New Life LIVE: August 11, 2026

Brian Perez: Welcome to the New Life LIVE podcast. We hope to provide help and hope in your life through God’s word, counselors, and psychologists as we answer questions from listeners who call with the challenges of life. Let’s go to today’s episode. Hello and welcome to New Life LIVE. I’m your host Brian Perez, and we have a special show for you today. Not just because licensed professional clinical counselor Becky Brown is with us, she’s also the president of New Life Ministries, but we’ve got a special guest on the show again, one of our favorites. It’s none other than Max Lucado. With more than 150 million products in print, Max is the recipient of the 2021 ECPA Pinnacle Award for his outstanding contribution to the publishing industry and to society at large. But you may know him as America’s Pastor. Max always shares great insight with our audience, and we’re excited to talk about his new book that just released today. In fact, it still has that new book smell. I love it. It’s called *Unbreakable Courage: Strong Faith in an Age of Anxiety, Chaos, and Exhaustion*. You can get this book in the newlife.com store. I highly recommend you buy more than one copy. Maybe we can talk about that a little bit more later on, but Max, welcome to the show. So good to have you here on New Life LIVE.
Max Lucado: It’s my treat. It’s really an honor. I appreciate the invitation, and it’s good to see you both. You look terrific.
Becky Brown: And so do you. Brian, you said that Max is known as America’s Pastor. Max, what does that feel like to be the pastor of America?
Max Lucado: I never solicited that title. It was a kind recognition that just took on a life of its own. But I really love what I do. I still preach at our church in San Antonio, Texas. I’m not the senior pastor anymore. I was for what seemed like forever, but now we have a role called teaching pastor. That means I preach about 15 to 20 times a year. I still write a book a year and still write children’s books, but my big job these days is being a good grandpa. I have seven grandchildren. I’ve had three born, three new grandchildren just since Christmas. So it’s a busy, busy time in the Lucado household.
Becky Brown: What a great legacy. Max, this book, *Unbreakable Courage*, it’s coming at a time where so much seems wrong in the world. How do we keep going when it feels like everything is overwhelming? How does faith help us sustain the courage that we need to do whatever our life is calling us to?
Max Lucado: The statistics are sobering, and I’m not telling the two of you anything. You not only read the statistics, you hear the voices and see the faces. One out of three Americans battles to one degree or another with depression. The suicide rate is as high as it’s been since World War II. The rate of anxiety among especially teenagers and young adults is as high as it’s ever been. There’s an epidemic of loneliness in the world that we’re trying to replace with phones and social media and AI, and that’s not going to work. It is an unusual season in which we live. Just yesterday a person said, "Do you think the politicians will ever quit yelling at each other?" What a good question. I’m a little bit cynical of giving a positive answer on that. But this isn’t the first generation to face major issues, not at all. And if the Lord tarries, not the last. And so that’s why I selected a particular generation, the story of Elijah. I think it speaks to our day.
Becky Brown: Well, we can’t wait to hear more about it. Brian?
Brian Perez: You think you’ve read the story of Elijah in the Bible and you’re like, "Yeah, there’s nothing more that I need to learn about that. I think I know it all." No, no, no. You are going to get so much great insight from this book, *Unbreakable Courage*. It’s in the newlife.com store. I happened to get an advance copy of it and finished it over the weekend. It was great because if you love alliteration, you will love this book. And as I was reading it, I could hear Max in my head reading it to me because we’ve enjoyed Max’s voice over the years. Pick up the book at newlife.com. It’s called *Unbreakable Courage*. We’ll be back. To find out more information about New Life or to order any of the resources mentioned on today’s program, call 1-800-NEW-LIFE. Now back to New Life LIVE. It’s Brian Perez. Becky Brown and I are back on today’s New Life LIVE with our special guest Max Lucado. We’re talking about his new book that just came out today. It’s called *Unbreakable Courage*. You can get it in the newlife.com store. Max, one of the things you mention in the book is how we should pray impossible prayers. I think is how you phrased it. But would you say that sometimes we’re afraid to pray those in case the Lord lets us down and things don’t quite go the way that we would have liked them to?
