Ep 54 - Max Lucado: A Converted Drunk, A Health Scare and A Bold Promise

The Paula Faris 'Faith & Calling' Podcast

This week on “Faith & Calling” Paula is talking to one of the kindest, wisest and most influential teachers out there, Max Lucado – who happens to be a best-selling author of over 40 books that have sold more than 120 million copies worldwide! Max is often referred to as “America’s Pastor” (a title he very quickly shrugs off)... and after listening to this week’s thought-provoking and hope-renewing conversation, it’s clear to see how the nickname stuck.
Paula and Max’s friendship goes way back to when Paula was at ABC. The last time they spoke, Max had just received a life-threatening diagnosis that rocked his faith with the weight of the unknown. Max catches Paula up on the amazing turn of events and how “the peace that surpasses all understanding” showed up in the midst of his mess. If you’ve grown discouraged in navigating a painful diagnosis of your own or simply the unknown that lies before you, you’re going to want to listen in to hear the bold declaration prayed over Max that led to his miraculous update.
Paula also asks Max to retrace his steps from the very beginning of both his faith journey and his calling to be a writer. Hear how he made the dramatic shift from drinking a 6-pack nearly every night to finding himself in the front row of his college’s Bible class to writing a feature in his church’s weekly bulletin – a part-time hustle would turn out to be a full-on calling.
Max’s latest book is a rerelease of one of his all-time bestsellers, “3:16 - The Numbers of Hope.” Paula asks Max to break down what led him to revise and update this book based on the Bible’s most famous verse for a new generation of readers. Spoiler: He likens it to dropping a chlorine tablet in the pool of our society (Ok. How good is that analogy? And how needed is that tablet!).
Paula and Max squeeze in time to talk about the big questions throughout this episode. What’s the purpose of it? Why is life so hard? Why do bad things happen to good people? It’s an impossible task to take on the hardest of questions while softening the hardest of hearts, but Pastor Max, with his abiding hope in the Christian faith and God’s Word, shies away from neither.
As Max puts it, our hardships can make us bitter or better. If you’re looking for the path towards better, then let this episode mark the spot.
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