Francis Chan Quotes

A disciple is a disciple maker. ~ Francis Chan

He persists in loving us with unending, outrageous love. ~ Francis Chan

True love requires sacrifice. ~ Francis Chan

The God of the universe is not something we can just add to our lives and keep on as we did before. ~ Francis Chan

The God who loans you life sees your every move, hears each word you speak, and knows your every thought. And this is a good thing. You are seen by God. Noticed. Known. ~ Francis Chan

In the same way, you 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 are safe. ~ Francis Chan

The message of the Bible is not about God in Heaven who wants to take from you. It's about God who wants to give to you. ~ Francis Chan

If God cared only about religious activities, then the Pharisees would have been heroes of the faith. ~ Francis Chan

Only the Holy Spirit can give you the power to not think about yourself, to set you free from yourself. ~ Francis Chan

If you wait until all of your own issues are gone before helping others, it will never happen. This is a trap that millions have fallen into, not realizing that our own sanctification happens as we minister to others. ~ Francis Chan

James 2:17- 'Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.' The lives of many people who call themselves 'Christians' in America lack manifestations of a vital and active faith. And this, to be perfectly honest, frightens me. It keeps me up at night. It causes me to pray desperately and fervently for my congregation, for the groups of people I speak to, and for the church as a whole. ~ Francis Chan

We often forget what an honor it is that God would offer relationship. We can get so accustomed to people begging us to follow God that we forget what a miracle it is that we are invited. ~ Francis Chan

It is true that God may have called you to be exactly where you are. But, it is absolutely vital to grasp that he didn't call you there so you could settle in and live your life in comfort and superficial peace. ~ Francis Chan

I've got this amazing relationship with God that is better than life, itself, so marvelous, so wonderful that everything else can fall apart and I'm okay. ~ Francis Chan

Do you believe that God is the greatest thing you can experience in the whole world? ~ Francis Chan

I don't hesitate to say that if we truly grasped the improbability and overwhelming power of God's love, we would be changed forever. We would think differently. Feel differently. Live differently. Nothing would be the same. ~ Francis Chan

Because when you're wildly in love with someone, it changes everything. ~ Francis Chan

People in love act much differently than people with a sense of obligation. ~ Francis Chan

What is amazing is how we treat a meeting with God as ordinary or burdensome. ~ Francis Chan

Deep down in the heart of every person is a hidden desire to reinterpret Jesus in light of our own culture, political bent, or favorite theological belief. ~ Francis Chan

The enemy just hates our prayers. ~ Francis Chan

I want to live so that I am truly submitted to the Spirit's leading on a daily basis. Christ said its better for us that the Spirit came and I want to live like that is true. I don't want to keep crawling when I have the ability to fly. ~ Francis Chan

We need to stop giving people excuses not to believe in God. You've probably heard the expression 'I believe in God, just not organized religion'. I don't think people would say that if the church truly lived like we are called to live. ~ Francis Chan

The point of your life is to point to Him. Whatever you are doing, God wants to be glorified, because this whole thing is His. ~ Francis Chan

...to think biblically rather than conventionally, to be part of a body where radical living is becoming the norm. ~ Francis Chan

Because I want to get a lot done, I can sometimes do that in the flesh. If I don't rest in the Lord, and enjoy him as I should, my action doesn't spring from my identity and enjoyment of Christ. When that happens, I end up getting the glory rather than Jesus. ~ Francis Chan

Before you say one word to God, take a minute and imagine what it would be like to stand before His throne as you pray. ~ Francis Chan

Do you understand that it's impossible to please God in any way other than wholehearted surrender? ~ Francis Chan

Churchgoers all across the nation say the Holy Spirit has entered them. They claim that God has given them a supernatural ability to follow Christ, put their sin to death, and serve the church. Christians talk about being born again say that they they were dead but now have come to life. We have become hardened to those words, but they are powerful words that have significant meaning. Yet when those outside the church see no difference in our lives, they begin to question our integrity, out sanity, or even worse, our God. And can you blame them? ~ Francis Chan

For a person to be truly discipled and growing in their faith, they need more than one person discipling them. ~ Francis Chan

Has your relationship with God changed the way you live your life? ~ Francis Chan

Our view of the Holy Spirit is too small. The Holy Spirit is the One who changes the church, but we have to remember that the Holy Spirit lives in us. It is individual people living Spirit-filled lives that will change the church. ~ Francis Chan

Frankly, you need to get over yourself. It might sound harsh, but that's seriously what it means [1 Corinthians 10:31]. ~ Francis Chan

Our greatest fear should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter. ~ Francis Chan

It is not scientific doubt, not atheism, not pantheism, not agnosticism, that in our day and in this land is likely to quench the light of the gospel. It is a proud, sensuous, selfish, luxurious, church going, hollow-hearted prosperity.5 ~ Francis Chan

