Is the Word of God Enough? | Francis Chan

Summary

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Crazy Love Podcast Summary

Episode: Is the Word of God Enough? | Francis Chan
Date: July 24, 2026
Host: Crazy Love Ministries
Guest: Francis Chan

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Episode Overview

In this deeply reflective episode, Francis Chan and the Crazy Love team challenge the modern church’s reliance on personalities, production, and spectacle. The discussion orbits around a single profound question: Is the Word of God truly enough for us? By analyzing the story of Job, reflecting on church culture, and dwelling on the holiness and mystery of God, Chan calls listeners to a renewed reverence for scripture and a hunger for God Himself, undistracted by human additions.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Story of Job: Human Perspective vs. Heavenly Reality

• [03:45] Francis Chan: Highlights Job’s narrative, where Job and his friends speculate endlessly about suffering, but their human wisdom fails to grasp the true spiritual reality at work.
• Quote (Francis Chan):

  “You have these four human beings on earth for 38 chapters just talking stupid things … Meanwhile, none of them are right. There’s something real going on out there.” [06:42]

• Chan points out that if Job’s friends were alive today, they might be popular podcast hosts, further emphasizing our modern tendency to revere human opinion above God’s reality.
• Ultimately, Job’s wisdom is in his humility:

  “I have uttered what I did not understand … now my eyes see you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.” [05:55]

2. Church Culture: Replacing God with Excitement

• [09:44] Discussion: Chan laments that scripture alone is rarely enough to draw a crowd today. Charismatic speakers and talented artists fill seats, but the Word is overlooked.
• Quote (Francis Chan):

  “If we’re honest, we know it’s not enough to draw a crowd. Tim Keller could fill up a room, but the book of Romans, I don’t know.” [10:46]

• Reflection on church trends from the 80s and 90s:
  • Attempts to make church “exciting” with better music, performances, and creative flourishes.
  • Result: A generation excited about personalities and production over Jesus, communion, or God's Word.
• Quote (Francis Chan):

  “Suddenly we have a generation that is far more excited about Lauren Daigle than they are about communion. And that is wrong.” [15:16] “It was the wrong answer to say the word of God isn’t enough. So therefore, here’s how we’ll fix it.” [16:07]

3. Diagnosing Boredom with God and His Word

• [17:23] Chan: Suggests the problem isn’t the service itself, but a heart that fails to grasp the beauty and gravity of encountering God.
• Quote:

  “The answer is not changing the service. The answer is changing your heart. ... You don’t understand. You don’t love this book.” [17:23]

• The only truly “living and active” words are found in scripture, not from personalities.

  “These words are the only words on this planet that are living and active.” [18:24]

4. Returning to Holy Awe and Humility

• [20:11] Chan: Dwell on the miracle that we are called members of Christ’s body; that God dwells in us.
• Calls for a spiritual “Holy 30” — a time set apart for God, cleansing spiritual distraction.
• Encourages a new generation to reverse current trends:

  “We can take it back – as long as there’s a generation that says, ‘No, this is unacceptable. We can’t be more excited about these things than we are about partaking of the body and blood of Christ.’” [19:25]

5. Trembling at the Word: God’s View of True Worshipers

• Isaiah 66:2 quoted: The one God esteems is humble, contrite in spirit, and “trembles at my word.” [23:11]
• Quote:

  “What are you guys going to build for me?... This is what I’m looking for: the person who gets that and is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.” [24:21]

6. Our Ways vs. God’s Ways

• Chan reads Isaiah 55:8–11. God’s ways and thoughts are radically above our own, including how His word operates.

  “My ways are not your ways … my thoughts are not your thoughts ... My word … shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose.” [28:33]

• Critiques modern strategies and celebrity Christianity:

  “My logic is, well, let’s get someone famous. ... But God says, my ways aren’t your ways.” [30:56]

• Reads New Testament calls for unity and love as stronger evangelistic tools than spectacle.

