Just Like Jesus [Hardcover]

Max Lucado (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 11, 1998

God loves you just the way you are, but he refuses to leave you there. He wants you to be just like Jesus.

Can you think of a better offer?

Jesus felt no guilt; God wants you to feel no guilt. Jesus had no bad habits; God wants to do away with yours. Jesus had no fears; God wants the same for you. Jesus had no anxiety about death; you needn't either. God's desire, his plan, his ultimate goal is to make you into the image of Christ.

But how does this change occur? And why does the change seem so slow? If God wants me to be just like Jesus, why do I still seem just like me?

In Just Like Jesus, Max Lucado helps you answer these questions. He helps you understand God's wonderful ways of transformation. Would you like to know more? Then read on. And remember: God loves you just way you are, but he refuses to leave you there. He wants you to be just like Jesus.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

"What if for 24 hours Jesus wakes up in your bed, walks in your shoes, lives in your house, assumes your schedule?... What if for one day Jesus lives your life with his heart?

Within these opening lines lies the premise of Max Lucado's book about the possibility of becoming "just like Jesus." In recounting the biblical stories of Jesus' life and deeds, Lucado then explains how Jesus' acts of compassion, forgiveness, honesty, and faith can be reflected in anyone's everyday life. Lucado's concrete analogy of "just like Jesus" helps many readers grasp the fundamentals of Christianity in a new and inspiring way. Furthermore, in taking on the values, heart and deeds of Jesus, Lucado believes, Christians can expect a richer, more accessible relationship with God. "Jesus had unbroken communion with his father," writes Lucado. "Do you suppose the Father desires the same for us? Absolutely ... God has the same abiding intimacy with you that he had with his son."

One of the reasons that Lucado's popularity has soared is that he combines straightforward storytelling skills with simple, unfettered theology to explain how Christianity influences modern life, from marriage and career to golf games and traffic jams. Fans will also appreciate his companion study guide at the end of the book, which offers provocative questions relating to the themes of each chapter. --Gail Hudson

From Library Journal

Popular Christian author and minister Lucado skillfully applies humorous analogies and down-to-earth wisdom to reflect on what it means to become more truly Christlike. Lucado's insights are culled from scriptural reflections on the life of Christ. If we can examine our own lives, longings, and abilities in light of Christ's example, the profound liberation of God's grace could change in our lives what we alone cannot. Lucado's appeal, for the most part, lies in his own powerful faith and in the lightheartedness that it brings to his writing. His conclusions, however, tend toward simplification and sometimes stop short of necessary further reflection (his heavy-handed condemnation of Judas's betrayal is a case in point). Suitable for larger devotional/Christian living collections.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson; First Edition edition (September 11, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0849912962
• ISBN-13: 978-0849912962
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (80 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #939,683 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

35 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A total EYE OPENING Study of Who We Should Be!, May 13, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Keith McClung) (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Just Like Jesus (Hardcover)

Way to go Max Lucado! I used this book for my Sunday School class. The class has grown from about 10 to nearly 40 people. The main growth took place during the use of this book. Every page gives you a challenge of striving to live your life as Jesus did; forgiving, compassionate, giving, caring, and loving those around you. The book was a real eye-opener to all of us in the study. I now scan AMAZON and the bookshelves for Max's books. It was the first time that I had ever read one of his books from cover to cover. God is using Max! (Max, if you're reading this...Always keep your heart sensitive to the inspiration of God and keep passing it on!) If you're a Sunday School teacher or Small Group/Cell Group Leader...THIS IS THE BOOK YOU ARE LOOKING FOR!

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!, January 23, 2000

By 

Donna H. Mcclain "Shepherdess00" (Blackshear, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Just Like Jesus (Hardcover)

Lucado has done it again! This book is so great that I have bought several to give away. No- it's not intellectually stimulating- I don't think the author intended it to be- it is "heart" and "spirit" stimulating. Anyone as intelligent as Lucado could write something too difficult for us to understand, but he chooses to use a style that all of us can relate to- Just like Jesus did (and does)

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Inspirational, October 22, 1999

By 

Ms. Dane McFall-Sanders ([e-mail]) (Nevada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Just Like Jesus (Hardcover)

I was going through a tough divorce and it gave me the strength to do nice things, instead of wanting revenge. I made a point to read at least one chapter a day. If I was upset, I would read and he helped give me the strength to do what I morally should do. The book was not overpowering by too many scriptures. He did an excellent job of using scriptures to get the message across. I have also read two more of his books. He is a great author.