We've all heard the story of David... he's the shepherd boy with a killer sling who becomes the hero of Israel after posting the biggest battle upset of all time. It's a great story for the Sunday School crowd... right up there with Noah's ark and Jonah and the great fish.

Leave it to Max Lucado to take this familiar story and show us how to apply it to our lives today. Just as David faced a seemingly undefeatable opponent in Goliath, we all have giants of our own to battle. Whether they come in the form of depression or addictions or financial difficulties, our personal giants taunt and mock us and make us believe that we have no hope of conquering them no matter what we do. Max reminds us that, while we by ourselves may not be able to defeat them, no giant can stand up to the power of God.

Get the book... read it... see why Max says, "Focus on Giants - You Stumble. Focus on God - Your Giants Tumble."

This book sat on my shelf for months. I received it as a Christmas gift, which I had asked for because I am a huge Max Lucado fan. But I had a few giants I wasn't ready to face and I knew he would motivate me to do so. I wish I had read it sooner. The giants would have fallen months ago.

This is a great book to study individually or in a small group setting. The thing I loved most about studying the life of David in this context was the way Mr.Lucado related his situation to own own. So often as Christians, we walk a life that is "One step forward, two steps back" in our faith. He does an excellent job of reminding us to focus on God so that we might move forward.

Just out of curiosity, I read the posts that rate this book as one star. One of the two posters hadn't even read the book and was clearly not a Christian, and the other faluts him for making references that only American readers might understand. Sorry, but I'm pretty sure that is his target audience. Ignore these posts. Buy this book.

Again Max Lacado writes a book from the heart. The evidence that the Holy Spirit leads him to write this book is overwelming. God will help you meet your giants through this book.

I requested this book as a gift for christmas, partly because of the good reviews it got, and what people had to say about the author, however, i was very disappointed with how very superficial it was. Having personal giants of my own to deal with, i was really hoping for some kind of insightful perspective to implement for this new year, that would dispose me to a more victorious lifestyle, however what i got was a concept that really did nothing for me. the concept could have been covered in the first chapter alone of this book, however the author attempted to force other aspects of David's life to conform to the concept already laid down in chapter one. i also found that his use of contemperary examples throughout the book to be a bit distasteful- one thing that can be said about the bible, is that it needs no modification to make it more relevant. so the whole concept of David riding up in a Hummer, really did nothing for me. In addition to which, im not sure if the author intended that this book be read by an American audience only, because a lot of the references and examples that were used would only be understood by an American reader. Another thing that troubled me were his attempts at humor which i found to be facetous- if someone is looking for a way to overcome a giant, the last thing they would want is a laugh- i certainly didnt want one. My only consolation was the fact that i got the book as a gift, and i didnt have to waste my money to buy it- i certainly cannot recommend this book to anyone, esp if you have a real problem that you are seeking to address. i really wanted to give it one star, but it seems i am not able to

What can be said about this book, that has not already been said. This is a one-of-a-kind introspective look into the life of David. Lucado takes I Samuel 17 as his backdrop and paints a beautiful tale which depicts the rise/fall of David and everything in between. As it relates to us, He uses the story of David to tell us how we too can slay our giants. A great read I would recommend to anyone who is trying to overcome their "giant".

This book is concise and easy to read. Using the life of David, the author gives insights on how we can overcome major obstacles in our own lives. Excellent book.

David, first King of Israel, has been the subject of untold works of art: painting, sculpture, cinema, poetry, and prose, from Michangelo to Veggie Tales. Some describe his greatness; some describe his weakness; all describe a truly incredible life.

But what does David's life mean to me, today, in the midst of the pressures and pain of the 21st century? That is the subject of this great read by Max Lucado. Each chapter of the book is a chapter from David's life, from his encounter with Goliath to his life on the lam to his victories to his downfall with Bathsheba. With each glimpse into David's strengths and weaknesses Lucado winsomely shows how we can apply insights from his life to our own. The truths presented are all Biblical and God-centered, although he sometimes draws out a point he wants to make a bit beyond where the Bible actually points.

There are some helpful study questions with practical applications in the back of the book. Overall, Facing Your Giants is an encouraging and helpful "applicational biography" of a very famous life.