7. Encounters with the Holy: Prayer and Reverence

• Confesses his own pride and need for humility:

  “I have said a lot of stupid things in my lifetime. ... I saw a clip ... and I started to cry and beg God for forgiveness. ... Arrogant, divisive.” [26:32]

• Urges seeking God in awe, not expecting entertainment:

  “I’m not going to spice it up for you, because ... it’s belittling a holy God to say, ‘We want you there, God, but we also need these other things or we're not showing up.’” [44:31]

8. Hebrews 12: Awe, Worship, and the Untouchable God

• Reads Hebrews 12, painting a scene of God’s fiery, awesome, untouchable holiness, in contrast to trivial attitudes toward worship and prayer.
• Quote:

  “I’m speaking to an untouchable blazing fire.” [41:24] “Whenever I think, ‘Oh, here we go, let’s pray again,’ or prayer gets boring, Hebrews 12 cures it for me.” [40:16]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Francis Chan, on modern church culture:

  “We have a generation that’s far more excited about Lauren Daigle than they are about communion. ... That is wrong." [15:16]

• On humility:

  “The wisest thing Job says at the end... ‘I have uttered what I did not understand. … Now my eyes see you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.’” [05:55]

• On the solution to spiritual boredom:

  “The answer is not changing the service. The answer is changing your heart.” [17:23]

• On the need for a revival of awe:

  “Let’s just honor the body and blood of Christ. Let’s tremble at His Word. Let’s actually revere Him and maybe He’ll hear us.” [33:46]

• On prayer and reverence:

  “I’m talking to you... I’m only here because I think I have the right through Jesus. I know I do.” [44:11]

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Key Timestamps

• Job’s story and the folly of human wisdom — [03:45]–[08:28]
• Does scripture alone excite us? Honest reflections — [09:44]–[11:16]
• Church culture shifts: entertainment vs. reverence — [12:19]–[16:34]
• The mistake of ‘improving’ worship; the right answer — [16:51]–[18:53]
• Recovering awe: identity as God’s people, true worshipers — [19:25]–[24:21]
• God’s standards: humility, trembling at His Word — [24:21]–[26:32]
• God’s ways/human strategies and celebrity Christianity — [28:33]–[32:07]
• Longing for spiritual “cleansing,” the "Holy 30" analogy — [35:50]–[37:59]
• Hebrews 12: coming before God’s holiness — [37:59]–[44:31]
• Closing prayer: repentance and longing for purity — [46:54]–[49:25]

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Conclusion

Francis Chan’s urgent plea is for Christians to return to trembling at the Word, to seek the awe and holiness of God for its own sake—not for spiritual fireworks or celebrity draw. He confesses his own missteps, laments the church’s distraction, and calls for a generation who will simply hunger for God above all.

“God, we get so distracted. Please, please, God... would you just make us love you again where you’re enough?” [47:52]

The challenge: Is God’s Word enough for you?

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Transcript

[Francis Chan]

Foreign.

[Podcast Host]

Welcome to the Crazy Love Podcast. We've spent decades trying to make church more relevant and exciting. But what if we've been trying to solve the wrong problem? Today, Francis asks us to consider whether we've become more captivated by personalities than by the God they point to. As we recover a higher view of his holiness, the we discover again that he alone is enough.

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

Let's pray.

[Francis Chan]

Join me in a word of prayer.

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

I need prayer this morning. Father, you are so good, so far beyond us. Your thoughts are so far beyond ours. We are so in need of you, Lord.

[Francis Chan]

I need you so badly right now, Lord, so I don't say anything that is untrue of you, that is belittling of you, that is lifting up of man. God, I pray against anything of the flesh. God, could you literally speak to me and direct me by your spirit through the entire time? God, may I fight against any urging of the flesh, any desire for reaction, Lord, any trust in myself. May your words speak to us and cleanse us and teach us truth about you, God. I pray that what we are about to do would be lasting truly of your spirit. May your word reach into our inner

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

man and change us.

[Francis Chan]

Truly change us.

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

Make us more like Christ right now, Father. Just cleanse our minds of the lies that we believe. Give us ears to hear. Make us the good soil that when the seed drops upon us, Lord, there would just be fruit, not thorns, nothing choking it out. This is only done by you, God. May you be honored, you alone, in Jesus name. Amen. You know, in our church, we. We read through the. We read through the whole Bible every year. And right now we're in the book of Job. And you know how there's certain books you read, you know, like, oh, we're

[Francis Chan]

gonna get into Hebrews.

