Long time Max Lucado fan - so happy to review this upcoming book. He walks you through the gospel of John, but also this book was exactly what I needed to read at this crazy, uncertain time in the world. While we might feel alone with situation, it was a wonderful reminder that I am never alone. Thanks to netgallery for the ARC, but all opinions are my own.

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. ( )

Another good book by Max Lucado. His books are so easy to read yet very thought-provoking. He is an excellent storyteller, which helps hold my interest. ( )

This was another wonderfully predictable Max Lucado book - it spoke directly to me, contained moving anecdotes and stories, and provided encouragement that "God meets us in the midst of life's messes." How perfect that Lucado published this book in the midst of the 2020 pandemic. I appreciate this reminder to "trust in the miracle of God's presence and power." And knowing that He cares about me is reassuring and hopeful. What makes this book (and all of his books) so enjoyable to read is Lucado's self-deprecating style and honesty in relating his own experiences. It's entertaining and amusing, as well as authentic.

The book contains discussion questions for those who want to spend more time with the themes. And of course the book would be great for a group study. ( )