Crazy Love Chapter/Week 5 - Serving Leftovers to a Holy God

This might have been a difficult chapter to read after our chapter last week reviewing the profile of a lukewarm person. Frances Chan says that Chapter 5 was the most difficult for him to write.

Chan believes that too often there are patterns in church and in our lives that we follow simply because it has always been done that way. On the study resource video, he gave the example of building their church sanctuary. Once they outgrew their previous sanctuary, they simply built a larger one. Chan said that only afterward did he realize that he never asked God if that was the biblical thing to do—the thing God desired for them to do. He gives us much to think about when he said in the video that we are fed so much in the church that may not be biblical, but we accept it as if it were. We accept it simply because it has always been done that way.

In Chapter 5, Chan quotes Tim Kizziar who said, “Our greatest fear as individuals and as a church should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don’t really matter.” After reading chapter 5, share honestly your answers to the following questions:

Question 1: On pages 83 and 84, Chan says the following: “As I see it, a lukewarm Christian is an oxymoron; there’s no such thing. To put it plainly, churchgoers who are ‘lukewarm’ are not Christians.”
Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not?

Question 2: We need to be totally honest with ourselves, yet not feel any shame over the answer to this next question. If you sensed a lukewarmness in your life, trying harder is NOT the answer but rather pressing deeper into the Lord Jesus Christ and allowing Him to assure you of your salvation or come into your heart for the first time. After reading chapters 4 and 5, do you have any doubts about your salvation? Where did Chapter 5 leave you?

Challenge: Make a commitment to NOT be the type of Christian who ‘gets to go to heaven without having to commit to anything’.

Week 3 Crazy Love

Is everyone hanging in there? The discussion has been great and I can tell that we are all growing in our love for the Lord through this study. Those of you who have not left your comment/answers to the questions, please come join us even if you are not reading "Crazy Love". Feel free to go back and comment on previous week's questions, as well. All of these questions should provoke some serious contemplation from most any heart. Ok, now on to Week 3/Chapter 3.


At the beginning of Chapter 3, Francis Chan says, "For years I 'got' God's love in my head, checked the right answer on the 'what God is like' test, but didn't fully understand it with my heart." Does that resonate with anyone? I know it did for me. In chapter 3, Chan compares God's love for you and me with a parent's love for their child. Just like with a parent and child, God doesn't need us for anything. He just flat out loves us and wants a relationship with us. Examining how we should respond to that was a big part of this week's chapter.


I encourage you to go here to the Crazy Love website and view the video for Chapter 3. Now for our questions for this week:

Question 1: Choose and share one word or phrase to describe your feelings about God in the early years of your Christianity. Then choose and share one word or phrase to describe your feelings about God in your current walk with Him. Finally, if you can, please explain why you chose those words or phrases.

Question 2: Jeremiah 1: 4 The LORD gave me a message. He said, 5 "I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my spokesman to the world."

God knew you and me before He made each of us. As you meditate on this concept, what feelings, thoughts or emotions come forth?

Question 3: Share the moment in your life when you first realized that you loved God with your heart, mind and soul.

Thank you to each of you who are willing to share your thoughts as we move toward a deeper walk with Christ. He is so worthy of our love and devotion.

YOU MIGHT NOT FINISH THIS CHAPTER - CHAPTER 2

Crazy Love Week 2

Chapter two begins with two very profound, yet simple thoughts. The first is that you could die before you finish reading this chapter. We are reminded that we are not promised another breath past the one we are currently breathing.

The second thought is that on the average day, we live caught up in ourselves. If you don’t believe that take a look at a little child—an innocent little child. The entire world lives to serve and please them. It doesn’t get much better as we grow older.

On page 44, Chan gets in our faces and says, “frankly, you need to get over yourself.” You and I play the supporting role in this thing called life. Our great big God is the main character; we are the supporting actors and actresses.

Author Max Lucado echoes Chan’s thoughts in his book 3:16 The Numbers of Hope when he says, “The hero of heaven is God. Inhabitants of heaven forever marvel at the sins God forgives, the promise he keeps, the plan he executes. He’s not the grand marshal of the parade; he is the parade. He’s not the main event; he’s the only event.” p.93

As we go through this life, are we living as if it is all about God or all about us? Think about it!!

Question 1

On page 40 Francis Chan quotes Fredrick Buechner. “Intellectually we all know that we will die, but we do not really know it in the sense that the knowledge becomes a part of us. We do not really know it in the sense of living as though it were true. On the contrary, we tend to live as though our lives would go on forever.”

Why do you think we live as though our lives will go on forever?

