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Beloved
Bestselling author and pastor Francis Chan explains how abiding in the love of God frees us from insecurity and leads us into a lifetime of joyful, worshipful obedience.
Despite pastoring for decades and reaching thousands of people through his books and preaching, Francis wrestled with deep-seated insecurity. He understood God’s love conceptually, but struggled to actually experience it. This resulted in a life that was far from the thrilling and peaceful life God saved us for.
Francis prayed fervently for God to intervene, and asked his friends and family to do the same. The result was a fresh revelation of the depth of God’s love and affection. This brought about newfound freedom and enjoyment of God that only continues to grow.
As Francis shared this journey with others, he realized that many in the Church are burdened by the same insecurity, and God is zealous to change this.
In Beloved, Francis Chan gives biblical insight
How our restlessness and striving is a symptom of our disbelief of God’s love Satan’s schemes to keep us trapped in doubt and insecurity Discovering and abiding in our identity as God’s beloved children How God’s love overflows to a life of radical obedience and joy God longs for His children to rest securely in His holy love. It’s what we were made for, and it is this inward confidence that causes us to be light unto the world.
Features additional content not available in the printed edition of the book.
Despite pastoring for decades and reaching thousands of people through his books and preaching, Francis wrestled with deep-seated insecurity. He understood God’s love conceptually, but struggled to actually experience it. This resulted in a life that was far from the thrilling and peaceful life God saved us for.
Francis prayed fervently for God to intervene, and asked his friends and family to do the same. The result was a fresh revelation of the depth of God’s love and affection. This brought about newfound freedom and enjoyment of God that only continues to grow.
As Francis shared this journey with others, he realized that many in the Church are burdened by the same insecurity, and God is zealous to change this.
In Beloved, Francis Chan gives biblical insight
How our restlessness and striving is a symptom of our disbelief of God’s love Satan’s schemes to keep us trapped in doubt and insecurity Discovering and abiding in our identity as God’s beloved children How God’s love overflows to a life of radical obedience and joy God longs for His children to rest securely in His holy love. It’s what we were made for, and it is this inward confidence that causes us to be light unto the world.
Features additional content not available in the printed edition of the book.
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Published October 7, 2025
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About the author
Francis Chan
80 books2,846 followersFrancis Chan is an American pastor and teacher, who lives in California with his wife, Lisa, and their four children. He is the former pastor of Cornerstone Community Church in Simi Valley, CA, which he and his wife started in 1994.
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December 15, 2025Love Francis Chan.
October 20, 2025
Good book to think through about a familiar concept of God’s love in a meditative, refreshing way
September 20, 2025
Beloved is a play on words here: “Be Loved.” The entire point of Chan’s book is that as Christians many of us have missed the boat on really and truly focusing on being Christ’s beloved. We get wrapped up in the rules of organized religion or trying to save ourselves from eternal damnation and miss the whole point that God created us because He loves us and wants to fellowship with us.
Having grown up in a Southern Baptist church, I could certainly relate to feeling like I spent much more time focused on rule following and just not really thinking about how loved I am. Chan’s personal struggles with this are covered in the book and while I did not grow up like he did, I recognize some similarities in how being loved by God is just not something I dwelled on. This book challenged me to look at my relationship with God in a different light and reminds me to stop striving for my own salvation because I truly cannot earn it and God doesn’t expect me to do so. Instead, focusing on how much God loves me changes my perspective and heart.
Many thanks to the publisher for an advanced copy. I look forward to seeing the final version.
Having grown up in a Southern Baptist church, I could certainly relate to feeling like I spent much more time focused on rule following and just not really thinking about how loved I am. Chan’s personal struggles with this are covered in the book and while I did not grow up like he did, I recognize some similarities in how being loved by God is just not something I dwelled on. This book challenged me to look at my relationship with God in a different light and reminds me to stop striving for my own salvation because I truly cannot earn it and God doesn’t expect me to do so. Instead, focusing on how much God loves me changes my perspective and heart.
Many thanks to the publisher for an advanced copy. I look forward to seeing the final version.