Max Lucado: Prayer certainly is a mystery. I’m not sure why God wants to hear from me except for the fact that He wants to have a relationship with me. And I’ve struggled in my life as to why a prayer, why me? I can’t even get the plumber to call me back. Why do I think God wants to hear from me? But the fact of the matter is, from start to finish, communication with God is a call, a privilege, and it makes a difference. The story of Elijah demonstrates a man who believed in the power of prayer. There was a time in which a friend of his had a son who died, and she actually was angry at Elijah, but Elijah didn’t retaliate in kind. He instead went and prayed for the boy. Now keep in mind, this is 8th century B.C. This is long before the life of Christ. No miracles of raising Lazarus from the dead did Elijah have to consult. This was uncharted territory, but he went and he prayed urgently. He prayed, and the boy came to life. There was a time that Elijah prayed for a drought to end, and the drought came to an end. He was a man of prayer. In fact, when the writer of the book of James wanted an example of a prayer person, he reminded all of us about Elijah. And he pointed out that Elijah’s prayers were answered, but then he said, "Elijah, who was a man just like we are." He was pointing out he didn’t have anything that you or I don’t have except maybe a deep faith. So I encourage us all before we panic, let’s pray. And let’s articulate our prayers from the bottom of our hearts. Your Heavenly Father wants to hear from you. He wants to hear the concerns. Always choose prayer rather than despair. That’s the first step.
Becky Brown: And even what you call it is an Elijah-level prayer. And so many of us don’t think of us like Elijah. Yet just that passage that you just quoted is a reminder he was a man just like us, just living life on the earth, looking to God for the help and the resource. And we all need that. It doesn’t matter that it’s the 21st century now.
Max Lucado: And prayer is not just what you say in between "Our Father" and "Amen". It’s living in an awareness, abiding relationship with Christ. It is a busy, busy world in which we live, and some people might find it difficult to carve out early morning minutes or late evening minutes, and that’s okay. Just try to make it your aim to stay in communion with Christ throughout the day. As you’re standing in line at the grocery store, as you’re waiting for the light to change, make it your aim to keep your mind set on Christ. "Pray constantly," the Apostle Paul said. If I live in a spirit of communion with Christ, that’s going to keep me out of some trouble because I’m not going to want to react in a certain way knowing that Christ is right there. He’s listening. He’s communing with me. And so there’s something wonderful about spiritualizing our day-to-day life by basking in a spirit of prayer throughout the day.
Becky Brown: You know Max, there’s so many people that have prayed for things, prayed for people. We hear them on our program all the time. They’ve called in and whether it’s a relationship that has failed or an estranged adult child that doesn’t speak to them anymore. And you talk about when Elijah gets to that place where he’s just struggling and he wrestles with God in prayer. What does that look like for us today? When we’re talking about prayer, so many of us want that instant reaction from God. "I’m praying for this and I want you to deliver it." What does it mean to wrestle in prayer?
Max Lucado: I think it’s helpful to be reminded that prayer is not just asking God to do what we want, but it’s asking God to do what is right. Jesus, when He prayed, said, "Not my will, but Your will be done." That’s the most important example of prayer that exists in the Bible. Jesus, on the night before the crucifixion, made His desire clear. "Take this cup away from me." But then He said, "Not what I want, but what You want." Prayer is submitting ourselves before the hand of a loving and living God and saying, "God, here’s what I want. Here’s my desire. I so long to be in communion with my children again. I so long to have my life extended, to have this condition, this physical concern eliminated. I so long, please hear my prayer, oh Father. But in the end, I know You know what is best. It is a beautiful example of deepening our relationship with God. And here’s the deal. If you present your prayer to your Heavenly Father, and then your Heavenly Father does not respond in the way you want Him to or the time that you want Him to, then you can have confidence in knowing that His will is perfect. I just got off the phone in the last 12 hours with a dear friend who got word that there’s nothing else that can be done for his cancer. This is a wonderful man, just a man of God. And he said that the doctor came into the hospital room and said, "We’ve done all we can do. There’s nothing else. It’s just now you’re on the clock." That’s the way the doctor said it, which probably could have been said better. But my friend gave this response. He said, "Well, I’ve prayed about it." And he said, "The bad news is I’m dying. The good news is I’m dying. I think I’ll have dinner." That was the entirety of his response. He said, "I’ve prayed about it." So he had left that in the Lord’s hand. And he knows God loves him. He knows God’s ultimate answer to prayer is not in this life but the next life. And God answered that prayer with peace, really not with more breath, it doesn’t appear at least right now. But he had entrusted his concerns. I think that’s an Elijah-level prayer. "Whatever You want, Lord, that’s what I’ll do." Please don’t interpret that if God doesn’t answer your prayer the way you want Him to that He doesn’t love you. That’s not right. In fact, He so loves you that He’s going to give you the right answer to your prayer.
