Cast of Characters: Common People in the Hands of an Uncommon God [Hardcover]

Max Lucado (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 7, 2008

Common people ...

Story after story marked by scandal, stumble, and intrigue. Who are these people? They're the people of the Bible.

And they're us. We find our stories in theirs. We find our hope where they found theirs. In the hands of an uncommon God.

In the midst of them all ... hovering over them all ... is the hero of it all: God. Maker. Shaper. Rescuer of sinking hearts. God. Passing out high callings, second chances, and moral compasses to all comers and takers.

In this gathering of inspiring stories from his numbers best-selling books, master storyteller Max Lucado revisits some of his favorite biblical characters -- all of whom were very human and imperfect, just like us.

If God can find a place for them ... He might just have a place for us too.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson; Book Club EDITION edition (October 7, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0849921244
• ISBN-13: 978-0849921247
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (115 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #364,327 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

In just under two decades of writing, Max Lucado has accomplished more than most writers hope for in a lifetime. Most of his books have appeared on one or more best seller lists, including those published by the "New York Times," "USA Today," "Publishers Weekly," and the Christian Booksellers Association (CBA). Aside from hardcover books, Lucado's writings have also been published as children's books, videos, CD-ROMs, DVDs, music CDs, mass paperback booklets, apparel, giftware, bookmarks, calendars, study Bibles, workbooks, curricula, and plush products. In spring 2003, Hallmark/Dayspring Cards launched a new gift card line featuring excerpts from Lucado's writings--and has already sold more than one million cards.

All this success has drawn more than a little attention to a previously low-profile Texas author and minister. Lucado has been featured in a wide range of media, including "USA Today," "Larry King Live," and "NBC Nightly News." He has spoken at the National Prayer Breakfast before the President of the United States. He has traveled with internationally renowned musicians as a special speaker on their music tours, such as the highly successful "Come Together & Worship Tour" (sponsored by Chevrolet) with Grammy Award-winning artists Michael W. Smith and Third Day.

Journey to the Top
Lucado was born in 1955 in San Angelo, Texas, and raised in Andrews, Texas, the youngest of four children. His father was an Exxon oil field mechanic who, Lucado remembers, always smelled of grease cleaner. "It makes it easy for me to see a God who is loving and kind--because my dad was," he says. His mother was a nurse who grew up working in the cotton fields.

Lucado went through a period of rebellion against his parents' values and their God during his teens and into college. But it wasn't long before he found himself drawn back to his roots, back to God. He married, spent time serving as a missionary in Brazil, and returned to the States, where he began working as a church minister and writing on the side.

Secret to Success
From all accounts, Max Lucado is not a man consumed by sales, awards, and achievements. He often turns down media interviews since they impede on family and ministry commitments. He spends the bulk of his week serving as senior minister at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas. And he is truly surprised by his own success--more impressed by his one-in-a-million wife and three amazing daughters than by his successful writing career.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How God uses flawed people..., October 19, 2008

By 

Thomas Duff "Duffbert" (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Cast of Characters: Common People in the Hands of an Uncommon God (Hardcover)

Max Lucado is one of my favorite Christian inspirational authors, and his latest book Cast of Characters: Common People in the Hands of an Uncommon God continues to reinforce that opinion. Max has a gift of taking a character or story from the Bible, resetting it in an unusual environment, and then drawing out the application and message. It's wonderful to encounter a common passage and see it in a whole new light.

Contents:
Joseph - Joseph's Prayer; Matthew - Friends of Flops; Woman Who Washed Jesus' Feet - The 7:47 Principle; Mephibosheth - The Privilege of Paupers; Samaritan Woman - Two Tombstones; Mary, Martha, and Lazarus - Your Place in God's Band; Abigail - Barbaric Behavior; Paralyzed Man - Bright Lights on Dark Nights; John - I Can Turn Your Tradegy into Triumph; Paul - Hidden Heroes; Two Criminals - I Will Let You Choose; Moses - The Voice from the Mop Bucket; Joseph - When Crickets Make You Cranky; David - Facing Your Giants; Esther - Touching the King's Heart; Job - Where Man Covers His Mouth; Nicodemus - The Most Famous Conversion in the Bible; Jairus - The Sparkle from Eternity; Rich Young Ruler - The Affluent Poor; Sarah, Peter, and Paul - The Kingdom of the Absurd; Lazarus - The Final Witness; Peter - The Gospel of the Second Chance; Conclusion - Cast of Characters; Notes; Sources

It's tempting to look at Biblical characters and attribute spiritual qualities to them, to "clean them up" to fit the way God used them. But the reality is that most of them were common people who were deeply flawed in many ways. Despite their failures, God used them in ways that made a huge impact. For instance, Moses was used to lead an entire nation to a land promised to them by God. But he spent many years hiding out in the desert, trying to escape an act of murder he committed. Peter turned his back on Jesus when he was being led to His death, yet he was used to spread the gospel to many nations. And Paul... an avowed enemy of Christianity who became an evangelist after a close encounter with God on a road in Damascus. Thought-out the book, you see that your background and status is irrelevant in terms of how God wants to use you.