January 2, 2026
In Beloved entfaltet Francis Chan in sechs kurzen Kapiteln eine zentrale, oft vergessene Wahrheit des christlichen Glaubens: Wir sind als Christen Geliebte. Das Buch ist wohltuend, herzerwärmend und tröstlich. Es legt den Fokus nicht auf Leistung, Aktivismus oder fromme Pflichterfüllung, sondern auf die tiefe, unverlierbare Liebe Gottes zu uns Menschen.
Chan gelingt es, den Blick neu auf Gott selbst zu lenken. Beim Lesen wird der Erlöser größer, ehrfürchtiger und zugleich näher. Das Buch lädt dazu ein, diese Liebe nicht nur verstandesmäßig zu erfassen, sondern sie zu erwidern – Gott zu suchen, ihm zu vertrauen und darum zu kämpfen, dass diese Liebesbeziehung nicht von Gleichgültigkeit, Angst oder religiöser Routine überlagert wird.
Theologisch oder akademisch ist das Buch nicht angelegt, und das will es auch nicht sein. Es ist vielmehr geistlich belebend, pastoral und persönlich geschrieben. Gerade diese Schlichtheit macht seine Stärke aus. Die Gedanken sind klar, direkt und treffen das Herz mehr als den Intellekt.
Hinzu kommt, dass Beloved bewusst kurz gehalten ist. Es überfordert nicht, sondern lädt dazu ein, innezuhalten, nachzudenken und sich neu an der Liebe Gottes auszurichten.
Fazit:
Ein sehr empfehlenswertes Buch für alle, die sich neu daran erinnern lassen wollen, wer sie in Christus sind: Geliebte. Einfach, ehrlich und geistlich stärkend.
Chan gelingt es, den Blick neu auf Gott selbst zu lenken. Beim Lesen wird der Erlöser größer, ehrfürchtiger und zugleich näher. Das Buch lädt dazu ein, diese Liebe nicht nur verstandesmäßig zu erfassen, sondern sie zu erwidern – Gott zu suchen, ihm zu vertrauen und darum zu kämpfen, dass diese Liebesbeziehung nicht von Gleichgültigkeit, Angst oder religiöser Routine überlagert wird.
Theologisch oder akademisch ist das Buch nicht angelegt, und das will es auch nicht sein. Es ist vielmehr geistlich belebend, pastoral und persönlich geschrieben. Gerade diese Schlichtheit macht seine Stärke aus. Die Gedanken sind klar, direkt und treffen das Herz mehr als den Intellekt.
Hinzu kommt, dass Beloved bewusst kurz gehalten ist. Es überfordert nicht, sondern lädt dazu ein, innezuhalten, nachzudenken und sich neu an der Liebe Gottes auszurichten.
Fazit:
Ein sehr empfehlenswertes Buch für alle, die sich neu daran erinnern lassen wollen, wer sie in Christus sind: Geliebte. Einfach, ehrlich und geistlich stärkend.
November 27, 2025
Tut der Seele einfach gut 🙏
December 21, 2025
Wow, so beautiful. I highly recommend this.
November 28, 2025
Another excellent book from Francis Chan!
September 9, 2025
Pastor, speaker, author, Francis Chan, is back with a book that, as he states, he wishes would have been his first book. Why? Because many may have taken his first book, “Crazy Love” and misunderstood that our relationship was about works. As Chan argues in “Beloved”, the biggest fight many of us fight in our relationship is just learning to be loved by God.
Ever since I was first introduced to Francis Chan through the book, “Crazy Love”, I have enjoyed reading his books and hearing him speak. I love his bluntness. I love his willingness to address his own issues. He has never tried to paint himself as if he has it all figured out and we have to have him to help us figure it out in our own lives.
Instead, I have always felt like I am on a journey, growing in our faith together, with Francis.
This book resonated with me. I find myself being driven to “do more” for God. This book came at a time when I have been trying to put into practice just sitting and basking in the love of a Father who loves me.
If you find yourself struggling to live in the love of God, please, check out this book. You won’t be sorry that you did.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing an ARC for an unbiased review.
