Forgotten God by Francis Chan

Title: Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit
Author: Francis Chan with Danae Yankoski
Released: September 1, 2009
Publisher: David C. Cook
Pages/format: 208 (Trade Paperback)
Source: From the publisher.

Quick Synopsis: Bestselling author Francis Chan addresses the neglect of the Holy Spirit common in the body of Christ today and invites readers to rediscover who the Holy Spirit is and His role in our everyday lives.

From the back cover:

It doesn’t make sense that Almighty God would have children characterized by fear and insecurity. He put His Spirit in us so we could be known for our power. Sadly, most believers and churches are known for talent or intellect rather than supernatural power. What’s worse is that we’re okay with it. Could it be that we’ve forgotten the One who distinguishes us from every religion and cult in the world?

Breakthrough author Francis Chan returns us to the Holy Spirit as the Bible describes Him. He reminds us that we were not created and saved merely to survive our time on earth. Chan contends that we’ve ignored the Spirit and are reaping the disastrous results.

Quick Review: Forgotten God is a theologically correct, challenging and encouraging exhortation for individual believers and the church to return to a Spirit-empowered life in Christ.

Long Review:

Forgotten God is a fairly slim volume divided into seven chapters which are subsequently split up into sections–some titled and some not. At the end of each chapter there is a two to four page biography of a believer who has exhibited the fruit of the Holy Spirit in his or her life. These people include modern day “spiritual giants,” like Joni Eareckson Tada, self-sacrificing believers from ages past, like Esther Ahn Kim and Francis Schaeffer, and ordinary people from Chan’s church. The seven chapters cover a variety of topics relating to the Holy Spirit, such as why Christians need the Spirit, theology of the Holy Spirit, and how the Spirit’s work should be manifest in the church.

I liked Forgotten God a lot more than Crazy Love. While challenging and even uncomfortable at times, Forgotten God also has many chapters and sections which are extremely encouraging and assuring. Chan’s theology is spot-on, and he uses Scripture (comprehensively–not just picking out verses to suite his needs) to back up what he teaches. I found the mini-biographies at the end of each chapter to be encouraging, and a great aid to practical application of the book’s core message.

One of the things I appreciated about Forgotten God is that, while Chan is certainly not in the people-pleasing business, he avoids discussing the Holy Spirit in a way that would most certainly divide believers. He does not advocate a Charismatic approach to the Spirit, nor does he advocate a MacArthuristic Reformed approach which denies that the “Spiritual Gifts” of the apostolic age are still alive and well today. When he briefly addresses this issue, he simply challenges believers on both sides of the isle to seek out truth and then hold fast to it. (He does mention that he was raised in an ultra-conservative church devoid of the Holy Spirit’s power, saved in a Pentecostal church, and is now the pastor of a church that falls somewhere in the middle.) I think that Chan’s de-emphasis of the Charismatic vs. Conservative debate was wise, and it enabled the crux of his message (which has nothing to do with that anyway) reach a wider array of believers in a deeper and more profound way.

I am thoroughly impressed with the cover design of this book. The dove made out of pages of Scripture is absolutely gorgeous–a terrific piece of artwork. (I wouldn’t mind having it on my wall!) The interior layout and design is likewise attractive and the font choice and line spacing enhances the readability of the text.

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From the back cover: This seven-session video resource offers a compelling invitation to understand, embrace, and follow the Holy Spirit’s direction in our lives. It is designed to initiate and facilitate discussion, interaction, and practical application of the message of Forgotten God.

Quick Review: This DVD study resource is an excellent tool for small groups studying the book together, or for individuals who want to go deeper in their understanding of the message of Forgotten God.

Long Review:

The DVD menu consists of seven chapters which correspond to the seven chapters of the book. The filming was done in various types of places. One segment was filmed in an old abandoned building, while another was filmed in a cafe. Each chapter is about ten minutes long. The DVD also includes a few extra features: a trailer of the Crazy Love DVD study guide, outtakes (which were definitely not as funny as the ones on the Crazy Love DVD), and a behind-the-scenes featurette.

The filming locations of this video study were not as interesting or visually entertaining as the ones in the Crazy Love DVD, but at least they filmed each segment at a different location. Chan speaks passionately on his topic and challenges readers with his words. This DVD is meant to be used in a group setting, but it may also prove helpful for individuals who want to mine deeper the message of the book. The quality of the production is excellent, and the soundtrack fits the theme of the book perfectly.

About Francis Chan:

Francis Chan is the best-selling author of Crazy Love and Forgotten God and the host of the BASIC.series. Francis is the founding pastor of Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley, California, and is the founder of Eternity Bible College. He also sits on the board of directors of Children’s Hunger Fund and World Impact. Francis lives in California with his wife, Lisa, and their four children.

About Danae Yankoski:

Danae Yankoski graduated from Westmont College, where she studied English Literature and met her best friend, now husband, Mike. She published her first book at age sixteen, and has since been part of several writing projects. She and Mike recently spend several months living in African and South American communities affected by a lack of clean water. Their heart is to write about these experiences in a way that moves readers beyond statistics, to truly loving their neighbors as themselves.

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