Max Lucado (born January 11, 1955) is an American author
"Lucado set a record by concurrently placing seven different Word titles on the CBA hardcover bestseller list in March and April 1997. In 1994, Lucado became the only author to have 11 of his 12 books in print simultaneously appear on paperback, hardcover, and children’s CBA bestseller lists. A-Max Lucado title has appeared on the CBA hardcover bestseller list every month for the last seven years." and minister at Oak Hills Church (formerly the Oak Hills Church of Christ) in

San Antonio, Texas ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_ ...

Life

Lucado was born in

San Angelo, Texas San Angelo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Tom Green County, Texas, United States. Its location is in the Concho Valley, a region of West Texas between the Permian Basin to the northwest, Chihuahuan Desert to the southwest, Osage ...

, the youngest of four children to Jack and Thelma Lucado. He grew up in

Andrews, Texas Andrews is the county seat of Andrews County in the Permian Basin of West Texas. Andrews sits to the far southwest within the Texas Panhandle's plains, about 30 miles east of New Mexico. Andrews was incorporated on February 2, 1937. Both th ...

. His father, of Italian ancestry, was an oil field worker, while his mother served as a nurse. Lucado attended

Abilene Christian University Abilene Christian University (ACU) is a private Christian university in Abilene, Texas. It was founded in 1906 as ''Childers Classical Institute''. ACU is one of the largest private universities in the Southwestern United States and has one of th ...

where he received an undergraduate degree in

Mass Communication Mass communication is the process of imparting and exchanging information through mass media to large segments of the population. It is usually understood for relating to various forms of media, as its technologies are used for the dissemination o ...

. While a student at Abilene Christian, Lucado worked to pay his way through college by selling books door-to-door with the

Southwestern Advantage Southwestern Advantage, formerly known as Southwestern Company, is an education material sales company based in Nashville, TN. Established in 1855, the privately-owned company recruits college and university students as independent contractors to ...

entrepreneurial program. Initially he wished to become a lawyer, but has said that a required Bible course at the university and a mission trip made him change his mind, deciding instead to become a missionary. However, this required that Lucado get a graduate degree in Bible and Biblical Studies, and have at least two years experience ministering to a church. Lucado graduated from Abilene Christian University with a master's degree in Bible and Biblical Studies. After graduation, Lucado became an associate minister at Central Church of Christ in

Miami, Florida Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...

. His responsibilities initially included overseeing a singles' group and writing a column for the church's newsletter. After two years in Miami, the now newlywed Lucado and his wife, Denalyn Lucado, moved to

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...

to become full-time missionaries. In 1987, Lucado's father died from

Lou Gehrig's disease Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or Lou Gehrig's disease, is a neurodegenerative disease that results in the progressive loss of motor neurons that control voluntary muscles. ALS is the most com ...

. After five years in Brazil, he brought his family back to the United States to be closer to his mother. Max and his wife appeared on '' Fixer Upper'' (S3 E9 which aired January 26, 2016) when his daughter Sara and her husband Jeff Jones purchased a home that was to be remodeled by Chip & Joanna Gaines. Max asked that a quote that he had written for his daughter's wedding when he officiated be incorporated in some way into the new home without the couple knowing ahead of time. The quote was "Would you take these two of dust and bone, born of flesh, then would you make them one? Would you speak again the words you spoke when Adam slept and Eve Awoke? Would you let your wine replace our water and look with grace on this son, this daughter? Oh Lord of Eden in your majesty create again your tapestry. One heart where there were two. This is the prayer we lift to you." Joanna asked Clayton Thompson to make the wall art and it was placed in the "moffice" (the mudroom and office combined).

Oak Hills Church

In 1988, he was hired as a minister to the Oak Hills Church of Christ in

. He stopped taking a salary from the congregation in 1990 because he was already an established successful author. During his tenure, Oak Hills began using musical instruments in worship services and held the belief that baptism isn't required for salvation (things not in accord with two key doctrines of the

Churches of Christ The Churches of Christ is a loose association of autonomous Christian congregations based on the '' sola scriptura'' doctrine. Their practices are based on Bible texts and draw on the early Christian church as described in the New Testament. ...