Ever since I was first introduced to Francis Chan through the book, “Crazy Love”, I have enjoyed reading his books and hearing him speak. I love his bluntness. I love his willingness to address his own issues. He has never tried to paint himself as if he has it all figured out and we have to have him to help us figure it out in our own lives.
Instead, I have always felt like I am on a journey, growing in our faith together, with Francis.
This book resonated with me. I find myself being driven to “do more” for God. This book came at a time when I have been trying to put into practice just sitting and basking in the love of a Father who loves me.
If you find yourself struggling to live in the love of God, please, check out this book. You won’t be sorry that you did.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for providing an ARC for an unbiased review.
September 14, 2025
Thank you to David C Cook for access to an eARC via NetGalley!
It has been over a decade since I last picked up a book by Francis Chan, but Beloved reminds me why his writing has connected with so many people. Beloved is an honest attempt to speak to those who have doubt, are struggling, or simply need to be reminded of a simple truth that’s hard to grasp: you are loved by God.
Chan writes with a sincerity that is refreshing in a time when it seems like everyone is trying to sell you something, to out debate you, or to point out your weaknesses. If you are looking for a quiet meditation that seeks to ground you in God’s love while living in a complicated world, Beloved is for you. Repeatedly, Chan asks his readers to take time and meditate on God’s word and spend a moment in his presence.
This book is not trying to be overly theologically dense, but it is centered around the most fundamental truth. You are loved by God, and you had nothing to do with that. It is a reminder that His love will change your life if you’re willing to recognize and accept it as your identity.
Personally, Beloved is the kind of book that I need more often. A book that I can pull off the shelf to help me slow down and reflect on my relationship with God.
It has been over a decade since I last picked up a book by Francis Chan, but Beloved reminds me why his writing has connected with so many people. Beloved is an honest attempt to speak to those who have doubt, are struggling, or simply need to be reminded of a simple truth that’s hard to grasp: you are loved by God.
Chan writes with a sincerity that is refreshing in a time when it seems like everyone is trying to sell you something, to out debate you, or to point out your weaknesses. If you are looking for a quiet meditation that seeks to ground you in God’s love while living in a complicated world, Beloved is for you. Repeatedly, Chan asks his readers to take time and meditate on God’s word and spend a moment in his presence.
This book is not trying to be overly theologically dense, but it is centered around the most fundamental truth. You are loved by God, and you had nothing to do with that. It is a reminder that His love will change your life if you’re willing to recognize and accept it as your identity.
Personally, Beloved is the kind of book that I need more often. A book that I can pull off the shelf to help me slow down and reflect on my relationship with God.
January 25, 2026
“We don’t often think about this, but part of our ongoing sarification process is knowing His love.”
“We often treat His lone as a fact we accepted long ago. I believe God loves me, so I can check that box. Now it's time to move on and learn other truths, deeper truths. That way of thinking is so destructive. We are not meant to move on! We are meant to abide in His love. We abide by spending the rest of our lives learning how wide, long, high, and deep.”
“To abide means to dwell or live inside of. Believing Jesus' love is not a one-time acknowledgement. It is a sustained connection.”
What would it be like to self identify as God’s beloved, like John, “the disciple whom Jesus loved”?
I have no higher aspiration. I want to become an expert at receiving the love of God that is “beyond knowledge.”
“abiding in the love of God frees us from all insecurity and leads us into a lifetime of joyful, worshipful obedience… to be loved by God—not as a theological concept, but as a daily reality that transforms everything about how we live.”
“We often treat His lone as a fact we accepted long ago. I believe God loves me, so I can check that box. Now it's time to move on and learn other truths, deeper truths. That way of thinking is so destructive. We are not meant to move on! We are meant to abide in His love. We abide by spending the rest of our lives learning how wide, long, high, and deep.”
“To abide means to dwell or live inside of. Believing Jesus' love is not a one-time acknowledgement. It is a sustained connection.”
What would it be like to self identify as God’s beloved, like John, “the disciple whom Jesus loved”?
