The Max Lucado Encouraging Word Podcast

Hi, friend. Welcome to the Encouraging Word Podcast. This week’s episode brings us to a story you’ve probably heard; you may even hear it this Holy Week. In John chapter 13, we read about Jesus washing his followers’ feet. This passage is often referred to when teaching about service or humility. But it also offers something else very important—how to respond to someone who hurts you. 

Hello, friend. Thanks for joining me. In today’s episode we see how God not only forgives us—every sin, even those we never know we commit—but also invites us into his family. You are more than forgiven, my friend. You are beloved.

Hello, my friend. I hope you’re having a good day. Today’s Encouraging Word brings us one of Jesus’ most tender invitations: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” You need not wonder if you’ve out-sinned God’s grace, friend. You can rest.

Thank you for joining me on the podcast today, friend. In this episode we’re going back to the Old Testament, to the story of Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz. Whether this story is new or familiar, I pray it reminds you that God is always at work and has a plan to rescue you.

Hello, my friend. I hope you’re having a good day. I know Christmas was months ago, but I hope you’ll indulge my Dickensian illustration in today’s episode. The tale of Ebenezer Scrooge paints just the right picture and reminds us that the abundant grace of God has the power to un-Scrooge the most stubborn hearts.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Hello, friend. I hope you’re doing well. If you’ve been listening to the podcast the past few weeks, you know we just wrapped up a series about managing our thought lives. This week we’re starting a new series I think will encourage you as you uproot negative thinking and replace it with truth. We’re going back to the Old Testament, to the story of Joshua and the children of Israel. You’ve never seen a group more stuck in a rut and trapped in destructive, negative thought patterns! But God had a Promised Land for them, and, friend, he has one for you too.

Hello, my friend. Thank you so much for joining me for another Encouraging Word.  Today we’re wrapping up our series on thought management. If you’ve missed any episodes, I encourage you to go back and catch up. But here’s the big idea, as found in Ephesians 4:23-24: “Let the Spirit change your way of thinking and make you into a new person.”

Hi, friend. I hope you’re doing well today.  What do you do when those you live with are hard to live with? Maybe it’s your spouse, your siblings, your neighbors, your co-workers. We all have relationships that challenge us, and a difficult relationship can consume our thoughts. So let’s start there. To deal with a difficult person, consider how you think about them.

Hi, friend. I hope you’re doing well.  A quick note before we get into today’s episode, particularly if you listen in the car or where younger ears can hear. This message includes the reading of a painful story in the Old Testament and some pretty blunt language about the dangers of pornography. Consider this a heads-up if you want to adjust when or where you listen.

Hello, my friend. I hope you’re having a good day.  Anxiety. It’s an all-too-common part of our lives. The statistics, especially among young people, are staggering. I know there are legitimate concerns in our world that need attention. And I know there are times clinical intervention is the solution God provides to those who struggle. But I also know peace is possible.

Hello, friend. I hope you’re having a good day.  Today’s episode is a bit of a history lesson. We’re going back to first century Rome, to the time of the apostle Paul and the emperor Nero. Readers of the New Testament have learned a lot from Paul, but the life of Nero offers a critical lesson as well.

Hi, friend. Thanks for joining me for another episode of the Encouraging Word Podcast.  If you’ve been listening to the podcast the past few weeks, you know we’re talking about finding a new way of living through better thinking. So maybe you’re ready to tackle some of those specific negative thought patterns that weigh us down. Guilt is a big one – all the should haves that hound us. But here’s the good news: God has given us a tool to help deal with our guilt.

Hello, my friend. I hope you’re well.  What do you think of when you hear the word “meditation”? Perhaps a yoga class or quiet chanting or one of those mindfulness apps on your phone? You might think of the phrase “Clear your mind.” Well as you learn to tame your thoughts, you’ll discover that an empty mind is not the goal. When you banish the bad thoughts, seek to replace them with good thoughts. Meditate on God’s Word and fill your mind with his goodness.

Hi, friend. Thank you for joining me on the podcast this week.  Today’s episode is about UFOs. No, not that kind. I’m using the term UFO to describe those destructive thought patterns that leave us stuck in what the Bible calls strongholds. But there is hope! When you learn to identify and deal with them, those scary, odd-looking UFOs will stop taking up space in your brain.

Hi friend, Max Lucado here. As an Encouraging Word listener, I want to share with you an exclusive preview of my new audiobook, Tame Your Thoughts. This message is for anyone who embraces the promise found in Romans 12:2 – “Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.” I pray it encourages you.

