BraveMen S3E60: From Little Country Town to Global Best-Selling Author - The Remarkable Journey of Max Lucado

I was so taken by Max Lucato's new book you were never alone. I bought a series of copies for them for my family. The subtitle I think speaks about a trust in the miracle of God's presence and power and it talks about being in difficult times. I mean there's some remarkable stories in it and Max Lucato has written a number of books over 40 books and they've sold over 100 million copies and yet sitting down with him in this conversation it was like sitting down with a friend I'd known for quite some time. You're going to love meeting Max Lucato. I know you were really taken even just by working with him and through with his staff right Chris. Chris shields us with me our co-host on this season of Brave Men. Yes I love you know just the way that they're just so yeah it was down to earth yeah it wasn't like challenging. It's guys written like how many books did I sold? Heard 140 million. A lot like tons. Yes like all over the world. Crazy. Yes like one of the best known authors in the world. Yes and yet working with him and his team. In fact the first interview we did it actually his microphone dumped. Yes about five minutes into it and he apologized probably ten times. Hey man so sorry so sorry. Super nice guy authentic. Yeah but it's amazing because with guys like him you know that I've literally touched the world. Yeah you know that they haven't touched the world because they haven't first touched Jesus. Wow you know that's so good. And it's like the reality is is he has gotten to a place where he has not gotten stuck with you know oh I'm a king in a priest. He said I'm focused on raising it and magnifying and glorifying the name of Jesus and every opportunity of life I have and that's what you see and that's why he can write a book like this. Yeah and it changed nations and worlds and touch people's lives. Yeah the first one he wrote he was actually in Brazil he was a missionary and I think on the anvil was the first one but I think the first one that actually you know everybody found out about was a 1985-86 somewhere around him. Yeah no wonder they call him a savior. No wonder they call him a savior yeah that was it that was that was like huge. Yes it came out when crazy and and here he is coming back from Brazil. Series of circumstances we talk about it a little bit and then he comes back to a San Antonio. Yeah and he's asked to be the pastor of this church and so he starts into it and he keeps writing. Yes and people keep I mean it's just it's like it just a God touched it man. But isn't it funny though like that is the book that he wrote you're never you know no wonder they call him a savior. And then now he's writing a book called You're Never Alone. Yeah he's centered he is stayed on Jesus on almost everything he's done. Yeah yeah that's amazing. And it makes me think of a statement you told me a while back about you know the reality of how people think that God left Jesus on the cross. Yeah and it's like no this is what even he's touching God. God never turned his back on him. Yeah Max is showing us he never turned his back on him. He was never alone. He said he'll never leave you he'll never forsake you and I really feel like yeah somebody out there needs to know that yeah whatever situation or circumstance you're in right now God has not forgotten you it's not done it's not finished. God does not end on a negative he always ends on a positive so guess what better days are ahead. So I'm about to interview Max Locato following that I'm going to interview Chris because you got you on a roll on that thing man but it's true and that is the inspiration and that is the beauty of reading books like this because they just fire us up. Yes and you're going to love this interview with Max Locato today on Brave Men. It's Brave Men with Paul Lewis Cole wisdom encouraged for the journey. Talking with Max Locato and Max you've written a new book called You Are Never Alone which is really a book it says trust in the miracle of God's presence and power to me it was a book absolutely filled with hope in a period of time in which people are losing hope during this COVID season. What what was the motivation behind writing this book? Well by the way thank you for the time today it's a great great privilege to talk to you. I picked up on loneliness as an epidemic prior to the pandemic and wondered how we could address it you know I came across some statistics like 2026% of millennials say they have no friend 26% one out of four and I thought that's just tragic I mean that's the that's the season in life in which you'd hope to be making lifelong friends loneliness is just really taking its toll on us and so I again long before the pandemic I worked on a series of messages for our church and approached this idea of being never alone by looking at the miracles of Jesus in the gospel of John for two reasons one he said that I recorded these that you might believe in Jesus and in believing have life have life that vibrant Zoe life that the Bible talks about and then second I was struck by the fact that all of his miracles help people all of his miracles help people you know if