Customer Reviews

Fearless: Imagine Your Life Without Fear

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3 star:		(66)
2 star:		(9)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

I expected to enjoy reading Fearless. I've enjoyed reading every book Max Lucado wrote. But this book went far beyond my expectations. This is literally the best Max Lucado book I've ever read. I believe it has changed my life for the better.

I've never been a fearful person. I've always been the one to scoff at those who allow fears to stop them from doing what God has called them to do. That was before God turned my life upside down and changed everything about where I believed He was leading me. I started to have anxiety attacks at times and would allow fear to stop me in my tracks. I couldn't even label what I was afraid of.

Max Lucado's book, Fearless, showed me that everyone battles fears. He described what fears are common to all of us and how those fears can destroy our lives. He also showed in a very practical way how we can have victory over fear. God doesn't want us to be fearful. He wants us to give our fears to him. I recommend every Christian read this book. Even if you don't believe yourself to be fearful, this book will help you.

Like many people today, I have circumstances in my life which have caused me great fear and anxiety. Max Lucado's book Fearless, brought me back to the principles and beliefs that I knew to be true but often forget in the business and overwhelming feelings of everyday life. Max is a great story teller so he makes the Truths of Scripture come alive through real stories and real life examples.

The book is broken down into chapters dealing with many of the fears we all face - fear of losing your job, fear of what might happen to our kids, fear of death, etc.

Many thoughts that Max shared were new to me and helped me understand myself better. For instance:

"Fear, at its center, is a perceived loss of control. When life spins wildly, we grab for a component of life we can manage: our diet, the tidyness of our house, the armrest of a plane, or in many cases, people."

Max also takes a different spin on the paralegic who was dropped through the roof of a home where Jesus was speaking. Most would think that when Jesus saw this man who couldn't walk, He would heal his legs. Jesus had different thoughts and dealt first with this young man's greatest fear:

"Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven" (Matt. 9:2 nasb). Wouldn't we anticipate different words? "Take courage. Your legs are healed.""Your paralysis is over." "Sign up for the Boston Marathon." The man had limbs as sturdy as spaghetti, yet Jesus offered mercy,not muscles. What was he thinking? Simple. He was thinking about
our deepest problem: sin. He was considering our deepest fear: the fear of failing God. Before Jesus healed the body (which he did), he treated the soul. "Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven."

My favorite take away from this book is that the opposite of fear is faith.

I think that anyone who struggles with fear or is dealing with situations in their life where fear is your common reaction, this book will help to put your feet on solid ground again.

Max Lucado's book "Fearless: Imagine Your Life Without Fear" discusses in fifteen chapters different types of fears and how to get to living life without fear. He describes a topic of fear in each chapter then sets about suggesting ways the reader can succeed in dispelling the fear. This book is like other Lucado books in that there are multiple stories that he shares related to each topic.

"Fearless" is filled with rich stories and thoughts that I found to be interesting, if not deep. I found there were nuggets tucked throughout the book, but I would have liked to have more suggestions on how to apply the ideas effectively in real life. Since the book does have a Discussion Guide section at the end, it would perhaps address this shortcoming. Overall, if fear is a topic of particular interest or concern for the reader, then it may be that Fearless would be a good book for you.

Max Lucado's newest book "Fearless" exposes the troubling truth that we are living in a generation that depends on more mood altering drugs than any before us. Despite technological achievements, medical advancements, and security enhancements it appears that fear now sits in the driver's seat and is taking people on some troubling trips.

Fortunately we are able to get past the corrosive effects of fear by grabbing hold of the many statements that Jesus made. Although fear has become our default the author makes it clear that there is hope and encouragement as we look to God during difficult times. Using Scriptural examples and real life stories Max hacks away at the roots of many fears "common to man" that won't make the evening news. Covering everything from "fear of not mattering" to "fear that God is not real" "Fearless" brings powerful truths, that when fully embraced, have the potential to be life-changing.

I have enjoyed Max's work for years. He takes it up a notch in this book, using a more indepth teaching style than he has in the past. The increased substance makes "Fearless" a perfect candidate for small group studies.

Read it, embrace the hope it offers, and fear less.

Fear. Just the word alone can cause chills to run up your back and your heart to skip a beat. The world tells us we should have plenty to be fearful of...money woes, terrorism, divorce, death, wars, and on and on it goes.

But, for those who trust in Christ...we have something that drives out fear, right? So, why do we so often let it take the driver's seat?

In Max Lucado's new book, Fearless, he calls us to let faith take the wheel through Jesus' call which invites us to take courage and to "be not afraid" for His perfect love drives out all fear! For someone who just left the majority of my family and friends to move halfway across the world to share the Good News with people here in China, I will be the first to admit I encountered and still have some fears about such a leap of faith and transition. Why should I be?