I was given this book, it was a good read, but the information wasn't anything new, nor was it very impressive. It was a smooth reader, but almost to the point of beating a dead horse. Now, I am not putting down the work of the Cross or Jesus or the Holy Spirit or even King David. It's just the same ole story with a different author. I did find some of Max's antedotes and case histories of his own family interesting and the view of the Rainbow, that was most interesting.

Would I buy the book, no. Would I recommend someone else to buy the book? Not really. There are better books for the money.

Here are some examples: They Smell Like Sheep by Dr. Lynn Anderson
True Discipleship by Kossler, The Holiest of All by Andrew Murray, Power Filled Living by R.A. Torrey. These are just a few.

I've found when we are facing the giants, if we focus on God, Center ourself on Him, in Him and then look outside the box, so-to-speak and allow the Spirit of God to lead us to someone else that is hurting more than ourselves, God will work out our problems usually by the interaction of our neighbors.

In Christ we pray. Amen.

Max Lucado is known for his encouraging books, and this book is no exception. Here, he studies King David, both the good and the bad, to show us how to face the giants in our lives.

The ultimate lesson is simple, when your focus is on God, giants fall. Yet he uses stories from first and second Samuel, both the good and the bad, to show us how this played out in David's life.

The book works as a biography, showing us the events in David's life as they happened. While most chapters are a self contained lesson, it does allow us to see how one event often led to another.

Obviously, we see David fighting Goliath. But we also see him hiding from Saul, his friendship with Jonathan, hiding with the enemy, keeping his promises, falling into adultery and murder with Bathsheba, and watching his own children spin out of control. From this we learn the importance of friends and family, but ultimately the importance of putting our focus on God.

Max Lucado very rarely brings anything new to the table. That's certainly the case here. There is very little I haven't heard before. But he always puts such a fresh, encouraging spin on things, I always see things in a new light. And even when admonishing us, he still does it gently.

I set this book down reluctantly when I finished. My heart was encouraged, and my focus was where it needed to be, God. If you need some help remembering where your focus needs to be, this book is for you.

This is absolutely the most enlightening and funny book I've ever read from a Christian author.
This wonderful book is deep enough for an elephant to swim in, yet shallow enough for a child to wade in.
That describes Facing Your Giants to a T.

An insightful tie to old testament events around Davids life and life for us today.

Story of King David's successes and failures confronting the giants in his life, and how we can learn from them. Many challenging question in study guide at the end of book.

MAX IS A WONDERFUL WRITER, HE CAN GET YOU LAUGHING AND THEN KICK YOUR TEETH OUT SPIRITUALLY, HE HITS YOU WHERE YOU NEED IT, JUST WHEN YOU THINK YOU HAVE GOD ALL FIGURED OUT, HE PROVES YOU WRONG. KING DAVID IS THE TOPIC AND HIS LIFE CAN SO PARALLAL OURS THAT IT IS A WONDERFUL INDIVIDUAL OR GROUP STUDY, AGAIN OUR LADIES BIBLE STUDY DID THIS TOGETHER AND THE DISCUSSIONS WERE VERY GOOD.

I did this study with a group, and some chapters were very good, but others felt forced. Lucado has a theme - facing your giants - and he uses the life of David to show how you can fight your giants. Some of the chapters used a part of David's life and forced it into this "facing your giants" theme. I also felt he used different translations to justify his point. For example, he used the KJ version that said the woman they found to comfort David at the end of the life "Was not known by him" to say she was a stranger to him. But that meant they didn't have sexual relations. It's true she may also have been a stranger to him, but again it felt like Lucado was forcing the scripture into his giant's theme.

This is a wonderful book, it was over before i knew it, and it left me wanting more. Each chapter draws you into a story and you find yourself having multiple things in common with David. A book that brings tears to your eyes and makes your heart fill with joy is a book for anyone who needs inspiration in their life. This is a truely must read book.

Fcaing your Giants is a good read so far. My husband and I are reading it together as part of our bible study time. We are learning what may be our "giant" in our life. David is a very good example to us of what the bible teaches about conquering and overcoming fears in our lives. I look forward to the next chapter each time we finish one. I love Max Lucado and think he is a gifted and talented author.

I enjoyed reading this book very much. This is truly a very much needed work in our day. I think that the only thing that I would change is that the study guide should be after the chapters. So, that as you finished reading you could do the Study guide. I think that it would benefit the reader's much more.

This is an amazing book. It takes the life of David and relates it to life now. Read it and learn how to face your giants by "running" to them as David did!

