Showing results by narrator "Ben Holland" in All Categories

Common people. Maybe you heard their names in a childhood Sunday school class. They're not often the champions or the go-to sermon illustrations. They probably didn't stand at the foot of the cross or even hang next to Jesus on one of their own. But they pepper the pages of the Bible, reminding us that we're not alone. Just like you and me, these ordinary people stumbled and struggled. They faced their own sin and came face-to-face with a God who not only wipes it away, but also makes the common extraordinary.

No one likes living in a world filled with terror and uncertainty, but in such times, God does some of His most important work. Our part is to trust Him through faith that He will be true to His promises. Brimming with both encouragement and truth, best-selling author Max Lucado's Fear Not Promise Book addresses six major topics of fear and how we can put an end to its effects. While fear corrodes our confidence, faith in God's love for us always restores hope.

According to one research program, anxiety-related issues are the number one mental health problem among women and are second only to alcohol and drug abuse among men. Stress-related ailments cost the nation $300 billion every year in medical bills and lost productivity. And use of sedative drugs like Xanax and Valium have skyrocketed in the last 15 years. Even students are feeling it. One psychologist reports that the average high school kid today has the same level of anxiety as the average psychiatric patient in the early 1950s.

You can tell a lot about a person by the way he dies.In the last week of his life, Jesus deliberately sets his face toward Jerusalem - and certain death. This is no ordinary week. Even the angels are silent as they ponder the final days of Jesus Christ. This is no ordinary walk. Jesus doesn't chatter. He doesn't pause. He is on his final journey.He walks determinedly to the holy city, angrily into the temple, wearily into Gethsemane, painfully up the Via Dolorosa. And powerfully out of the vacated tomb.

New York Times best-selling author and pastor Max Lucado has discovered that at any given point, almost everyone is dealing with something difficult. Whether it's the loss of a loved one, marriage issues, illness, job loss, or the stress of everyday life, you need the assurance that God will be there for you during tough times.

Don’t let your life be mired by dissatisfaction, discontentment, or disappointment any longer. In How Happiness Happens, Max Lucado shares the unexpected path to a lasting happiness, one that produces reliable joy amidst any life circumstance. Based on the teachings of Jesus and backed by modern research, this audiobook presents a surprising but practical way of living that will change you from the inside out.

In Before Amen best-selling author Max Lucado joins listeners on a journey to the very heart of biblical prayer, offering hope for doubts and confidence even for prayer wimps. Distilling prayers in the Bible down to one pocket-sized prayer, Max reminds listeners that prayer is not a privilege for the pious nor the art of a chosen few. Prayer is simply a heartfelt conversation between God and his child. Let the conversation begin.

Jesus’ ministry on this Earth only lasted three and a half years, yet in that time, his words turned heads, turned hearts, and ultimately turned the world upside down. The words of Jesus offer much to those who have ears to hear. They are his legacy. They are our heritage. In Experiencing the Words of Jesus, you will have the opportunity to hear his voice for yourself.

Do you want to overcome your anxiety? Do you want to be free from the worries that weigh you down? If you're trembling on a tightrope of fear and worry, get ready for the best trade ever: your cares for God's calm. That's God's offer. Best-selling author Max Lucado understands what it's like to feel overwhelmed by anxiety. You'll learn how to exchange your burdens for an abundance of mercy, gratitude, and trust; replace striving and stress with a faith-filled life, so you can see God's goodness; feel calm in chaos and find peace through prayer; and make faith your default reaction.

A joy that can't be quenched? A peace that can't be broken? A happiness that can't be threatened? There is such a joy. It is a sacred delight, a holy gladness. You can't open your Bible without reading about it. You can't live a truly satisfying life without it. And it's nearer than you think. Jesus describes that sacred delight in the astonishing mountain message we call the Beatitudes. And Max Lucado, in this classic exploration of enduring joy, shows you how this familiar but revolutionary prescription for living can bless your life beyond your wildest imagining.

This short audiobook features 40 scriptures of promise and purpose and corresponding inspirational passages to encourage those facing everyday battles. Ideal for daily listening, each segment includes a reminder that even in difficult times, God fights for his people.

Chelsea Chambers is on her own. After a public split from her NFL superstar husband, Chelsea takes a bold step out of the limelight and behind the counter of the Higher Grounds Café, an old-fashioned coffee shop in dire need of reinvention. But when her courage, expert planning, and out-of-this-world cupcakes fail to pay the bills, this newly single mom finds herself desperate for help. Better yet, a miracle.

They are simple phrases. They sound Christian - like something you might find in the Bible. We've all heard these words. Maybe we've said them. They capture some element of truth, yet they miss the point in important ways. Join Adam Hamilton in searching for the whole truth by comparing common Christian clichés to the message and ministry of Jesus.

Imagine a Victorian England village in the Cotswolds where very little out of the ordinary ever happens...except at Christmas time. This year, Edward Haddington, a lowly candlemaker, is visited by a mysterious angel. That angel silently imparts a precious gift - a gift that’s bungled and subsequently lost. The candlemaker and his wife, Bea, struggle to find the gift. And when they do, they have to make a difficult choice. Who among their community is most in need of a Christmas miracle? Join inspirational author Max Lucado and experience anew the joy of Christmas.

God does what it takes to get our attention.It’s the message of the Bible. It’s the message of this book: the relentless pursuit of God. God on the hunt. God in the search. Peeking under the bed for hiding kids, stirring the bushes for lost sheep. Searching, wrestling, pulling us back to him, over and over again. Kind, then stern. Tender and tough. Faithfully firm. Patiently urgent. Eagerly tolerant. Softly shouting.

In a world full of achievement, praise, and accolades, we can easily fall into the trap of thinking we can save ourselves and direct our lives with our own actions. But the way of the cross guides us toward a place where we stop striving, stop pushing, and stop self-initiating - so that we can fall into the boundless, liberating, refreshing grace of God! New York Times best-selling author and pastor Max Lucado urges us to exchange the pressure of accomplishment for the peace of God’s grace.

Are you ready to move from insecure to God secure? From regret riddled to better-because-of-it? From afraid to die to ready to fly? Today, find freedom in God's grace. We often talk about grace, but do we really understand it? Grace politely occupies a phrase in a hymn and fits nicely on a church sign. It never causes trouble or demands a response. When asked, "Do you believe in grace?" who could say no? Best-selling author and pastor Max Lucado helps us dive deeper into what it means to be changed by grace.

Foulsham has been destroyed. Darkness lies heavily over the city; the sun has not come up for days. Inside the houses throughout the capital, ordinary objects have begun to move. There are rumours of a terrible contagion. From the richest mansion to the poorest slum, people have disappeared. The police have been instructed to carry arms. Someone has stolen a certain plug. Someone is lighting a certain box of matches. All will come tumbling down. The Iremongers have come to London.

In his best-selling title Just Like Jesus, Max Lucado explains that God loves you just the way you are...but he refuses to leave you that way. Why? Because our ultimate goal should be a life that is just like Jesus. And with determination, faith, and God's help, we can all change for the better, no matter how long the bad habits have settled in. The reputation and recognition of the best seller is sure to make this new edition an instant favorite.

In Six Hours One Friday, Max Lucado delves into the meaning of Jesus' last hours on the cross. Through his death, your life has purpose and meaning. You are forgiven and loved by a savior who died for you. An empty tomb proclaims that death does not have the final word.