); ultimately Oak Hills dropped its affiliation with them in 2003, calling itself simply "Oak Hills Church". After serving as the senior minister at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, TX for 20 years, Lucado announced in early 2007 that he was stepping down due to health concerns related to atrial fibrillation.Lucado stepping down for health reasons
''Christian Chronicle'', May 2007, accessed March 3, 2014. Lucado has since resumed the more limited ministry role of writing and preaching at Oak Hills with co-minister Randy Frazee, formerly of

Willow Creek Community Church Willow Creek Community Church is an Evangelical non-denominational, multi-site megachurch. Its largest campus is located in the northwestern Chicago suburb of South Barrington, Illinois. It was founded on October 12, 1975 by Dave Holmbo and Bil ...

of South Barrington, Illinois.

Views

He believes the Bible to be infallible. Lucado is a credobaptist. Lucado adheres to a trinitarian view of God. Lucado has stated that he believes in “the traditional biblical understanding of marriage” (a male & female) and argues that

same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being Mexico, constituting ...

sinfully goes against God's original design. This said, he has strongly expressed disapproval of

gay bashing Gay bashing is an attack, abuse, or assault committed against a person who is perceived by the aggressor to be gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT). It includes both violence against LGBT people and LGBT bullying. The term covers vio ...

, stating that, "LGBTQ individuals and LGBTQ families must

till image:Geschiebemergel.JPG, Closeup of glacial till. Note that the larger grains (pebbles and gravel) in the till are completely surrounded by the matrix of finer material (silt and sand), and this characteristic, known as ''matrix support'', is d ...

be respected and treated with love. They are beloved children of God because, they are made in the image and likeness of God." He adds: Faithful people may disagree about what the Bible says about homosexuality, but we agree that God's holy Word must never be used as a weapon to wound others."

Accomplishments

Lucado has written almost 100 books with 130 million copies in print. He was recipient of the Charles "Kip" Jordon Gold Medallion Christian Book of the Year award three times for his books ''Just Like Jesus'', ''In the Grip of Grace'' and ''When God Whispers Your Name''), and has also appeared regularly on several bestseller lists including the ''New York Times'' Best Seller List. Lucado was named "America's Pastor" by ''

Christianity Today ''Christianity Today'' is an evangelical Christian media magazine founded in 1956 by Billy Graham. It is published by Christianity Today International based in Carol Stream, Illinois. ''The Washington Post'' calls ''Christianity Today'' "evan ...

'' magazine and in 2005 was named by ''Reader's Digest'' as "The Best Preacher in America."Tiffany Taylo
"'Reader's Digest' honors alumnus: Max Lucado named Best Preacher in America in magazine,"
''The Optimist'' (Abilene Christian University), April 29, 2005 He has also been featured on

The Fox News Channel The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is ow ...

NBC Nightly News ''NBC Nightly News'' (titled as ''NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt'' for its weeknight broadcasts since June 22, 2015) is the flagship daily evening News broadcasting#Television, television news program for NBC News, the news division of the NB ...

Larry King Live ''Larry King Live'' was an American television talk show hosted by Larry King on CNN from 1985 to 2010. It was the channel's most watched and longest-running program, with over one million viewers nightly. Mainly aired from CNN's Los Angeles ...

LLBN Loma Linda Broadcasting Network (LLBN) is a non-profit, community and variety television, Christian broadcasting network in Loma Linda, California founded in 1996. Broadcast can be received via GloryStar Satellite Systems - Galaxy 19, Internet v ...

, and

USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...

. He has been a featured speaker at the

National Prayer Breakfast The National Prayer Breakfast is a yearly event held in Washington, D.C., usually on the first Thursday in February. The founder of this event was Abraham Vereide. The event—which is actually a series of meetings, luncheons, and dinners—has ...

Education

*B.A.

(1977) *M.A.

Books

*''On the Anvil: Being Shaped into God's Image'',

Carol Stream, Illinois Carol Stream is a village in DuPage County, Illinois, United States, and a suburb of Chicago. Carol Stream was incorporated on January 5, 1959, and named after its founder's daughter. Per the 2020 census, the population was 39,854. History In ...

: Tyndale House, 1985. . *''No Wonder They Call Him the Savior'',

New York, New York New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

Doubleday Publishing Doubleday is an American publishing company. It was founded as the Doubleday & McClure Company in 1897 and was the largest in the United States by 1947. It published the work of mostly U.S. authors under a number of imprints and distributed th ...

, 1986. . *''God Came Near: Chronicles of the Christ'',

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous ...

: Multnomah Press, 1987. . *''Six Hours One Friday: Anchoring to the Power of the Cross''

: Multnomah Press, 1989. . *''The Applause of Heaven'',

Dallas, Texas Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...

: Word Publishing, 1990. . *''In the Eye of the Storm: A Day in the Life of Jesus'',

: Word Publishing, 1991. . *''Just In Case You Ever Wonder'',

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and ...

