Francis ChanCritiques

Mixed feelings about this one. In some places I was spiritually challenged and encouraged. The chapters about lukewarm Christians and the obsessed Christians were especially good. There were lots of good points throughout and some good scriptural insight. In other places, however, I felt like I was retreading old tires. I'd heard a lot of it before, and the writing wasn't fresh enough to make an impact. In fact, I felt like Chan came off as a bit bossy and pedantic at times. Personally, I respond better to the more reserved philosophy of [a:Max Lucado|2737|Max Lucado|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1224698929p2/2737.jpg] and [a:C.S. Lewis|1069006|C.S. Lewis|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1211981595p2/1069006.jpg]. I am also not a fan of books telling me to do things like quit reading and go visit a website.

Se a unidade do Corpo de Cristo é tão essencial para Deus, por que somos o grupo religioso mais dividido do planeta? Até que sejamos um é a tentativa bem-sucedida de Francis Chan de explicar essa danosa contradição, além de revelar como essa trajetória nefasta pode e deve ser revertida.

O autor de Louco amor aponta como o povo de Deus tem falhado ao criar divisões pela ausência de uma postura cristocêntrica em relação ao próximo, em especial aos da família da fé. Mostra ainda o enfraquecimento da igreja ao ter de lidar com as próprias incoerências em detrimento de manter o foco na adoração a Deus.

Francis Chan pede que cristãos e igrejas em todo o mundo alinhem seu coração com Deus e levem a sério os numerosos mandamentos pela unidade. Seu alerta não está relacionado com questões doutrinárias, mas com a triste consequência de um cristianismo raso e com o amor superficial pelo próximo.

A boa notícia é que tanto o diagnóstico como a solução para esse grave problema podem ser encontrados nas Escrituras, daí o convite para crermos na Palavra e praticá-la.



Atualmente o mundo nos odeia não porque nos parecemos com Jesus, mas porque não nos parecemos. Somos arrogantes e há uma grave lacuna entre nossas crenças e ações.

Francis Chan

Parts of this book were very challenging to my faith and I appreciated that.

Está disposto a repensar a igreja como a conhece hoje? Em sua obra mais recente, Francis Chan, autor de Louco amor, desafia o leitor a avaliar a organização atual e a relevância (ou irrelevância) da igreja para o mundo em que vivemos. E, mais importante, quão próxima ou distante ela está do que as Escrituras apontam como o seu propósito, que é sinalizar o reino de Deus. Francis Chan conta sua experiência como plantador de igrejas e o que aprendeu com os erros e com os acertos, numa avaliação honesta e não menos crítica dos descaminhos trilhados por comunidades cristãs ao redor do planeta. Engana-se, no entanto, quem espera um mero desabafo. Francis Chan apresenta instruções valiosas para igrejas que não só querem compreender seu papel bíblico mas também anseiam por inspirar vitalidade, compromisso e significado. Cartas à igreja é, portanto, um chamado para fazer diferença.

This is a great book. We all need to hear this message. Are we living out Jesus' call for us to be unified? I do not think we are. Francis Chan is direct and timely with his message.

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I would give a copy of this book to every believer if I could. Well worth the read.

The book “Crazy Love” is a good call for all to look anew at God and examine themselves to see if they are living a changed life.

God is Love!

Excellent, easy, and yet very informative book. Love the topics Francis takes on. His passion for the subject comes through. Breaks it down into simple truths, things we NEED to not just think about, but do. God loves us. We should love him too. And our love should show.

A powerful understanding of Gods grace and love as Francis Chan deals with the topic of Hell. Don't avoid it embrace what it is and live Holy lives. A good read

An extensive look on the role the HS plays in our lives, ministry

I read this with my (now) husband before we got married and I think it was a great way to set a foundation, encourage discussion and really help us to see what a Christ-centered marriage should look like.

This is a book on marriage cowritten by the author and his wife. They are passionate about Christ and I think their enthusiasm rubs off on the reader. I finished this book feeling motivated and inspired.

