The Max Lucado Encouraging Word Podcast
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- 361352: More Like Jesus: Bible StudyHappy New Year! Welcome back to the Encouraging Word podcast. It's resolution season. All over the world people are resolving to exercise more, spend less, try a new hobby. A common resolution for people of faith is to read the Bible more and if that resonates, today's episode is for you! The Bible is the most important book for the Christian. It answers the two most fundamental questions of the human heart. How did I get here? How do I get where I'm supposed to be? If you or someone else you know is asking these questions I can think of no better habit then to build this year as a year in which you study the Bible.
- 362353: More Like Jesus: JoyHello there my friend. Thank you so very much for joining me today. We're beginning the year with some episodes looking at the big ideas of the Bible. We started last week by talking about the purpose of the Bible, why it matters and why it's important to study it. This week we're moving on to some concepts found in scripture that you might know as the fruit of the Spirit. Today's episode is about joy. Not the kind of joy that depends on circumstances, but the kind of joy that depends on Christ.
- 363354: More Like Jesus: PeaceHello, my friend. What do you do when an unexpected storm blows into your life and disrupts everything? Where do you find strength to battle anxiety and fear? The Bible offers an answer in Philippians chapter 4. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
- 364355: More Like Jesus: PatienceHello friend. Thanks for joining me on the Encouraging Word Podcast. This week we're discussing the importance of patience. The reality is we are all "works in progress" until the return of Christ.
- 365356: More Like Jesus: KindnessThank you for joining me this week on The Encouraging Word podcast. The last few episodes we’ve been talking about the fruits of the spirit, and our topic today is kindness. In this episode I share a story from the Bible about two figures you likely know and one you may not. I can think of no better story to illustrate the lasting impact of the kindness of a friend.
- 366357: More Like Jesus: LoveThis week is Valentine’s Day, so it feels appropriate to bring you an episode about love. February 14th may prompt us to show extra affection to those dearest to us, but what do we do when people are hard to love? May these words from the apostle John serve as an encouraging reminder: “Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.”
- 367358: More Like Jesus: FaithfulnessOur theme for today’s episode is faithfulness, and to help us understand the concept of faithfulness we’re looking at the life of Joseph. Joseph’s story reminds us that when we trust God and respond with faith, He can bring triumph from tragedy.
- 368359: More Like Jesus: WorshipWhat happens when we believed we are loved by God? What do we do? How do we act? Might I suggest that the primary purpose of the Christian is this: to worship. When we worship God for who he is and all he has done for us, it reinforces what we know to be true of God’s character, enables us to receive his love, and changes how we see the world as people made in his image.
- 369360: More Like Jesus: PrayerThis week on the podcast we’re turning our attention to a favorite passage of mine found in Matthew chapter 6: “Give us this day our daily bread.” No prayer better summarizes our relationship with God than this expression of trust. God’s treatment of fear has always been trust. These are fear-filled days, aren’t they? We see it in newscasts and on our neighbors’ faces. We’re anxious. So, I can’t think of a more appropriate phrase to focus on than this simple, profound prayer of trust.
- 370361: More Like Jesus: GraceOur topic for this episode is God's greatest gift to us, grace. I've preached a lot of sermons on grace, I've written a few books on grace, but I never get tired of talking about this gift of being made right with God through his grace. As perfectly summarized in 1 Corinthians 5:18-21, "All this is from God. Through Christ, God made peace between us and himself, and God gave us the work of telling everyone about the peace we can have with him. God was in Christ, making peace between the world and himself. In Christ, God did not hold the world guilty of its sins. And he gave us this message of peace. So we have been sent to speak for Christ. It is as if God is calling to you through us. We speak for Christ when we beg you to be at peace with God. Christ had no sin, but God made him become sin so that in Christ we could become right with God."
- 371362: More Like Jesus: ForgivenessThis week on the podcast we're looking at what is, for many people, the challenge of life. Forgiving people who have hurt us. Forgiveness is not easy but, I believe with the Lord's help, the grace we have received from God can overflow into the lives of others.
