Relationship, Not Religion

Our Starbucks group just finished Francis Chan's Crazy Love book and it was awesome. In the final chapter, Chan's barrage of truth is hard hitting and causes you to ask some intense questions of yourself. Here are a few of the lessons taught in chapter 10.

• God may want you to go overseas to be a missionary, or He may call you to be more of a missionary where you are now. If we have a right relationship with Jesus, we will be open to all possibilities.
  
• We often say that we can do "all things through Christ" but live and plan as though God doesn't exist.
• We say that we are waiting for God to reveal His calling on our life in order to avoid action. Chan asks, "Did you hear God calling you to sit in front of the television yesterday?" Ouch! Don't say that.
  
• If we want to experience God, then we must be willing to put ourselves in situations where we will fail unless God comes through.
• Remember to treat everyone you meet the same way you would treat Jesus.
• Ask yourself, "Would I rather have Jesus walking right beside me, or have the Holy Spirit living in me?"

Crazy Love is a great book because it draws its wisdom from the greatest of all books - the Bible. I would highly recommend it to any pastor, believing that if an entire church would read this book, and be open to change - it would totally transform that church. Here's hoping that you will all become crazy lovers of Jesus.

CAP