Their thesis: 1) Christians live to glorify God and follow His heart for us. Thus the focus of Christian couples hoping to have a good marriage should not be on "marriage" itself, but on God. Once both spouse's heart passionately pursues God's will, the marriage will be strong. 2) Marriage is like a team, in which the two members work together to make disciples and fulfill the Great Commission. So both spouses should be focused on making disciples, rather than cultivating comfortable family life. Every decision made as a couple and as a family should first and foremost examine whether it helps them make disciples and lead others to Jesus. 3) Marriage is a means through which Christians witness to the community the character and love of Christ. So the spouses should be loving, humble, and Christ-like to each other. Christians stay in the marriage and show unfailing commitment to their spouse not because the spouse is lovable, but because they love God.

Since the focus of the book is God, there is a lot of Bible verses on God's attributes, Jesus, and heaven. The reader is encouraged to spend time meditating on and sometimes visualizing these verses. It's more like receiving discipleship training than reading about the ideals of Christian marriage lol And I think because of this element, upon finishing the book I am actually motivated to think and do differently from before.

作者是一個很熱情的人，他在書裡的熱情很有感染力。書中前幾章的主題是神對人的crazy love，書後面四分之三的主題是人可以怎樣回應神的愛，即使要活出激進、旁人看來「瘋狂」的人生也應該在所不惜。他特別關心貧富議題，他自己被神的愛感動、又接觸了非洲一些生活在貧困之中的朋友之後，就把他在加州的房子賣掉，一家人改住小房子，賣房子的錢拿去奉獻。他說他的朋友，很多甚至是基督徒朋友，會覺得這個決定是不明智、不負責任的，而他認為基督徒會有這樣的想法，反應出現代美國社會的基督徒，不是以聖經裡所敘述的，一心一意的方式在跟隨耶穌，「美國夢」反而取代了神在信徒心中的位置，他鼓勵基督徒要有一個願意被神改變的心。他有兩章很著重在描述，一個把神放在美國夢之上的基督徒，是什麼樣子的，並且舉了很多他生活中認識的，有這樣一份crazy love，和窮人與社會邊緣人親近的弟兄姊妹以及他們的人生選擇，作為例子來激勵讀者。

i was hesitant to read this as i had hear mixed reviews.... so glad the Lord would have me read it now with all he has for me currently. great read, listened on audible :) such good encouragement and truth... oh how easy it is to wander from what the Lord really wants for us and from us!

Could it be that this fear of God is what will ultimately lead us to the life that we were created to live?

Holy Spirit book. Very good. Would read again.

In the interest of full disclosure, because I imagine this fact very much shaped by reaction to Crazy Love, I listened to this book immediately – two minutes, I mean – after finishing Rob Bell’s much more controversial, and thus interesting, Love Wins. The phrase, or Bible verse, really, that most stuck with me after listening to Francis Chan read his own book (much less dramatically than Rob Bell reads his), was his instruction to love and care for “the least of these,” regardless of what sacrifices this may mean for one’s own comfort. Chan espouses several seemingly extreme ways of life and makes them sound easy and fun. Living under the median – the idea of living at or under the povery level and donating the rest of your earnings – might seem wildly appealing to anyone who hasn’t had to make such extrordinary sacrifices; it’s an idea I’ve tucked away for when I have a steady income in the (distant) future. He says that his church is donating fifty percent of its income because Jesus instructed you to love your neighbors as yourself – as, as in equal to. At one point, Chan relates a story about a young man who claims that the only reason he could possibly go on a mission trip now would be obedience. The young man doesn’t feel called or led by God to go, but he has the means and the resources and the love of God for these little ones abroad. Chan asks him what he’s waiting for; in something like this quotation, Chan tells the young man “God doesn’t say to go and help the least of these when you feel called to do so. He says to go.” Like plenty of Christian writers, he points out that the point of it all isn’t to get into heaven; the point of a personal relationship with God is about the present, about the peace and Love that God can bring to your daily life when you know and praise and love God through your actions and your interactions with others. Chan speaks of evangelism not only in terms of saving others for heaven, but rather to improve their lives in concrete – financial and otherwise – ways that just so happen also to reflect the Love of God.

