Max Lucado Quotes

People are watching the way we act, more than they are listening to what we say.

Love the one who wears your ring. And cherish the children who share your name. Succeed at home first.

Sometimes I wonder if we don't see Christ's love as much in the people he tolerated as in the pain he endured.

When you are in the final days of your life, what will you want?
Will you hug that college degree in the walnut frame? Will you ask to be carried to the garage so you can sit in your car? Will you find comfort in rereading your financial statement? Of course not. What will matter then will be people. If relationships will matter most then, shouldn't they matter most now?

As long as you hate your enemy, a jail door is closed and a prisoner is taken. But when you try to understand and release your foe from your hatred, then the prisoner is released and that prisoner is you.

God never promises to remove us from our struggles. He does promise, however, to change the way we look at them.

The only mistake is not to risk making one.

I am a spiritual being. After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal. I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ. I choose self-control.

All of my sermons become books. I've been accused of having no unpublished thought. I encourage pastors to do that. I think there are so many great sermons that never really get circulation.

Patience is more than a virtue for long lines and slow waiters. Patience is the red carpet upon which God's grace approaches us.

Let grace microwave your cold heart. "Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18). When you do, you'll find yourself joining the ranks of the truly wealthy. You'll be rich with grace.

Answer this: A thousand years from now, will it matter what title the world gave you? No, but it will make a literal hell of a difference whose child you are.

God is using my struggle. My struggle is the answer to the prayer.

If relationships matter most then [at the end of our lives], shouldn't they matter most now?

With God, every day matters, every person counts. And that includes you.

Of all the things you must earn in life, God's unending affection is not one of them. You have it. Stretch yourself out in the hammock of grace.

I'm a preacher first and a writer second, although my role is changing a bit at the church. I'm going to bring on a co-teacher, but I'll still be a pastor and a writer.

When you're full of yourself, God can't fill you. But when you empty yourself, God has a useful vessel.

No person [should] walk out into the world to begin the day until he or she has stood beneath the cross to receive God's love.

Do you understand what God has done? He has deposited a Christ seed in you. As it grows you will change. It's not that sin has no more presence in your life, but rather that sin has no more power over your life.

Jesus offers unconditional grace; we are to offer unconditional grace. The mercy of Christ preceded our mistakes; our mercy must precede the mistakes of others. Those in the circle of Christ had no doubt of his love; those in our circles should have no doubts about ours. What does it mean to have a heart like his? It means to kneel as Jesus knelt, touching the grimy parts of the people we are stuck with and washing away their unkindnesses with kindness. Or as Paul wrote, "Be kind and loving to each other, and forgive each other just as God forgave you in Christ" (Eph. 4:32).

Perhaps you do not understand that God is kind to you so you will change your hearts and lives" (Rom. 2:4 NCV). The

God's love never ceases. Never. Though we spurn him. Ignore him. Reject him. Despise him. Disobey him. He will not change. Our evil cannot diminish his love. Our goodness cannot increase it. Our faith does not earn it anymore than our stupidity jeopardizes it. God doesn't love us less if we fail or more if we succeed. God's love never ceases.1

Gratitude. More aware of what you have than what you don't. Recognizing the treasure in the simple - a child's hug, fertile soil, a golden sunset. Relishing in the comfort of the common.

Rather than ask God to change your circumstances, ask him to use your circumstances to change you. Life is a required course. Might as well do your best to pass it.

want to hang on to your

Forgiveness doesn't diminish justice; it just entrusts it to God. He guarantees the right retribution.

14He brought them out of their gloom and darkness and broke their chains. 15Let them give thanks to the LORD for his love and for the miracles he does

Bread of Life? Jesus lived up to the title. But an unopened loaf does a person no good. Have you received the bread? Have you received God's forgiveness?

Human love is emotional. Feelings dominate a human's love landscape. We feel as though we're in love, or we don't feel as though we're in love. Hormones, sleeplessness, wory, past hurts, Mexican food
all complicate these emotions.

To live as God's child is to know that 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. Nothing more.

Being religious without knowing the cross is like owning a Mercedes with no motor. Pretty package, but where is your power?

When God gives an assignment, he also gives the skill. Study your skills, then, to reveal your assignment.

Sometimes God takes his time:

Worry is anti-trust. If you're worried, you don't trust something: your kids, their friends, strangers, the church, even God. Can He take care of your children? Certainly. Jesus says, 'I tell you, stop being anxious and worried about your life.' Pretty blunt. Stop it! Easier said than done, huh? Worry tests your trust, so hand your children to God and let Him babysit your babies when you're not around. He's pretty good at it!

Loosen up. Don't you have some people to hug, rocks to skip, or lips to kiss? . , Someday you are going to retire; why not today? Not retire from your job, just retire from your attitude. Honestly, has complaining ever made the day better? Has grumbling ever paid the bills? Has worrying about tomorrow ever changed it? Let someone else run the world for a while.

