Never has a book been so timely...it seems everyone is filled with fear these days: fear of losing their job, fear of losing their home, fear of being attacked by terrorists, fear of something happening to their children. I'm certainly not immune. I've obsessed over my bank account, the economy, the future of my job, whether I was a good parent nearly every day for the past year. My husband had three jobs last year. I cashed in my 401k to make ends meet. I took a leap and quit my job last month and started a new one. Our daughter starts middle school today. How do I sleep at night?Fearless addresses all these fears and then some. Was I completely worry free after I read this book? Of course not. Do I feel better capable of handling my fears and dealing with every day realities? Definitely. This book falls right in line with where I am in my faith journey and it reinforced what I already knew to be true: give all your troubles to God and He will provide everything that you need. Whether you are drowning in fear or just have a momentary pang of panic once in a while, this book is a must read for everyone. It may completely open your eyes to a new way of living, or it may just reassure you that you are already on the right track. ( )

At one time, I read little non-fiction, at least as far as my private reading went. And I admit, I still love reading fiction. But when I was in high school, I picked up some books by Max Lucado, one of the first non-fiction authors whose work I can remember really liking.

In Fearless, as with his other books, Lucado discusses matters that lie close to our hearts. Sample the particular fears he discusses in this book: the fear of insignificance, failure at parenting, worst-case scenarios, violence, death, and global disaster, among others. Lucado points out that, while fear is natural for us, it can have damaging effects: "Fear never wrote a symphony or poem, negotiated a peace treaty, or cured a disease. Fear never pulled a family out of poverty or a country out of bigotry. Fear never saved a marriage or a business. Courage did that. Faith did that. People who refused to consult or cower to their timidities did that. But fear itself? Fear herds us into a prison and slams the doors" (5). Read more or get the quick scoop. ( )

As a book reviewer for Thomas Nelson I had the opportunity to review Lucado’s newest book titled Fearless: Imagine Your Life Without Fear.

First off, this book doesn't use the same Bible translation that I use. Was it a problem? NO. There wasn't an age range listed but I would have liked my children to read it so maybe 12 & up. You read it, then share with your family but be warned, they may not give it back.

Max Lucado can see the profound in the mundane. For example, he writes of sitting by the pool at a hotel while writing and watching two girls with their father.

"A father and his two small daughters are at play. He's in the water; they jump into his arms. Let me restate that: one jumps; the other ponders. The dry one gleefully watches her sister leap. She dances up and down as the other splashes. But when her dad invites her to do the same, she shakes her head and backs away."

I would see a family playing, he sees a "living parable!" and relates it to us ignoring our faith. As we sit there watching, we're urging the girl to jump. Her father will catch her and she'll have fun. What we don't see is us, standing there, being too cautious because we're fearful. Where is our faith in our Father? Jump, He won't let us down.

Max Lucado takes each of our fears, relates it to the 'real' world, walks us through them, gives us scriptures to hold on to, and brings us out the other side with a stronger faith and the tools to live without fear.

Each of the chapters has a discussion guide at the end of the book. Each discussion guide is divided into three sections: Examining Fear, Exposing Fear and Battling Fear. Read through this book, just as you would a novel then go through it again with notepad and Bible. Get out your highlighter and really read this book. You'll be glad you did.

Fearless by Max Lucado. As a book reviewer for Thomas Nelson I had the opportunity to review Lucado’s newest book titled Fearless: Imagine Your Life Without Fear. As always he never disappoints to be to the point Max has done it again in bringing another encouraging book to speak to the heart of people burden with fear.

Lucado speaks about the array of realistic fears that are prominent in our daily lives. He explores the fear of disappointing God, of violence, of death, global calamity, not protecting your kids, not mattering and other fears we battle on a day to day basis.

I very much love the approach that Lucado takes in this book with each chapter covering a fear then illustrating it with a relevant story, then season the reality of the fear with grace, some slices of humor, and scripture to communicate that God always gives hope to the hopeless. Max is a great story teller so he makes the Truths of Scripture come to life as no one else like can. Max charmingly communicates to the reader that if they are fearing it is a perceived loss of control and that the opposite of fear is faith. That we need to dwell in Jesus as he states in his book, “the longer we live in him, the greater he becomes in us.” Lucado brings to light that Jesus was always encouraging his followers to “be not afraid” and “take courge” because he knew the dangers of fear in the walk of his followers.

One of my favorite chapters was The Shadow of a Doubt, where shares his fears and tells of C.S. Lewis’s journey from atheism to Jesus. I have enjoyed Max’s work for years. He always seems to take to another level using a deep and delightful teaching style that sets him apart from others. This is a great resource for consecrating your thoughts on Jesus to defeat fear. The substance of the material in this book makes “Fearless” a perfect candidate for small group studies with people. ( )

Max Lucado has done it again! I can't remember a Lucado book that I have read that I looked back and thought "hmm, that was ok, but doesn't really pertain to me" or "that was a huge misrepresentation of God." Fearless is no exception!

Fearless is a continuation of Lucado's solid Bible teaching and practical application in the area of fighting fear. There are many Bible verses to support each chapter and Lucado's stories really bring out the truth of Christ's message. I also appreciate that Fearless does not pull any punches when it comes to trials that happen despite our prayer's and trust in Christ. Lucado keeps a good perspective of all sides of the matter.

I would recommend this book to anyone in the midst of struggle or preparing for life in general. There is much here that can be put to use immediately.

4.5 / 5 Stars ( )