On top of his inspirational messages, Lucado does an exceptional job in resetting the stories in ways that make you stop and think. Moses and the burning bush becomes Henry the janitor and the glowing mop bucket. Matthew the tax collector is living the life of a organized crime member, complete with all the bling. Jairus the rabbi becomes Wallace the high ranking official of a religious denomination. Even though the trappings of the story change, the underlying truth remains the same. Each chapter ends with a series of questions for reflection and discussion, so it can easily be used for personal devotions or small group discussions.

This is one of those books that you'll read and reread a number of times depending on whatever particular crisis you might be experiencing. And each time, you'll see facets of God's character that you never noticed or understood before...

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Getting inside the mind of God's cast of characters, November 15, 2008

By 

Shaun Tabatt (Cottage Grove, MN USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Cast of Characters: Common People in the Hands of an Uncommon God (Hardcover)

There's a strange phenomenon that sometimes occurs when we read a book, watch a movie, or have an experience in the course of our daily lives. This phenomenon is often referred to as déjà vu. Déjà vu is the sense that you've been here, seen this, or had this experience before. It may be hard to put your finger on it, but there is a sense of the familiar. As I stated earlier, there are times we all encounter this when reading a book, especially in the pages of our Bibles. As the stories of Joseph, Job, Peter, Paul, and others Biblical persons unfold, we may relate to their experiences, personality, and character traits. Our life experiences, personality, and character traits that intersect with those of the Biblical persons draw us into their stories and make us feel like we're a part of them. The reason we can so easily relate to them is that they were normal ordinary people like you and me. Like us, they had many faults and flaws. In spite of this, God used them to change the world. This is precisely what Max Lucado is trying to communicate in his new book Cast of Characters.

Max unfolds the stories of various Biblical persons over the course of twenty three chapters. Each chapter has three parts: scripture passage, explanation of the Biblical person(s) in the scripture passage, and study questions. As Max helps the reader relate to the Biblical persons, he offers a message of hope in a God who is able to transform the direction of people's lives, just as He did with and through these Biblical persons who live so many years ago.

It's been quite some time since I've read a Max Lucado title. His work tends to be a departure from the more technical and reference type books that I'm drawn to. I was happy to find that I enjoy Max's writing style just as much as I did many years ago. The strength I see in this book is that he goes to great length to help the reader get inside the minds of these Biblical persons. I felt like I came away from reading this book with a better grasp of the heart and mind of David, Matthew, Lazarus, and others.

The layout of the book makes it ideal for a small group setting or for personal devotional reading. If you've enjoyed other books by Max Lucado, I'm confident you will find this new title to be enjoyable as well. This book would be a perfect gift for the Max Lucado reader in your life during the upcoming Christmas season.

Max Lucado is Minister of Writing and Preaching at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas. He is married to Danalyn and they have three daughters. Max is the author of numerous bestselling books. Learn more about Max Lucado and his writings at [...].

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic and Hard to Put Down!!, June 17, 2009

By 

Angela Derossett "Memoirs of a Chaotic Mommy" (Nebraska, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Cast of Characters: Common People in the Hands of an Uncommon God (Hardcover)

It has been a long time since a book has drawn me in as this book has. Max Lucado has done it again. Cast of Characters gives a great down-to-earth characterization of many well known--and not so well known Bible characters.

What was the woman at the well thinking when Jesus asked her for some water? How would a Samaritan woman react to being approached by a Jew during those times? Max Lucado takes these classic Bible stories and adds his own personal spin based on the historical details of the times. He includes people like David, Abigail, John and Paul.

I truly enjoyed this book in it's entirety. Each chapter ends in thought-provoking discussion questions that are truly meant to be shared. I highly recommend that you share this book with your spouse, a close friend, a or a Sunday school group. This book was not meant to be read alone, but to be used as a wonderful study and discussion tool.

This is a fabulous addition to your personal library or a great holiday gift for a friend. I give it 5 stars--hands down!