Crazy Love Podcast - Episode Summary
Episode: The Sin We Don’t Take Seriously | Francis Chan
Date: January 6, 2026

Overview

In this episode, Francis Chan delivers a deeply personal and challenging message centered on the often overlooked sin of coveting. Drawing from his recent experiences in India, Chan contrasts the radical commitment of persecuted believers with the Western church's comfort and discontent. He walks the audience through the spiritual dangers of coveting, the gift of true contentment in Christ, and practical steps to refocus on God. The conversation is raw, honest, and infused with moments of self-examination, humor, and encouragement to seek things above.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. India Trip: Encounters with Radical Faith

• (01:29 - 06:02) Chan shares his return from India, where he met hundreds of pastors—many of whom have endured years in prison for preaching the gospel.

  • He recounts:
    "This man here was in prison for 10 years for preaching the gospel... His daughter was one when he went in, and she's 11 now." (02:43)
  • He is humbled by those he calls "spiritual giants."

• The Sisters of Compassion:
  Chan is deeply moved by women ministers in India who serve selflessly in leper colonies and among ostracized women, seeing them as living examples of Jesus.
  "I'm looking at these women going, oh my gosh, they're the most beautiful people on Earth." (05:36)

2. Personal Conviction and Examination

• (06:02 - 11:32) Chan describes feeling embarrassed of his comparatively comfortable Western life after witnessing such costly faith:

  • "I was thinking, Jesus, I don't want you to return right now because I think I'd be embarrassed." (06:19)

• On the flight to India, God reveals to Chan his own struggle with coveting, especially when seeing first class on the plane:

  • "I was like, oh, I hate walking past this...Wait, this is coveting." (09:04)
  • "That's one of the Ten Commandments. Thou shall not covet. But none of us takes that one seriously here." (09:45)

3. The Hidden Sin of Coveting

• (11:32 - 13:38) Chan contends that coveting is ubiquitous and underestimated, even marketed to us:
  • "Every advertisement, every commercial, every billboard has one goal: to make you covet." (10:29)
• He references Colossians 3 to underscore that covetousness is idolatry and is serious in God's eyes:
  • "Covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these, the wrath of God is coming." (13:02)

4. Setting Minds on Things Above

• (13:38 - 16:51) Utilizing Colossians 3 and the Psalms, Chan exhorts believers to set their minds on eternal realities:
  • "Can you imagine every part of your body just seeking that right now, saying, God, I just...just to be in your presence?" (14:40)
  • He admits, "I don't think about that stuff often enough." (15:24)

5. Dead to the World, Alive to God

• (16:51 - 19:55) Chan uses a stark (and humorous) analogy of his deceased father not being startled to illustrate dying to worldly desires:
  • "That's the way God wants us to be about sin and the things of the world...Dead. Like a dead body. That's the way he says we should be to the things of the world." (18:07, 18:41)
  • He calls for indifference to status, appearance, possessions, in favor of God’s approval.

6. Practical Application: Fasting from Distraction

• (21:13 - 25:46) Chan details his response: fasting from his phone and computer for a month.

  • "Let me just fast from that...just not open my computer for a month...I just want to be like you and me in a cell." (22:24)
  • He encourages listeners to try similar fasts to experience contentment in God:
    • "Not saying, everyone...But I would encourage you to try it for a week. You'd be amazed. It's really like being on drugs...Once I came clean and sober, I had to deal with stuff." (25:45)

• Rejoicing in the Lord:
  With distractions gone, he's able to "rejoice in the Lord always" as commanded in Scripture.

  • "Every time I'm like, oh, I should—oh, wait, I don't have a phone. Let me rejoice, God. You know what? It's so good." (24:42)

7. The Seriousness of Rejoicing & Contentment

• (26:21 - 27:16) Chan elevates rejoicing and contentment to the level of serious biblical commandments:
  • "Lack of rejoicing in the Lord...that's a sin. That's as big a sin as, do not commit adultery...do not covet." (26:32)
  • "He wants his kids constantly going, God, it's so good to know you." (26:50)

8. Challenge and Prayer

• (27:16 - 30:50) Chan urges the audience to actively pursue change instead of just feeling momentary conviction:

  • "If I'm distracted by other things and I'm not seeking you, then I have to make a change. Not just feel bad and walk away...I got to do something." (21:13)

• He prays for listeners:

  • "Satan is trying to make us covet and we're falling for it. And God, we want to be dead to it. We want to be like a dead body to the things of the world." (29:55)
  • "Oh, God, help us see you clearly. Help us get out of our fog and just be alone with you, enjoying you, loving you." (30:50)

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Coveting's Subtlety:
  “That's one of the Ten Commandments. Thou shall not covet...But none of us takes that one seriously here.” (09:45)

• On Radical Indian Christians:
  “These guys have done it. I'm preaching about it. But these guys have done it. They're living it out.” (03:08)

• Spiritual Contentment:
  “The Lord is my shepherd. I don't covet. I got you. What do I want? ... My cup's overflowing." (10:45 - 11:32)

• On Rejoicing as Command:
  “There’s no other command like it in Scripture. He says, rejoice in the Lord always. I'll say it again: rejoice.” (26:35)

• Practical Discipline:
  “Let me just fast from that. Let me take a month, and I'm just going to get rid of my phone for a month...so that I could focus on Him again.” (22:24, 24:50)

• Final Prayer:
  “Help us see you clearly. Help us get out of our fog and just be alone with you, enjoying you, loving you.” (30:50)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 01:29 – Francis returns from India; testimonies of persecuted believers
• 04:07 – Sisters of Compassion and radical acts of service
• 06:02 – 11:32 – Conviction of coveting; reflection on Western comfort
• 13:02 – Colossians 3: Covetousness as idolatry
• 16:51 – 19:55 – “Dead to the world” analogy
• 21:13 – 25:46 – Choosing to fast from tech/distraction; practical ways to focus on God
• 26:21 – The call to rejoice: seriousness and joy of contentment
• 27:16 – 30:50 – Personal testimony, worship, and closing prayer

Conclusion

Chan’s message is a passionate plea for believers to recognize coveting as a serious spiritual threat, to repent and cultivate deep contentment by seeking God above all else. Through personal confession, scriptural teaching, and practical application, Chan challenges his audience to fast from distractions, rejoice continually, and become “dead” to worldly desires—ultimately learning to live with overflowing joy in Christ.