I have no higher aspiration. I want to become an expert at receiving the love of God that is “beyond knowledge.”
“abiding in the love of God frees us from all insecurity and leads us into a lifetime of joyful, worshipful obedience… to be loved by God—not as a theological concept, but as a daily reality that transforms everything about how we live.”
September 19, 2025
This is a great book to help you surrender your insecurity about God's love and rest in it.
I've always loved Francis Chan's perspective, and this new book of his is a great capstone of his teachings.
He's saying that resting in God's love and delighting in it needs to be the foundation of our faith, from which our joy can spring. It also needs to be the source of our strength in serving the Lord out of gratitude for what he has done for us, which can replace our endless striving.
I enjoyed the meditative exercises in this book that helped me focus on God's love for me.
Francis also offers several tips that will help me in my spiritual growth.
If you're a fan of him like I am, you will enjoy this new book.
Also, if you've never read one of his books before, this would be a great place to start.
I've always loved Francis Chan's perspective, and this new book of his is a great capstone of his teachings.
He's saying that resting in God's love and delighting in it needs to be the foundation of our faith, from which our joy can spring. It also needs to be the source of our strength in serving the Lord out of gratitude for what he has done for us, which can replace our endless striving.
I enjoyed the meditative exercises in this book that helped me focus on God's love for me.
Francis also offers several tips that will help me in my spiritual growth.
If you're a fan of him like I am, you will enjoy this new book.
Also, if you've never read one of his books before, this would be a great place to start.
November 21, 2025
This is a fantastic book I would recommend to anyone in a heartbeat! Having been a Christian for most of my life, there’s much of the Christian walk that has become head knowledge instead of heart knowledge, and this book is filled with reminders of powerful truths about God and His love that I have allowed the enemy to deceive me about or give lesser value to than I should have. Sometimes the foundations of the Gospel become too familiar, and my heart needed the reminders of God’s love that this book is filled with.
Francis is so passionate about helping believers to dwell on God’s love for His people and writes in a very relatable way.
*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my review
Francis is so passionate about helping believers to dwell on God’s love for His people and writes in a very relatable way.
*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my review
January 19, 2026
“Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal "what God has prepared for those who love him." Have faith that God is more than capable of revealing things to you without using your eyes and ears. Expect your loving Father to minister to your soul in a way that you'll find yourself longing for a place you've never been to be with your Beloved whom you've never seen.”
I can’t believe I hadn’t read any of Francis Chan’s books before this. Beloved lays out the essence of what it looks like to “forget what lies behind and strain towards what is ahead” by getting to the core of our faith. Our God Loves Us, and that should inform every single aspect of our lives and religion. This is a book that everyone you care about should read.
I can’t believe I hadn’t read any of Francis Chan’s books before this. Beloved lays out the essence of what it looks like to “forget what lies behind and strain towards what is ahead” by getting to the core of our faith. Our God Loves Us, and that should inform every single aspect of our lives and religion. This is a book that everyone you care about should read.
January 8, 2026
Francis Chan’s best book so far.
Here are the quotes that I will continue to think about:
I thought I was created to be useful, not loved.
You may not be sure that God enjoys you…
Beloved - to be loved. Completely passive
Abiding in the love of God frees us from all insecurity and leads us into a lifetime of joyful, worshipful obedience.
I use to think that God had created me to impact the world. I now think that God created me to have another person to lavish his grace upon.
Here are the quotes that I will continue to think about:
I thought I was created to be useful, not loved.
You may not be sure that God enjoys you…
Beloved - to be loved. Completely passive
Abiding in the love of God frees us from all insecurity and leads us into a lifetime of joyful, worshipful obedience.
I use to think that God had created me to impact the world. I now think that God created me to have another person to lavish his grace upon.
October 7, 2025
This was a beautiful book and feels necessary for believers to read. I love seeing how Chan has grown since his Crazy Love days..he admits that he would have written this before Crazy Love if possible (which does make sense…read this first if you haven’t read Crazy Love!) but it’s also clear that years and time in the secret place wrote this book.
