Book Review: "Forgotten God" by Francis Chan

After His resurrection, Jesus explained to the disciples that He would be returning to the Father but told that an advocate, the Holy Spirit, would come to help them and testify to the works of Jesus.

If this is true then why has the church as a whole seemingly ignored the influence of the Holy Spirit in our lives?

In his follow up to the widely popular “Crazy Love,” Francis Chan discusses how our negligence of the Holy Spirit is the number one factor keeping the Christian church from bringing salvation and radical change to this sinful world.

Francis Chan introduces "Forgotten God"

First and foremost, this book is extremely challenging. Like his first offering, Chan does not sugar-coat his message. Instead, he simply states his argument and encourages readers to search the scriptures and engage in prayer to better their understanding.

Chan also fills “Forgotten God” with stories of unique individuals (some nationally known and others he met through his years in the ministry) who used the Holy Spirit’s guidance to make a huge impact on the world around them.

And while Chan aptly expresses that this particular book wasn't written from a particular tradition, it is evident that he tried to craft a widely acceptable view of the Spirit's power. Unfortunately, this is where the book falls short. Too many times I got the feeling that I had heard all this before. You could arguably at times call this work "Crazy Love Part 2." That's not to say these sections were unimportant or lacked the inspiring nature of the rest of the book, only that they felt familiar in an otherwise unique work.

Despite a few short falls, "Forgotten God" is a fantastic book and should be read by anyone serious about living a radical life for Christ.

I give this book a highly recommended 4 out of 5 stars.