— The Parchment Girl

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.

Crazy Love by Francis Chan

Title: Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God
Author: Francis Chan with Danae Yankoski
Released: May 1, 2008
Publisher: David C. Cook
Pages/format: 192 (Trade Paperback)
Source: From the publisher.

Quick Synopsis: Francis Chan lovingly challenges the American Evangelical church to reexamine its commitment to following Christ and pursue a passionate love relationship with Him.

From the back cover:

God is love. Crazy, relentless, all-powerful 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 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.

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.

Quick Review: Crazy Love communicates genuine biblical truth, but I would not recommend it to true Christians who are prone to legalism and self-induced guilt.

Long Review:

Crazy Love is a fairly slim volume divided into ten chapters which are subsequently split up into titled sections which flow together. Chapters one through three are an overview of the basics of the awesome majesty, power, and love of God. Chapters four and five specifically address the oxymoron of “lukewarm Christianity,” and the rest of the book outlines what true biblical Christianity looks like and challenges believers to give up seeking a comfortable Christian life (another oxymoron) and to start giving God our all.

I finished reading Crazy Love a few weeks ago, and have been having a hard time figuring out how exactly to go about reviewing it. This is because while, as a layperson, I am fairly certain that what Chan preaches is 100% biblical Christianity, there were elements of it that I think could lead some people towards legalism. Let me make it clear that what Chan advocates is not legalism (that is, the false doctrine of salvation by good works), but I would be hesitant to recommend this book to people who come from legalistic backgrounds or are prone to legalism because the forceful tone with which Chan sets forth his arguments may have an unintended negative influence of those people. Overall though, I think it’s a very important book, one that more churchgoers than not could benefit greatly from.

Crazy Love is well written in a conversational style which communicates Chan’s personality effectively. While the insights into Scripture found in this book are not particularly new or profound, Chan has a way of using real life examples in a way that forces the reader to think about old truths in a new way. An example of this is when Chan equates following Christ with joining the Marines:

When I was in high school, I seriously considered joining the Marines; this was when they first came out with commercials for “the few, the proud, the Marines.” What turned me off was that in those advertisements, everyone was always running. Always. And I hate running.

But you know what? I didn’t bother to ask if they would modify the rules for me so I could run less, and maybe also do fewer push-ups. That would’ve been pointless and stupid, and I knew it. Everyone knows that if you sign up for the Marines, you have to do whatever they tell you. They own you.

Somehow this realization does not cross over to our thinking about the Christian life. Jesus didn’t say that if you wanted to follow Him you could do it in a lukewarm manner. He said, “Take up your cross and follow me.”

My favorite aspect of the book was the way Chan used multi-media to illustrate his message and bring it to life. Throughout the book he encourages readers to visit the book website and watch chapter introduction videos. While this high-tech integration may be a deterrent for a few, I found it positively engaging and stimulating.

I was also impressed with the layout and design of the book. The cover is simplistic and communicates the power of the book’s message with clarity. I found that the text was organized well and the interior formatting was attractive and added to the reading experience.

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Quick Synopsis: A companion DVD to Crazy Love, this study resource follows a day-in-the-life of Francis Chan in the form of ten teaching segments corresponding to the ten chapters of the book.

From the back cover: The Crazy Love DVD Study Resource is a companion to the best-selling Crazy Love book by pastor Francis Chan. This ten-week DVD follows a day-in-the-life of Francis in the form of ten teaching segments that correspond to each chapter of Crazy Love. These thought-provoking teachings are designed to initiate discussion, interaction, and practical application of the Crazy Love message with small groups, churches, youth groups, and individuals.

Long Review:

The DVD menu consists of ten chapters which correspond to the ten chapters in the book. The whole DVD follows Chan through a day in his life, teaching as he goes. He starts at breakfast, goes to the supermarket and his church, has friends over for dinner, and finally turns out the light and goes to bed. Each segment is usually ten minutes or less in length, and at the end of Francis’ teaching, a couple of questions pop up on the screen for small group discussion. There are also a few fun extra features included on the DVD: a trailer to help promote your group study, behind-the-scenes footage, and bloopers for a few laughs.

I liked how the film follows Francis through a day in his life. It made it visually more engaging, and helped to solidify the message that we should be focused on living out the gospel in our daily lives, and not just in church on Sundays. This DVD is meant to be used in a group study setting, but it may also prove helpful for individuals who want to go deeper with the book. The quality of the production was excellent, and the soundtrack was intelligently composed and fit the theme very well.

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.