November 13, 2025
A simple and profound book. “Be loved, beloved.” I always appreciate Francis’ simple, scripture saturated approach in his books. I was challenged to pray specifically that the Holy Spirit would pour the love of God directly into my heart and those around me.
“Abiding in the love of God frees us from all insecurity and leads us into a lifetime of joyful, worshipful obedience.”
“That’s your identity: the beloved of God. Not because of anything you’ve done, but because of who He is and what He’s done for you. This is who you are. And when we truly believe it, it changes everything.”
“Abiding in the love of God frees us from all insecurity and leads us into a lifetime of joyful, worshipful obedience.”
“That’s your identity: the beloved of God. Not because of anything you’ve done, but because of who He is and what He’s done for you. This is who you are. And when we truly believe it, it changes everything.”
November 20, 2025
Absolutely essential!
January 4, 2026
Absolutely whiplashed with conviction. Definitely a book I see myself revisiting. Such a great reminder of God’s love and how we are to allow ourselves to be loved (get it beloved) by God.
January 7, 2026
Beautiful book full of reminders and encouragements to embrace the true and perfect love of God. Highly recommend!
January 16, 2026
“He didn’t create Adam and Eve because He needed gardeners. He abounds in love, so He created beings to receive it.”
January 17, 2026
This book was overwhelmingly good. While I’ve never doubted that God loves me, it truly opened my eyes to just how great, deep, and abounding His love is. I’ve been a Christian for many years, and I’ve never really thought about God’s love in this way before. It honestly changed my outlook and strengthened my faith in such a personal way.
December 10, 2025
Chan beautifully writes about God's steadfast and unrelenting love for us. If you have every questioned His love for you, this book will encourage and reassure you of the unconditional love of God.
December 24, 2025
4.5 stars. My first piece of Francis Chan content ever if you can believe it. Never listened to a sermon or read his other stuff. I loved this though. So good and really opened up my eyes to the beauty and belonging of being deeply loved by God. So so good.
December 17, 2025
A great read to end the year :)
September 6, 2025
Beloved by author Francis Chan is a beginner's call for faith in Christ. Reviewing such a book is often challenging because it feels sanctimonious to review a religious text that I know I will agree with on a personal level.
But review I will, and stars I will leave. The book is a call to action with recollections from the author's personal background in theology. The main issue I have with the book is how light it is on substance. There are biblical passages, that while necessary for beginning believers, are a little more redundant for followers of Christ.
However, I think the biggest issue is that the book reads more like a pamphlet than it does an actual in depth exploration of Christian theology and fundamentalism.
It's not a bad book, but for followers in the footsteps of a faith that demands more than passages and explanations, sometimes a story is more powerful than actual beliefs. I believe author Francis Chan has such a story, but did not pick up on this during my initial read...
❤️
But review I will, and stars I will leave. The book is a call to action with recollections from the author's personal background in theology. The main issue I have with the book is how light it is on substance. There are biblical passages, that while necessary for beginning believers, are a little more redundant for followers of Christ.
However, I think the biggest issue is that the book reads more like a pamphlet than it does an actual in depth exploration of Christian theology and fundamentalism.
It's not a bad book, but for followers in the footsteps of a faith that demands more than passages and explanations, sometimes a story is more powerful than actual beliefs. I believe author Francis Chan has such a story, but did not pick up on this during my initial read...
❤️
November 26, 2025
Every Christian would benefit from this book. But every Christian who struggles to understand God's love for His sinful people and how it should change us NEEDS to read this book. God's love is not something to earn, and our obedience to Him because He loves us should not feel like an obligation or duty. Francis Chan paints this picture so well! Abiding in God's love is a free gift that we do not treasure enough. This is a resource I will revisit until I have the scriptures Francis references in my heart.
INSECURITY: God wants us secure!
"We try to sin less, give more, pray more, serve more. We try to prove to God and to ourselves that we are one of the real disciples. Yet the harder we try, the more elusive that security becomes."
I cannot be cynical and "abounding in hope." Security in His love and Lordship is the "plug to the toaster." It is how we find freedom from condemnation and joy in obedience.
