Introduction to Crazy Love

I have a few things to say before we dive into tonights video, and I'll try to keep it brief because I'm super excited about what Francis Chan has written here. I really love it.

I love the topic of Gods love. Whenever I need to speak or teach or preach or whatever and I have no idea what to talk about I'll always go back to this: God's love.

And its funny, because I'll never exhaust the subject. There will always be more to say and more to learn.

Its incredible. Like a child asking God how much He loves him and God opens His arms and tells the child "I love you this much." And as the child grows older and begins to realize just how big God is he begins to realize just how far those arms stretch, how much God loves us.

But? Wait? What? Excuse me, David. Crazy Love talks about us loving God. What does that have to do with Gods love?

I'll come back to that.

When I read this book last year it really redefined how I looked at loving God and what God desired out of our relationship. What I had once considered to be basic Christianity and extreme Christianity got tweaked. All of a sudden the bar was so much higher. It was an incredible thing, it was wonderful.

I really want to warn you about something you may deal with while reading this book: a small quiet voice in the back of your head.
Tell you "You don't love God like that, you've never loved God like that, I don't even think you'll ever be able to love God like that. Don't even bother. You're a failure, you don't deserve to call yourself a child of God if this is how you've treated your father in the past."

That. Is. A. Lie.

That is not conviction, that is condemnation and it comes from Satan, Satan wants to kill you, you should not listen to him.

So this leads us back to the question that really should be asked before we start reading a book.

Why do we love God?

1 John 4:19

and again in John 3:16-17

and the answer to this question "why do we love God?" really shows how vile of a lie it is that really is.

because God did not wait for us to love Him before He started to love us.

He did not wait for us to consider Him valuable before He considered us precious.

He did not wait for us to understand the cost of our redemption before He payed blood for us.

So yes, be convicted. Come out of this desiring to love God with everything within you but don't be condemned.

conviction calls you higher, desires your best, shows you were you can improve.

This is God. And God is love.