Brian Perez: I love what you say in the book, Max, that we’re either resting in prayer or we are wrestling in prayer. That’s such a profound concept. Another thing that I read in your book, and I already know the answer to this, so I’m going to let you answer it. Some people might be listening and thinking, "Well, of course Elijah could pray like that. He was Elijah." What do you say to them?
Max Lucado: I would say Elijah became like that by praying like that. There’s something about wrestling in the presence of God, like David in Psalm 51 confessing his sin, or Moses wrestling on Mount Sinai on behalf of the just-released slaves, or even Paul pleading with God on behalf of his fellow Jews, wrestling with God. This is what moms and dads do when we wrestle for our children who are wayward. This is what we do when we wrestle for our parents who may be sick. We beg God. We make it clear. We present our case before Him. But once again, we conclude the prayer by saying, "Lord, my mind is finite, my understanding is small. Your ways are perfect, Your wisdom is unsearchable. I submit myself to Your will. Here is my request, but I submit to You." And I think that shapes the soul of the person and, even equally important, it lifts the anxiety. We can from then on say, "Okay, I have cast that concern before the Lord because He cares for me." So rather than turning to anxiety, let’s turn toward our Heavenly Father and make our requests known to Him.
Becky Brown: It’s interesting about that, Max. We do live in an age where there’s a constant cycle of what we need to know or what somebody’s telling us we need to know. And you mentioned in the open even about artificial intelligence and just that constant connectivity. It’s interesting because when we think about what you just said, we don’t go straight to God. We don’t go in prayer. We go to the news cycle, and then we wonder why we are so disrupted or feel that anxiety.
Brian Perez: Every time the bell rings on the phone, look, more anxiety.
Max Lucado: It’s a door-to-door anxiety. It’s being delivered right to our house. So should we, if a person spends two or three hours a day listening to network news criticize the other political party and then spends 40 or 45 minutes or maybe an hour a day scrolling through posts and messages, all of which each of which is comparing one person to the next. If we spend four or five hours in that type of environment, should we be surprised when we’re anxious? Should we be surprised when we initially have worst-case scenarios as our default reaction to some of the changes in life? It could be that the reason that we have anxiety as a pervasive pandemic of our day is because we are simply not wired to manage so much stress and so much anger. Elijah, before he was really enlisted in his ministry, wasn’t his first thing. The first thing was a courageous appearance before Ahab and Jezebel. But the second big season of his ministry was complete isolation. God sent him to a brook, to a ravine where he lived in, and we’re not told how long, but a lot of commentary suggest about a year. He was by himself. It was some type of preparation by isolation. Can you imagine? He was taken care of by the ravens and he drank water out of the brook. I do not know why that was important, but I can imagine he came out of that season with a tender relationship with God, knowing that God would feed him every day, care for him every day, keep him safe every day. Maybe it wasn’t a comfortable life, but it was a life that deposited seeds of faith that we see bearing fruit throughout the life of Elijah. I would be the first one to say and I’ll volunteer, let’s all volunteer together, less TV time, less social media time, more time with an open Bible, more time with an open heart in front of God. If you’re battling anxiety, watch your input. Watch your diet and see if you don’t improve your outlook by bringing more faith into your system.
Becky Brown: It’s so powerful because it is something we call them our phones, but they’re literally computers and they’re a doorway to everything that’s happening. Everything. Some of us have lived long enough to remember when the phone was attached to the wall and you could leave the house and never know anything while you were out and about. And now it’s affecting us generation younger and younger that are so concerned.