Hello, friend. I hope you’re having a good day. We’re diving into a new topic this week on the Encouraging Word Podcast – thought management. Controlling your anger or managing your anxiety may seem like an impossible task at times, but it’s not! It’s a promise found in Scripture and backed up by neuroscience. With God’s help, you can tame each thought and become a person who thinks and acts more like Jesus.

Hi friend, Max Lucado here. As an Encouraging Word listener, I want to share with you an exclusive preview of my new audiobook, Tame Your Thoughts. This message is for anyone who embraces the promise found in Romans 12:2 – “Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.” I pray it encourages you.

Hi, friend. Thank you so much for joining me for the podcast this summer. I hope this series has been an encouragement to you, particularly if you’re going through a difficult time. We’ve got some new stuff coming next week that I’m really excited about, but first we’re going to put a bow on our study of the life of Joseph. If there’s one thing you take from it, may it be this: we have a heavenly father who guides us with a sure hand.

Hello, friend. Welcome to the Encouraging Word Podcast. Did you know the Bible has something to say about crisis management? That might feel like a modern construct, but it’s not. In Joseph’s life he faced multiple crises, including an extended, widespread famine. So how did he get through it? A two-pronged approach – he approached the crisis with faith and then came up with a plan.

Hello, friend. I hope you’re having a good day. Today’s episode brings us to a pivotal moment between Joseph and his brothers. If you don’t know what happens in the story, it powerfully illustrates what happens when the prince turns out to be your brother.

Hi, friend. Welcome to the Encouraging Word Podcast. If you’ve listened to the last few episodes, you’ve likely noticed a recurring theme: Joseph is resilient. He faced challenge after challenge, but kept bouncing back. How could he do that? Because he saw the bigger picture of an active, sovereign God.

Hello, my friend. Thanks for joining me today.This summer on the podcast we’ve been studying the life of Joseph to learn how God helps us get through painful and difficult parts of life. This week we’re deviating a bit from Joseph to take a look at the role his brothers play in the story. Maybe as you’re listening you relate more to Jacob’s other sons. If that’s you, be encouraged, friend – God is still working.

Hi, friend. I hope you’re doing well today. For anyone who’s ever been treated badly—in other words, everyone—Colossians 3:13 offers one of the New Testament’s most challenging admonitions: “even as Christ forgave you, so you must also do.” Really, God? you might think. I’m supposed to just forgive them? I know it’s not easy, and it won’t be a straight line. But, with God’s help, you will find the space of grace.

Hello, my friend. I hope you’re having a good day.  Family pain has been around since, quite literally, the first family. The earliest chapters of Genesis introduce us to a crooked family tree. If you know family wounds, I think you’ll find some hope in Joseph’s story.  

Hi, friend. Welcome back to the Encouraging Word Podcast.  Does gratitude matter to God? The Bible suggests it does. In Luke chapter 17 we read the story of Jesus healing ten lepers, and only one returns to thank him. But the one who comes back does so praising God. His gratitude made him joyful. Friend, the quickest way out of a tough day is through the door marked “thank you.”

Hello, friend. Thanks for joining me.  Let me ask you a question – is God good when life isn’t? I understand if that’s hard to answer. But I think today’s episode could help; I pray it does. 

Hello, my friend. I hope you’re doing well. Today’s episode reminds us that God is the business of grand reversals. For Joseph, that meant prison one day, Pharaoh’s palace the next. I can’t imagine Joseph saw that big moment coming, but he was ready for it because he saw a big God.

Hello, my friend. I sure hope you’re having a good day. If you’re the type of person who listens to podcasts while you sit in traffic or stand in lines, today’s topic has a touch of irony—waiting. No one’s favorite activity. Especially when we’re waiting for deliverance from a painful circumstance. But may I remind you of the promise found in Isaiah 40:31 – “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.”

Hi, friend. I hope you’re well today.Today we’re talking about tests. What do you do when you face a test? How do you respond? If you’re struggling to see the value in your struggle, try this: Don’t look at your test as an interruption to life, but as training for life. No one ever said the road would be easy or painless, but God will use this mess for good.

Hello, friend. I hope you’re having a good day. Some of the most difficult challenges in life come our way thanks to bad luck, bad timing, or bad actors. And when we’re dealt a bad hand, it’s easy to justify our choices. To be tempted by shortcuts or quick fixes. When you find yourself in such a situation, be encouraged by the example of Joseph in Genesis 39 – do what pleases God.