you wanted just to display his divinity he could have done things like I levitate above people or cause a flock of geese to become a flock of crows but he he didn't he everything he did was to benefit someone else and so I went into it for that reason how can these miracles reveal life how can these miracles reveal the heart of Christ and then as it as in God's Providence the book was almost finished Paul by the time lock lock down hit in the spring of 2020 and so I was so thankful that the project was already on the runway and I do I agree with you I think it's a good it's a timely word yeah it's incredible and so you went through John and I found that thread immediately as I read the book and you started going through the different pieces of the miracles and one of them that really really hit me in fact I talked to a number of people about it over the last couple days after having read the book and that is the the man from John forts the man from Herod's court and and the title of the chapter is the long walk let me find it a long walk between offered and answered prayer how about that where did it come from what what a story it it is the second miracle the first is watered wine and this is the second and he is in cavernium his son is dying but Jesus is in cana and so it was at least 18 maybe 20 mile walk from cavernium to cana but something that he had heard about Christ made him believe that if he could somehow get Christ close to his son that his son would have a second chance and so he made that long walk in the first thing he did when he reached Jesus in cana he fell on his knees again this is a this is an official this is an important man he's used to giving commands he's used to seeing his commands obeyed but he fell on his face fell on his knees I'm seeing him down on his face and he's begging on behalf of his son what a picture of what a father does for his family that's it if we didn't do anything other than learn that lesson that our job as fathers is to be the primary intercessor appealing to Christ to be kind to our family you know he said that's right that's right there brother that's what we talk about that don't talk to your children about God until you first talk to God about your children right I mean that's that's right there and so this is a great father he's asking God for a miracle for his son absolutely he's interceding it's a perfect picture of intercession now what's interesting is that his request is please come with me and heal my son so that my son will live I think it's a kind of interesting maybe he's used to you know calling the shots and controlling things so he's actually telling Jesus how to answer his prayer now Jesus then responds and says will you not believe unless you see signs and miracles this is an interesting response maybe he saw in the request of the man a contingent faith I want to tell you how to answer my prayer God I want you to come with me and so he says to the man you go home your son will live and this is this is the moment of truth for the man this is the moment Paul that he has to choose if he's going to walk by faith or if he's going to you know stay there and insist that Jesus come with him and the scripture says he he took Jesus at his word and left I'd like that to be said about me you know that Max took Jesus at his word and walked by faith so here he is in between the offered prayer and the answered prayer and he makes that long walk back and just not far from his house he hears the servant say your son has been healed Max I that is what hit me I've read this so many times and that's why I appreciate men like yourself and that's why I read a lot because I find these different things and you saw something here that I had not quite seen when that man turned and walked away he walked away without the contingency as you said of his request and how much faith did that take man yeah in fact maybe on that walk it was filled with some apprehension also right as you mentioned no doubt you know I would have imagined that there I mean I guess the guy could have turned on a dime and whistled and and high five people all the way home but that that wouldn't have been me that would have been a long walk it would have been a long walk and and some of your listeners are right there on that walk right now you know you're you've offered a prayer in your walking by faith in the direction of an answered prayer but you haven't seen the answer yet and I think this story teaches us or urges us just just keep walking just keep walking just keep moving in the direction of an answered prayer stand upon the promises of God don't give up and when the man was close to the house that's when he found out that the sun was healed and his first question was now when was he healed and they said they told him the time and turns out that's the time that Jesus declared the healing and then John 5 when you talk about moving towards the answer or keep walking John 5 is the man to pull with Hezdo and you you really brought this in we're talking with a Max Lucato about his book you are never alone which just came out and as I mentioned to you Dr. Lucato just before we we started recording I've already purchased a number of the hardbacks from my