I read this book and I thought it was fabulous. I am a HUGE Max Lucado fan and he never seems to disappoint. This book gives a dynamic parallel of King Davids life and what we may face (life challenges) in this day and age. I read this book along with my bible to get the story from the Word and what Mr. Lucado has written in his book. He does a fantastic job of keeping the scriptures straight and makes this book highly credible. Mr. Lucado gets to the bottom line well, God loves us for who we are, sins and all. Buy this book, you won't regret it!

Perhaps it's because he's a pastor. Or maybe because he's "been there, done that." New York Times bestselling author Max Lucado has a knack for figuring out what readers are grappling with in their lives and addressing their needs in a way that engages and entertains while not sacrificing spiritual content. In FACING YOUR GIANTS, Lucado is at his best: witty, yet serious where it's important; spinning yarns while pounding home scripture and retelling biblical anecdotes. Like any good pastor, he knows how to use a catchy phrase to make a moral lesson stick. "Focus on giants --- you stumble. Focus on God --- your giants tumble."

Lucado wraps his book around the life stories of David, a deeply flawed man but one of the most beloved of the Bible. No one is immune to "giants" or challenges, and Lucado seems to have his finger on the pulse of the most common ones. Deep hurts from our past that threaten to embitter our future. Lies we tell others. Lies we tell ourselves. Grief. Losing our position of influence. Debt. Divorce. Our need to forgive the seemingly unforgivable. Shattered dreams. Alcohol. Pornography. A career that screeches to a halt.

Weaving together anecdotes and the biblical narrative, he shows how David slew his "giants" --- and how we can slay our own. Lucado equates the five stones David used in slaying his giant to five decisions we must make when facing a challenge. There's the stone of the past ("Remember His marvelous works which He has done."). The stone of prayer ("When David soaked his mind in God, he stood. When he didn't, he flopped."). Think of your priorities (your highest, Lucado says, should be God's reputation. Let God showcase his power and grace through your failings.). Have passion ("David runs, not away from, but toward his giant."). And lastly, the stone of persistence ("One prayer might not be enough. One apology might not do it. One day or month of resolve might not suffice....").

His legendary wrong sense of direction and forgetfulness makes for some lighthearted anecdotes. Lucado relates how he once boarded a flight and awoke in the wrong city. Another time while in a hotel, he went for a jog, then returned and had two portions of the free buffet before he realized he was in a different hotel. After engaging our interest (in the best pastoral tradition), he segues into finding our own right direction. How do we know what God wants us to do? "David makes a habit of running his options past God," he reminds us.

Some of his content is straightforwardly motivational. "Two types of thoughts continually vie for your attention. One says, 'yes you can.' The other says, 'No, you can't.' ... One longs to build you up, the other seeks to tear you down... Do what David did. Turn a deaf ear to old voices. And, as you do, open your eyes to new choices." His prose is always fresh and vibrant. ("We spelunk life's deepest issues in the cave of sorrow.") ("Life blisters by at mach speed.")

As we read about David's failures, we can come to believe in God's forgiveness. If the man whose Psalms still resonate with us today could be forgiven for his many egregious sins, will not God forgive us as well? Lucado makes it seem possible that we too might be used for God's glory despite our failings. There is hope here, and the promise of grace. A substantial study guide will double the appeal of FACING YOUR GIANTS and widen its readership. Don't miss this one!

--- Reviewed by Cindy Crosby

This book came to my attention as a book recommended to me by Amazon based on my browsing. I'd never before heard of Max Lucado. If the reviews here are any indication of what he's about, I never needed to. This book sounds like complete trash, a load of twaddle. Thanks, Amazon, for nothing!

This is a good book. Not one of the best Lucado books I've read but well worth buying and reading.

Facing Your Giants: The God Who Made a Miracle Out of David Stands Ready to Make One Out of YouYou absolutely can not go wrong reading anything by Max Lucado. Always well written, easy to understand, the study guides are a bonus, and you always look forward to the next Max Lucado Book. You feel better about yourself. I will even go so far as to say: "Max Lucado is the 'Nora Roberts' of the religous genre".

As you would expect, the content of this book is wonderful! I kept wanting Max Lucado to be the reader. I did not care for the style of the reader of the "book on cd."

