emotion all at once ALL the time and have even had customers i've known for years ask me to pray for them right in the middle of my store and i do so. This has NEVER been like me and YOU have played a huge role in my walk and wanted you to know what you've done for me. God is good all the time and all the time...

----- 0. Prologue: Chan mentions the fact that people tune in and out of sermons. Why are we preaching sermons? Well, some people like lectures. Why are sermons the king of message delivery? Not so sure. Reading can be better for some, such as me. But not for others. I think discussion is best, because everyone remembers the brilliant things they''ve said, and the discussion elicits the saying of brilliant things. ----- 1. Sermon: My thoughts: Is the point to avoid hell -- Christianity is essentially antihellism -- or is the point to love God? Is salvation the point of existence? Or is it the love of God? When you focus on how lovely God is, you prepare yourself for heaven. If heaven is your reward, and heaven is being with God, you''d better love God, or heaven will be not much of a reward! Of course, this leaves the question: do I love God? Great question. I think to love God you must see his loveliness (the positive action), remove competing loves (the negative action) through obedience and self-denial, and encourage amplifying loves (also positive), through obedience and fun-having. The pursuit of love is the point, and one of the markers of mature belief. ----- 2. On the other hand, Christianity is for the immature as well as the mature. So we need ladders to maturity. One which Chan did not mention is John 15: ?I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned." This is (or should be!) a favorite of non-Protestants. It seems that the process of abiding in God is primarily the work of God, but we still have to do something (even though we''re clean!). Just do something and God will do the rest, including reminding you when to do more. ----- 3. But even so, Protestant or non-Protestant, Chan or not, it seems like *you have to perceive the Holy Spirit in your life or you''re in trouble*, as it is God who saves. However... maybe you don''t need to know how God is working in your life, rather that he is lovely anyways, and that you will desire and obey him anyways, blind as you are. ----- 4. Take the focus off yourself and place it on God, and if faith saves, you will have faith.

----- 0. Prologue: Chan mentions the fact that people tune in and out of sermons. Why are we preaching sermons? Well, some people like lectures. Why are sermons the king of message delivery? Not so sure. Reading can be better for some, such as me. But not for others. I think discussion is best, because everyone remembers the brilliant things they''ve said, and the discussion elicits the saying of brilliant things. ----- 1. Sermon: My thoughts: Is the point to avoid hell -- Christianity is essentially antihellism -- or is the point to love God? Is salvation the point of existence? Or is it the love of God? When you focus on how lovely God is, you prepare yourself for heaven. If heaven is your reward, and heaven is being with God, you''d better love God, or heaven will be not much of a reward! Of course, this leaves the question: do I love God? Great question. I think to love God you must see his loveliness (the positive action), remove competing loves (the negative action) through obedience and self-denial, and encourage amplifying loves (also positive), through obedience and fun-having. The pursuit of love is the point, and one of the markers of mature belief. ----- 2. On the other hand, Christianity is for the immature as well as the mature. So we need ladders to maturity. One which Chan did not mention is John 15: ?I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned." This is (or should be!) a favorite of non-Protestants. It seems that the process of abiding in God is primarily the work of God, but we still have to do something (even though we''re clean!). Just do something and God will do the rest, including reminding you when to do more. ----- 3. But even so, Protestant or non-Protestant, Chan or not, it seems like *you have to perceive the Holy Spirit in your life or you''re in trouble*, as it is God who saves. However... maybe you don''t need to know how God is working in your life, rather that he is lovely anyways, and that you will desire and obey him anyways, blind as you are. ----- 4. Take the focus off yourself and place it on God, and if faith saves, you will have faith.