Max Lucado: I am deeply concerned. I mean imagine, imagine a gambling casino, a pornography distribution center, a gossip magazine, all within a little tool you can put in your pocket. That’s what it is.
Brian Perez: You can hear the music. We’re talking to Max Lucado today on New Life LIVE in case you’ve just joined us. His new book just came out today. It’s called *Unbreakable Courage*. It’s available in the newlife.com store. It’s about 160 pages of Max and then pages of QR, not QR codes, but questions for reflection. I recommend you go through those, maybe pick up a few of these books if you’re a small group leader at your church or you’re in charge of the book club, you’re looking for a book to read, this could be it. *Unbreakable Courage* by Pastor Max Lucado. Get it at newlife.com and we’ll be back with more of Max Lucado. To find out more information about New Life or to order any of the resources mentioned on today’s program, call 1-800-NEW-LIFE. Now back to New Life LIVE. All right, we are back on New Life LIVE. Becky and I have a special guest today. It is Max Lucado whose new book just came out today. It’s available in the newlife.com store, *Unbreakable Courage*. Got to pick this up in the newlife.com store. And of course, the phone lines are open today this hour only at 1-800-229-3000 especially if you maybe want to talk about the subtitle of the book here, strong faith in an age of anxiety, chaos, and exhaustion. Or maybe you just want to say hi to Max because we do have a caller like that right now. Here is Robin in Warrenton, Virginia, who listens to New Life LIVE on the New Life app. Hey there Robin, thanks for calling in today.
Robin: Oh, thank you so much. I hope you can hear me okay.
Brian Perez: Loud and clear.
Robin: It’s my very great pleasure and very great honor not only to call in to New Life LIVE because I was pulling out the Bible that I was sent by Steve Arterburn. That was way back, I think it was right after December of 2021 and I had been going through being sick with COVID. So I just really appreciated that you guys are talking about the phones and waiting on a call like right now in our household we’re waiting on the plumber to call us back. So I just really appreciate the topic and the fact that Max is a guest today because the phone did send me a text that said, 'Hey,' because I listen all the time through the app. I used to listen to the radio before my radio broke. So I wanted to say first of all thank you, thank you, thank you so much to Max. I’m not going to get emotional. I’m a kid and I’m an old fart so I remember the phones on the walls with the long extension cords so as a teenager you could walk into the laundry room and not have your parents hear who you’re talking to. But I was raised on Oswald Chambers and the devotionals that my mom and dad would have at dinner. And I want to say Max the amazing part about how you can reach people and touch people, especially when it deals with anxiety or apprehension or really we know it’s fear underneath that if we’re really honest with ourselves and our ego and our pride. Even your own honesty and things that you shared in the past, I’ve seen you interviewed on TV through TBN. But what I want to say was that the previous books you’ve written and even listening to the radio for so many years, you guys have no idea probably how many other people have been listening and have been blessed by the scenario that was shared and the advice and the wisdom through sharing scripture and the insights that you all have. But Max as someone myself, I’m 66 about to turn 67, I have been so appreciative and sometimes in the mornings with friends of mine I’ll call them to be their backup call at 5:30 and we’ll read from your devotionals like *Grace for the Moment* and mine is so worn out it’s like volume two. And I just want to bring up the idea that recently there was one picture image and you’re so good at that that I think that’s what sometimes gets through everything. Every once in a while rarely and I thank the Lord for blessing me with maybe a few words like a poem that you created this picture image of a little boy and his hand, it could be a little girl, in the hand of the Father. And in that devotional, I think it was just in August, He threw the little boy up and then held him in his arms and said, 'I love you.' And you were trying to get across the fact that just because the circumstances changed and the boy wasn’t on the ground walking side-by-side hand-in-hand, if that was an experience that the little boy didn’t expect, it didn’t change the nature of the love that the Father in this idea would be God had for the son or the daughter. And so I just want to thank you so much because it’s that kind of word picture that gets through like a zinger that like an arrow to someone’s heart when we’re not being honest with ourselves about okay this is going on, I’m starting a new job, I just broke my ankle twice, that’s me, and having anxiety about stepping in without having fear. And so the last blessing I want to share that might be a gift back to Max is that one little thing that your devotionals and I’m sure this book is going to be awesome, it made me realize like Ding Dong Betty, I’m such a silly head because I came to know the Lord through a Billy Graham Crusade when I was seven or eight years old. And I just thought about it for the first time and it was the way that you put in one of the little devotionals that it said that Jesus being the Son of God and if that was the Holy Spirit letting me know that maybe God had Jesus come as a human being so that I would know it’s possible for me to be a daughter or for someone else to be a son. Because like they say God doesn’t have any grandkids. And so I had never thought about that ever before as just the fact that He came so that we could know that He wants a family. So when they say that prayer is the last thing, I feel like no, it should be the first thing and even though I’m in my middle 60s, I still feel like a young kid and I’m still learning how to rely on it first because like you say don��t despair and there’s none that compares to talking to Jesus and talking to the Lord through the Holy Spirit and I just wanted to thank you so much.
