Chan offers a description of the Jesus-obsessed life: risk-taking faith, passionate love, and selfless service. This view of the Christian life offers a stark contrast to what Chan observes in much of the American church: lukewarm faith, reasonable love, and comfortable service. Rather than seeking the living God, His church has sought security, comfort, and control. After asking them to consider God’s relentless love, Chan calls the reader to radical faith and obedience. A ( )

Author Francis Chan sees massive problems with the American Church. But his book is not an indictment of the church, per se. It is clear that Chan loves the church and still has great hope for it. He writes the book from a personal perspective challenging each reader to examine his or her own life instead of simply casting judgments on others. He wants his readers to be personally responsible for their own actions before bashing the church. His critiques are on the mark and will challenge the reader to reconsider their concept of what it is to believe.

While the book definitely works on the whole, it is not without its flaws. The first three chapters feel as if they could have been placed in a different book. As Chan covers the magnificence of God nothing new or startling is revealed. His discussion in these chapters of theological matters are generally only skin deep. Christ’s work on the Christ is presented as traditional penal substitution model. The theory of moral influence would have been useful to the purpose of his book, but does not get discussed. His discussion of Revelation ignores the complexity of the imagery in its Old Testament context. While any discussion into this would certainly have been beyond the scope of his book, I fear his treatment promotes the opposite approach.

But this is definitely nitpicking. Chan gets rolling in chapter four when he profiles the lukewarm Christian. His observational skills are not lacking and he ably makes his point: there is no such thing as a lukewarm Christian and you might be one. His readers are encouraged to examine themselves to see if they might be “bad soil” that has killed the seed of the Word put in it. He sees the American Christian as having the thorny soil that chokes the life out of the seed with thorns of business.

From here Chan expands on the problems with how the church relates to God, but also builds a bridge to how it should be. He encourages his readers to take the plain reading of the text seriously and respond to God by being in love with Him. The last chapter provides uplifting examples of people who have done it. It provides hope not just for the reader, but for the church.

In the end Chan’s book is an easy read that I would heartily recommend to anyone. It works on a personal level. His observations on the health of the church hit home. His commentary on the lukewarm Christian is especially poignant. While he doesn’t cover many of the larger issues a book such as his might raise, it is a great starting point written from a man in love with God and in love with His church. ( )

Awesome book that every Believer in Christ should read. It will open your eyes as to the crazy love God has for us. ( )

I wanted to throw this book through the window once I finished it. It's voice is prophetic (not in the new knowledge kind of sense), authoritative, and convicting. There were many points that I had to slow down just to consider my relationship with God the Father and rest in His love for me, in spite of my lack of love for Him. I have come to realize that my view of Christ is to safe. Jesus is not safe and does not call us to live "safe" lives, but to sacrifice, service, LOVE, and Kingdom Living.

You probably shouldn't just think of this book as a quick read that you'll set aside and mark off your reading list. It will demand that you look into your soul and consider your alliance with the world and Christ. ( )

If you can read just one book this year, let Crazy Love be the one book.

It’s that good. It’s beautiful, hard-hitting, easy to read, convicting, life-transforming.

Remember a time when you had fallen in love? How everything in your life seemed to change? You did some crazy stuff. THAT’S exactly how our lives should change, if we truly fall in love with God.

Here is a summary of each chapter of the book, to give you a preview. I’ll say it again, READ THIS BOOK!

Preface
This book is to convince you that by surrendering yourself totally to God’s purposes, He will bring you the most pleasure in this life and the next.

Chapter One
Our problem isn’t working harder, but realizing who God is, how “crazy” his love for us is, and falling in love with God. Because when you’re wildly in love with someone, it changes everything in your life.

Chapter Two
On the average day, we live caught up in ourselves. It’s crazy that we think today is just a normal day to do whatever we want with. Do you live with the fact that perhaps today you will die? Life is all about God and not about us at all.

Chapter Three
The greatest good on this earth is God. Period. God’s one goal for us is Himself. Do you believe that God is the greatest thing you can experience in the whole world?

Chapter Four
Remember the parable of the soils. DO NOT ASSUME YOU ARE GOOD SOIL. Most American churchgoers have thorns that choke any seed that is in them. A relationship with God simply cannot grow when money, sins, activities, favorite sports teams, addictions, or commitments are piled on top of it.

Chapter Five
Jesus clearly states over and over he wants all or nothing. We can not give him leftovers, we cannot give him only what doesn’t hurt us or only what doesn’t put us at risk.

Chapter Six
To change our hearts, what we value, what we risk, how we act, we don’t need more guilt or more rules, we just need to be in love with God. Because when you’re wildly in love with someone, it changes everything.

Chapter Seven
Something is wrong when our lives make sense to unbelievers.
God wants us to trust Him with abandon. He wants to show us how He works and cares for us. He doesn’t call us to be comfortable. He calls us to trust Him so completely that we are unafraid to put ourselves in situations where we will be in trouble if He doesn’t come through.

Chapter Eight
People who are obsessed with Jesus care more about the Kingdom than their own lives being shielded from pain or distress, live lives that connect them with the poor, will do things that don’t make sense in terms of success or wealth, will seek humility, take joy in loving people, will be known as givers, not takers, will orient their lives around eternity, and will be characterized by committed, settled, passionate love for God.

Chapter Nine
There are people who really do live with a crazy love for Jesus, and if you look at their lives, it will eliminate every excuse for not living a radical, love-motivated life for Him.

Chapter Ten
How you live your days becomes how you have lived your life.
Love. Risk. Listen to the Spirit. Be committed to live each day as if it is your last before you meet Jesus. ( )