Max Lucado does it again. This is a great book about overcoming incredible obstacles in life. He uses the story of David and Goliath to make some great observations about defeating the giants in our lives. I recommend this book highly, especially if you are battling some giants.

Has Max Lucado ever written a bad book? No! I read mostly war history books but whenever Max publishes a new book, I'm there. "Facing Your Giants" was, once again,a message that I needed for this time in my life. Too bad many Christians do not understand their God like Lucado does, and he brings the love of God to the reader in a simple, easy to read manner. Read this one, and again, identify with God.

If I pick up a book like this, it has to mean something to me. I don't want to sit arm in arm at Starbucks with Rick Warren singing, "If I had a low I. Q., I could be purpose driven too!" I don't want to do that, ok? I know that to walk on water, you have to get out of your boat, and John Ortberg did pretty well with that. But it still left me feeling empty. But most people know the story of David and Goliath. A man like me wants nothing more (STILL, even today) than to take on a big ugly sucker (just like Goliath, who thinks he can trash my God), and just beat the bloody, snotty, dirty piss right out of him! That's just how it is with me, ok? Deal with it! You don't like that vocabulary, too bad. This caught my attention. But in all honesty, I didn't care to pick it up. It didn't have my attention to the point where I wanted to go out of my way to read it. But at my Bible study leader's urging, I picked it up. I loved it!

Hey, Lucado makes it pretty clear that there are more then just Goliath's out there that are giants in our lives. The thing is, we don't have to let fear rule us, and we can fight these bad boys. We can come right at them, just like David did, "In the name of The Lord, the God of Heaven, who will help ME defeat you!" Those are fighting words. "Turn the other cheek" never meant just standing back and taking crap. If you believe that, there's something wrong with you. Especially a man, and it is feminine if you feel that you have to stand there and take everything. Our Bible speaks beautiful words, words of love. But The Bible also speaks of justice, and it makes very clear how important holiness is. The Bible says, "There is a time to kill." and it says, "There is a time for war." It also goes as far as to say, "There is a time for casting stones." That's Ecclesiastes, and it is IN THE BIBLE! So don't use "Turn the other cheek" as your personal punch line just because confrontation makes you uncomfortable! Learn how to face off with the stupid stuff in life. Don't focus on your giants, focus on God. There is some really good stuff in this! If you happen to get ticked because you are always left out, then quit looking at that other person. Simple things that we SIMPLY don't apply to daily life. Work hard for your boss, but don't go dwelling on what the boss thinks. Give some thought to what God thinks. Make God your refuge, not the bar or your job! What's that first commandment say? YOU SHALL HAVE NO OTHER GODS BEFORE ME! Some Goliath's in your life might be somebody, or even a group of people that you don't like. Sometimes we need to think before getting instant gratification in revenge for one simple reason. God isn't through with that person yet. Until we die, until we breathe our final breath, God isn't finished with us yet! Hey, there's temptation, there's SO much more I could go on about. Who knows, there just may be a NEVERTHELESS in your life. But you'll never know until you get up the guts to face up.

This was great. And I didn't just put it down like some appetizer (burp, good snack!) and say, "That was good stuff!" I allowed myself to digest the teachings of Max Lucado. I gave myself some reflection time on this one. Hey, if you're REALLY looking to be "Purpose Driven", then Rick Warren's in every store, probably even in Lowes and Sears! But if you're ready to kick Goliath's butt, and go toe to toe with some GIANTS in your life, then this is it! Yeah, it is simple teaching. But it is also some teaching with guts, and it isn't afraid to throw a few stones. This will fire you up for Christ, and it'll get the pulse racing at times! I LOVED IT!!!

If I pick up a book like this, it has to mean something to me. I don't want to sit arm in arm at Starbucks with Rick Warren singing, "If I had a low I. Q., I could be purpose driven too!" I don't want to do that, ok? I know that to walk on water, you have to get out of your boat, and John Ortberg did pretty well with that. But it still left me feeling empty. But most people know the story of David and Goliath. A man like me wants nothing more (STILL, even today) than to take on a big ugly sucker (just like Goliath, who thinks he can trash my God), and just beat the bloody, snotty, dirty piss right out of him! That's just how it is with me, ok? Deal with it! You don't like that vocabulary, too bad. This caught my attention, and at first I wasn't interested. But at my Bible study leader's urging, I picked it up. I loved it!

