Next Door Savior : Near Enough to Touch, Strong Enough to Trust

Rating:
Summary: Jesus is not far away
Review: Have you ever been lonely? Felt abandoned? Felt betrayed? Felt pain that you feel that only you have gone through? Been depressed? Need some reassurance? READ THIS BOOK. This is the the first book that I have read by Max Lucado, and it certainly will not be the last! Max writes in a way that I have never seen before in religious books- he describes biblical stories in modern day situations so that it is easier to understand the situation. His way of writing makes it easy for you to understand what is going on in the scriptures, and his writing comforts you. Jesus is not a god-man or half man and half God- he is fully man and fully God. Jesus has felt every feeling that you have felt- anxiety, mourning for the death of a loved one, happiness, sadness, depression, abandonment, betrayal... He understands everything that you go through. He is always there for you even though you may not think he is. He is near enough to touch! You can trust him! I highly recommend this book because it is so awesome!

Rating:
Summary: Great Reading
Review: Having read several of Max's books I can tell you that he has done it again here. He has taken everyday things and turned them into a focus on the Love of Jesus and how we can use those gifts that we have all been given. Great reading with great insights.

Rating:
Summary: A Book I Can't Finish
Review: I have been reading this book for a while, but I cannot finish it because I keep starting over from the beginning. Every chapter makes me feel great about God's love for us. It is my first Max Lucado book, but not my last. I recommend for everyone especially new Christians it brings Jesus to our neighborhood.

Rating:
Summary: The best read I've seen in a long time
Review: I received this book as a gift, and I will never be able to thank the giver enough for it!! This book offers so much hope and peace and forgiveness and sanity... it is hard to explain it all but it is SO worth the time to read it. And the way it is written makes this book easily digested. One moment you will laugh and in the next you will be weeping tears of joy, of love, of peace and of conviction. Years of feelings of inadequacy melt away, and the tons of self-judgement that weigh you down every day are lifted. I am using this book as a morning devotional, and it is wonderful!

Rating:
Summary: See What Jesus Can Do...
Review: It is fair to say that Lucado never disappoints the reader-his faith is deep and his words are fresh, original and marvelously chosen. The turns of phrase conjure up entire scenes in our imagination. For instance, he speaks of Jesus as "The maker of the world with a belly button" and "Heaven's human". (Page 5). He says of Jesus, "His vibrato made dentures rattle and rafters shake" (page 6). And Lucado writes with a pastor's heart.

This book is an invitation to anyone who will accept it, to see what Jesus can do. Lucado depicts Jesus as the One who unties the knots we make in life, and who is glad to hear our request for His help. Someone with some odd characters in His family tree. Someone who knows how we feel; who has been there Himself. Who knew the need to get away for awhile. Who was physically unremarkable yet spiritually unmatchable. And One whose every concern was for you. Lucado says Jesus is "not ashamed of you. Nor is he confused by you. Your actions don't bewilder him. Your tilted halo doesn't trouble him." (Page 17).

The great thing about this book is that it puts the reader at ease in Christ's presence. If Jesus is the "friend of flops" and "shady people" (we think to ourselves) then maybe, just maybe, He is our friend, too. If he could take Matthew, a guy who "ranked barely above plankton on the food chain," and make of him one of the founders of our faith, then (we wonder silently) what might He do with the likes of us?

This is emphasized in a passage Lucado uses to describe Jesus' reaching the unreached, the very people he came to save, at that party at Matthew's house: "...the crowd inside tells you this is anything but a clergy conference. Earrings on the guys and tattoos on the girls. Moussified hair. Music that rumbles teeth roots. And buzzing around in the middle of the group is Matthew, making more connections than an electrician.... Sinners and saints in the same room, and no one's trying to determine who is which. But an hour or so into the evening the door opens and an icy breeze blows in. The Pharisees...the religious police and their thin-lipped piety." (Pages 23 & 24).

If that doesn't makes you want to read the rest of the book, you will be missing a rare pleasure.

Lucado, who is Pulpit Minister at the Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas, is one of the most recognized Christians in the world today, and this is one of the top best-selling religious books of 2003.