I don't think my church's teachings were incorrect, just incomplete. ~ Francis Chan

It's easy to write for God and about God, because what a thrill to remind the church that the Holy Spirit of God is in you. What a rush! What an amazing blessing! ~ Francis Chan

People who are obsessed are raw with God; they do not attempt to mask the ugliness of their sins or their failures. Obsessed people don't put it on for God; He is their safe place, where they can be at peace. ~ Francis Chan

Is this idea of the non-fruit-bearing Christian something that we have concocted in order to make Christianity "easier"? ~ Francis Chan

we've created a whole brand of churches that do not depend on the Spirit, a whole culture of Christians who are not disciples, a new group of "followers" who do not follow. If ~ Francis Chan

Solomon warned us not to rush into God's presence with words. That's what fools do. And often, that's what we do. ~ Francis Chan

The stress that some of us feel - it's a lack of faith, it really is. ~ Francis Chan

Proclaiming the gospel to a lost world cannot be just another activity to add to the church's crowded agenda. It must be central to who we are. It forms our identity. ~ Francis Chan

I think it's far too easy to blame the American church without acknowledging that we are each part of the church and therefore responsible. ~ Francis Chan

In the midst of our failed attempts at loving Jesus, His grace covers us. ~ Francis Chan

If you really want to experience God, go and make disciples. ~ Francis Chan

Stress says that the things we are involved in are important enough to merit our impatience, our lack of grace toward others, or our tight grip of control. ~ Francis Chan

Being in war together may be what keeps us from being at war with each other. Rather than neglecting the battle to work on your marriage, maybe the best thing for your marriage is to enter the battlefield together. ~ Francis Chan

You must learn to listen to and obey God, especially in a society where it's easy and expected to do what is most comfortable. ~ Francis Chan

God 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 Chan

I have one reason why you should walk away from that temptation right now. One reason: God. Is. Better. ~ Francis Chan

A person who is obsessed with Jesus knows that the sin of pride is always a battle. Obsessed people know that you can never be 'humble enough,' and so they seek to make themselves less known and Christ more known [Matthew 5:16]. ~ Francis Chan

Jesus was clear that following Him meant - get this - following Him. The church has put so much effort into inventing a new form of "following Christ" that doesn't require imitating Him. We teach that even though Jesus allowed His rights to be trampled, we should fight for ours. We teach that even though Jesus lived simply, we have the right to live luxuriously (some prefer the term "comfortably"). Even as we teach that Jesus was rejected by the world, we pursue popularity. ~ Francis Chan

Giving that is not motivated by love is worth nothing. ~ Francis Chan

My love for prayer was an answer to prayer. ~ Francis Chan

The fact is, He just wasn't interested in those who fake it. ~ Francis Chan

Do you remember those times as a kid when you could hardly sleep on Christmas Eve because you were so excited about opening presents in the morning? That anticipation showed that you had no doubt. We should have an even greater anticipation of Jesus. If you are not "eagerly waiting for Him" (Heb. 9:28), something is off. Ask God to restore hope in your life. Not the kind of "hope" where you vaguely wish something would happen, but the kind of hope that anchors your soul (Heb. 6:19). Meditate on His promises and pray for faith. ~ Francis Chan

What we do reverberates through the heavens and into eternity. ~ Francis Chan

I want to see people do more than simply raise their hand when they come to Christ. Where are the totally changed lives? ~ Francis Chan

God wants you to view the other Christians in your life as partners in ministry. God has not called you to make disciples in isolation; He has placed you in the context of a church body so that you can be encouraged and challenged by the people around you. And you are called to encourage and challenge them in return. ~ Francis Chan

Some of you are sitting at home saying, 'I don't need a church to love God,' and I am here telling you that you are so wrong. ~ Francis Chan

I think the fear of God failing us leads us to "cover for God." This means we ask for less, expect less, and are satisfied with less because we are afraid to ask for or expect more. ~ Francis Chan

If you want to see the big stuff that God has, you've got to take some risk and trust only in the Gospel. ~ Francis Chan

God gave me the same power He gave Jesus. I ask myself daily, Why do I waste such a priceless gift? ~ Francis Chan

If 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 Chan

The disciples obey because that's what people do when someone rises from the dead and gives instructions. ~ Francis Chan

echo James's exhortation to those of us in the church today: My brothers and sisters who have received the Holy Spirit, we often lack love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, etc., even while many of our unbelieving friends exhibit these traits - brothers and sisters, these things ought not to be so! ~ Francis Chan

My biggest concern for this generation is your inability to focus, especially in prayer. ~ Francis Chan