family and I'm getting some for friends and I just want to recommend this to everybody you're never alone by Max Lucato but but this this story right here in John 5 where where the man's lame by the pool with us are 38 years and Jesus asks him do you want to be well well most of us feel like what kind of a crazy question is that but what you brought out was so good it's and if you will it is the West Texas sort of thought right here because you were you were born in San Angelo and grew up in Andrew is that right that's right that's premium basin that's that's that's oil country they say that you know that when the oil is is being burned off you can smell it oh no doubt yeah my dad would always say that's money that's not that that's money that would money but here's a here's so in the West Texas sort of like looking at it very pragmatically Jesus is actually looking at the man saying are you telling me in 38 years you couldn't somehow get somebody to take you to close to that water yeah there's there was the belief that that water had healing power right and so a lot of people gathered near the pool of Bethesda I think just the fact that Jesus showed up where so many sick people were says so much about the character of Christ yes that he is drawn to people who are hurting wow and he spots this man and and he knows the man has been been there has been sick for 38 years and that he asked him the questions it do you want to get well do you want to get well because I think that's a question that is worthy of being asked you know sometimes we can get stuck in life and maybe the man could have said he didn't but he could have said no you know I'm I'm doing pretty good I get enough money in my 10 cup to buy the beans and the bacon's bacon I can I can kind of get through the day because getting up means I have to get on with life or get a job or get better and so there there is a season of life that we can get stuck we're we have inertia we have inertia and and the question of Christ maybe to some people that you're that are tuned in today God is saying now do you want to get on with your life are you ready are you do you want to be a better dad you want to get unstuck do you want to get unstuck yeah absolutely yeah yeah that is that is so powerful so he heals him and then and then relating to that same man before he says stand up pick up your mat and then walk yeah right and how did you relate that Dr. Lucato oh I love that you know stand up pick up and walk stand up okay do something do something you know maybe it's writing a letter of forgiveness maybe it's calling somebody with whom you've had a argument or fight maybe it's calling a pastor a council or maybe it's joining AA but do something stand up and pick up I love that because Jesus is saying you're not coming back here Bethesda's in your rearview mirror now buddy here it's time for you to move on with life so disconnect yourself with with this you know when I was 20 years old that that's when I became a disciple of Christ and I I've done some dumb things in my life but a smart thing I did I I disconnected myself from a circle of friends with my drinking buddies because I knew they were I wasn't strong enough to pull them with me but they were strong enough to pull me down and I I called them and I said you know I gave my heart to Christ last weekend and I won't be hanging out with you anymore boy they gave me a hard time they didn't think I was serious but but in my case I had to you know make a break with the past and I think I think Jesus is saying that to him now if you want to get better there's sometimes you got to make a break with the past and walk walk in the direction walk toward an answer prayer walk toward a new you be excited about what's coming next you know as as he picked it up he he didn't just say stand up he said pick up your mat and I I think about it like when he picked that mat up and then walked out there were a couple things one people would be saying wait a minute how have we seen that guy yeah and then secondly he's carrying the mat he's all in the wherever he goes he's carrying his testimony oh good word good word his mat becomes his message yeah that's good that's fantastic I you know so you're never alone now you started writing you were missionaries in Brazil right yeah like I said I became a disciple when I was about 20 I changed peer groups and I began hanging out with a group of guys who had invited me to go to church with them they're in college they were all preparing to be missionaries and you were you were definitely Christian yes sir do you know that school ACU yes sir yeah great school great school yeah I'm kind of to think it was was Sammy Bob at that school no he's TCU he's TCU that's right right right and I know that because his son David was my high school football coach come on I got to meet Sammy Bob Sammy ball was from sweet water and small West Texas town and we all play always played them each year yeah he was the first great passer to come out yeah what an art yeah did you play football are you a football fanatic or well I love I played a little bit of everything I was more of a baseball player that's really what I ended up you know playing in college I played basketball