Brian Perez: Robin, thank you for calling in and saying that. Max, you are a prolific writer, a prolific author. Where did you learn to write like this? Did you set out to author all these books?
Max Lucado: Thank you, Robin, for those words, and it is encouraging to be reminded of God’s love. No I did not at all Brian. I was a high school drunk. I was a college almost flunkie. I came to Christ at the age of 20 and felt called to be a missionary and in preparation for mission service found that I really loved writing. And so nobody’s more surprised than I am. I’m so grateful that God could use an old drunk like me to touch people’s hearts.
Brian Perez: We’re talking to Max Lucado today on New Life LIVE. His new book, *Unbreakable Courage*. Robin, you’re going to love this one too. So are you all. Get it at newlife.com. We’ll be back.
Brian Perez: Every day we hear from people all over the world who are looking for hope. They’ve been lost in a relationship struggle, addiction, anxiety, depression, all kinds of ways. Wouldn’t you love to be part of a rescue team? Don’t miss your opportunity to be part of something that changes lives every single day because every one matters. Your generosity helps find them. And we’ve seen God work in the lives of so many people over the years here at New Life, and we want to invite you to be part of what God is doing. 99 for the 1 is our partner program that you can give to the ministry on a monthly basis to make sure that we can continue to reach out to the lost. Call 1-800-NEW-LIFE, 1-800-639-5433 or newlife.com/9941. Join the mission, rescue the one and restore the many. To find out more information about New Life or to order any of the resources mentioned on today’s program, call 1-800-NEW-LIFE. Now back to New Life LIVE. We are back from the break or as we’re going to start referring to them now, divine disruptions because that’s something Max Lucado talks about in his new book. It’s called *Unbreakable Courage*. Max, why don’t you tell us what you mean by divine disruptions? Nobody wants to be disrupted. We’re too busy. We’re trying to get to work and all this other stuff that’s going on. Disruptions are like, wait, what? Not now. Not now.
Max Lucado: Remember the story of Elijah is based in what was the darkest period in the history of ancient Israel. 9th centuries before Christ, the whole country had sold out to the false worship, the worship of the false gods Baal and Asherah. Terrible as it sounds, they practiced temple prostitution and even child sacrifice. It was just a deep, dark, dank period in the history of Israel. And we need to keep in mind the Jews are God’s chosen people through whom He brought the Messiah, and Satan knows this, and he has always attempted to interrupt the lineage that was promised for Jesus’ arrival into the world. And so that’s what he was doing during the days of Elijah. God’s response was divine disruption. He brought about events that called the people back to Him. And really the story of Elijah is one divine interruption, disruption after another. Elijah showing up in the throne room of Ahab and Jezebel, the seven-year drought, Elijah demonstrating the power of God over death with the little boy who died. Most significantly the event on Mount Horeb of fire falling from heaven in front of what could have been a crowd of a million people. 850 false prophets saw their ministry come to an end, just one interruption, one disruption after another. That’s how God worked through Elijah. I believe that’s how God works today. I do believe God uses everything. We want Him to bring blessings, but He permits burdens because His goal is to have a relationship with us. His goal is to get us home safely. That’s it. His goal is to get us home safely. He’s the Father of the prodigal pacing the porch looking for us to come home, and He will allow us to spend time in the pigpen if that’s what it takes for us to come to our senses. And so we need to understand that God’s ultimate goal is not that Max be happy or not that Max be comfortable, but that Max be saved. That’s God’s goal. And once we can agree with God’s agenda and submit our agenda to His, then we see these interruptions or disruptions as something that is intended to develop our faith and get our attention. And we learn to perk up and instead of complaining, we pray.