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

I get excited. We're gonna go to Romans. I'm excited. And it's like, gosh, right now we're in Job, and it's like, okay, let's get through it.

[Francis Chan]

Because the thing that bothers me about the book of Job is you've got, like, maybe three chapters, you know, maybe the first chapter and the last couple that are exciting. But then you've got, like, 38 chapters of nonsense that you have to weed through, right? So, you know, you probably know the story about Job and, you know, the beginning of Satan being in the presence of God, and it's that weird story. It's where you're going, wait, what? What's going on? Satan's up there. And God saying, hey, have you seen Job? And Satan's like accusing Job and go, okay, yeah, strike him. And. And he'll curse you. Do this and he'll curse you. And. And then, you know, it all happens, really, in that first chapter. And then they. Then you have these four guys just talking. You've got Job and Eliphaz and Zophar and Bildad, and they're all just commenting on what they think is happening, right? And you read that for like 30 something chapters. And then at the end, God says, you guys are all so off. And then the wisest thing that Job says at the end is, he says, I have uttered what I did not understand. Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eyes sees you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes. After the Lord had spoken these words to Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, my anger burns against you and against your two friends, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. Now therefore take 7 bulls, 7 rams, go to my servant Job and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job will pray for you, for I will accept his prayer not to deal with you according to your folly, for you have not spoken of me what is right, as my servant Job has. So at the very end, Job finally goes, okay, I get it now. I get it. I'm just going to stop talking because I'm going to stop talking. I always. I read about you. I heard about you, but now that I see you, I'm just gonna repent and shut up.

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

And God says, okay, you got it.

[Francis Chan]

But then he goes to his two, his friends, his three friends, and he says, you guys are so off.

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

You guys said things about me that aren't true.

[Francis Chan]

And so here's what I'll do. If you take all of these offerings and go to Job, he'll offer all of these things to me, and. And then I'll forgive you for all of the stupid things that you said. And that whole story fascinates me because there was this heavenly reality, right? There's what actually was going on up there with Satan and God. And you're like, gosh, that's like, how were they supposed to know that? That's just so out there. That's the. The real thing that's going on. Meanwhile, you've got the four human beings on earth for 38 chapters just talking stupid things and going, I think this is happening. No, you're Wrong. This is what's happening. No, you're wrong. This is what. Meanwhile, none of them are right. There's something real going on out there. And when I read this, as I was reading it this time through, I'm going to.

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

Right now, are we like those four guys, just talking, just talking about stuff on our level, and none of us really know what we're talking about. Thinking. If Eliphaz and Zophar and Bildad were alive today, we'd probably be listening to their podcasts, right? And we'd all be talking about.

[Francis Chan]

I think.

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

I think Zophar is right now.

[Francis Chan]

No way.

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

I listen to Bildad. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. I think Job, Job, Job, because he's the one that's actually suffering.

[Francis Chan]

And we'll start these arguments about who's

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

got a better podcast. Meanwhile, we're all wrong, and there's something bigger going on that we have no clue about. And maybe the wisest thing we could

[Francis Chan]

do is just,

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

maybe just open this book and start reading it. You know, the topic I was given was the Word of God Alone is Enough as a title I was given for the message this morning. The Word of God alone is enough. And I was grateful that they gave me that topic. I love that. I love that the Word of God alone is.

[Francis Chan]

Is enough.

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

But is it.

[Francis Chan]

Is it enough? Is it enough to draw a crowd? So. So if you said, hey, hey. This morning, someone's going to come up here and read. Here's. Here's our conference. You know, friends, first. First Friday night, someone's going to read through the book of Revelation, and we're all just going to sit there and tremble at it. And then in the morning, we're going to. We're going to read through Romans, and we're just going to sit there and listen. And then at night, we're going to. We're going to. We're just going to read through the book of Hebrews and stare at every word, every. And we're just going to tremble at it. Let's put that up on a website and see how many people show up. I mean, I believe the word of God is enough. I believe the word of God should be enough. But if we're honest, we know it's

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

not enough to draw a crowd. Tim Keller could fill up a room, but the book of Romans, I don't know. And again, I'm not bagging on. Understand what I. I love Tim Keller. Amazing, amazing man. Amazing. I love Phil Wickham.

