Francis Chan in Wichita

Last night, I had the opportunity to hear Francis Chan speak at Central Christian Church in Wichita.  He was speaking on behalf of World Impact.  For those who are unfamiliar, World Impact serves the urban poor in several cities throughout the United States.  Check them out here.  It was a great night of worship and the Word. 

Chan, as always, spoke some powerful and challenging words.  Here are a few notes that I took.  He shared about how he is serving in San Francisco in the Tenderloin.  Hey, GracePoint Youth, remember when we served there in 2001.  He has a prayer team of 20 individuals who start by praying for apartment buildings.  After prayer, Chan and others from his team start knocking on doors.  They ask two questions: What do you need? How can we pray?  I wonder how those two questions could impact lives where you and I live.

He challenged the church and its leaders to seriously consider how we interpret Scripture.  He wondered if we have made it too complicated.  He said he will simply read God's Word and then obey it.  He shared how he has experienced powerful moves of God when he does.  When we read God's Word, do we have to clarify things if they seem to difficult or uncomfortable? Are we guilty of this in the American Church?

He closed with a few quotes:

 "I will error on the side of faith instead of comfort."

"The pressure to get safe only increases as we age."

Are we not seeing the Holy Spirit move because we have become too comfortable and play it safe?