Becky Brown: You just described what life was like, what the world was like during that time. And I don’t know that many of us who’ve read the stories throughout the Bible really can take in how dark it was. But you also talk about how Ahab is not our enemy. So what do you mean and how does that impact us with our cultural battles today?
Max Lucado: It’s easy to look at Ahab and Jezebel and say they were the enemy. Now, they were the pawns in the hand of the enemy. But one of the overarching messages of Elijah’s story is "The Lord God of Israel lives," and there is an enemy of the Lord God of Israel, and that is the devil. Secular society does not want to take into consideration the fact that there is a supernatural conflict taking place around us. Our biblical worldview says there is a God and He does have an enemy. That enemy has been defeated. He will ultimately be cast out. But between now and his ultimate demise, he’s going to stir up as much trouble as he can. That’s why the Apostle Paul says our enemy is not flesh and blood. We do not fight against flesh and blood, but we fight against the powers of this present darkness, the principalities and the powers of this present darkness. We need to keep that in mind. Otherwise, we begin to dehumanize humans, or we begin to even demonize humans. We see that the real problem is whoever is either elected or wasn’t elected, or who made the movie, or who stars in the movie. The big problem is the devil and his influence in the world. And that’s why we fight with weapons that the world doesn’t use. We fight with prayer and worship and trusting God’s word. So let’s don’t give in to pointing the finger at people. Let’s acknowledge that the devil is still lurking around like a lion looking for someone to devour. To be real quick, let me add, he’s not going to win. And I don’t think he can take our salvation. He can take our joy and our peace, but he cannot take what God has already given to us. So let’s turn to our Heavenly Father for strength and just be at peace because we know the devil’s time is short.
Becky Brown: It’s such a good reminder because of all the messages that are coming at us and the certainty at which they are delivered. I’m a fan of the comment column. I don’t know why I go to the comments when I see an article, and then I just watch the discussion. It’s not even a discussion because people are very certain with what they think the world is supposed to be like, good, bad, or indifferent. And they’re very firm in their beliefs. That is the darkness of this age. And yet what you’re calling us to is solitude and silence, to come away and spend time with God. How do people do that?
Max Lucado: I think what we can develop as we’re shaping our souls, our inward being is a deep conviction of the things that matter and an appreciation for the things that matter less. What really matters is that every person has an answer to the two major challenges of life. One is failure or sin. The other is death. Unless a person has an answer for the fact that someday they’re going to take a final breath and unless that answer is life-giving and encouraging, then life is going to be difficult. And sin. People may pretend that they’ve never sinned, but down deep we know we do despicable things and we need grace. We need forgiveness. From my perspective, the Gospel is simply the fact that Jesus Christ paid for my sins and He paved the way out of my grave. That’s the Gospel. That’s core to me, and I’m not going to budge on that. Now, there’s a lot of secondary issues: how I should vote, what the role of a pastor should be in a church, whether I should attend a particular church or not, should a person tithe or not. I think are important, but they’re secondary. What we tend to do is get caught up in secondary things like they were primary things. Let’s identify the primary things. For me, it’s the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. That’s the Gospel. I’m not going to budge on that. But on the secondary things, let’s agree to disagree. Let’s calm down, take a deep breath. Let’s realize we can live together with differing opinions about a lot of things. Remember that book that came out a few years ago, *Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff*? It really is small stuff. The big stuff: forgiveness of sin, victory over the grave. That’s the Gospel.
Becky Brown: I think too when we have that strong conviction that you’re talking about what our belief system is, it gives us the courage in the face of a culture that is chaotic. And I also think that goes back to what you were talking about even with silence and solitude. We don’t have to have an answer to everybody. We have to have an answer to God Himself. I’ve read the book. And we don’t have to engage with everything.