[Francis Chan]

So as I throw these names Out.

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

It's not to bash them.

[Francis Chan]

I'm just saying, look what's happening to

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

us, like, without us noticing.

[Francis Chan]

Because here's what happened, okay, so I got saved in the 80s, I was in high school. I'm hearing, you know, this youth pastor explain the gospel.

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

I'm like, man, I get it. I get it. I want it.

[Francis Chan]

I start pursuing it.

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

And.

[Francis Chan]

But in the 80s, you've got to understand something was going on. It wasn't like the Jesus movement in the 60s and 70s where people were getting these radical conversions and there was just craziness where they're just selling everything and they live on these communes and go around and just talk about Jesus and. And it was just like a crazy time for my friends who got saved during that time. They'd explain it and they're like, we don't care about anything except for Jesus. But in the 80s, something else was happening where church attendance was kind of waning a little bit and. And people were making comments like, the Bible just feels boring to me.

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

You may have heard friends say that

[Francis Chan]

the worship just felt lifeless. Communion was just like this ritual. The youth, they're not interested in church anymore. The prayer meetings, no one goes to those. And so we're looking at these problems. It's like, gosh, yeah, the Bible is boring to people. Worship just as lifeless, and communion is just a ritual. The youth aren't interested. No one comes to prayer meeting. So we've got to fix that, because that's wrong. And so we go, okay, I know how to make the Bible exciting. Let's let us have these speakers, man. They can walk back and forth with these illustrations. They can just get all fired up. They can tell stories that make you cry. They can, you know, they can juggle. They can do all these different things. Ah, the word of God's exciting again, man. Worship is dry. Well, let's get better music. Why does our music suck? Let's get better music. Let's get better bands. Let's get better singers. Yeah, let's get better outfits. Let's just do. Let's just do it better. And boom, it's more exciting now Communion is dull. Let's start doing videos that really capture emotion. Let's. Let's shine blue lights on people. Let's, let's. Let's set the mood so that when it time. It comes time for communion, like, oh, we feel it. We just watch the most amazing video. Then they did the skit. Oh, where they nailed someone there. I mean, it was just, ah, communion's Good, the youth aren't interested. Let's make it fun. Let's make it fun. Pizza, all nighters. Just crazy crowd breakers. Oh good, the youth are back. Prayer meetings are dull. Let's just cancel them all. So that's what we did. And it worked.

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

We started filling rooms and you're going, francis, is that wrong? Is it wrong to have better music? Is it wrong to become better speakers? Is it wrong to use these? I can't say that it's wrong. I can't, can't point to verse. I mean, what are we supposed to do? Just be more boring? Like, but in that pursuit and in doing all of these things, suddenly we have a generation that is far more excited about Lauren Daigle than they are about communion. And that is wrong. I can't tell you just how wrong that is. I don't even think I have words to explain how

[Francis Chan]

awful it is when I hear some people talk and they can be talking about Matt Chandler or John Piper with so much excitement, excitement and, and, and yet when they talk about Jesus Christ and in, in their time with him, it's just not with the same look in their eyes. It's not with the same passion. And I can't tell you how that's just unacceptable. And, and so I. Look, man, I was one of these people who, in the 80s and 90s, man, I was the one that was fighting to make it more exciting in all of these ways. But I'm telling you now, that was the wrong answer. It was the wrong answer to say the word of God isn't enough. So therefore, here's how we'll fix it.

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

It's like a, a gal who was at our, one of our prayer meetings and she goes, I just, I don't get you guys because I've been a Christian my whole life, but you guys, you guys just get in a room and you start praying and you'll pray

[Francis Chan]

for like two hours.

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

And I just, I don't get it. Like, it just, it's boring to me.

