People accuse me of going overboard preparing for my first ten million years in eternity; in my opinion, people go overboard in worrying about their last ten on earth.
Francis ChanThere are periods that we forget that in the pursuit of fruit, that if we just abide in Him, then fruitfulness is a guarantee.
Francis ChanWhen I am consumed by my problems-stressed out about my life, my family, and my job-I actually convey the belief that I think the circumstances are more important than God's command to always rejoice.
Francis ChanDue to our consumer mindset, people are prone to jump from church to church, which weakens the church overall.
Francis ChanWhatever God's reasons for such diversity, creativity, and sophistication in the universe, on earth, and in our own bodies, the point of it all is His glory. God's art speaks of Himself, reflecting who He is and what He is like.
Francis ChanTrust whatever He has for you. It will be better than anything you can plan for yourself.
Francis ChanGod is the only true Giver, and He needs nothing from us. But still He wants us. He gave us life so that we might seek and know Him.
Francis ChanGod specifically created us to be like Him. This is impossible to wrap our minds around, but God created us like Him in some respect and then set us in the midst of this world to represent Him!
Francis ChanGod is love, but He also defines what love is. We don't have the license to define love according to our standards.
Francis ChanOur greatest fear should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter.
Francis ChanFollowing Jesus is not about diligently keeping a set of rules or conjuring up the moral fortitude to lead good lives. It's about loving God and enjoying Him
Francis ChanMy only prayer for my time with you is, "God I just want these men and women to long for you."
Francis ChanThe truth is that the Spirit of the living God is guaranteed to ask you to go somewhere or do something you wouldn't normally want or choose to do. The Spirit will lead you into the way of the cross, as He led Jesus to the cross, and that is definitely not a safe or pretty or comfortable place to be. The Holy Spirit of God will mold you into the person you were made to be.
Francis ChanNot being able to understand God is frustrating, but it is ridiculous for us to think we have the right to limit God to something we are capable to comprehending.
Francis ChanAre you willing to say to God that He can have whatever He wants? Do you believe that whole hearted commitment to Him is more important than any other thing or person in your life? Do you know that nothing you do in this life will ever matter; unless it is about loving God and loving the people He has made?
Francis ChanTrue faith means holding nothing back. It means putting every hope in God's fidelity to His Promises.
Francis ChanA person who is obsessed with Jesus knows that the best thing he can do is be faithful to his Savior in every aspect of his life, continually saying "Thank You!" to God. An obsessed person knows there can never be intimacy if he is always trying to pay God back or work hard enough to be worthy. He revels in his role as a child and friend of God.
Francis ChanIf life is a river, then pursuing Christ requires swimming upstream. When we stop swimming, or actively following Him, we automatically begin to be swept downstream.
Francis ChanGod exists outside of time, and since we are within time, there is no way we will ever totally grasp that concept.
Francis ChanLukewarm people do not live by faith; their lives are structured so they never have to. They don't have to trust God if something unexpected happens- they have their savings account. They don't need God to help them- they have their retirement plan in place. They don't genuinely seek out what life God would have them live- they have life figured and mapped out. They don't depend on God on a daily basis- their refrigerators are full and, for the most part, they are in good health. The truth is, their lives wouldn't look much different if they suddenly stopped believing in God.
Francis ChanCan you worship a God who isn't obligated to explain His actions to you? Could it be your arrogance that makes you think God owes you an explanation?
Francis ChanAs a culture, were so worried about whats going to happen to us 30 years from now that we are not taking care of our brothers and sisters who need help today.
Francis Chan...when we love God, we naturally run to Him-frequently and zealously. Jesus didn't command that we have a regular time with Him each day. Rather, He tells us to 'love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' He called this the 'first and greatest commandment' (Matt. 22:37-38). The results are intimate prayer and study of His Word. Our motivation changes from guilt to love.
Francis ChanI have one reason why you should walk away from that temptation right now. One reason: God. Is. Better.
Francis ChanIn our world, where hundreds of things distract us from God, we have to intentionally and consistently remind ourselves of Him.
Francis ChanNon-churchgoer s tend to see Christians as takers rather than givers. When Christians sacrifice and give wildly to the poor, that is truly a light that glimmers. The Bible teaches that the church is to be that light, that sign of hope, in an increasingly dark and hopeless world.
Francis ChanThe world is not moved by love or actions that are of human creation. And the church is not empowered to live differently from any other gathering of people without the Holy Spirit. But when believers live in the power of the Spirit, the evidence in their lives is supernatural. The church cannot help but be different, and the world cannot help but notice.
Francis Chan[Y]ou have to stop loving and pursuing Christ in order to sin. When you are pursuing love, running toward Christ, you do not have opportunity to wonder, *Am I doing this right?* or *Did I serve enough this week?* When you are running toward Christ, you are freed up to serve, love, and give thanks without guilt, worry or fear. As long as you are running, you're safe.
Francis ChanYou find that the things you let go of while following Jesus were the things that were going to destroy you in the end.
Francis ChanIt's a pretty crazy task to try to describe God "quickly." Everything starts with a healthy fear of Him.
Francis ChanI confess to you guys, I confess to the church, I know I have backed away from certain things because of my arrogance. I thought I could attract more people to Jesus by hiding certain things about him.
Francis ChanGod has given you this good stuff so that you can show the world a person who enjoys blessings, but who is still totally obsessed with God.
Francis ChanMaking disciples isn’t about gathering pupils to listen to your teaching. The real focus is not on teaching people at all–the focus is on loving them.
Francis ChanMany Spirit-filled authors have exhausted the thesaurus in order to describe God with the glory He deserves. His perfect holiness, by definition, assures us that our words can't contain Him. Isn't it a comfort to worship a God we cannot exaggerate?
Francis ChanLukewarm people love others but do not seek to love others as much as they love themselves.
Francis ChanGod has allowed hard things in your life so you can show the world that your God is great and that knowing Him brings peace and joy, even when life is hard.
Francis ChanMarriage is one of the most humbling, sanctifying journeys you will ever be a part of. It forces us to wrestle with our selfishness and pride. But it also gives us a platform to display love and commitment.
Francis Chan