Fear can be paralyzing and can dull our memories and take us out of reality. It takes us away from remembering who God really is and what He can do. Fear sets up camp and does not leave much room for things like love, joy and peace-which are at the essence of God's heart.

Amazingly enough, the one statement that Jesus repeated more than anything else is "Don't be afraid". He calmed storms, healed lepers, raised people from the dead, fed thousands of people with little food, and ultimately rose from the dead so that we would have new life...so, what do we have to be afraid of?

Fearless is a very encouraging book that reminds us God has called us to live a bold and courageous life void of fear, which only brings about sadness, anger, and sorrow. Of course, there is a healthy function that fear serves when it warns you of danger. It is the kind of fear that leads to sin that is unhealthy and not from God. A life lived trusting in the grace of God is the only one we should choose and live. One of my absolute favorite lines in the whole book was:

"Jesus loves us too much too much to leave us in doubt about His grace" (page 37).

Only through God's incredible grace and love can the fear be removed. Jesus truly sets us free from fear when we trust in Him, as He forgives us of our sins and loves us as His own. For with God on our side, who can be against us?! Max emphasizes that the great news of the Gospel is that God's grace is real, and so is our freedom...for when Jesus sets you free, you are free indeed!!

I highly recommend this book and the encouragement found inside...especially at such a tumultuous time in our world. May you always be encouraged that God's grace is enough, that He has given us a Spirit of love and power, and that His incredible and perfect love casts out all fear!

It would seem that, these days especially, it's hard to find anyone who lives a life without some kind of fear. In today's economic and political climate, some would say that the media specializes in creating fear.

So a book about how to live fearlessly seems very timely to me. Especially one written by the people's pastor, Max Lucado. In his everyday, conversational style, his books are easy to read and to understand, making them easy to apply in a practical way.

In his new release, Pastor Lucado discusses a variety of common fears: fear of death, of loss of income, of the unknown, and many others. In each chapter, he tackles on particular fear and illustrates through scripture and anecdotes why we can conquer that fear.

Each chapter spoke to me on a personal level. It seems I have many fears; but it also seems I'm not alone. I think Pastor Lucado's new book is going to strike a resounding chord in many hearts, and this one is destined to be a best-seller.

Of course, there is one fear that is healthy. That is a fearful, or reverent approach, to God. That chapter rounds up the discussion of fear, and definitely puts it back into proper perspective.

I appreciated the message of Pastor Lucado's book, and it is easy to see why so many call him the people's pastor. I'm giving "Fearless" five out of five bookmarks, with a Bible as a charm. Don't just read the Scriptures Pastor Lucado quotes...look them up and mark them in your Bible.

In fact, I'm adding a bonus highlighters as a charm.

Happy Reading!

Max Lucado is a lucid and master storyteller. His books reach such popularity because he teaches in narrative, just as Jesus did. He does not bore his readers with long drawn out theological propositions, but instead always gets his point across by telling a story. Dale Carnegie is another master story teller. Dr. Scott Hahn writes in similar fashion to teach theology on a "popular basis". It is these authors and speakers that stay with us because they have taught us using stories. Scripture is the "story of salvation history".

In this text he calls his readers to live without paranoia and fear of this world and what may come our way. It reminds me of the poem "life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it". Jesus is calling us to "go out into the deep" if only we would follow him.

The only thing I wish Lucado would have spent time on is the gift of the Fear of the Lord (Isaiah 11:1-3), what a healthy fear of the Lord means, why we are called to have a "fear of the Lord" and how it shapes our fearlessness in the face of adversity or problems in everyday life and in the world. I thought that topic would be worth at least a few chapters in a book like this.

Lucado addresses:
- Fear of Not Mattering (read his "You are Special" for kids)
- Fear of Disappointing God
- Fear of Running Out
- Fear of Not Protecting our Kids
- Fear of Overwhelming challenges
- Fear of Worst Case scenarios
- Fear of Violence
- Fear of the coming winter
- Fear of life's final moments
- Fear of what's next
- Fear that God is not real
- Fear of global calamity
- Fear of "God getting out of my box"

As a popular Protestant text this book has more to offer than most. I only take issue with Lucado's theology of death (read: Dr. Regis Martin's The Last Things for a better theological understanding of death). I am sure you will enjoy this book.

Fearless by Max Lucado is an entertaining read. It is the sort of book one could likely sit and read in one or two evenings. Fearless addresses the issue of, (obviously from the title) fear. Lucado seeks to identify and describe instances of fear as well as how each should be dealt with by a Christian.

While scripture is used in the book, it is, at best, glossed over . Scripture is used primarily to highlight or emphasize the author's points. For instance, Lucado relates an experience of a journey to the local animal shelter to retrieve the family's pet stirring emotion within. He wanted to take every lost pet home with him. This "urge helps me understand why Jesus made forgiveness his first fearless announcement. Yes we have a disappointed God. But, no, God has not abandoned us." He states. Three scripture references follow to further drive home his point. Additionally, in the chapter titled "I'm Sinking Fast", Lucado lists three instances in which humans might long to hear "I am here" from family and friends who are near. Again, he links these to scriptures which indicate God saying these three coveted words.