and baseball in college and then you played a number of sports also I did I loved it and I still love it I still love sports but you know I never really excelled in anything you know I had a funny thing happen in pony league you know that that league in between a little league in high school right the first first at bat of the year I hit a home run oh my god everybody thought I was going to be the superstar I didn't get a hit the rest of the year the rest of the season so I went one for about 80 you raised expectations oh boy so I've never I loved high school football that was great for me it it gave me some self-confidence but I wasn't good enough to play in college who were the let me hit that for a second because I I am of the opinion here we are with Christian men's network talking with Max Lucato and with the center point of our conversation as you are never alone in the book and he's just written it's tremendous and in an uplifting revelational not just inspirational it's inspirational but it's revelational book but let me ask you this just as a guy with with with our men are listening how how deep of an impact that coaches have on you as you were growing up huge huge both positively and negatively there was a coach the negative oh god blessing boy he was vile his mouth was he would cuss us out and he he if we weren't doing our pushups right you could expect chewing the back of spit on your hand he was just he was just an angry man so god blessing but on the positive side I think of Moody Connor Moody was an elder in the church where I attended but he was also a coach he wasn't the head coach but he was on the coaching staff and it was the most wonderful thing as a young man wasn't walking with the Lord but to see him leading prayers at church teaching Bible classes at church but then to see you know coaching our football team he coached the lineman so he was my coach and and to see that consistency just to see and my dad became very ill and and coach Connor would go visit my dad you know and my dad's later years so so god bless Moody and his family I think he's going on to heaven now but coaches are yeah they have an amazing impact over a young man hey this is Chris let me take a moment right in the middle of this great conversation to remind you how to get in touch with Paul and Christian men's network and the global fatherhood initiative you can find all the resources for mentoring and fatherhood at cmin.min that's the Christian men's network at cmin.min Christian men's network does special events across America and around the world you can find all the information at cmin.min click on events we also have tremendous resources for churches with special discounts for groups on that website everything a church needs from a to z to mentor and disciple men of all ages and backgrounds now let's get back to this powerful interview between Paul and Max Lucato Max I feel like if if the church is in America the life giving churches in America would raise up coaches there are youth sports leagues across America closing down because of for lack of coaches my grandchildren were in a couple leagues where the the only person that could show up to coach was a lady who knew that the kids needed somebody she didn't know anything about the sport she showed up to make sure everybody had a team that they could play on and uh what what would happen man if we if we raised up coaches sports coaches yeah yeah across the United States high impact in fact uh coaches sports coaches actually in terms of the integrity factors or one of the highest integrity factor type people in the community really yeah and uh it's amazing now you had this book you got really vulnerable in a number of areas and one was where a man like a coach took you in some boys away and this is most one of the most remarkable pictures I've ever seen of of anybody that's shared this stuff in print this guy took you guys away for a weekend he abused you and the other four boys and you were extremely open with what happened on that was that a thing to write was that it's an interesting thing Paul let me tell you the story and then answer the question okay okay just just super brief summary of the story he presented himself to me and several friends as a mentor saying I didn't have a son I'd love to you know hang out with you guys and he was a kind man at least we thought he would have us over for burgers uh would watch football games at his house uh I do remember he had he had playboy magazines everywhere all over again you know I didn't tell my dad that I probably should have but he took us on this camping trip and as we unpacked the suitcase of the sleeping bags we saw a box of a case of whiskey and he worked his way through that whiskey and worked his way through our sleeping bags all weekend I was 12 years old in your 12 years old your little brain cannot process that it it it is just horrible he dumped us off at our houses on Sunday evening telling us that don't tell anybody if if if you do they'll if they believe you they'll blame you and I believed him I said okay but they'll they'll blame me and so I didn't tell anybody my parents mentioned that we'd had a communion service at church that day and I really desired