Max Lucado: Amen. Well said, Becky. Really well said. If somebody thinks AI is the devil incarnate, that’s their business. Okay, go ahead. If somebody thinks that I overreacted about the danger of phones, I get that. Maybe I did overreact. We don’t have to get mad at each other over everything. And that’s a challenge of this day and age because there is a tendency to yell at our neighbors rather than be kind to our neighbors.
Becky Brown: And that’s coming from that spirit of fear, that spirit of anxiety, the spirit of chaos that we live in, and Christ calls us to a mind of peace. I think we can get there. We just have to encourage one another along the way.
Brian Perez: Indeed, something else from Max’s book *Unbreakable Courage* was a line that says, "Christians should not be weird, just contagiously kind." And the Bible does talk about us being a peculiar people. Well, how peculiar would it be to show kindness in this day and age of chaos and anxiety and exhaustion? You’ve got to read this book. It’s called *Unbreakable Courage*. It’s from our guest today, Max Lucado. It’s in the newlife.com store. Pick up a few copies. Christmas will be here in like four months. Just buy a whole case of them, give them to all your friends. We’ll be back. To find out more information about New Life or to order any of the resources mentioned on today’s program, call 1-800-NEW-LIFE. Now back to New Life LIVE. Our guest today on New Life LIVE is the master storyteller, the king of alliteration, Max Lucado. His new book is called *Unbreakable Courage*. It is such a great read. You can pick it up in the newlife.com store. I don’t know how you guys read books. I like to have my pen ready when I find something I love and I underline it. But sometimes you get to a portion and you realize that like I’m not going to start underlining right away. I want to see where I’m going to start and where my underline is going to end. So as I’m reading page 21 of Max Lucado’s book, *Unbreakable Courage*, it comes to this part and I’m reading and reading. So what I wound up doing is instead of underlining on this page, I don’t know if you can tell on the camera there, but I just circled the page number down at the bottom because I figured the whole page is really good. And it’s talking about not resisting the season of isolation. Embrace it. Turn to God as your best friend. Find what it means to walk in the Spirit, to lean on and lean into Him as your comforter. Lay claim to a quiet place. We were just talking about silence and solitude. A spot where you can hear God’s voice and where you can be honest with yourself and with God. Could be a park, could be a closet, could be a patio, but the important thing is just find that place.
Max Lucado: That’s good for the heart, isn’t it? It really is. In fact, I needed that reminder. Thank you, Brian, even though you read my own words to me. I’ve had a very busy weekend, traveled all day yesterday, got in late last night, and started early this morning and I’ve been a little frazzled myself. As you were reading, I thought I could take some of my own medicine there. I need to just take a deep breath, go find a place. It doesn't have to be an hour even, just five or ten minutes to breathe deeply, to think deeply, and to pray greatly. It’s a way of managing this busy life that we lead.
Becky Brown: I’m always amazed at the story of Elijah when after he defeats the prophets and he finds the tree and he’s scared. And that it always shocks me because he doesn’t pay attention to how God showed up for him. And I think many of us struggle with the recognition of God is preparing and providing. And like you just said Max when we’re going 90 miles an hour, even taking the concept of I don’t have to be all things to all people. Yes, I have responsibility, but God is the God of everything, even of my schedule if I allow him to be that way. But Elijah is such a great story for us and we’re just so grateful that you put him to words that we can identify with. What’s the one thing that you hope from this book for the reader to receive?
Max Lucado: Thank you for reminding us to discuss, at least touch on the fact that he was not always strong. Immediately after the Mount Carmel miracle, he ran. He got word that Jezebel was out to get him and he ran and ran and ran and ran. Weeks and weeks he ran and finally under a juniper tree he really articulated a voice of suicide. He said, "Lord, I’ve had enough." It’s a powerful moment in the story of Elijah, but God came and ministered to him there, told him to rest, gave him some food. Elijah regrouped, went into a cave. God called him out of the cave and spoke to him through a still small voice. I think that’s some good practical counsel. If somebody listening today battles with depression, could be you need to see a counselor, a therapist. These folks that you’re talking to today can help you beyond anything. I stand totally behind New Life and I have for decades now and I'm so grateful and they can connect you with somebody who can give you good spiritual advice and counsel. But at least get some rest. Get some rest. Replenish yourself. Come out of the cave. God didn’t let Elijah stay in the cave. He doesn’t like us to be isolated. And then listen for that still small voice of God. He’s not upset with you. He’s still speaking to you. And I believe that that is a promise He gives to every person.