All books resonate or not, depending on where you are in life.

Francis Chan no doubt is a genuine caring person who wants us all to fall in love with this God who is crazy in love with you. For recovery evangelicals (like myself) who struggle with traditional language and doctrine, parts of Crazy Love are frustrating. Chan espouses expected reformed theology.

That being said, I recommend the book for those new to faith and want to go deeper. His call is prophetic and challenging, taking serious Jesus' radical claims and expectations. Two come to mind. He said that lukewarm people call "radical" what Jesus expects of his followers. Second was the question - how does the way you live require faith? If I'm honest, often it doesn't.

Couldn't finish this book. I was really disappointed in Francis Chan. There were quotes that were taken completely out of context, and Chan consistently interpreted Bells writings and put words in his mouth. It's disappointing because I couldn't get past the bias to hear the perspective.

Wow! This book confirmed so many things that I've felt for so long. I've so often felt that the usual church service that I've always known was not "complete", that something was lacking. Chan put it in perspective for me and helped me solidify my thoughts.

If you have ever felt that you want something more from your church experience and from your own life as a Christ-follower, I recommend this book. Read it.

This is a dangerous book! Read it only if you dare!

If you claim to be a Christian, this book could very well convict you, as it did me. Convict you of thinking or praying too much to God to reveal what He wants you to DO rather than praying to Him about who God wants you to BE . Do you wonder about what God's will is for you in a year? 2 years? What is God's 5-year plan for you? WHY? Why are you not seeking to understand God's will for you TODAY?

This book will also remind you that Christians believe in a triune God, three persons - three co-EQUAL persons - manifested in one God. I know for me, as I read it and discussed it in a small group, I started to understand Chan's message more and more and realized that I had, perhaps unintentionally, excluded an equal focus on the Holy Spirit as I do on God the Father and Jesus the Son of God.

Chan is not telling us we must change to a different faith tradition that may focus more on the Spirit. In fact, he specifically tells us such a change is not what he is suggesting. What he is teaching is that to fully have God's presence in our lives, we must seek out the Holy Spirit's guidance and presence in our lives as much as we seek out God the Father's and Jesus the Son's guidance and presence. After all, before Jesus left his physical life on earth, he gave a part of himself to his disciples and us in the form of the Spirit. For me, that has pushed me to not only pray specifically to God the Father and to God the Son, but also to the Holy Spirit every day.

I really enjoyed the book. A couple in the group struggled a bit more with understanding that Chan's teaching is not in conflict with their Christian beliefs.

I think that the traditions they grew up in simply did not focus on the Spirit as a co-equal. And that was the reason they struggled with Chan's teaching.

I challenge you to read and discuss this book in a small group.

Fantastic book!

Francis Chan is a writer and speaker at Christian conferences who recently left the church that he'd started and grown into a megachurch to move his family to Asia and start working with churches there. In his latest book (2018), he writes directly to the church, addressing issues he sees as ways in with the American churches have fallen away from the commands of God in the New Testament - treating the Church as the sacred Bride of Christ or having a servant attitude or how we treat children in our services. Each chapter is a "letter" addressing a different aspect, written with humility and the hope of self-examination in anyone who reads it.

What if what we think of as "church" has it all wrong? What should church really look like, and what have we missed by adding all the trappings of tradition to our services? I have a lot to ponder and to address in my own life about my attitude towards my church and my fellow believers. Am I a person who complains about what's not right? Do I treat the Church as sacred, and my leaders with proper humility? I'm also a teacher - how do I approach what I do and say, and how am I training up people to be leaders as well? I don't have definite answers, but I appreciate the chance to reexamine some things in the church I've taken for granted and wonder what I need to change.½