REVELATION: Know the enemy and pray for security
Satan wants to keep us insecure to prevent us from experiencing the entirety of God's love. Dont let him win. "Satan wants to blur the line between salvation and sanctification so that any time you mess up, it sends you spiraling into doubt instead of running to the throne of grace."
IDENTITY: Heirs and the bride of Christ
Release the false beliefs of Jesus and brace that we are loved as children, heirs, and bride.
"That's your identity: the beloved of God. Not because of anything you've done, but because of who He is and what He's done for you. This is who you are. And when we truly believe it, it changes everything."
LIFE: Choosing to Abide
"If I pursue Him, the accomplishments will come. If I frantically strive for accomplishments, I will have neither."
Pray that you have the "strength to comprehend" His love (Eph 3:18) and abide in it (John 15:9)!
OVERFLOW: Love perfected in us by loving others
"God's love enables us to do far more sacrificial and extravagant works than through our own willpower."
If we love others, God's love is perfected in us.
"The love of Christ doesn't just make us feel good-it controls us, compels us, leaves us with no choice but to live for the One who died for us."
ENDURANCE: Staying in His love
Do not allow discouragement to linger. We are "fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord."
INSECURITY: God wants us secure!
"We try to sin less, give more, pray more, serve more. We try to prove to God and to ourselves that we are one of the real disciples. Yet the harder we try, the more elusive that security becomes."
I cannot be cynical and "abounding in hope." Security in His love and Lordship is the "plug to the toaster." It is how we find freedom from condemnation and joy in obedience.
REVELATION: Know the enemy and pray for security
Satan wants to keep us insecure to prevent us from experiencing the entirety of God's love. Dont let him win. "Satan wants to blur the line between salvation and sanctification so that any time you mess up, it sends you spiraling into doubt instead of running to the throne of grace."
IDENTITY: Heirs and the bride of Christ
Release the false beliefs of Jesus and brace that we are loved as children, heirs, and bride.
"That's your identity: the beloved of God. Not because of anything you've done, but because of who He is and what He's done for you. This is who you are. And when we truly believe it, it changes everything."
LIFE: Choosing to Abide
"If I pursue Him, the accomplishments will come. If I frantically strive for accomplishments, I will have neither."
Pray that you have the "strength to comprehend" His love (Eph 3:18) and abide in it (John 15:9)!
OVERFLOW: Love perfected in us by loving others
"God's love enables us to do far more sacrificial and extravagant works than through our own willpower."
If we love others, God's love is perfected in us.
"The love of Christ doesn't just make us feel good-it controls us, compels us, leaves us with no choice but to live for the One who died for us."
ENDURANCE: Staying in His love
Do not allow discouragement to linger. We are "fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord."
January 13, 2026
“I could not relate in the same way with John. The idea of simply being identified as God‘s beloved, never crossed my mind. I considered it my purpose in life to be useful, not to be loved. But over time, I’ve learned that you can live a seemingly useful life that is void of the very thing you were created for: the enjoyment of God. You serve him, but don’t enjoy him. What’s worse is that you’re not sure if he enjoys you.
Only recently did I realize the word “beloved” is two words combined: be loved. It hit me because it conveys the idea that’s being someone’s beloved is completely passive. I’m not good at passive. Many of us are terrible at receiving, but that needs to change. We are God‘s beloved children, and he wants us to be able to simply be loved. Not striving, just believing and enjoying and resting in his perfect love. Like John resting his head on Jesus‘s chest (John 13:23-25).”
“The good news of the gospel is that if you follow Jesus, you get… that’s right… Jesus! You get him and he is more than enough for you no matter what your circumstances are. It is true that he saves us from hell and God can help your marriage and family, but it’s a problem when we emphasize Jesus being the pathway to these treasures. It’s idolatry, not the gospel, when we elevate gifts above the Giver and sell Jesus as a means to get the things we want more than Jesus himself.