[Francis Chan]

And so the answer from the 80s is, okay, we'll cut it short. We're going to add some music, some videos, some. Man, we'll just, we'll just keep it moving rather than

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

wait a sec. So you don't, you don't get excited

[Francis Chan]

to be in a room with other believers who all are seeking the holy living God and speaking to him and just sitting there in anticipation like, he actually heard us. He's going to answer that. Like, that does nothing for you. The answer is not changing the Service. The answer is changing your heart. There's something like you don't understand about him and how fascinating it is to get in his presence. You don't understand. You don't. You don't love this book. You don't love to just open it and go, oh, my gosh, look at what God says about this and this. And like, there's nothing you. You want to hear my opinions, my feelings. You want me to bring in a professor and give you some deep thoughts. You want to bring a philosopher and have you think in a way you never thought.

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

Like, that's what excites you, man.

[Francis Chan]

These words are the only words on

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

this planet that are living and active. Okay?

[Francis Chan]

All other words should just. It's just so low.

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

I mean, crazy love was pretty good, but every.

[Francis Chan]

The thought of. We're bored with the word of God, you guys.

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

We gave the wrong answers. It's discipling people and talking it through and going, what's at the root of this? How could the word of God be boring? Your words are boring.

[Francis Chan]

The word of God, this is the only truth we have. This is the only life we have,

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

are from these words.

[Francis Chan]

Let's just read it together. And maybe.

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

I just keep thinking, like, in one generation, what happened? And I get excited about speaking to you because I go, well, in one generation, we can take it back. You know, as long as there's a generation that says, no, this is unacceptable. This is unacceptable. We can't be more excited about these things than we are about partaking of the body and blood of Christ and people that just get it and go, you know what? I actually crave being in a room with four or five of my friends and sitting there and dwelling on the

[Francis Chan]

mystery of the fact that we are members of the body of Christ. Do you understand what that profound mystery. We are members of the body of Christ. And I just want to dwell on the fact that. So there's a holy, untouchable God who dwells in. In unapproachable light. And he calls me a member of his body. Just like I count my finger a member of my body. He's a part of me, and he says, we are a part of Him. And to sit in just awe of. Look, we can become. We're the temple. We're like living stones creating one temple. And his spirit could just fall like a fire, like it did in chronicles when they built the temple. And now we are that temple. And when we saw in Acts where that fire fell onto the temple which was the apostles and like, that could happen right now. Like the Holy Spirit, like this mystery, like God and man can intersect, and he can dwell in me. And we right here could pray and change the course of tomorrow just by speaking to him. And he hears us. Because the blood of Christ and the body. Let's take of this. Wow. I'm taking of the body and blood of Christ. And yet we are the body of Christ. How does this work? Like what? Oh, God. We're dealing with something so amazing. So that temple in the Old Testament you don't dare go into, that's us now. Are you kidding me? And his spirit dwells in us, and I right now. Are you kidding? Am I doing it right now? Lord, where your spirit manifests through me. And it's not Francis speaking, but it's your Holy Spirit speaking through me to build up your body. And all of us can do that in some way. Doesn't that seem appealing to you?

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

Or do you go, give me Keller and Daigle? And again, great. Love him. I don't really know, Lorne, but, you know, seems fine. But it's just. Okay, well, let's just look at the word. Isaiah 60:6. Thus says the Lord. Heaven, throne, and the earth is my footstool. What is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest? All these things my hand has made. And so all these things came to be, declares the Lord. But this is the one to whom I will look. He who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word. Think about that. Think about a God. This is reality right now. Okay? Forget about Francis and Todd and Trip Lee and Phil Wickham down here in Eliphaz and da, da, da, da, da. And we're all just talking our stuff. And God's up here. The true reality is, he says, heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool. And he's going, what are you guys going to build for me if heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool?

[Francis Chan]

Where?

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

What? What are you guys really trying to do? Here he goes, all of these things that you see my hand made. So everything you see right now, including me, God says I made him. So why are you even thinking about him? If heaven truly is my throne and the earth is my footstool, and I just spoke, everything you can see on my footstool. Every person there on my footstool, then what are you guys going to do for me when I made you? He goes, this is. This is what I'm Looking for. This is the person that I'm actually going to look to, the person who gets that and is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word. Okay?

[Francis Chan]

The reality, just like in the book of Job, where you've got these guys talking and they're the wisest people on the earth, I think this. I think this. I think this. Well, well, let me tell you, you know, And God says, you know who I'm gonna look to? Job.