- 372363: Hope For The Hard HeartHi, my friend. I hope you’re doing well today. For the next few weeks on the podcast, leading up to Easter, I’ll be sharing from one of my favorite verses. I’ve been asked what I would choose if I could only preach one topic or one passage for the rest of my life. I think this is it—John 3:16. The Hope Diamond of the Bible. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
- 373364: The Heart He OffersHello, friend. I hope you’re well today. No one is immune to the anxiety in our world. Global concerns—wars, catastrophic weather events, a worldwide pandemic still fresh in our memories. Personal concerns—mental health issues, relationship challenges, financial concerns. The bottom line is this: it’s not a good time to be at odds with God. A heart right with God can survive in a world gone wrong. But when the heart is alienated from God, there is no way for life to be right. My prayer for you today is that you have a very clear answer to that question: “Am I right with God?”
- 374365: Heaven’s Whoever PolicyHi, friend. I sure hope you’re doing well. Today’s episode zeroes in on one of my favorite words in John 3:16: “whoever.” Whoever believes in him. Such a wonderful promise. The gift of salvation and the hope of heaven is available to whoever believes. And who isn’t a “whoever”?
- 375366: The Last Word on LifeWe’ve arrived at Holy Week. This is the most significant week in the Christian calendar. In the coming days, someone will attend a church service for the first time. Someone will hear the gospel for the first time and choose to follow Jesus. And the celebration in heaven will be jubilant. We’ve spent the last few episodes discussing the promises of John 3:16. As we wrap up this series ahead of Easter Sunday, I want to talk to you about eternity—the reality of hell and the great hope of heaven. “Whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
- 376A Good Friday MessageHello Friend! I'm coming to you with a special bonus episode on this Good Friday. I pray you have a blessed Easter weekend. He is risen, indeed.
- 377367: You Will Get Through ThisHello, my friend. I hope you’re doing well today. For the next few episodes, we’ll be looking at the life of Joseph in the book of Genesis. He didn’t have it easy—abandoned, abused, wrongfully imprisoned. Perhaps you can relate to some of what Joseph faced. If so, I’m going to give you a sneak peek at the big promise of his story: with God’s help, you will get through this.
- 378368: Believe What God Believes About YouHello, friend. Thanks for joining me. Today’s episode finds us in the pit with Joseph. Sold into slavery by his own brothers and sent to Egypt with nothing. Nothing except a dream given to him by God. No matter how dire his circumstances, nothing could take away the call of God on his life. And nothing can take away the call of God on yours, my friend.
- 379369: God’s Presence, Your PassionHi, friend. Welcome back to the Encouraging Word Podcast. Today’s episode is for anyone who knows what it’s like to lose everything, who knows what it’s like to feel far from God. Listen to this promise found in Psalm 139: “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.” God is not far from you, my friend. He is with you.
- 380370: Do What Pleases GodHello, friend. I hope you’re having a good day. Some of the most difficult challenges in life come our way thanks to bad luck, bad timing, or bad actors. And when we’re dealt a bad hand, it’s easy to justify our choices. To be tempted by shortcuts or quick fixes. When you find yourself in such a situation, be encouraged by the example of Joseph in Genesis 39 – do what pleases God.
- 381371: Trust God’s TrainingHi, friend. I hope you’re well today. Today we’re talking about tests. What do you do when you face a test? How do you respond? If you’re struggling to see the value in your struggle, try this: Don’t look at your test as an interruption to life, but as training for life. No one ever said the road would be easy or painless, but God will use this mess for good.
- 382372: Wait While God WorksHello, my friend. I sure hope you’re having a good day. If you’re the type of person who listens to podcasts while you sit in traffic or stand in lines, today’s topic has a touch of irony—waiting. No one’s favorite activity. Especially when we’re waiting for deliverance from a painful circumstance. But may I remind you of the promise found in Isaiah 40:31 – “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.”
- 383373: A Mind Focused on GodHello, my friend. I hope you’re doing well. Today’s episode reminds us that God is the business of grand reversals. For Joseph, that meant prison one day, Pharaoh’s palace the next. I can’t imagine Joseph saw that big moment coming, but he was ready for it because he saw a big God.
- 384374: Is God Only Good When the Outcome Is?Hello, friend. Thanks for joining me. Let me ask you a question – is God good when life isn’t? I understand if that’s hard to answer. But I think today’s episode could help; I pray it does.
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