In 2009 I bought a salvaged Toyota Corolla from a friend of mine for a great price. It hardly had any miles on it, and I thought I’d have it forever. But in 2016, I gave the keys to my new son-in-law Justin along with my daughter Rachel— It was a package deal. When I walked Rachel up the aisle at their wedding, I bawled my eyes out. I was flooded with memory after memory of 21 years of life with this girl that I love with all my heart. When we got to the end of the aisle, we hugged for a really long time. I just didn’t want to let go. Imagine if, at that moment, Justin looked at me and said, “Man, thanks for the Toyota.” Are you kidding me? I’m giving you my beloved daughter, and all you’re thinking about is the car? That would be so outrageous and offensive, but that’s what the church in America sounds like today.”
Only recently did I realize the word “beloved” is two words combined: be loved. It hit me because it conveys the idea that’s being someone’s beloved is completely passive. I’m not good at passive. Many of us are terrible at receiving, but that needs to change. We are God‘s beloved children, and he wants us to be able to simply be loved. Not striving, just believing and enjoying and resting in his perfect love. Like John resting his head on Jesus‘s chest (John 13:23-25).”
“The good news of the gospel is that if you follow Jesus, you get… that’s right… Jesus! You get him and he is more than enough for you no matter what your circumstances are. It is true that he saves us from hell and God can help your marriage and family, but it’s a problem when we emphasize Jesus being the pathway to these treasures. It’s idolatry, not the gospel, when we elevate gifts above the Giver and sell Jesus as a means to get the things we want more than Jesus himself.
In 2009 I bought a salvaged Toyota Corolla from a friend of mine for a great price. It hardly had any miles on it, and I thought I’d have it forever. But in 2016, I gave the keys to my new son-in-law Justin along with my daughter Rachel— It was a package deal. When I walked Rachel up the aisle at their wedding, I bawled my eyes out. I was flooded with memory after memory of 21 years of life with this girl that I love with all my heart. When we got to the end of the aisle, we hugged for a really long time. I just didn’t want to let go. Imagine if, at that moment, Justin looked at me and said, “Man, thanks for the Toyota.” Are you kidding me? I’m giving you my beloved daughter, and all you’re thinking about is the car? That would be so outrageous and offensive, but that’s what the church in America sounds like today.”
November 1, 2025
"Satan will try to get you to think about anything other than the grace of God. He will keep you fixated on your circumstances or suffering. He will entice you with distractions and temptations. He will tell you that you don’t have time to gaze at God’s beauty. You have too many things to do and problems to fix."
Pastor Chan makes the case that the greatest thing effecting the Church might very well be the topic of this book. Have a great number of the people of God truly embraced the idea that when they are born again, that new birth comes with an inheritance into the family of God. We are adopted as sons and daughters of the triune God. Our heavenly father loves us perfectly, for our own good, that doesn't always mean it will be easy, but through the struggle and the victory he is there and he loves us, we unite as one body, with one God and one faith as the dwelling place of Jesus who we abide in through the power of the Spirit. Perfect love casts out fear, we can only truly navigate this life on earth if we have a mindset that we are in a spiritual war and like we would protect ourselves physically in war, we need to protect ourselves spiritually in this war. Arm yourselves with the armor of God, know him, know his word, love his people and pray for them.
To me there were no wasted words in this book, it is a heavy, short book filled with years of wisdom and meditation on scripture. I learned a great deal about myself and like the Ephesians I hope to be like them in the book of Ephesians and NOT the book of Revelation. Fits in must read category.
Pastor Chan makes the case that the greatest thing effecting the Church might very well be the topic of this book. Have a great number of the people of God truly embraced the idea that when they are born again, that new birth comes with an inheritance into the family of God. We are adopted as sons and daughters of the triune God. Our heavenly father loves us perfectly, for our own good, that doesn't always mean it will be easy, but through the struggle and the victory he is there and he loves us, we unite as one body, with one God and one faith as the dwelling place of Jesus who we abide in through the power of the Spirit. Perfect love casts out fear, we can only truly navigate this life on earth if we have a mindset that we are in a spiritual war and like we would protect ourselves physically in war, we need to protect ourselves spiritually in this war. Arm yourselves with the armor of God, know him, know his word, love his people and pray for them.
