Crazy Love

I would like to introduce you to a friend, a Pastor, a father, an author and someone who is on a journey towards a closer and deeper relationship with his Creator; Francis Chan. Francis is the pastor of Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley, CA. He spends a lot of time traveling the country speaking to students and leaders alike. For our purposes here he is the author of "Crazy Love, Overwhelmed By A Relentless God."

Over the next 11 posts or so I'm going to talk about what Chan presents in each chapter and some of my thoughts on them (in relation to me, the Church and my church.) Please join the conversation - share your thoughts and heck if you're up to it - go pick up a copy of the book and read along!

PREFACE ~
In the opening paragraph Chan says, at first he thought it was all him, until he was standing before 20 thousand college students and asked: "How many of you have read the New Testament and wondered if we in the church are missing it?" Almost every hand went up he recalls. and mine would too!

In fact, I sat in worship just last week and wondered what we were not doing as a church? I thought of the message we try to hit home with the youth every week at youth group...the message of The Great Commission - to make disciples of all nations - to get out of our chairs and invite our friends, neighbors, family, etc to youth group (& worship) with us. I asked myself why this message hasn't been presented to the general church? Why don't we talk about evangelism in big church?

Now I'm thinking of the Gospel. Yes, the kind where you get the picture in your head of someone having an altar call! Last year in youth group we presented the Gospel message in some fashion every week. So, why don't we do that in big church? Are we as adults too afraid? I heard a pastor say this last week that Jesus spoke most about not being afraid, or worried, or full fear.

So, how do we as big church (not just the youth groups, or the younger generations) increase our desire for "more God?" How do we incorporate the Gospel and the Great Commission into our weekly worship experiences? Or are we okay with where we're at? Are we 'just comfortable?' I don't know about you but God has really been pushing me recently and I'm not happy with comfortable - I want my desire for more God to go through the roof.

Are you with me?
~C