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

Cause Job finally gets it at the end. And he says, you know, I'm just gonna shut up and let you speak. You ask the questions, rather than being

[Francis Chan]

down here going, well, why would God do. Well, why would he goes, you know what?

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

I'm just gonna. I'm just gonna be quiet, throw some dust and ashes on my head, because I know who you are now. And God goes, you get it? You get it? Heaven's my throne. The earth is my footstool. You are being humble and contrite. And I look to the person who's humble, contrite, trembles at my words. And that's why he goes, eliphaz, build that. Go over there. Cause I actually trust Job now. You know, if you want to be forgiven for all the stupid things you've ever said, go to him and take

[Francis Chan]

all your sacrifices and everything, and I'll

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

forgive you for your careless speech. You guys, the word of God has been humbling me the last couple of days. I have said a lot of stupid things in my lifetime. Things from the stage that took glory away from God and put glory and attention onto me. I saw a clip of something I said not that long ago, maybe a year or two ago. And I'm watching myself. I saw so much arrogance, desire to be liked, desire to get attention. And I'm watching myself. I literally, physically started to cry and beg God for forgiveness. God, I. I know my heart right then. Arrogant, divisive. This is the one to whom I'll look. Humble, contrite, and trembles at my word. We need to be a generation that reads this book and goes, okay, okay, give me more. Give me more. I tremble at that, and I'm going to go change it.

[Francis Chan]

I don't need someone to explain it. And give me a touching story.

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

If you just say that, then I'm going to change. I'm going to change. By the power of your holy spirit, God, change me. I've often said one of the most needed passages for this Generation is Isaiah 55. Isaiah 55, starting in verse 8.

[Francis Chan]

God says, for my thoughts Are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth. It shall, shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. God says, my thoughts, they're not the same as yours. We see that in the book of Job, right? What God's got going on in heaven is so different from what these guys think. He's just. My thinking's on a complete different level. He goes, what's going on in my mind? He goes, and my ways, okay, the way I do things, he goes, they're not the same way you do things. He goes, you see the heavens way up there? You can't even see them. See how far beyond the earth it is. That's the way my ways are compared to yours. See, my ways are. No one's coming to the church. Let's make it more exciting. Let's do this. This, this, this.

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

God says, my ways is, if you would become perfectly one, then the world is going to believe that Jesus is the Messiah. I go, that doesn't make sense.

[Francis Chan]

How could our oneness and unity prove to the world that Jesus is the Messiah? That.

[Podcast Host]

That's.

[Francis Chan]

That's not proof. But in my logic, I think, well, yeah, and let's get someone famous. You know, let's. Let's get a. You know, let's get a star in here. He'll, you know, some, some, some, you

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

know, whoever who's a famous, like, celebrity that claims Christian. Who? J.P. is he

[Francis Chan]

maybe a little more famous than whoever that is, but who? Oh, Justin Bieber. Okay, whatever. Okay, Justin will work.

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

I've heard of him.

[Francis Chan]

And it's the idea of this will work.

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

And God says, my ways aren't your ways. What did I say? I said, if you guys would love one another so deeply, then people know you're my disciples. Jesus prayed, God, would they become perfectly one, I in them, you and me, May they be brought to complete unity so that the world may know that you sent me. What does Paul say in Philippians? He says, man, if you would just strive side by side together, unafraid of

[Francis Chan]

anything, then the world will believe in

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

their destruction and in Your salvation.

[Francis Chan]

That doesn't seem like it's going to work. Well, it doesn't seem like marching around a city seven times is gonna work either. It doesn't seem like sticking a stick into water is gonna split anything. There's, there's, there's. This book is filled with things that shouldn't work. And God says, you don't understand. The way you think is not the way I think. You've got all these brilliant ideas. Listen to you guys talk, listen to your podcast, look at all your genius strategies. He goes, I've given you one, I'm telling you. Okay, see, this is the problem, is we learned all our theology in seminary, and then I learned how to grow a church at conferences like this. And so my theology is telling me that the flesh does nothing. It's a spirit who gives life. The flesh is of no help at all. And my theology is telling me, gosh, so I can make someone fall in love with Jesus, the best thing I can do is get on my face and just beg God. Beg God. Lord, would you enlighten their eyes when you lighten the eyes of their heart? Man, let's get on our faces and say, man, my next door neighbor still doesn't get it. God, you are my only hope. And to fast and to pray and to beg.

