Welcome to the Crazy Love podcast. What if the very thing we try to avoid, pain, rejection,

and sacrifice are actually what Jesus calls us to. Today, Francis Chan takes us deep into a teaching

you don't hear much about the essential role of suffering in the Christian life.

He'll walk us through hard but beautiful truths

and show us why suffering is not only unavoidable,

it's oftentimes the very path to joy, freedom, and eternal reward.

Man, I was just sharing how I don't know that I've ever been this thankful for the church.

This church, I mean, just my church experience of all these years, I go, gosh, right now it's just good.

It's good, you know, in worshiping with you guys today was just, it was awesome.

I'm seeing Jonathan up here with the team leading and it was just, I don't know, it just,

things just feel right, coming in the presence of God.

As I thought of different ones of you, I've just been so grateful because I, you know,

when I read scripture all these years, I mean, been a Christian

for like 30-something years. And I'd always read about the love that was supposed to be in the church.

And I just didn't get it because there was such a gap from going to a church service to what I would

read in the Bible. But then as we've grown together, I'm seeing that gap narrowed

and going, wow, I'm starting to see that love that the Bible talks about, not just, oh, I love you,

brother, I love you, you know, but like practical love where you're letting people into your home,

you're giving up your evenings, you're, you know, the pastor's here, you know,

just giving up their free time to shepherd others and care for them and just hearing more

about how you're caring for one another and loving each other.

And it's so cool to be a part of a church that's known for that and growing in that.

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