Find something you like to do, and do it so well that people pay you to do it.

I get one hour, really 25 minutes in a sermon on a weekend, to combat all the hours of the week that people are told you are what you have through billboards, commercials, and sitcoms, and so forth.

God saw your entire life from beginning to end, birth to hearse, and in spite of what he saw, he still dreams of having you by his side. Even with your faults and failures. Despite your muddles and missteps. He still stands near, arms open wide, ready to embrace you with a Father's love.

God has proven himself as a faithful father. Now it falls to us to be trusting children.

Yet when God entered time and became a man, he who was boundless became bound. Imprisoned in flesh. Restricted by weary-prone muscles and eyelids. For more than three decades, his once limitless reach would be limited to the stretch of an arm, his speed checked to the pace of human feet.
I wonder, was he ever tempted to regain his boundlessness? In the middle of a long trip, did he ever consider transporting himself to the next city? When the rain chilled his bones, was he tempted to change the weather? When the heat parched his lips, did he give thought to popping over to the Caribbean for some refreshment?
If he ever entertained such thoughts, he never gave into them. Not once. Stop and think about this. Not once did Christ use his supernatural powers for personal comfort.
With one word, he could've transformed the hard earth into a soft bed, but he didn't. With a wave of his hands, he could've boomeranged the spit of his accusers back into their faces, but he didn't. With an arch of his brow, he could've paralyzed the hand of the soldier as he braided the crown of thorns. But he didn't.

8But God shows his great love for us in this way: Christ died for us while we were still sinners.

When my daughter was a toddler, I used to take her to a park not far from our apartment. One day as she was playing in a sandbox, an ice-cream salesman approached us. I purchased her a treat, and when I turned to give it to her, I saw her mouth was full of sand. Where I had intended to put a delicacy, she had put dirt.

Did I love her with dirt in her mouth? Absolutely. Was she any less of my daughter with dirt in her mouth? Of course not. Was I going to allow her to keep the dirt in her mouth? No way. I loved her right where she was, but I refused to leave her there. I carried her over to the water fountain and washed out her mouth. Why? Because I love her.

God does the same for us. He holds us over the fountain. "Spit out the dirt, honey," our Father urges. "I've got something better for you." And so he cleanses us of filth; immorality, dishonesty, prejudice, bitterness, greed. We don't enjoy the cleansing; sometimes we even opt for the dirt over the ice cream. "I can eat dirt if I want to!" we pout and proclaim. Which is true - we can. But if we do, the loss is ours. God has a better offer.

Trust God on this one - the short-term pleasure isn't worth the long-term consequences. If you find yourself in a tempting situation, take Paul's advice: run!

Imagine Jesus today: He is leaning over, bending down close to someone who is hurt. He's listening. His eyes fill with tears as He hears that person's troubles. Then His hand gently brushes away a tear. He was hurt once too. He understands.

Ask God for a special alertness to sense moments in this day when you can clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Thank the Lord for each person who has demonstrated one of those character traits of Jesus in your life.

A Christian in his surroundings should encourage everyone to be better, instead of being the one who stoops to be like everyone else.

The Bible urges us to be respectful to all people, especially people with whom we have disagreements, to never libel people, to never label people.

Pieces don't fit. Wine runs out. Water bottles burst. These are facts of life. But Jesus responds with this invitation: "Bring your problems to me.

On the eve of the cross, Jesus made his decision. He would rather go to hell for you than go to heaven without you.

One person told me that Christians believe in a king. We believe in a King Jesus who oversees the affairs of mankind. Maybe we're reaching for an earthly king.

In God's plan every life is long enough and every death is timely. And though you and I might wish for a longer life, God knows better. And - this is important - though you and I may wish a longer life for our loved ones, they don't. Ironically, the first to accept God's decision of death is the one who dies. While we are shaking heads in disbelief, they are lifting hands in worship. While we are mourning at a grave, they are marveling at heaven. While we are questioning God, they are praising God.

The worship of safety emasculates greatness.

Honesty and vulnerability endear us to people; they don't endanger us in our relationship.

Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man and said, 'I will. Be healed!' And immediately the man was healed from his disease" (Matt. 8:3).

God never prefabs or mass-produces people. No slapdash shaping. "I make all things new," he declares (Rev. 21:5 NKJV). He didn't hand you your granddad's bag or your aunt's life; he personally and deliberately packed you ...

I choose gentleness ... Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice may it be only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.

When God looks at you, he doesn't see you; he sees the One who surrounds you. That means that failure is not a concern for you. Your victory is secure.

Children spell love with four letters: T-I-M-E..

Waiting is a sustained effort to stay focused on God through prayer and belief.

