Forgotten God Francis Chan & Danae Yankoski, David C Cook (2009)

Holy Spirit book. Very good. Would read again. ( )

This is a dangerous book! Read it only if you dare!

If you claim to be a Christian, this book could very well convict you, as it did me. Convict you of thinking or praying too much to God to reveal what He wants you to DO rather than praying to Him about who God wants you to BE . Do you wonder about what God's will is for you in a year? 2 years? What is God's 5-year plan for you? WHY? Why are you not seeking to understand God's will for you TODAY?

This book will also remind you that Christians believe in a triune God, three persons - three co-EQUAL persons - manifested in one God. I know for me, as I read it and discussed it in a small group, I started to understand Chan's message more and more and realized that I had, perhaps unintentionally, excluded an equal focus on the Holy Spirit as I do on God the Father and Jesus the Son of God.

Chan is not telling us we must change to a different faith tradition that may focus more on the Spirit. In fact, he specifically tells us such a change is not what he is suggesting. What he is teaching is that to fully have God's presence in our lives, we must seek out the Holy Spirit's guidance and presence in our lives as much as we seek out God the Father's and Jesus the Son's guidance and presence. After all, before Jesus left his physical life on earth, he gave a part of himself to his disciples and us in the form of the Spirit. For me, that has pushed me to not only pray specifically to God the Father and to God the Son, but also to the Holy Spirit every day.

I really enjoyed the book. A couple in the group struggled a bit more with understanding that Chan's teaching is not in conflict with their Christian beliefs.

I think that the traditions they grew up in simply did not focus on the Spirit as a co-equal. And that was the reason they struggled with Chan's teaching.

I challenge you to read and discuss this book in a small group. ( )

Francis Chan revela o exato senso de urgência da questão. Se a Igreja quiser transformar o mundo, precisa antes transformar-se numa comunidade que vive sob a força renovadora do Espírito Santo.

Talks about the Holy Spirit and how he works in our lives. ( )

I love Francis Chan's biblical approach to practical theology. This book challenged me to reconsider the Holy Spirit's work in my life. This is a must read for anyone who wants to grow deeper in their walk with God, no matter their denominational background.