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

But my conference is telling me, no, there's a lot of things you can do. And I'm just praying a new generation rises up and says, let's try that fasting and prayer thing. Let's try becoming perfectly one and just see if it works. Just see. Let's just honor the body and blood of Christ. Let's tremble at his word. Let's actually revere him and maybe he'll hear us. Because the Bible says that Jesus was heard because of his reverence. Hebrews 5. So if it took reverence from Jesus, be heard by the Father. And let's get together and let's just. Let's read the word of God together. Let's read it out loud and just tremble at it together. And then let's just seek Him. Just want to read one more passage to you, Hebrews. I've been addicted to this passage lately. Hebrews, chapter 12. This has been like my go to if prayer starts to feel dull. Because, you know, let's admit there are times when our minds aren't into it because we're so stimulated by so many different things that it comes time for prayer and it feels blah. And some of this problem is some reason why churches and everyone else and Conferences have to keep all the things going is because that's the way our minds go now. Because we can't control ourselves. We got to find out what did someone post today? What's the latest video? What's everyone laughing at? What's everyone. I don't want to miss out on any of this stuff. And we're watching every single movie, every YouTube video. And it's just. So we come here and we go, we can't just have silence before God and tremble at his word. That's not going to work because their minds don't work that way anymore. But I was thinking just during worship, you know, I'm here with one of my buddies who just did one of those diets, the whole 30, you know that where you just don't eat anything bad, just like four things or something and for a month and it just cleanses everything out and you just feel good and you shed all of this stuff. And I started thinking, gosh, what if we did that spiritually? What if. There I was thinking, what if I created like a holy 30? You know, seriously, where I take you and we go on some ranch somewhere and for 30 days everything is spiritual. We don't watch one show, listen to one song that doesn't lift up the name of Jesus. We don't have one conversation that is not about Him. Everything, all of our input, everything is just God, just the body and blood of Christ, just the seeking of him. And we just cleanse all of that garbage out. What would life be like the holy someone else created? Because I, I gave you the idea. I'm not going to patent it or anything, but I'm just going, that would be so awesome. I would love to just get together with some of you, wake up in the morning praising him, sharing the word. All of us eagerly desiring spiritual gifts so we could build one another up and just nothing of the enemy there. Okay, set it up. But this is. I don't know how I got on that, but this has been my go to passage when I get like so cluttered and I forget who I'm speaking to. Let's tremble at this because it reminds us who we're coming before when we

[Francis Chan]

pray for you have not come to

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

what may be touched.

[Francis Chan]

A blazing fire and darkness and a tempest and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no more further messages be spoken to them, for they could not endure the order that was given. If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, I tremble with fear. But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect. And to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth. Much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. At that time, his voice shook the

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

earth, but now he has promised, yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heavens. This phrase yet once more indicates the

[Francis Chan]

removal of things that are shaken, that

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

is, things that have been made in

[Francis Chan]

order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain.

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

Therefore, let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken.

[Francis Chan]

And thus let us offer to God acceptable worship with reverence and awe.

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

For our God is a consuming fire. Whenever I think, oh, here we go, let's pray again, or prayer gets boring, Hebrews 12 cures it for me. Next time you're in prayer gathering and someone's just praying for their aunt's foot again, and you're just like, ah,

[Podcast Host]

just

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

open your Bible, get to Hebrews 12 and remind yourself you're going to. So right now I'm talking to someone, see? Like, right now you can come up and touch me. I mean, don't. But you. I'm touchable. I'm touchable. He says, you aren't coming to someone you can touch. So you're like, okay, who am I talking to right now? An untouchable being who calls himself a blazing fire. Fire.

[Francis Chan]

So right then, if it just stopped

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

there, I'm speaking to an untouchable blazing fire.

[Francis Chan]

But then it goes on, and darkness and gloom.