Sometimes God takes his time: One hundred twenty years to prepare Noah for the flood, eighty years to prepare Moses for his work. God called young David to be king but returned him to the sheep pasture. He called Paul to be an apostle and then isolated him in Arabia for perhaps three years. Jesus was on the earth for three decades before he built anything more than a kitchen table. How long will God take with you? He may take his time. His history is redeemed not in minutes but in lifetimes.

Joseph's story just parted company with the volumes of self-help books and all the secret-to-success formulas that direct the struggler to an inner power ("dig deeper"). Joseph's story points elsewhere ("look higher").

The next time you're disappointed, don't panic. Don't give up. Just be patient and let God remind you He's still in control.

By giving us stories like Joseph's, God allows us to study his plans.

God's highest desire is not to make us rich, successful or popular. His goal is to make us His

Fear will always knock on your door. Just don't invite it in for dinner. And for heaven's sake, don't offer it a bed for the night.

Everything is indeed permitted if God does not exist, and man is in consequence forlorn, for he cannot find anything to depend on within or without himself."1

Faith is the bird that sings while it is yet dark.

When times get hard, remember Jesus. When tears come, remember Jesus. When fear pitches his tent in your front yard. When death looms, when anger singes, when shame weighs heavily. Remember Jesus. Can you still remember? Are you still in love with Him? Remember, Paul begged, remember Jesus. Before you remember anything, remember Him. If you forget anything, don't forget Him.

The secret of loving is living loved.

A book should be a garden that fits in the hands. Word-petals of color. Stems of strength. roots of truth. Turn a page and turn the seasons. Read the sentence and enjoy the roses.

Not everyone is bound for a life of substance abuse and addiction - but the moment you think you're untouchable is the moment you're most likely headed for trouble. If you're going to be obsessed with something, make God your choice. That's a habit worth keeping.

If God is enough for you, then you'll always have enough, because you'll always have God.

Greed is not defined by what something costs; it is measured by what it costs you. If anything costs you your faith or your family, the price is too high. Such is the point Jesus makes in the parable of the portfolio.

God gets us through stuff. Through the Red Sea onto dry ground (Ex. 14:22), through the wilderness (Deut. 29:5), through the valley of the shadow of death (Ps. 23:4), and through the deep sea (Ps. 77:19). Through is a favorite word of God's: When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. (Isa. 43:2)1

What causes us to think of prayer as the last option rather than the first? I can think of two reasons: feelings of independence and feelings of insignificance.

You're never without hope, because you're never without prayer.

Write today's worries in sand. Chisel yesterday's victories in stone. Pick up the stone of the past.

To see sin without grace is despair. To see grace without sin is arrogance. To see them in tandem is conversion.

Prayers move God. And God moves angels.

You can endure change by pondering His permanence.

God forgets the past ... Imitate Him..

I think it's noteworthy that the Almighty didn't act high and mighty. The Holy One wasn't holier-than-thou. The One who knew it all wasn't a know-it-all. The One who made the stars didn't keep his head in them. The One who owns all the stuff of earth never strutted it.

The difficulties have taken much away. I get that. But there is one gift your trouble cannot touch: your destiny.

A nation is blessed when it has godly leaders.

In our faith we follow in someone's steps. In our faith we leave footprints to guide others. It's the principle of discipleship

I would not have said anything about Mr. Trump, never - I would never have said anything if he didn't call himself a Christian. It'd be none of my business whatsoever to make any comments about his language, his vulgarities, his slander of people, but I was deeply troubled ... that here's a man who holds up a Bible one day, and calls a lady "bimbo" the next.

Lower your expectations of earth. This isn't Heaven, so don't expect it to be.

You are God's child. His creation. Destined for heaven. You are a part of his family.

Money gone. Expectations dashed. Friends vanished. Who's left? God is.

Real courage embraces the twin realities of current difficulty and ultimate triumph.

You'll get through this. It won't be painless. It won't be quick. But God will use this mess for good. In the meantime don't be foolish or naïve. But don't despair either. With God's help you will get through this.

Every level of inheritance requires a disinheritance from the devil. Satan must be moved off before the saint can move in.

Choose satisfaction over salary. Better to be happy with little than miserable with much.

God can't fill you when you are already full of yourself.

Not everybody can create a foundation that's worth a billion dollars, but all of us can figure out those things we do. I really think God loves us too much to give us an assignment we don't enjoy doing.

Sickness and sin still stalk our planet. But here is the difference: neither sin nor sickness will have dominion over God's people.

either. ONE MORE THOUGHT A funny

You will never forgive anyone more than God has already forgiven you.

Do not fear, from now on you will be catching men" (v. 10). Contrary to what you may have been told, Jesus doesn't limit his recruiting to the stout-hearted. The beat up and worn out are prime prospects in his book, and he's been known to climb into boats, bars, and brothels to tell them, "It's not too late to start over.