Book Review: Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a relentless God

In a world where everyone is expressing a dissatisfaction with the state of the church (including myself), there is one pastor from Southern California who has spoken truth in love, to the subject. In a very humble, yet direct way, Francis Chan in his book, Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a relentless God, has spoken out about the state of the church and the Christians who fill the seats every week.

I began reading this book a couple of days ago, and have not been able to put it down. This is probably in the top 5 books I have read on God's love and how it should move us to pursue Him, not out of fear or duty, but out of our total love for him. I found this book to be an easy read (in style), and yet very challenging (spiritually) because I found myself in a state of pause several times throughout it, reflecting on my view of God and how it effects my relationship with Jesus and with those around me.

There are so many things I would love to share with you that I learned from this book, however it would probably make you frustrated with me for writing so much. So I will leave it to you, to purchase the book and see for yourself. I would highly encourage you to have a pen and journal in hand, because I found myself writing as much as I was reading, which made it so much more fun. I would also encourage you to check out his website for the book, and watch the two to three minute videos that correspond with the chapters in the book. I found them very helpful in understanding more completely the author's perspective in his writing.

If you find yourself feeling as though you are working your backside off trying to be "good enough", or you find yourself discouraged because there is no such thing, you will find encouragement in this book. If you want to learn how to pursue God in a more fruitful way, read this book. This is by no means a self-help book; it is in fact a book that takes the focus off of self and encourages you to put the focus back on the one who created you for Himself.

I will end this post with one of the many challenging questions from the book in hopes that it not only spikes your interest in the book, but also causes you to reflect on the state of your heart as well:

"Would you describe yourself as totally in love with Jesus Christ? Or do the words half-hearted, lukewarm, and partially committed fit better?"