Rating:
Summary: See What Jesus Can Do...
Review: It is fair to say that Lucado never disappoints the reader-his faith is deep and his words are fresh, original and marvelously chosen. The turns of phrase conjure up entire scenes in our imagination. For instance, he speaks of Jesus as "The maker of the world with a belly button" and "Heaven's human". (Page 5). He says of Jesus, "His vibrato made dentures rattle and rafters shake" (page 6). And Lucado writes with a pastor's heart.

This book is an invitation to anyone who will accept it, to see what Jesus can do. Lucado depicts Jesus as the One who unties the knots we make in life, and who is glad to hear our request for His help. Someone with some odd characters in His family tree. Someone who knows how we feel; who has been there Himself. Who knew the need to get away for awhile. Who was physically unremarkable yet spiritually unmatchable. And One whose every concern was for you. Lucado says Jesus is "not ashamed of you. Nor is he confused by you. Your actions don't bewilder him. Your tilted halo doesn't trouble him." (Page 17).

The great thing about this book is that it puts the reader at ease in Christ's presence. If Jesus is the "friend of flops" and "shady people" (we think to ourselves) then maybe, just maybe, He is our friend, too. If he could take Matthew, a guy who "ranked barely above plankton on the food chain," and make of him one of the founders of our faith, then (we wonder silently) what might He do with the likes of us?

This is emphasized in a passage Lucado uses to describe Jesus' reaching the unreached, the very people he came to save, at that party at Matthew's house: "...the crowd inside tells you this is anything but a clergy conference. Earrings on the guys and tattoos on the girls. Moussified hair. Music that rumbles teeth roots. And buzzing around in the middle of the group is Matthew, making more connections than an electrician.... Sinners and saints in the same room, and no one's trying to determine who is which. But an hour or so into the evening the door opens and an icy breeze blows in. The Pharisees...the religious police and their thin-lipped piety." (Pages 23 & 24).

If that doesn't makes you want to read the rest of the book, you will be missing a rare pleasure.

Lucado, who is Pulpit Minister at the Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas, is one of the most recognized Christians in the world today, and this is one of the top best-selling religious books of 2003.

Rating:
Summary: Another wonderful book from Max
Review: Max Lucado has a wonderful way of writing that makes you feel as if he were in the room talking to you. Through all his books, he's been able to show God's love for us in everyday English and modern situations. He is also not shy about using his own shortcomings as illustrations, which helps the reader see that he is very much a normal person, struggling with the same problems we all do. That's probably another reason why readers can connect with him. His self-deprecating sense of humour is absolutely charming as well. Often in his books I don't know whether to laugh or cry.
In reading his books, you get a sense that God isn't this all-distant being somewhere up in the sky. That, yes, God is almighty and just, far above our ability to comprehend, but at the same time, as near as your next door neighbour from whom you can borrow a cup of sugar. In that sense, this book is aptly named.
I loved the story in here about meeting President Bush. Wouldn't you know it, they're practially neighbours... :-)
As far as the discussion guides are concerned, if you've seen his last few books, they all have them, so it shouldn't be that big of a surprise. I imagine if small groups get together to read this book, it provides a starting point for their conversation. Hey, some books have study guides that are separate, and you have to pay extra for them! So this is a two-for-one. Good deal, huh.
The mailbox on the cover? Well, I confess I'm not quite sure how the British get their post - mail slots at the house, perhaps - haven't been there in a long while. But many American neighbourhoods have mailboxes in front of the driveway, so I imagine it's to invoke the image of the neighbourhood.
Anyway, this is a book well worth reading. It's quick reading too, and like most of his books, you walk away feeling comforted somehow.

Rating:
Summary: Another wonderful book from Max
Review: Max Lucado has a wonderful way of writing that makes you feel as if he were in the room talking to you. Through all his books, he's been able to show God's love for us in everyday English and modern situations. He is also not shy about using his own shortcomings as illustrations, which helps the reader see that he is very much a normal person, struggling with the same problems we all do. That's probably another reason why readers can connect with him. His self-deprecating sense of humour is absolutely charming as well. Often in his books I don't know whether to laugh or cry.
In reading his books, you get a sense that God isn't this all-distant being somewhere up in the sky. That, yes, God is almighty and just, far above our ability to comprehend, but at the same time, as near as your next door neighbour from whom you can borrow a cup of sugar. In that sense, this book is aptly named.
I loved the story in here about meeting President Bush. Wouldn't you know it, they're practially neighbours... :-)
As far as the discussion guides are concerned, if you've seen his last few books, they all have them, so it shouldn't be that big of a surprise. I imagine if small groups get together to read this book, it provides a starting point for their conversation. Hey, some books have study guides that are separate, and you have to pay extra for them! So this is a two-for-one. Good deal, huh.
The mailbox on the cover? Well, I confess I'm not quite sure how the British get their post - mail slots at the house, perhaps - haven't been there in a long while. But many American neighbourhoods have mailboxes in front of the driveway, so I imagine it's to invoke the image of the neighbourhood.
Anyway, this is a book well worth reading. It's quick reading too, and like most of his books, you walk away feeling comforted somehow.

