"Grace" by Max Lucado

Grace. More than we deserve. Greater than we can imagine. There's a lot of truth to those three sentences and in his book, Grace: More Than we Deserve, Greater than We Imagine, Max Lucado proves it. Lucado, to me, is a hit and miss author. His simplicity and voice of at times pop-Christianity comes off as being without any theological or biblical depth. That is not to say that Lucado is not biblical or rich, but that he writes in a way that makes the issue at hand too simple.

That is actually the beauty of this book. Grace is complicated in one sense, but simple in another and that is what makes it so beautiful. Grace is radical. Grace is what we do not deserve. Grace is what God does. Grace is what we need most. Grace is all encompassing. Grace is to be our identity. Grace is greater than all our sin. Grace, though deep, rich, and worthy a lifetime to chew on, is simple.

Of all of Lucado's books I've read, this is perhaps my new favorite. Lucado looks at a host of issues dealing with the question of grace. His treatment of substitutionary atonement, I found, was rich in his characteristic simple way. Lucado highlights the story of Barabbas to illustrate propitiation and he reminds us that we are all Barabbas'. He talks about confession, repentance, serving, heaven, etc.

As a pastor, I always ask myself at the end of a book if I could, and would, recommend it to the average church member. Most books are too deep with theological jargon that one needs a seminary degree just to understand the footnotes. Others are too weak, filled with faulty arguments and danger. But this book is different. Many books I have read makes grace to complicated, but not Lucado. Lucado is one of the best writers you will find and he uses his skill to draw the reader into the beauty of grace. Would I recommend this to the single mother, the widow, the burned out parents, the seeking college student, the mourning family, or to the confused student? Yes. Absolutely.


Max Lucado: GRACE - More Than We Deserve, Greater Than We Imagine - Official Trailer from Lucado Vimeo on Vimeo.



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.”





For more from Thomas Nelson:
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Reviews - "Why Men Hate Going to Church" by David Murrow  
Blogizomai - Repost | "Nearing Home" by Billy Graham
Reviews - America: The Last Best Hope - Volume 3
Reviews - "Has God Spoken?" by Hank Hanegraaf
Reviews - "Why God Won't Go Away" by Alister McGrath  
Reviews - "Billy Graham in Quotes" 
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Reviews - "Washington: A Legacy of Leadership" by Paul Vickery  
Reviews - "Max on Life" by Max Lucado 
Reviews - "Slave" by John Macarthur
Reviews - "The Jesus Inquest" by Charles Foster 
Reviews - "Finding Our Way Again" by Brian McLaren 
Reviews - "Outlive Your Life" by Max Lucado
Reviews - "The Hole in Our Gospel" by Richard Stearns 
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Reviews - "Sir Winston Churchill"
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For other books by Lucado:
Reviews - "Max on Life" by Max Lucado
Reviews - "Traveling Light" by Lucado
Reviews - "3:16:  The Numbers of Hope" by Lucado 
Reviews - "Outlive Your Life" by Max Lucado