One of my biggest fears - maybe my biggest weakness as a Christian - is that I have a hard time going up to a stranger and talking to them about Jesus. ~ Francis Chan

Some people talk a lot about - even boast of - the Spirit, but their lives do not bear His fruit. Others ~ Francis Chan

When it's hard and you are doubtful, give more. Or, as Deuteronomy says, "Give liberally and be ungrudging when you do so, for on this account the Lord your God will bless you in all your work an din all that you undertake." (15:10 NRSV) ~ Francis Chan

...no worship is better than apathetic worship. ~ Francis Chan

We are quick to rationalize our entertainment and priorities yet are slow to commit to serving God. ~ Francis Chan

God wants His Word to be a delight to us, so much so that we meditate on it day and night. ~ Francis Chan

Not being able to fully understand God is frustrating but it is ridiculous for us to think we have the right to limit God to something we are capable of comprehending. What a stunted, insignificant god that would be! If my mind is the size of a soda can and God is the size of all the oceans, it would be stupid for me to say He is only the small amount of water I can scoop into my little can. God is so much bigger, so far beyond our time-encased, air/food/sleep-dependent lives. ~ Francis Chan

In the United States, numbers impress us. We gauge the success of an event by how many people attend or come forward. We measure churches by how many members they boast. We are wowed by big crowds. ~ Francis Chan

The world says love yourself, grab all you can, follow your heart. Jesus says deny yourself, grab your cross and follow me. ~ Francis Chan

I don't want to speak about Jesus; I want to know Jesus. I want to be Jesus to people. I don't want just to write about the Holy Spirit; I want to experience His presence in my life in a profound way. ~ Francis Chan

Trying harder doesn't work for me. Slowly I've learned to pray for God's help and He has become my greatest love and desire. ~ Francis Chan

Our culture says anything goes; fear of God is almost unheard of. ~ Francis Chan

I had come out of a church that was filled with petty arguments and hatred. I just wanted to meet with some friends and worship with them. ~ Francis Chan

Our God listens to us. Our God is a living God. He's not a block of wood you made up that's not going to answer you. My God listens to me. He answers me. ~ Francis Chan

It's breathtaking to picture almighty God saying, "I know Francis Chan. He's my son. I love him!" Are you confident this is what God would say if I asked Him about you? Do you know God or just know about Him? Are ~ Francis Chan

The idea of holding back certainly didn't come from Scripture. ~ Francis Chan

There is a big gap between what we read in Scripture about the Holy Spirit and how most believers and churches operate today. ~ Francis Chan

What scares me most are people who are lukewarm and just don't care. ~ Francis Chan

There are things about God that are mysterious and secret, things we will never know about Him. But there also are things revealed, and those belong to us (Deut. 29:29). ~ Francis Chan

Let us be eager to leave what is familiar for what is true. ~ Francis Chan

He knew that what he had stumbled upon - the kingdom of heaven - was more valuable than anything he had, so he went for it with everything in him. ~ Francis Chan

When the church really takes on the humble characteristics of Christ, that's going to lead to revival. ~ Francis Chan

In our world, where hundreds of things distract us from God, we have to intentionally and consistently remind ourselves of Him. ~ Francis Chan

Which is more messed up- that we have so much compared to everyone else, or that we don't think we're rich? That on any given day, we might flippantly call ourselves 'broke' or 'poor?' We are neither of those things. We are rich. Filthy rich. ~ Francis Chan

Being around a church culture, even leading a gathering of believers, I've gotten pretty good at predicting what's going to happen in a church service. ~ Francis Chan

Ministry sounds intimidating until you develop a realistic view of what ministry is really about. Maybe you're not gifted to preach sermons, start a rehabilitation clinic, or lead a marriage retreat. But do you know people who struggle with sin? Do you know people who are carrying burdens? If so, then your first steps toward ministry are easy: help them. ~ Francis Chan

The wildest part is that Jesus doesn't have to love us. His being is utterly complete and perfect, apart from humanity. He doesn't need me or you. Yet He wants us, chooses us, even considers us His inheritance (Eph. 1:18). The greatest knowledge we can ever have is knowing God treasures us. ~ Francis Chan

The world needs Christians who don't tolerate the complacency of their own lives. ~ Francis Chan

Let's pray that God would empower us so radically that we would get no glory. That people would see our works and glorify God. ~ Francis Chan

God my Creator said, 'Go and make disciples.' So I don't want to sit and make excuses. ~ Francis Chan

If one person "wastes" away his day by spending hours connecting with God, and the other person believes he is too busy or has better things to do than worship the Creator and Sustainer, who is the crazy one? ~ Francis Chan

In the craziness of our world, it takes tremendous effort to find a quiet place. It takes time to quiet your mind and your heart before the Lord. ~ Francis Chan