You Are Never Alone Study Guide: Trust in the Miracle of God's Presence and Power

by Max Lucado

When life feels depleted, does God care? I'm facing an onslaught of challenges; will God help? When life grows dark and stormy, does God notice? I'm facing the fear of death; will God help me? The answer in the life-giving miracles in the Gospel of John is a resounding yes.

In You Are Never Alone, Max Lucado looks at the miracles of Jesus as recorded in the Gospel of John. John chose the stories and events from Jesus' life that he believed would give his readers strength, empower them, lift them up, and speak life into their situations.

• Jesus transformed water into wine. We don't have to apologize to God for praying for something insignificant.
• Jesus healed a man who couldn't walk. We don't have to stay stuck , no matter the reason we got stuck in the first place.
• Jesus saved the disciples from the raging storm. We are not alone in our storms, even when it feels like it.
• Jesus healed the blind man. We don't have to be defined by our darkness: guilt, sin, trauma, anxiety, fear.
• Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. There is nothing so bad we have done that Jesus doesn't have power over it to forgive.
• Jesus was resurrected. Even though his disciples didn't believe him, Jesus didn't add to their shame or punish them.

Today, take courage that you are stronger than you think because God is nearer than you know. This is the message of the miracles . . . that with God you are never alone.

Sessions include:

1. God is With You in the Ordinary
2. God is With You When You're Stuck
3. God is With You in the Storm
4. God is With You in the Dark
5. God is With You in the Valley
6. God is With You When You Need Grace

Designed for use with You Are Never Alone Video Study (9780310115571), sold separately. Streaming video access included.

• ISBN10: 0310115558
• ISBN13: 9780310115557
• Publish Date: 1 October 2020 (first published 15 September 2020)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: HarperChristian Resources
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 160
• Language: English

Reviews

[Jeff Sexton]

What's In Your Basket? This is the second time I've had the honor of working with one of my childhood literary heroes as an advance reader of his new book, and the first time I've actually read the entire book before publication (in this case, roughly 3 months before). And this book is classic Lucado. Full of humor, real life stories, encouragement, ... and prooftexting. For those that don't know, "prooftexting" is the concept used quite extensively in Christian circles where you cite seemingly random Bible verses in support - "proof" - of whatever claim you're making at the time. And it is an automatic star deduction whenever I encounter it. No ifs, ands, or buts. This is my own way of waging war against the practice.

All of that noted, this particular book looks at several of the miracles as seen in the Gospel of John, which has long been my own personal favorite Gospel and book of the Bible. So much so that when I preached my own first sermon over two decades ago now, it too came from John - though not one of the stories Lucado so eloquently discusses here.

Seriously y'all, the guy is a master of the conversational style and inspirational writing. He has been for 30 years, and this book is no different there. Were it not for the prooftexting, this is a 5* book easily if you're remotely open to Christian thinking, and if you don't want to read a book that heavily references Christian thinking... why are you reading a book by one of the most well known Christian writers and pastors in America today? It even has a revelation or two that I didn't know myself and had to Google, but for those still as plugged into this community as I was long ago were likely old news at this point.

All told, a work that is very much recommended.