something and so there I was at the age of 12 after my parents went to bed I staged my own communion service I found some I couldn't find crackers and shoes so I found potatoes and milk and I stood there in my pajamas and freshly bathed and in Jesus uh I think Jesus for saving my soul now here's the deal Jesus met me there Paul he met me it was it was very supernatural uh it was it was uh it was the most beautiful one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen and he took that moment and and healed me healed me you see the reason I've not shared that story over these years is because I was healed and I didn't it wasn't a factor in my life I don't have a fear of authority I don't have a fear of intimacy as I've talked to people as a pastor I've talked to people who who dealt with this I realized that that that Jesus healed me instantly it healed me instantly and I praise his name today for that I praise his name today I bless him and I believe that healing power is available and and I now share that story hoping that people will do what that little 12-year-old version of Jesus did I didn't know anything but I thought if I can just get in front of Christ if I can bring myself in front of Christ rather than retreat or run away I can just come to him I believe healing is is possible and and so I urge anybody who's been through that to take it to Christ it's an amazing story because of being 12 years old and thinking you know it's the Holy Spirit just yeah basically directed you no doubt the communion knowing that regardless of whether it was a milk and potato yeah it was it was really about the bloodline of Christ and that that blood was about to wash you clean and cleanse you and when we talk about that second Corinthians 5 17 you know when Paul says we are new creations it didn't just mean you know we have a new start it meant we're actually recreated new creation and you know it's an amazing story so thank you for the courage it took a max to write that story because it is the story of particularly in the world in which we live today sadly is the story of hundreds of thousands of young men and men who are still dealing with and they're dealing with rage addiction they're dealing with a Proverbs 4 says what you keep in your heart you become so they're dealing with acting out the things they hated and and so you know Jesus told his disciples he said if I'm gonna give you the Holy Spirit this is when he appeared to him just before he left and and he said he said whatever sends you forgive or forgiven whatever sends you retain or retained you know the church took that a number of hundred years ago and decided that there were group of men who could actually forgive sins it's not what it meant it meant basically whatever you release from your heart is released whatever you keep yeah Jesus said I think is in Matthew 10 when he said the it's out of the heart the mouth speaks and so we become what's in our heart so the cleansing of the heart is a real thing and and so for every single man listening right now this is one of those things where brotherhood comes in where you grab some friends and you talk a lot about that you don't necessarily talk about brotherhood in this book in that sense but it is all about brotherhood because Jesus with John Lazarus you with a bunch of guys rope swinging into the was it the Guadalupe River or something yeah yeah all right so these pictures and models come to us in this book over and over yeah and we need we need healing and as as we're talking I'm just offering a prayer on behalf of any any man who's listening who's heard that story and said oh my my that's me that's me and I would like to tell you my friend you're not guilty for that you're not guilty for that and that was wrong what they did to you I declare it in the name of Christ but but that that what what the devil intended for evil a god can use for good he can use for good don't you know this ticks the devil off it just pisses the devil off here here we are what he intended to he wanted to destroy those five young boys you know he wanted to destroy us but here we are you know I'm 65 now and that was 12 years old I don't have I don't know if I can do the math quick enough but that's a here we are celebrating decades later the story of Jesus because of the power of Christ and and whoever's listening that Jesus will do the same for you he'll take your pain and he'll turn it into a possibility like you said earlier Paul he'll take that mat and and make it your message you know the uh uh and again it's uh I go back to the very first miracle that you talk about in the book and it's the first miracle John talked about the wedding at Cana and again it's that water that dirty water those six jars what did you actually figured out how many bottles of wine that made I think I'd have to look at the book I think it's not was it 750 something I actually got that out of a John Eldridge book John had John had calculated that yeah that's a lot of wine and so he he not only turned water into wine but he turned water into a lot of wine and it was so good that the that the master of the of the wedding said why why didn't you serve this first because what Jesus does is always in abundance