Becky Brown: He is a loving and caring God. And here at the pinnacle of Elijah’s ministry then to go into the depth. There are people that are listening today that are struggling with loss of a loved one maybe they’ve passed away. They struggle with their own shame of what they’ve done wrong or what decisions that they’ve made in their life and they may be thinking God’s done with me. How would you encourage them, Max?
Max Lucado: I would say the reason that the Bible is a collection of stories is for people like you and me. That these stories were captured to encourage us. The reason that we know that Peter cursed Christ is because Christ knew that we would all do things that would cause us unbelievable shame. The reason we know that the Apostle Paul wrote words like what I want to do I don’t, what I do is what I don’t want to do is because God knew we would say the same thing. So wherever you are in your life, the Bible is full of people who are going through the same thing. Listen, the only reason their stories are in the Bible is they just happened to be around when the Bible was being written. We���re all people who struggle with these challenges. Turn to the word of God. Let it be the authoritative voice in the struggles of your life. Elijah’s story, he bursts onto the scene out of nowhere and then his death is every bit as magnificent and spectacular. He’s whisked up off the planet in a fiery chariot. Our Heavenly Father is going to come for us too. He has promised that the day is coming in which He will come. "I will come back and take you to be with me so that you can be with me forever." That’s His promise to you. He made that promise tonight before His crucifixion. This life is brief. I know it can be tough, but it’s brief and He will come for you. Live every day like He’s coming today.
Becky Brown: Amen. It reminds me of that old saying that says, "Only one life will soon be past and only what’s done for Christ will last." And we have to encourage each other as the day is coming near. Even so, Lord Jesus, come. Thank you, Max, for this incredible book and the encouragement and your faithfulness to God in your ministry. We hear too many bad stories where people get trapped by the enemy, and you have been faithful and we are grateful for that. Brian?
Brian Perez: So many great takeaways from this book. It’s called *Unbreakable Courage*. It’s in the newlife.com store. Whatever predicament you're going through, whatever drought you’re going through, God has set a time limit for that. Max, I don’t know if you can talk about that in like 30 seconds.
Max Lucado: I can. Everything that happens only happens for a time. It’s just a season. "And it came to pass." I remember hearing a Southern Baptist pastor I love, Bugner Fanning. He would always say, "That phrase 'and it came to pass' is because everything comes, but then it passes." It really does. Grief as heavy as it is today will pass. Doubt as clinging as they are today will pass. Guilt as heavy as it is today, it will pass. Weather the storm. It’s coming to an end.
Brian Perez: So good. Get your copy of this book, *Unbreakable Courage*. It’s in the newlife.com store. Buy *Unbreakable Courage* by Max Lucado. Max, it was a pleasure speaking with you today. So good having you on New Life LIVE. We can’t wait for your next book to come out. I mean, this one just came out, we’re waiting for the next one. So I don’t know when that one will be out. But thank you so much for your ministry as Becky just said right now. We’ve enjoyed how the Lord has used you over the years and just keep the faith brother. God bless you. Thank you.
Max Lucado: Thank you so much and God bless you and your family and the new grandbabies and even the older ones too.
Becky Brown: Thank you Max. *Unbreakable Courage*, find it in the newlife.com store. God bless you guys. Thanks for watching and listening. We’ll be back with you tomorrow here on New Life LIVE.
Brian Perez: Thank you so much for listening. We hope something you heard will help you live in freedom today. If this content was helpful for you, we would love it if you would take a minute, leave a review, post about it, and rate it. Remember we have resources and workshops online for you as you continue your journey. Go to newlife.com to find out more information. And thank you for being part of the New Life community. We know that God desires all of us to live a life of wholeness and healing, and we’re so glad that you’re here.