Further, the author tends to add supposition and conjecture into scripture. For instance, Luke 8:51 is quoted next to a heading "He united the household." When Jesus went to the house, he let only Peter, Joh, James, and the girl's father and mother go inside with him." In the case of Jairus (Luke 8:51), Lucado supposes that perhaps the mother has not been mentioned previously due to her having been at Her child's bedside or because the child's illness driving a "wedge between Mom and Dad". God does not give us any details about the dynamics of the family. It seems that Lucado adds such conjecture to appeal to those in such circumstances today, instead of allowing scripture to speak for itself.

What's more, Lucado often treats scripture with a degree of irreverence. He quotes Matthew 8:23-24. Then, he paints an image of Matthew poring over a thesaurus for the perfect term to depict the storm. Additionally, Lucado refers to the same setting as a "dinner cruise" transformed into a "white-knuckled plunge. Finally, he pictures the disciples shuffling cards for a "midjourney game of hearts".

This lack of depth, postulation, and irreverence add to the overall feel that the book's primary purpose is one of entertainment or self-help. For a true Christian looking for spiritual nourishment from the meat of the Word, this is not a book to spend time on.

A few weeks ago I received a copy of Max Lucado's next to latest book, Fearless, to review. I was a huge Lucado fan years ago, but had kinda gotten away from reading him a little bit recently, until receiving his last two books. They are two of his best, which is saying a lot. Fearless is a challenge to 'imagine your life without fear.' Lucado sets things up with a chapter called "Why Are We Afraid," ends with a chapter that is simply a conclusion. In the middle he addresses 13 (humorously ironic, eh?) common human fears with a chapter devoted to each and to God's response to each. As someone in ministry, especially someone working with students, I can definitely appreciate many of the fears addressed, as they are common ones we all face, but definitely ones that students deal with on an enormous level, things like 'fear of disappointing God,' 'Fear of Overwhelming Challenges,' ' Fear of Worst-Case Scenarios,' 'Fear of What's Next,' 'Fear of Life's Final Moments,' and 'Fear That God is Not Real,' among others.

In the opening chapter, Lucado addresses many of the daily things that people fear in our world today while introducing Jesus and faith into the equation of overcoming fear. He also points out that there are 21 admonishments of Jesus that relate directly to not being afraid. He states, "Fear may fill our world but it doesn't have to fill our hearts." He then turns to addressing the common fears with a chapter each devoted to 13 of them.

In the chapter on the fear of not mattering, he reminds the reader that we are God's workmanship (Ephesians 2:10). In the chapter on the fear of disappointing God, he reminds us that God's forgiveness is greater than our fear. In the chapter on worry and anxiety, he reminds us to seek God first (Matthew 6:33) and gives an acronym on being "PEACEFUL." The next chapter addresses the fear of not protecting our kids, he reminds us that God gave up His only Son so He knows what it's like to love and lose a child. Chapter six addresses overwhelming challenges, and encourages us to take courage knowing God is with us. Chapter seven addresses worst-case scenario fears, we are reminded to trust the Father completely. The fear of violence chapter reminds us that God is on our side and can use even bad stuff. The next chapter reminds us that God owns everything and we are to trust Him and not our stuff.

Chapter 10 reminds us that death and the grave need not be feared by the one who belongs to Christ, while chapter 11 offers the reminder that our daily troubles and fear of what's next are preparing us for eternal glory. The 12th chapter reminds us that when we doubt God, our questions are ok, and He will show Himself in a very real way. Chapter 13 reminds us to trust our heavenly Father that things will work out in the end, while Chapter 14 addresses the fear of allowing God out of the box, and us seeing Him in a different light and Him doing amazing things because of His vastness and glory. Finally Lucado concludes by reminding us to turn to the Maker in order to fear less, by praying more, listening to God more deeply and trusting Him more fully.

What a great reminder that fear only entangles us when we allow it and when we take our eyes off the One who is greater than our fear. What a great challenge to trust more and fear less.

Fearless by Max Lucado is another watered down book that doesn't go much deeper than the surface. There are a lot of good things said in this book, don't get me wrong. It most certainly isn't horrible, but I'm afraid that what people need is a deeper message - one that touches the heart of readers because it comes from the heart of God.

The message behind Fearless is a very good one. Simply: fear less. And not only fear less, but have faith - faith in God. This is absolutely correct, but I don't think it does a good job at preparing the reading for the difficulties of having faith, and it doesn't give enough scripture to encourage the reader to hold strong even when things "feel" terrible.

Overall I give this book three stars. It does have a lot of good, positive things in it, but in my opinion, it's missing a lot too. I think that people need to remember that the Bible should always be our number resource for answers, and not other books.