and always in great quality and he took that that water because that's the the water that was used to wash people's feet as they went in and out of a party for three days the the the water's dirty it's covered with scum and dirt and stuff and he made it the best wine and that is the picture of what we're talking about right now as you prayed for men is that can be turned into the best wine that's a picture of the life that's what Jesus does and the very first miracles showed that it's fascinating hey you were in Brazil so you so you meet this circle of friends you end up going to Brazil as missionaries because out of ACU a couple other little things that you did and that's where you started writing how did that one motivated you to actually uh I I've always liked writing I really have um it's kind of an odd marriage because yes you know west Texas it's all about football and rodeos and uh literary skills are hard to you don't find many many young men interested in literary stuff but but I think that was a column my heart because I loved it even as high school junior and senior anytime there was a writing assignment I got excited so when I uh when I became a disciple I used the phrase became a disciple because I was a Christian at the age of 10 but I was not following Christ uh in my teenage years but at the age of 20s when I said okay I'm gonna turn my back on that mess and and and that's when I ended up in seminary and that's as you know seminarians uh do a lot of writing a lot of a lot of papers and uh several professors said you ought to I think the Lord's hand is on this part of your life and uh and so by the time I went to Brazil in 1983 I was thinking uh I'm gonna write a book and so while I was in Brazil I took a bunch of articles that I had written for magazines and I put them in a book and I submitted it to 15 publishers got 14 rejections and then following number 15 10 Del House publishers said yes and so that opened the door to writing and I've just kept writing ever since and in the first book yeah it's called on the anvil it's really not worth reading it's just a little slender volume but you know it was a first attempt and then the second book no wonder they're calling the savior was more of a personal uh encounter with Christ that I had in Brazil and from then on I've I've just kept writing I write about a book a year yeah and uh this one is your holding is number 42 yeah no wonder they call him savior was the one that that really made a mark yeah you came back and you became the pastor of Oak Hill Church Oak Hill Church uh that was part of what you did I I read it was fascinating uh 1990 I guess it was you stopped even taking the salary from the church well that's true I mean I it's not to be great sacrificial books have always provided me ample ample income more than I could ever imagine what what are my great memories of those years and the 90s is getting involved with promise keepers and that's how I'm at your dad oh yeah uh boy what a man what a man we uh we were all in in Colorado Springs coach McCartney had gathered a group of uh promise keeper teachers to to to plan what became the pastor's uh conference in in Atlanta that was a very life changing event and uh I can recall everybody had opinions on what to do everybody as you you know you get a bunch of preachers in the room everybody standing up everybody standing up and your father didn't say much but when he spoke you remember that EF Hutton commercial you know that when when EF Hutton speaks everybody listens you he didn't stand up in fact I couldn't even see him he's over in the corner across the room and he said but everybody got quiet and whatever he said calmed everybody down he's like he said now here's where we need to go here's where we need to go I remember he had his deep voice right and I didn't know him I wish I could have gotten to knowing but that's the memory I have of your dad fantastic memory thank you Max for that and thank you for this time um I I it's fascinating I'd love to sometime uh soon uh also get back and start talking and talk in it if you will just dedicate something all to father and fatherhood and fathering because I know you do a lot of mentoring uh you are a father in the faith and I know you've accepted that role because it it shows up in the way you write the way you speak to people it is you know Paul said you have 10,000 instructors but not many fathers and the difference isn't instructor tells you what he knows but a father gives you who he is and that difference we see in you I've been talking with Max Lucato thank you for being part of a brave man podcast today and uh the book is you are never alone you can find out on amazon and you can find that also on my facebook I'll be talking a lot about it uh I actually did a little facebook live this morning from a parking lot of a Starbucks in southwest Washington because that's all I had yeah that's it live and I talked about some of these miracles and remarkable book thank you for the effort that it takes and like Sam Chan our friend said one time he said writing and preachings like giving blood and so thank you for that thank you it's my honor and it's a great honor to talk to God bless you God bless you