The Max Lucado Encouraging Word Podcast

You can find the Tame Your Thoughts book and Bible study at MaxLucado.com (https://maxlucado.com/tameyourthoughts/) or wherever you buy books! Hello, my friend. What do you do when an unexpected storm blows into your life and disrupts everything? Where do you find strength to battle anxiety and fear? The Bible offers an answer in Philippians chapter 4. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

You can find the Tame Your Thoughts book and Bible study at MaxLucado.com (https://maxlucado.com/tameyourthoughts/) or wherever you buy books! Hello there my friend. Thank you so very much for joining me today. We're beginning the year with some episodes looking at the big ideas of the Bible. We started last week by talking about the purpose of the Bible, why it matters and why it's important to study it. This week we're moving on to some concepts found in scripture that you might know as the fruit of the Spirit. Today's episode is about joy. Not the kind of joy that depends on circumstances, but the kind of joy that depends on Christ.

You can find the Tame Your Thoughts book and Bible study at MaxLucado.com (https://maxlucado.com/tameyourthoughts/) or wherever you buy books! Happy New Year! Welcome back to the Encouraging Word podcast. It's resolution season. All over the world people are resolving to exercise more, spend less, try a new hobby. A common resolution for people of faith is to read the Bible more and if that resonates, today's episode is for you! The Bible is the most important book for the Christian. It answers the two most fundamental questions of the human heart. How did I get here? How do I get where I'm supposed to be? If you or someone else you know is asking these questions I can think of no better habit then to build this year as a year in which you study the Bible.

You can find the Tame Your Thoughts book and Bible study at MaxLucado.com (https://maxlucado.com/tameyourthoughts/) or wherever you buy books! It’s that time of year when we're choosing gifts to give for Christmas. As the hero of the holidays, Jesus deserves our finest gift. But what could that be? We can look to the angels to know what Jesus really wants from us this Christmas. As a reminder, The Encouraging Word Podcast will be off next week, but we’ll back with new episodes in January. Merry Christmas, friend!

You can find the Tame Your Thoughts book and Bible study at MaxLucado.com (https://maxlucado.com/tameyourthoughts/) or wherever you buy books! Hello friend. Thanks for joining me today.  Can you believe we’re halfway through December? Christmas will be here in just a few days. As you’re no doubt busy preparing for the holidays, I pray today’s episode gives you a few moments to reflect on the Savior who comes at just the right moment. 

You can find the Tame Your Thoughts book and Bible study at MaxLucado.com (https://maxlucado.com/tameyourthoughts/) or wherever you buy books! Hi friend. I hope you’re doing well today.  The past few episodes we’ve been talking about what it looks like to live in a way that reflects God’s glory to the world around us. We’ve considered different aspects of life where we can take the focus off ourselves and put it on God. For some, the most difficult time to do that is when we’re succeeding. It’s wonderful to be good at something but remember this: God made you good so you can make him known.

You can find the Tame Your Thoughts book and Bible study at MaxLucado.com (https://maxlucado.com/tameyourthoughts/) or wherever you buy books! Hello my friend. I hope you’re having a good day.   As we continue this series about living a life that reflects the glory of God, might I suggest that includes your struggles? We all have things in our lives we would change, things we wish we didn’t have to deal with. Illness, financial challenges, difficult relationships. But take comfort in this truth, friend: there is nothing you will face that God has not ordained, and he will use it for his purposes.

You can find the Tame Your Thoughts book and Bible study at MaxLucado.com (https://maxlucado.com/tameyourthoughts/) or wherever you buy books! Hello friend. I hope you’re doing well today.  This week on the podcast we’re looking at an issue that plagued the Philippian church—legalism. They trusted the work of Jesus but were trying to add a little something on their own. If you ever find yourself looking for “Jesus plus” something else, the apostle Paul says to you what he said to the Philippians: “Now I am right with God, not because I followed the law, but because I believed in Christ. God uses my faith to make me right with him.” 

You can find the Tame Your Thoughts book and Bible study at MaxLucado.com (https://maxlucado.com/tameyourthoughts/) or wherever you buy books! Hello friend. Thanks for joining me on the Encouraging Word Podcast.  We’re tackling a new topic today. For the next few weeks we’ll be talking about living a God-centered life. Now that might sound simple, but living a God-centered life means not living a me-centered life. Not quite so easy, but with God as our helper, it’s possible. 

You can find the Tame Your Thoughts book and Bible study at MaxLucado.com (https://maxlucado.com/tameyourthoughts/) or wherever you buy books! Hello, my friend. I hope you’re having a good day. 1 Corinthians 13:7 says, "Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things." God calls us to walk out sacrificial love. I pray this message encourages you.