The Max Lucado Encouraging Word Podcast

Hello, friend. Welcome back to another Encouraging Word. In Luke 23 we read the account of Jesus appearing before Pilate, of Pilate finding no evidence to charge him, and the crowd demanding the release of another prisoner in exchange for Jesus. It’s a remarkable—and literal—picture of what Christ has done for us. He who was blameless took the place of he who was condemned.

Hi, friend! Thanks for joining me today on the podcast. The world invites us to work hard, achieve, and prove our worth – society kind of demands we do. The problem is, no one can tell us how much is enough. How many accomplishments or good deeds does it take to offset our blunders and bad days? We'll find the answer in Ephesians 2:8: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves; it is the gift of God.”

Hello, friend! I hope you’re doing well. In today’s Encouraging Word, we’re taking a look at the first appearance of grace in Scripture, and you might be surprised where it shows up. But the message is unchanged: grace is not up to the one receiving it. It’s up to the One giving it.

Hello, my friend! Thank you so much for joining me for another Encouraging Word. This week, we’re concluding our study of Joshua and the Israelites’ journey to the Promised Land. When I originally preached these messages at my church in San Antonio, Texas, we began each day with a Glory Days Declaration. I want to share it with you today and invite you to recite it with me—wherever you’re listening. Glory Days Declaration These days are Glory Days. My past is past. My future is bright. God’s promises are true, and His Word is sure. With God as my helper, I will be all He wants me to be, do all He wants me to do, and receive all He wants me to receive. These are Glory Days.

Hello, friend! I hope you're having a good day! We are nearing the end of our series on the book of Joshua. If there is one thing I hope you take from these episodes, it's this—God keeps His promises! In a world where so many people let us down, God will always do what He says He will do. You can trust Him!

Hello, friend! I sure hope you're doing well today! Being a Promised Land person does not guarantee you a problem-free life. In fact, it guarantees the opposite. In John 16:33, Jesus says, “In this world, you will have trouble.” Knowing that, what do you do? Follow the example of Caleb in Joshua, Chapter 14, and set your mind on a holy cause.

Hello, my friend! Welcome back to The Encouraging Word Podcast. So much of the story of Joshua and Israelites is about getting to the Promised Land. But it doesn't end there – they are told to possess the land, to move in, to find their place and fulfill their assignment. And Jesus offers those same instructions to us today.

Hi, friend. Happy New Year! If you’re resolving to pray more this year — and shouldn’t we all? — this episode is for you. There is a remarkable story in Joshua chapter 10. While in battle, the Hebrews needed more daylight. Joshua asks God to stop the sun from setting, and God does. Verse 14 says, “God took orders from a human voice.” How’s that for a reminder that God listens to our prayers?

Happy New Year, friends. Here's a special message for you as you step into the New Year.

Visit donate.accessmore.com and give today to help fund more episodes and shows like this. Every day we choose who and what to listen to. There are hundreds of channels on our televisions, millions of people sharing their opinions online. But only one voice will guide you to the Promised Land. Choose to trust the voice of God.

Visit donate.accessmore.com and give today to help fund more episodes and shows like this. Merry Christmas, friend! I pray this season brings you joy and peace and the hope that Christ, who came as a baby, is coming again.

Visit donate.accessmore.com and give today to help fund more episodes and shows like this. Hello, friend. Thank you for joining me for another Encouraging Word. What does trust have to do with greed? According to Joshua chapter 7, quite a lot. This passage reminds us that looking for security in anything or anyone other than God will always let us down.

Visit donate.accessmore.com and give today to help fund more episodes and shows like this. Today’s episode brings us to a familiar story in the Bible. Maybe you’ve sung the old song about Joshua fighting the battle of Jericho. But this story is about more than the Hebrews defeating the Canaanites. This is a story about fighting from a place of victory to defeat the strongholds in your life.

Visit donate.accessmore.com and give today to help fund more episodes and shows like this. You know what it's like to face difficulty. You have before and you will again. You may be, right now, facing a challenge so great that a solution feels impossible. If that sounds familiar, I encourage you to follow the example of Joshua — before you go into battle, call on your Commander.

Visit donate.accessmore.com and give today to help fund more episodes and shows like this. Hello, friend. I hope you’re doing well. This week we celebrate Thanksgiving, so I think today’s episode is especially fitting. In Joshua 4, just as many of us will do this week with family and friends, Joshua and the Hebrew people were instructed to pause and remember all God had done for them. And that act of gratitude prepared them for what came next.

Hello, friend. I hope you’re well today. The last few episodes, we’ve seen Joshua and the Israelites face one obstacle after another. Well this week is a biggie – crossing the Jordan River. But this story isn’t just about getting from one side of a river to the other. It’s about how God delivers us from what stands between us and him.

Hi, friend. I hope you’re having a good day. Today’s episode brings us to one of the unlikeliest heroes of the Bible—Rahab. Maybe you know her story. Maybe you relate to her story. Nothing to lose, pulled from the bottom of the pit and pressed into service for God’s plan. God used her because she trusted him. May we all have that in common with Rahab.

Hello, friend. Thank you for joining me for another Encouraging Word. It can be difficult to tune out the negative voices around us. It can be difficult to tune out the negative voices in our own heads! If you’ve been listening to the podcast for a while, you know we just did a bunch of episodes about that. But thankfully, God has given us his Word, just as he gave Joshua and the Israelites, to help us know and heed his voice.

Hi, friend. I sure hope you’re doing well. Last week I told a story about getting a gift from my dad. I have another story about my dad this week. You probably know by now that I love to tell stories about my dad. This story isn’t about getting a car. It’s about something he did for me when I was young that our Heavenly Father does for us now – he fights for us.

Hello, my friend. I hope you’re having a good day. In our human reasoning, Joshua had every reason to be uncertain. No one would have bet on the Hebrew people to conquer Canaan. But Joshua had one big thing going for him – God told him he would be victorious.