Question 2

On page 42, Chan says the following:

“Worry implies that we don’t quite trust that God is big enough, powerful enough, or loving enough to take care of what’s happening in our lives.”
“Stress says that the things we are involved in are important enough to merit our impatience, our lack of grace toward others, or our tight grip of control.”
“Basically, these two behaviors communicate that it’s okay to sin and not trust God because the stuff in my life is somehow exceptional. Both worry and stress reek of arrogance.”

Worry and stress are big deal things that affect virtually EVERYONE. What would it take for you to dump worry and stress completely?

Question 3

After reviewing the answers given by others in the group to last week’s questions, have you made any changes in your life or your thoughts? Have you had any revelations with regard to your love for Jesus? Do you view your relationship with Jesus Christ differently because of last week’s study and if so, how?


Challenge
Revelation 3: 1 – “I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.”

1 Corinthians 3:13-15 – “His work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.”

Chan says, “All that matters is the reality of who we are before God”.

Carve out some time this week and examine who you are before God. Determine to get honest with yourself and with God. Ask Him to reveal who you believe you are before Him and who you truly are in His eyes.

STOP PRAYING - CHAPTER 1

STOP PRAYING - CHAPTER 1

Hello! Welcome to week 1 of the "Crazy Love" discussion group!! Remember this will only work if you actually DISCUSS, so be sure to engage in the discussion via the comments form link at the bottom of the post. Try to answer all the questions, but if you only feel led to answer 1 or 2, that is ok. If something spoke to you in the chapter that we didn't touch on in the post, feel free to begin a discussion on that topic. We want this to be engaging and beneficial for everyone. Let's get started!!

In Chapter 1, Francis Chan leads us to think about God. The God of the Universe. The Great I AM. Did you take the time to watch the video - "The Awe Factor"? If you didn't, please stop right now and go here and watch it.

In Chapter 1, Chan says a couple of things that we think are great for giving us a perspective on this first week of discussion. On page 28 he says, "I sometimes struggle with how to properly respond to God's magnitude in a world bent on ignoring or merely tolerating Him. But know this: God will not be tolerated. He instructs us to worship and fear Him." Then on page 31, Chan reminds us, "there is no way we can ever fathom all of who He is."

Chapter 1 is really about the bigness of God and how, when we really grasp it, we realize that first, we are pretty insignificant, and second, this huge God desires to make us significant by entering into relationship with us.

Questions for Discussion

1. Chan quotes R.C. Sproul on page 26. "Men are never duly touched and impressed with a conviction of their insignificance, until they have contrasted themselves with the majesty of God." This is where a review of the first 10 or so verses of Isaiah chapter 6 becomes helpful. Where do you most often see the majesty of God displayed? Describe it.

2. Which of the attributes of God that Francis Chan listed in Chapter 1 resonates most deeply in your heart? Why?

3. From the Week 1 video - Chan says that sometimes we become so familiar with someone they become common to us. The weekly videos are his website and will also be on our college ministry page each week. to watch it click here.

Have you lost your sense of awe for God? If yes, how does that resonate with you? How can you begin to experience and express that sense of awe?

CHALLENGE:

Choose any of the Scriptures from Chapter 1 and meditate on it or memorize it this week. Listen for the Lord to speak to you through it. Share with the group over the next week how this particular Scripture is being used in your life by the Lord.

Introduction/Preface

Welcome to the Blog for Christ The King Baptist Church's book study on Crazy Love by Francis Chan. REMEMBER THIS IS A BLOG! IT ONLY WILL BE BENEFICIAL IF YOU INTERACT AND POST YOUR RESPONSES TO THE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS OR JOIN IN WITH YOUR COMMENTS.

Before you do anything watch this Introduction video about the book. Each week you will watch a brief video from the website and read through a chapter from the book Crazy Love

This week read the Preface of the book and watch the 15 min video "Just Stop And Think" you can click here to watch it. This will be the longest video we watch so please take your time and reflect on what Francis says and how he describes God. (Chapter 1 of the book has you watching this video then but we are watching it now to prepare us for this journey)

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1) On pg 20, 2nd paragraph. Francis says growing up "Christianity was simple: fight your desires in order to please God" Has this been your usual attitude towards God? Just don't make Him mad?Respond below and write what your view of God was growing up? Has it changed any? What is it now?

2) Francis Chan says on page 21:
"I hope it (this book) affirms your desire for 'more God' even if you are surrounded by people who feel they have 'enough God'." What does it look like, in your opinion, to have 'more God'?

3) After watching the Introduction video and reading the Preface, what do you want get out of reading this book? Are you hoping for any changes to occur in your life? Are you open to having a new view of God? Write God a prayer telling Him the answers those questions