Monday, January 14, 2013

Grace by Max Lucado

First of all, I have to say that I greatly enjoy reading anything by Max Lucado. To me, reading one of his books is like sitting down in a comfy chair with a good cup of coffee and listening to an old friend talk. Lucado employs down-to-earth, straight forward talk. He breaks down information and uses biblical references to help me understand theological ideas. Grace is the unmerited, undeserved favor of someone who has every right to make a judgement against you. None of us deserve grace; that is the entire concept behind grace. In this book, Lucado explains God's grace and our unworthiness of it. When God gives us grace, Lucado says, we receive a new heart. We cannot understand and receive God's grace without it affecting every aspect of our lives. And as we do, we learn how to extend grace to others. Lucado tells us that because we sin, we feel guilt. Guilt lets us know that we are sinning. But God does not want us to end with guilt. The guilt helps us turn to God, but we are not condemned by our sin. When God looks at us, he sees Jesus, and we receive His grace. This book makes me understand this concept so much better. There is a study guide at the end to take an even more in-depth look at the range of grace demonstrated in the Bible. Just like the heroes of the Bible, my mistakes do not define me. I am being remodeled and growing because God has given me His Son. Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”