: Thomas Nelson, 1992. P *''And the Angels Were Silent'',

: Multnomah Press, 1992. *''Tell Me the Story''

Wheaton, Illinois Wheaton is a suburban city in Milton and Winfield Townships and is the county seat of DuPage County, Illinois. It is located approximately west of Chicago. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 52,894, which was estimated ...

Crossway Books Crossway (previously known by its parent ministry Good News Publishers) is a not-for-profit evangelical Christian publishing ministry headquartered in Wheaton, Illinois. Clyde and Muriel Dennis founded Good News Publishers in 1938, working out o ...

, 1992. *''He Still Moves Stones'',

: Word Publishing, 1993. *''Tell Me the Secrets'',

, 1993. *''The Crippled Lamb'',

: Thomas Nelson, 1994. *''When God Whispers Your Name'',

: Word Publishing, 1994. *''The Children of the King'',

, 1994. *''The Final Week of Jesus''

: Multnomah Press, 1994. . *''A Gentle Thunder'',

: Word Publishing, 1995. *''The Song of the King'',

, 1995. *''The Inspirational Study Bible''

: Thomas Nelson, 1995. . *''In the Grip of Grace'',

: Word Publishing, 1996. *''The Glory of Christmas'',

: Word Publishing, 1996. *''God's Inspirational Promises'',

: Word Publishing, 1996. *''Walking with the Savior'',

: Tyndale House, 1996. *''Alabaster's Song'',

: Thomas Nelson, 1996. *''Life Lessons Bible Study Guides'' 1996–1998. *'' The Great House of God'',

: Word Publishing, 1997. *''You Are Special'',

, 1997. *''Cosmic Christmas: An Angel's Story'',

: Word Publishing, 1997. *''The Greatest Moments'',

: Word Publishing, 1997. *''The Cross'',

: Multnomah Press, 1998. *''The Heart of Christmas'', 1998. *''Just Like Jesus'',

: Word Publishing, 1998. *''The Christmas Cross'',

: Word Publishing, 1998. (the 2003 American Christian film, ''

Christmas Child ''Christmas Child'' is a 2004 American Christian film directed by William Ewing starring Steven Curtis Chapman. The film is based on " The Christmas Cross", a short story by Max Lucado repackaged in 2003 as ''The Christmas Child: A Story of Com ...

'', was based on this short story) *''Let the Journey Begin'',

: Word Publishing, 1998. *''When Christ Comes'',

: Word Publishing, 1999. *''Just the Way You Are'',

, 1999. *''The Gift for All People'',

: Multnomah Press, 1999. *''Opening Windows'', 1999. *''Because I Love You'',

, 1999. *''Topical Bible Study Series'', 1999–2000. *''He Chose the Nails'',

: Word Publishing, 2000. *'' Grace for the Moment'',

: J. Countryman, 2000. *''In the Footsteps of Jesus'',

: Tyndale House, 2000. *''He Did This Just For You'', 2000. *''Small Gifts in God's Hands'',

: Thomas Nelson, 2000. *''Traveling Light'',

: W Publishing Group, 2001. *''Traveling Light Journal'',

: W Publishing Group, 2001. *''America Looks Up'',

: W Publishing Group, 2001. *''One Incredible Moment'',

: J. Countryman, 2001. *''Safe in the Shepherd's Arms'',

: J. Countryman, 2001. *''Just For You'',

: W Publishing Group, 2002. *''A Love Worth Giving'',

: W Publishing Group, 2002. *''Traveling Light for Mothers'',

: W Publishing Group, 2002. *''He Chose You'',

: Thomas Nelson, 2002. *''Just Like Jesus (Devotional)'', 2002. *''A Heart Like Jesus'', 2002. *''What the Cross Means to Me'', 2002. *''Next Door Savior'',

: W Publishing Group, 2003. *''Experiencing the Heart of Jesus'', *''God Thinks You're Wonderful'', 2003.

: J. Countryman, 2003. *'' Hermie, A Common Caterpillar'',

: Thomas Nelson, 2003. *''It's Not About Me'',

: Integrity Publishers, 2004. *''Come Thirsty'',

: W Publishing Group, 2004. *''Everyday Blessings'',

: J. Countryman, 2004. *''The Story: The Bible as One Continuing Story of God and His People"

Zondervan Zondervan is an international Christian media and publishing company located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Zondervan is a founding member of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA). They are a part of HarperCollins Christian Publ ...

