Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God

by Francis Chan

Overview

New York Times-bestselling author Francis Chan’s all-time bestselling title, Crazy Love, explores a radical new way to look at God’s relentless love.
 
Have you ever wondered if we're missing it? It's crazy, if you think about it. The God of the universe—the Creator of nitrogen and pine needles, galaxies and E-minor—loves us with a radical, unconditional, self-sacrificing love. And what is our typical response? We go to church, sing songs, and try not to cuss. Whether you've verbalized it yet or not, we all know something's wrong.
 
Does something deep inside your heart long to break free from the status quo? Are you hungry for an authentic faith that addresses the problems of our world with tangible, even radical, solutions?
God is calling you to a passionate love relationship with Himself. Because the answer to religious complacency isn't working harder at a list of do's and don'ts—it's falling in love with God. And once you encounter His love, as Francis describes it, you will never be the same. Because when you're wildly in love with someone, it changes everything.
For individual or small-group study, check out Living Crazy Love, a ten-week interactive workbook that serves as a companion to Crazy Love. You can learn more about Crazy Love at www.crazylovebook.com.

This interactive study guide includes a free QR code and URL to access all ten videos, plus additional content for engaging study as a group or on your own. To aid you in your planning, following are the session titles and video run times:

1          Stop Praying                                        9:14
2          You Might Not Finish This Chapter     8:22
3          Crazy Love                                           6:16
4          Profile of the Lukewarm                     8:30
5          Serving Leftovers to a Holy God         8:07
6          When You're in Love                           6:45
7          Your Best Life…Later                           7:39
8          Profile of the Obsessed                       6:29
9          Who Really Lives That Way?               7:16
10        The Crux of the Matter                       4:56

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781434705945
Publisher:	David C Cook
Publication date:	04/01/2013
Edition description:	Revised and Updated Edition
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	42,303
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Francis Chan has been a pastor for over thirty years. He is a New York Times–bestselling author of several books, including Crazy Love, Letters to the Church, and Until Unity. He and his wife, Lisa, have been married nearly thirty years and coauthored You and Me Forever. Currently, Francis and his family split their time between ministry and church planting in Northern California and Asia. 
 

Table of Contents

CONTENTS
GETTING STARTED 9
SESSION 1: STOP PRAYING 15
SESSION 2: YOU MIGHT NOT FINISH THIS CHAPTER 25
SESSION 3: CRAZY LOVE 35
SESSION 4: PROFILE OF THE LUKEWARM 45
SESSION 5: SERVING LEFTOVERS TO A HOLY GOD 55
SESSION 6: WHEN YOU’RE IN LOVE 65
SESSION 7: YOUR BEST LIFE … LATER 75
SESSION 8: PROFILE OF THE OBSESSED 85
SESSION 9: WHO REALLY LIVES THAT WAY? 97
SESSION 10: THE CRUX OF THE MATTER 105
NOTES FOR DISCUSSION LEADERS 115

Editorial Reviews

Francis’s life reflects authentic leadership tempered by a deep compassion for the lost, the last, the littlest, and the least. It’s all because this man, my friend, is an ardent and devoted disciple of his Savior. In his fresh new book, Crazy Love, Francis peels back what we think the Christian life is, and guides us down the path toward an uncommon intimacy with Jesus—an intimacy which can’t help but change the world around us!

best-selling author and speaker Joni Eareckson Tada

Chan writes with infectious exuberance, challenging Christians to take the Bible seriously. He describes at length the sorry state of ‘lukewarm’ Christians who strive for a life characterized by control, safety, and an absence of suffering. In stark contrast, the book offers real-life accounts of believers who have given all—time, money, health, even their lives—in obedience to Christ’s call. Chan also recounts his own attempts to live ‘crazy’ by significantly downsizing his home and giving away his resources to the poor. Earnest Christians will find valuable take-home lessons from Chan’s excellent book.

Publishers

"In an age of religious phonies, spiritual apathy, and disheartening books suggesting that God is a delusion, Crazy Love shines like a glorious beacon of hope and light. If you're stuck in a religious rut, read this refreshing book.  I found it eye-opening and soul-thrilling. Whether in the pulpit or on the page, Francis Chan effuses love for Jesus Christ and demonstrates practical ways to throw off lukewarm Christianity and embrace full-on, passionate love for God."

actor and author Kirk Cameron

Chan, senior pastor of Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley, Calif., offers a radical call for evangelicals to consider and emulate in this debut guide to living "crazy" for God. Chan's own life compels him to live with urgency, and with good reason. His mother died giving birth to him, his stepmother died when he was nine, and his dad when he was 12. As a pastor, Chan says that conducting weekly funerals for people younger than himself has likewise sobered him to life's unexpectedness and frailty. Chan writes with infectious exuberance, challenging Christians to take the Bible seriously. He describes at length the sorry state of "lukewarm" Christians who strive for a life characterized by control, safety and an absence of suffering. In stark contrast, the book offers real-life accounts of believers who have given all-time, money, health, even their lives-in obedience to Christ's call.Chan also recounts his own attempts to live "crazy" by significantly downsizing his home and giving away his resources to the poor.Earnest Christians will find valuable take-home lessons from Chan's excellent book. (May)

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