Hey, Lucado makes it pretty clear that there are more then just Goliath's out there that are giants in our lives. The thing is, we don't have to let fear rule us, and we can fight these bad boys. We can come right at them, just like David did, "In the name of The Lord, the God of Heaven, who will help ME defeat you!" Those are fighting words. "Turn the other cheek" never meant just standing back and taking crap. If you believe that, there's something wrong with you. If you happen to get ticked because you are always left out, then quit looking at that other person. Simple things that we SIMPLY don't apply to daily life. Work hard for your boss, but don't go dwelling on what the boss thinks. Give some thought to what God thinks. Make God your refuge, not the bar or your job! What's that first commandment say? YOU SHALL HAVE NO OTHER GODS BEFORE ME! Some Goliath's in your life might be somebody, or even a group of people that you don't like. Sometimes we need to think before getting instant gratification in revenge for one simple reason. God isn't through with that person yet. Until we die, until we breathe our final breath, God isn't finished with us yet! Hey, there's temptation, there's SO much more I could go on about. Who knows, there just may be a NEVERTHELESS in your life. But you'll never know until you get up the guts to face up.

This was great. And I didn't just put it down like some appetizer (burp, good snack!) and say, "That was good stuff!" I allowed myself to digest the teachings of Max Lucado. I gave myself some reflection time on this one. Hey, if you're REALLY looking to be "Purpose Driven", then Rick Warren's in every store, probably even in Lowes and Sears! But if you're ready to kick Goliath's butt, and go toe to toe with some GIANTS in your life, then this is it! Yeah, it is simple teaching. But it is also some teaching with guts, and it isn't afraid to throw a few stones. This will fire you up for Christ, and it'll get the pulse racing at times! I LOVED IT!!!

If I pick up a book like this, it has to mean something to me. I don't want to sit arm in arm at Starbucks with Rick Warren singing, "If I had a low I. Q., I could be purpose driven too!" I don't want to do that, ok? I know that to walk on water, you have to get out of your boat, and John Ortberg did pretty well with that. But it still left me feeling empty. But most people know the story of David and Goliath. A man like me wants nothing more (STILL, even today) than to take on a big ugly sucker who thinks he's the better man, and just beat the bloody, snotty, dirty piss right out of him! That's just how it is with me, ok? Deal with it! You don't like that vocabulary, too bad. This caught my attention, and at first I wasn't interested. But at my Bible study leader's urging, I picked it up. I loved it!

Hey, Lucado makes it pretty clear that there are more then just Goliath's out there that are giants in our lives. The thing is, we don't have to let fear rule us, and we can fight these bad boys. We can come right at them, just like David did, "In the name of The Lord, the God of Heaven, who will help ME defeat you!" Those are fighting words. "Turn the other cheek" never meant just standing back and taking crap. If you believe that, there's something wrong with you. If you happen to get ticked because you are always left out, then quit looking at that other person. Simple things that we SIMPLY don't apply to daily life. Work hard for your boss, but don't go dwelling on what the boss thinks. Give some thought to what God thinks. Make God your refuge, not the bar or your job! What's that first commandment say? YOU SHALL HAVE NO OTHER GODS BEFORE ME! Some Goliath's in your life might be somebody, or even a group of people that you don't like. Sometimes we need to think before getting instant gratification in revenge for one simple reason. God isn't through with that person yet. Until we die, until we breathe our final breath, God isn't finished with us yet! Hey, there's temptation, there's SO much more I could go on about. Who knows, there just may be a NEVERTHELESS in your life. But you'll never know until you get up the guts to face up.

This was great. And I didn't just put it down like some appetizer (burp, good snack!) and say, "That was good stuff!" I allowed myself to digest the teachings of Max Lucado. I gave myself some reflection time on this one. Hey, if you're REALLY looking to be "Purpose Driven", then Rick Warren's in every store, probably even in Lowes and Sears! But if you're ready to kick Goliath's butt, and go toe to toe with some GIANTS in your life, then this is it! Yeah, it is simple teaching. But it is also some teaching with guts, and it isn't afraid to throw a few stones. This will fire you up for Christ, and it'll get the pulse racing at times! I LOVED IT!!!

While I am a big fan of Max Lucado he has outdone himself with "Facing Your Giants". This a unique study of King David's life. It is a story which has practical applications for our current times. Thanks Max!