man it is so refreshing to know that we can live this life and never be alone we have a God that is never going to leave us never going to forsake us it doesn't matter for me the depths of hell doesn't mean if we're you know lost in an island it doesn't mean and you know it just makes we think of this story of me living this actually reality out I'll never forget this I was leaving the parking lot of Christ for the nation's institute and I had a flat tire and I was lost and I didn't have a GPS because my phone was cracked wow so I had no way of getting to my destination and I just said holy spirit I need you to lead me there I know I've been there before but I don't have any regulation of how of getting to this destination I just need you to leave me he said Chris I got you wow and he just says okay turn left here I'm like okay this is not looking familiar turn right here I'm like it's still not ringing a bell and then I said and then he says turn left right here and then I stop and I'm like oh I remember one thing about this tire places they only take cash and I'm like so I have to stop here and go inside and get cash I go in there all and I get cash and I walk out and there's a man that is broken and he said hey you need to pray with this guy I pray with this guy and right when I'm done praying with this guy I look across the street and lo and behold guess what's there the tire place the tire place and it's like God never leave I thought it was going to be Max Lakado no God is your GPS that's amazing and Max should have put that in the book well he probably will take that that could be his next book God is your GPS God is your GPS that's fantastic let's not tell him oh okay yeah let's keep it secure that for you yeah I will you can make that book it'd be fantastic you know I'll tell you what Chris we have had some of the most amazing man oh brave man you know I had a friend of mine tell me the other day he said he said I've been listening to a few of your podcasts he said but the fascinating is I went through the list of all the people you have on there he says it's incredible some of the most amazing men in the world you know John Eldridge has been on yes all sorts of different guys but Max Lakado that's the real deal right there bro yes he is in fact we don't even put him on if they're not the real deal no we never those guys you never heard of yes no we've actually done 85 shows but we've only done 60 now because we knocked out the other ones yes no it's not true no just kidding yeah so but Max what a great story and like I said at the outset I bought half dozen of those books my back books well I and I told them I said dude I paid retail for this man you know I went on Amazon and bought them I got them sent to the house and gave them to my kids because I felt like the stories that he had and what's in this book you are never alone I was so encouraging and in the midst of and he didn't you know it was he started writing it before corona wow yeah it wasn't like okay COVID happened and then you got to write it he was already writing this and then the coronavirus hit and then he wrote like a few notes at the front right after it hit and we're all locked down and he put those notes in the front and then bam there it is is the perfect book it's funny you said that because even before that because you know there was a little process of getting him you know to do the interview because a lot of people want him to do interviews and we actually originally had gotten a different book from him that he wrote and it was called Jesus the God that knows your name so then he writes that prior and now he has this book you're never alone you know and it's just amazing how he is literally showing us that Jesus is not a mystical creature that doesn't care he is a person that is alive he's well he's real and he is seated at the right hand of the father and he's given us this wonderful invitation to be seated with him he makes it real I want to thank Max Lucato for being all with us for his team for making this happen for you Chris and making it happen and here's a young man the beauty of this for me and for you and I as we listen to him on brave men today a young man raised at a little town called Andrews Texas who has an experience with Jesus yes goes to be a missionary in Brazil comes back starts writing it comes back and God uses him to speak to millions of people around the world your life is important every single one of us listening to this right now your life and we need you to do what God's called you to do we need you your community needs you your culture needs you your family needs you your church needs you we need you to be you and I think that you are never alone speaks to the fact that you can do this the God will fill you with courage and strength and anointing in his presence and you can do what you were called to do thank you for being here with Chris and I and all of us here are christian men's networks and you are greetings and remember this hope is alive hope has a name hope's name is Jesus you just experienced brave man with Paul Lewis Cole Paul is president of the Christian men's network connect with Paul at seaman dot man or write to him at Paul at seaman dot man