, 2005, 2008, 2011. Various editions, including Teen Edition . *''Cure for the Common Life'',

: W Publishing Group, 2005. *''Turn'',

: Multnomah Press, 2005. *''God's Mirror'',

: Integrity Publishers, 2005. *''The Way Home: A Princess Story'',

: Thomas Nelson, 2005. *''God's Promises For You'', 2006. (Updated Edition) *''Your Special Gift'',

, 2006. *''Grace For The Moment II'',

: J. Countryman, 2006. *''Facing Your Giants'',

: W Publishing Group, 2006. *''Every Day Deserves a Chance: Wake Up to the Gift of 24 Hours'',

: Thomas Nelson, 2006. *''3:16: The Numbers of Hope'',

: W Publishing Group, 2007. *''Cast Of Characters'',

: Thomas Nelson, 2008. *''Fearless'',

: Thomas Nelson, 2009. *''You Changed My Life'',

: Thomas Nelson, 2010. *''The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible, NKJV'', 2010. *''Outlive Your Life: You Were Made to Make A Difference'',

: Thomas Nelson, 2010. *''Max on Life; Answers and Inspiration for Today's Questions'', 2011. *''God's Story, Your Story: When His Becomes Yours'', 2011. . *''God's Story, Your Story: Youth Edition'', 2011. *''The Christmas Candle'',

Thomas Nelson (publisher) Thomas Nelson is a publishing firm that began in West Bow, Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1798, as the namesake of its founder. It is a subsidiary of HarperCollins, the publishing unit of News Corp. It describes itself as a "world leading publisher ...

, 2013. *''God Will Carry You Through'',

: Thomas Nelson, 2013. *''Who Is This Jesus?'', Worthy Publishing, 201

*''You'll Get Through This: Hope and Help for Your Turbulent Times,''

: Thomas Nelson, 2013 *''Before Amen: The Power of a Simple Prayer'',

: Thomas Nelson, 2014. *''Miracle at the Higher Grounds Cafe'',

: Thomas Nelson, 2015. *''Glory Days: Living Your Promised Land Life Now'',

: Thomas Nelson, 2015. *''Because of Bethlehem: Love Is Born, Hope Is Here'',

: Thomas Nelson, 2016. *''Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World'',

: Thomas Nelson, 2017. *''Unshakable Hope: Building Our Lives on the Promises of God'',

: Thomas Nelson, 2018. *''How Happiness Happens: Finding Lasting Joy in a World of Comparison, Disappointment, and Unmet Expectations'',

: Thomas Nelson, 2019.

Other publications

Movies * Hermie and Friends, ''Hermie, A Common Caterpillar'', 2003. the first in a series of Christian videos for children, based on his book with the same title (The series ranked #8 on The Top Christian Cartoon Series list.) * ''3:16: Stories of Hope'', 2007. DVD. * ''God's Story, Your Story'', 2011. DVD *''

The Christmas Candle ''The Christmas Candle'' is a 2013 British-American Christmas drama film directed by John Stephenson. Introduction It is based on Max Lucado's novel '' The Christmas Candle''. The film is an Impact and Big Book Media production presented by ...

'' (2013) Mobile apps
His is Mine
2011. Based on his book God's Story, Your Story: When His Becomes Yours, and compatible with the iPhone,

iPod Touch The iPod Touch (stylized as iPod touch) is a discontinued line of iOS-based mobile devices designed and marketed by Apple Inc. with a touchscreen-controlled user interface. As with other iPod models, the iPod Touch can be used as a musi ...

, and

iPad The iPad is a brand of iOS and iPadOS-based tablet computers that are developed by Apple Inc., Apple Inc. The iPad was conceived before the related iPhone but the iPhone was developed and released first. Speculation about the development, ...

Notes

Company to Release Companion CD & DVD to New Lucado Book''

References

External links

Max Lucado Official WebsiteOak Hills Church WebsiteFilm & Media partner of Max LucadoMax Lucado
Unofficial Biography of Max Lucado
Christian Book Previews - Max Lucado Bio3:16 The Numbers of Hope
book review
Max Lucado's Books
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lucado, Max 1955 births Living people 20th-century Protestant religious leaders 21st-century Protestant religious leaders American evangelicals American television evangelists Television evangelists American religious leaders Christian writers People from Andrews, Texas People from San Antonio People from San Angelo, Texas People from Abilene, Texas Protestant missionaries in Brazil Ministers of the Churches of Christ Abilene Christian University alumni Promise Keepers American Protestant missionaries Writers from Texas American people of Italian descent