The Biblical story of David is punctuated with 'nevertheless' lessons for us all - and FACING YOUR GIANTS focus on this idea, telling how to use God to strengthen resolve and hone a spiritual path in life. Chapters advocate using the David paradigm to evoke miracles in everyday living, and serve as inspiration essential for any modern Christian library.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

This book is amazing! The detail that Lucado expresses is great. Lucado really eplores King David's life and identifies many parallels to our lives. He reminds us that David was human and made many mistakes, as we have, but the truth to gather from David is to never give up.

The trademark saying from Lucado, "Focus on your giants, and you stumble. Focus on God, and your Giants tumble." rangs true for me, even more than I realized. With my Giants, I now focus on God and my troubles begin to diminish and disappear. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has "Giants" in their life that are seeking to make you stumble and fall. Whether the giants are other people or personal troubles, this book will teach you that God WILL help you face those giants.

This book helped me so much, that I bought 3 more as gifts. It is light and sometimes humorous without neglecting difficult issues.

This book helped me so much, that I bought 3 more as gifts. It is light and sometimes humorous without neglecting difficult issues.

The book was an easy read and was very good. I learned a lot about David, about his being forgiven many times and how that relates to our lives today.

Lucado gives us, in this awesome book, many small one liners and brief sentences that are POWERFUL! This book can be life transforming. Lucado's style is easy to read and can be done in a devotional type format. I think this is his BEST BOOK YET, applying to anyone who has a 'giant' still lurking around. SUPER!

Max Lucado does it again. This book provides strength and hope. Max really knows how to reach his readers.

Reading and Studying this Book continues to be nothing short of "amazing"; it is like GOD speaking directly to me face to face, assuring me that no matter where I am, what I do, HE is continually with me. Mr. Lucado brings out how all the faithful men of the Bible were human beings with thoughts, emotions, and actions EXACTLY like we have and yet GOD still loved and cared for them; even referring to DAVID as a man after God's own heart. Max Lucado just has a unique way of writing that brings you "face to face" with our MAKER and assures us of HIS love for us.

Wow, this book is incredible. It's opens your mind and your heart to a whole new light on several different aspects of your life. It's a book you can read over and over and apply to every aspect or situation whether new or old. A must read.

No one more literally faced a giant in their life than when David met Goliath on the battlefield. Using that picture and illustrations from the life of David, Max Lucado talks about conquering your own giants in the book Facing Your Giants: The God Who Made a Miracle Out of David Stands Ready to Make One Out of You. It's an excellent read, and highly inspirational.

Contents:
Facing Your Giants; Silent Phones; Raging Sauls; Desperate Days; Dry Seasons; Grief-Givers; Barbaric Behavior; Slump Guns; Plopping Points; Unspeakable Grief; Blind Intersections; Strongholds; Distant Deity; Tough Promises; Thin Air-ogance; Colossal Collapses; Family Matters; Dashed Hopes; Take Goliath Down!; What Began In Bethlehem; Study Guide; Notes

When you think about David and his life, it's easy to skip from killing Goliath to being king. But there were a number of other "giants" between those two points, and even more once he ascended to the crown. Saul sought to kill him on a regular basis. His sons turned against him. He lost family members due to death and disobedience. For all the positives in his life, he had even more struggles and giants to subdue than most of us. Max Lucado looks at various episodes of David's life and relates them back to similar giants we face. It could be as common as reaching a point of exhaustion and deciding not to push on (David at Brook Besor). Or it may be an extended dry season where you're isolated from everything and everyone you hold dear (David and the cave at Adullam). But in all cases, God is still present and waiting to lift you up when you turn to Him.

I appreciate Lucado's ability to take a minimal narrative that's found in Scripture and paint color around it. He's able to inject life and emotion into people that can be minimized when you read the straight text without taking time to ponder. In addition, he easily moves the historical event into today's world and relates it to situations more familiar to us. For instance, I never quite thought of Goliath's army as being a "bloodthirsty gang of hoodlums boasting do-rags, BO, and barbed-wire tattoos." But if you think about it, is that so different than some armies out there today? :)

An excellent read, and one that will help provide you with direction and hope when facing the giants in your own life.

Max Lucado has always been one of my favorite authors and he doesn't disappoint me with his latest "Facing Your Giants: The God Who Made a Miracle Out of David Stands Ready to Make One Out of You". This has to be one of the most opportune books written for Christians in the recent past. As life comes at us faster and faster and tougher and tougher every day - Max helps us understand that God is there to help us through it all and to help us become the creation He had in mind before we were even born. Keep it up Max - you're my favorite!