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

When's the last time you heard God described as darkness and gloom? Look all through the scriptures. He is eager to show off his wrath and show his power through his wrath. Go. You need to understand, I'm a God of wrath. Also that darkness. He's referring to the Exodus, possibly about the darkness he put over the land, the gloom that those people went through, through all the plagues. He goes, this is who you're coming before. The sound of a trumpet.

[Francis Chan]

But I thought God only speaks through, you know, like a still, small voice.

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

No, it's also the sound of a trumpet,

[Francis Chan]

a voice Whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them. See, we're always like, oh, I want to hear your voice. I want to hear. The people back then were like, please, Moses, tell him to stop talking. Please tell him to stop talking. I can't handle that. Like, these commands are serious, and that voice is like a trumpet. Please stop. Like, when I'm praying, I'm speaking to this gloom, darkness, blazing fire. A voice that made people beg, no, don't talk anymore. I can't handle, you know, these commands. Like, he goes, don't even let an animal on. If an animal comes and gets to this mountain where I am, I don't even want you to stab it. You better stay, keep your distance, and stone it to death. Because I am holy and I'm going, I'm talking to you. He goes, and you're going to this heavenly city where there's innumerable angels in festal gathering. So here I am on this little planet, his footstool, with a little group of people in my house, And I'm speaking to a God who has innumerable angels up there. What does that even look like? So you've got innumerable angels celebrating and worshiping you, and I'm gonna dare speak to you. Blazing fire, gloom, trumpet, darkness. Here it goes.

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

God, I am only here

[Francis Chan]

because I

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

think I have the right through Jesus. I know I do. So I'm coming with confidence because of

[Francis Chan]

what Jesus did on the cross, and I believe in it, and I trust in that. So I'm speaking to you right now.

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

You gotta be kidding me. What goes through your mind as you start going towards this gathering of your friends who get this and go, you guys, we're going to get into his presence now. Just take your mind off of yourself. Let's think about those innumerable angels. Let's think about the blazing fire. Let's think about darkness, gloom. Let's think about his voice. Let's think about the fact that he is the judge of all. He knows everything we've done, and he is the ultimate judge. And you're gathering for that. What goes through your mind. Is Lauren Daigle going to be there? Really? This is boring. Really. I'm sorry, but I'm not going to spice it up for you, because at some point it's belittling a holy God to say, well, we want you there, God, but we also need these other things, or, we're not showing up. We need a generation that says, God, you are enough. The word of God alone is enough. Let's ask God right now. That being if he would grace us and do that through this generation. Please, Father, please purify your bride. Please start with us. We know we have done offensive things. God, I am so sorry for my arrogance.

[Francis Chan]

Stupid, stupid, hurtful things that take people's eyes off of you. God, we're a generation that just gossips about stupid things. And we don't talk about the fact that we're a part of your body, the fact that your spirit dwells in us, the fact that you're a holy God and you're full of mercy. God, where will we be if you weren't a God of mercy? We were just objects of wrath, just waiting for you to pour out you wrath on us. But you're a God of mercy. God, your mercy is so amazing. Your love is so amazing. You're so great. God, we just want to be a generation that talks about you and not all this other stupid stuff. God, we just want to be in awe of you and who you are. We want to tremble at your word. God, we get so distracted. Please, please, God, your spirit is so powerful. Would you just make us love you again where you're enough? And when we get together, we just talk about you. You. We wake up and we just want to be with you. God, help us to love each other. Help us to guard our lips and our hearts from saying things about our brothers and sisters that are divisive.

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

Get rid of selfish ambition. Your will would be done on earth as it is in heaven where everyone's celebrating you and not themselves. Everyone's giving you attention even right now. Lord, as we worship you, we want to join with all the angels in heaven. They're all celebrating you right now. We want to join them. God, we want this chorus to honor you.

[Francis Chan]

Heaven is your throne, the earth is your footstool.

[Co-host or Prayer Leader]

Thank you for your word. It's not coming back to you void. It's living active in response to your word right now. Lord, we worship you. We just bow before you.

[Podcast Host]

Thank you for listening to the Crazy Love podcast. Join us next week for a new episode. But until then, for more resources from Crazy Love ministries or to support the work of Crazy Love, please visit our [e-mail] SA.