Rating:
Summary: Lucado's Genuine Warmth Makes This a Worthwhile Read
Review: More than perhaps anyone else ---- given the gazillions of books he has sold --- San Antonio pastor Max Lucado has succeeded in translating biblical doctrines and events into stories that resonate with contemporary readers, largely through the use of vivid word pictures. He's a master at employing metaphors to create lasting images. Who can forget the floor-plan motif he used to illustrate the Lord's Prayer in THE GREAT HOUSE OF GOD? Or the excess-baggage imagery in TRAVELING LIGHT? These are just two examples from his many adult books; his children's books paint even clearer pictures of the truth he is so passionate about and so determined to convey.

In NEXT DOOR SAVIOR, you get what you've come to expect from a Lucado book, with a couple of twists. For one thing, each chapter focuses on a specific Bible story and is therefore independent of the others. In that respect, it's more like a devotional book or a collection of sermonettes, which is fine unless that's not what you're expecting. The second thing is that the last 40 or so pages comprise a discussion guide, which again is fine unless you're not expecting it, which I wasn't. (It's similar to --- but nowhere nearly as annoying --- as the trend in fiction toward teasing the reader by placing the first chapter of an author's next book at the end of that author's current book. You turn the page, and instead of a continuation of the story you're reading, you bump into something entirely new. It's a whole lot worse in fiction than it is here, believe me.) The discussion guide could certainly be seen as a value-added enhancement, but a little warning would have helped the flow by preparing the reader to expect an end to the text long before the number of pages ran out.

The idea here is to present Jesus as the man He was on earth, with His divinity fully intact --- a next-door neighbor as real as the people in your everyday life, but as different from those people as humankind is from, well, God. In attempting to illustrate this, Lucado frequently inserts elements of contemporary American life into stories from the Bible. Take Chapter 7, "What Jesus Says at Funerals," for example. It's based on the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. Max the Storyteller sets the scene: The chapel in Bethany is "library quiet." You're sitting there remembering how "just last month you took the guy out to lunch. You and Lazarus told jokes over nachos." Mary and Martha occupy the front pew, their faces streaked with sunlight filtered by the stained-glass windows. And then Jesus arrives "wearing a tie, though you get the impression he rarely does. His collar seems tight and his jacket dated." This is pure, unadulterated, classic Lucado, the kind of writing that has endeared him to countless readers and those loyal fans who own the entire collection of his works.

Familiarity, though, often breeds predictability, and readers looking for a new focus or a deeper treatment of the material won't find it here. What they will find is the genuine warmth that radiates from everything Lucado writes. And that goes a long way toward making this book, like his others, a worthwhile read.

--- Reviewed by Marcia Ford

Rating:
Summary: A Book I Can't Finish
Review: Ok, I repent. I have never read a Max Lucado book before. Just about everyone I know has, but I found excuse after excuse to avoid reading them. In do not know why. Maybe I figured that I had more important, or more entertaining reading to do. But the truth be told, I have never been a big fan of devotional books. But then I received this book as a birthday present from two dear friends in my church and what a blessing it has been.

Lucado is a master of the English language. You will not find more beautiful prose written anywhere. It is simply beautiful. Lucado takes a look at the life of Christ as if Christ is your neighbor next door. Thus, the book has a contemporary feeling. We are not reading about something that happened in ancient times, but we are learning how the living Christ is working in the world around us. Not only is this a well-written book, it is an insightful book as well. The author has a way of looking at well know verses in a fresh new way. And yes, he even gave me insight to Scripture that I had overlooked. Written in short chapters, it lends itself to being read devotionally- one chapter per day. You cannot rush Lacado. It is not a quick read. It is too insightful, to beautiful to speed-read. This is one good book.