Grace by Max Lucado Review

"We find it easier to trust the miracle of resurrection than the miracle of Grace."

"...We scamper and scurry, trying to please God, collecting merit badges and brownie points..."

Can you relate?

Max Lucado's latest book GRACE is an inspirational read. I started reading this book and couldn't put it down, but forced myself to so as to meditate on what was being presented. Mr. Lucado interwove his thoughts, scripture, and real-life stories causing me to laugh, cry, think...and most importantly, pray.

I was encouraged as I was reminded of how God extends His grace towards us and how wonderful that grace is in our lives.

"Grace is simply another word for God's tumbling, rumbling reservoir of strength and protection. It comes at us not occasionally or miserly but constantly and aggressively, wave upon wave."

This book challenges the reader to question how we have been changed by grace, and how we can make change by grace.

"To accept grace is to accept the vow to give it."

A read that does not condemn, but inspires. The end of this book also contains a "Reader's Guide" that individuals or groups can use to further explore grace in their lives.

This is a book for all, regardless of your experience with grace. I highly recommend it. It would be a great gift for Christmas or a fantastic Bible Study topic to start off the New Year! And as you can see in the picture, it comes in various versions for the young and old, experienced or otherwise.

One last quote (it is full of good ones...another thing I enjoy about this book), 

"You are loved by your Maker not because you try to please Him and succeed, or fail to please Him and apologize, but because He wants to be your Father."

~GRACE~

Book has been provided courtesy of Thomas Nelson and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Thomas Nelson.  

Exploring Mark

In these past couple of months, I set out to study the Gospels in a slightly different way than I have before. My goal is to know Jesus better. Jesus, the man that lived upon this earth. God in man-form.

 

I started with the Book of Mark and as I read, I placed myself in the context of the situation, taking on a persona of one who may have been observing first-hand. I have really enjoyed studying this way because it has made Jesus more personal to me, it has challenged me to step beyond what I have been taught by "authorities" all these years and consider Jesus from a more human perspective. This is important because, so often, Jesus' deity can leave us estranged and discouraged, even bitter. We may think, Jesus is God after all, and thus, he has an unfair advantage...he couldn't really understand what I am experiencing.  There are times when I have felt this way and it is part of why I endeavored to study the life of Jesus a little differently. I want to know Jesus personally, and know that his diety didn't skew his life in such a way that any one of us could not also live like Jesus.

 

I did not hold back as I went through this book. I questioned. Some of the thoughts that arose from studying the life of Jesus via the book of Mark included the following:

• Jesus was focused, he needed solitude, he moved around, people came to him.
• Mark 5.11-The entry seems anticlimatic - purpose? 
• Mark 14 Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation(?)-passover partying?-prophetic? What did Jesus expect, these guys were tired?
• Mark 14:62 ...right hand of the mighty one - more figurative? 
• Mark15:34...why have you forsaken me? How is this possible?

So, as I read and scribbled notes, I would pray about my questions and observations. Sometimes, I would be led to go deeper and research the historical context, the original interpretation, or commentaries on certain verses.

I feel that in our walk with God today, knowing Jesus is really not the priority for a lot of us who claim to be Christians. And when I say that, I say it with respect, not so much condemnation.  God draws us to Him as He wills and that is, gratefully, an individual calling - for we are individuals, not carbon-copy robots. (Nor are we meant to be!) 
For me, this exploration has helped me identify more closely with Jesus, the man. I am learning that he didn't just have all the answers to how things were going to unravel around him as he began his ministry in earnest, and how he handled his relationship with others in a consistent manner, yet individual - meeting the need of the person, not just spouting off a generic response as they interacted with him. I have also learned I have more to learn.

Next Gospel...? Well...I think I will read over Mark again.

How are you getting to know Jesus more personally?