To me there were no wasted words in this book, it is a heavy, short book filled with years of wisdom and meditation on scripture. I learned a great deal about myself and like the Ephesians I hope to be like them in the book of Ephesians and NOT the book of Revelation. Fits in must read category.
November 24, 2025
Francis Chan’s Beloved was honestly one of the most refreshing reads I’ve picked up in a long time. It cuts through the noise, the hustle, and all the spiritual clutter we tend to pile up, and brings you back to the simple, staggering truth that you are loved—deeply, personally, relentlessly—by God. Chan doesn’t just remind you; he pleads with you to believe it, to sit in it, and to let it become the truest thing about you.
What struck me most is how he keeps saying, in a hundred different angles, that our identity must be rooted in Christ alone. Not in our ministry, not in our gifts, not in our successes or our failures. We are the beloved of God because Christ has made it so. And if that truth doesn’t move us, nothing else will. The love of God isn’t just comforting—it’s compelling. It’s what pushes us into obedience, mission, sacrifice, and joy.
A few truths from the book that hit hard:
• You can only love God well when you actually believe He loves you first. Chan keeps circling this like a shepherd who knows his sheep forget it every morning.
• We are far too easily impressed with ourselves, and far too rarely impressed with Jesus. That one stung… in the best way.
• Holiness flows from belovedness, not the other way around. You don’t earn God’s affection—you live from it.
All in all, Beloved is a breath of fresh air and a needed reminder in a world full of spiritual exhaustion. Chan invites you to return to the heart of the Father, where identity is given, love is steady, and the Christian life actually becomes a joy again.
What struck me most is how he keeps saying, in a hundred different angles, that our identity must be rooted in Christ alone. Not in our ministry, not in our gifts, not in our successes or our failures. We are the beloved of God because Christ has made it so. And if that truth doesn’t move us, nothing else will. The love of God isn’t just comforting—it’s compelling. It’s what pushes us into obedience, mission, sacrifice, and joy.
A few truths from the book that hit hard:
• You can only love God well when you actually believe He loves you first. Chan keeps circling this like a shepherd who knows his sheep forget it every morning.
• We are far too easily impressed with ourselves, and far too rarely impressed with Jesus. That one stung… in the best way.
• Holiness flows from belovedness, not the other way around. You don’t earn God’s affection—you live from it.
All in all, Beloved is a breath of fresh air and a needed reminder in a world full of spiritual exhaustion. Chan invites you to return to the heart of the Father, where identity is given, love is steady, and the Christian life actually becomes a joy again.
September 2, 2025
Chan understands we may be very productive in our Christian life but miss the enjoyment of being loved by God. At the end of life, it is not the accomplishments that are important but rather being in love with Jesus, being secure in our deepest identity of being beloved.
Chan wants us to experience that mysterious spiritual aspect of God's love inside, not just know it intellectually. But this takes sacrifice, working for it. He tells of one person who prayed for five years, for example, before the love of God became an internal reality. He helps us cultivate a hunger for God's presence, reminding us of the importance of meditating on Scripture and the role of prayer. We see how loving others is an overflow of God's love for us.
One insight Chan relates that really struck me was that “our minds belong to Jesus. He wants our minds dwelling on Him...” (103) We aren't free to dwell on lies or junk. We are rather to believe, receive and meditate on the love of God.
I highly recommend this insightful and encouraging book.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.
Chan wants us to experience that mysterious spiritual aspect of God's love inside, not just know it intellectually. But this takes sacrifice, working for it. He tells of one person who prayed for five years, for example, before the love of God became an internal reality. He helps us cultivate a hunger for God's presence, reminding us of the importance of meditating on Scripture and the role of prayer. We see how loving others is an overflow of God's love for us.
One insight Chan relates that really struck me was that “our minds belong to Jesus. He wants our minds dwelling on Him...” (103) We aren't free to dwell on lies or junk. We are rather to believe, receive and meditate on the love of God.
I highly recommend this insightful and encouraging book.
I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.
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