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Max on Life
By Max Lucado
Thomas Nelson; 256; hardcover
Our questions about life and God are plentiful. Max Lucado’s latest book, Max on Life, attempts to provide answers to more than 150 of the most important of those questions.
Although pastors and counselors rely on the Holy Spirit for His words of comfort and wisdom for people with difficult questions, it’s often helpful to have a book such as this one, written by a seasoned ministry veteran, that offers insights from his experience about the challenging questions people have.
For example, Max answers the almost unanswerable question: “The 7 year old of our neighbors died last week. They are devastated. So are we. What can we tell them?”
The author packs this answer with references to what the Bible teaches about the character and nature of God. None of Max’s answers are preachy, but instead are compassionate and specific, directly confronting circumstances with the truth, hope and love of God.
“I have never tried to position myself as one who has all of the answers,” Max writes, “but I can sure give some of my thoughts and experiences to the big questions of life.”
Fans of Max Lucado will recognize his conversational writing style and appreciate his candor as he answers questions about sensitive topics, such as relationships, sex and romance.
The author/pastor recognizes that after 25 years of fruitful ministry and producing 80 million copies of his books in 41 languages, he has been confronted with some of the most soul-stirring and mind-boggling questions about life. He calls this book the closest thing to a “Dear Abby” column for people with questions about God.
The volume includes seven topical sections: Hope, Hurt, Help, Him/Her, Home, Haves/Have-Nots, and the Hereafter and Who’s Going Where. Scriptural and topical indexes are also included, making this resource especially helpful for busy pastors and leaders searching for ideas about how to counsel people with questions on tough issues. These indexes can also be effective tools for pastors preparing sermons and Bible studies on difficult themes.
People looking for a practical, daily devotional that touches on the real issues of life and eternity will find this book an excellent spiritual stimulant. Each single-page entry is like a mini-essay that touches the heart, soul and mind, and will keep readers thinking deeply throughout the day about what they have read.
Finally, in answer to the frequent questions Max gets from new writers, he has produced an addendum, offering his best advice about how they might publish their works.
How to Get This Resource
This book is available from the following retailers:
Reviewed by: Rod Light, an ordained Foursquare minister and educator in Los Angeles