It's awesome to see God truly working in the life of an author. Every since my first Lucado read, "When God Whispers Your Name," I've been hooked. His writings are sometimes confrontational, always cross-centered, and very uplifting. "Facing Your Giants" is no different.

Basically, Max gives glimpses of the life of David, chronologically for the most part, to teach the lessons David learned from his severe trials, and then makes it applicable to the reader. The teachings, just on the scriptures of David's life, are all-encompassing and very thorough; you'll hit most of 1st and 2nd Samuel in this book. And Max knows how to make a connection. U.S. History, movies, current events.... it's all fair game for Max to utilize to bring a point home.

One of my favorite movies is the western, "Lonesome Dove". True to his Texas roots, Max cites this movie and intertwines it with a facet of David's life and the topic of grieving in general.

On page 82, Max writes, .... "In the movie Lonesome Dove, Call and Newt are part of an 1880's Texas-to-Montana cattle drive. When a swimming swarm of water moccasins end the life of Newt's best friend, Call offers bereavement counsel, western style. At the burial, in the shade of elms and the presence of cowboys, he advises, "Walk away from it, son. That's the only way to handle death. Walk away from it."

Of course, Max then explains really that the opposite is true: Citing David's reaction when Saul (God's anointed) and Jonathan (David's truest friend) die, the scriptures tell us that "David lamented."

On page 84 Lucado writes "Wailing warriors covered the hills, a herd of men walking, moaning, weeping, and mourning. They tore clothing, pounded the ground, and exhaled hurt."

The point of this chapter entitled Unspeakable Grief -- even Jesus wept. We are to face our grief, though not as those who have no faith and no hope.

Max is one of the most humble authors I've ever read, and that in itself is a gift. Even in his own church circles (Church of Christ), Max Lucado has had to face criticism for teaching what his conscience deems to be true,... whether that be allowing musical instruments in some worship services,... or teaching that water baptism isn't a pre-requesite work to acquire salvation -- which is only afforded to us by grace and Christ's blood.

Indeed, as far as I'm concerned, Max Lucado is one of God's warriors for today.

Thanks again Max.

Unbelievable life lessons can be learned from this book, especially about keeping the focus on God and not focusing so much on your problems. There's not one chapter in this book that will not strike a chord in your life and change the way you face your "giants". Max Lucado has a gift to share with the world. This is the first Lucado book I've read and I highly recommend it. You'll find yourself highlighting sentences on each page so you remember the lessons taught.

This is a well written, easy to read, and inspirational book. The author relates the Old Testament stories of David transforming them into modern day language and relating them to a modern day environment. He tells how David faced Goliath and other giants in his life and compared this to some of the giants we face in our lives. The wrongs of David were not glossed over but were discussed along with the consequences. Finally he points out God's acceptance of David even with his faults and appeals to the reader to accept Jesus Christ.

Excellent product. Exactly as described. Rapid delivery. Absolutely no problems with this item.

I got a copy of Facing Your Giants for Christmas this year. It was an appropriate gift considering what I've been through in the past two years or so. Depression. Financial problems. Premature baby. Etc. So I do have a few giants of my own to face.

Facing Your Giants is the first book of Max Lucado's that I have read and I absolutely loved it! Max uses the life story of David to correspond with issues that are relevant today. David's entire life was one struggle after another. He was the youngest of his brothers and was made the sheep herder. He defeated Goliath. He conquered Jerusalem and ruled over Israel. He was victim to his own adulterous ways. And the story goes on. Do any of these symbolically speak of you?

Max Lucado's writing really brings the story of David to life. He uses modern language that is easy to read, entertaining and very profound. Sometimes I wondered if he was actually writing about ME! The book is biblically accurate and touches on a number of factors you should consider while facing your own giants. Facing Your Giants is a fantastic read for anyone who is struggling with problems (which would be just about anyone alive). I can't wait to move on to some of his other writings. I'd recommend this book to anyone!

Once again, Christian living master Max Lucado impresses with a study of the life of David, failure and success, a Biblical figure whom God himself proclaimed "a man after his own heart" (Samuel 13:14).

As usual, Lucado chooses an important theme for Christians to follow. Too often in our lives, we focus on the overwhelming stresses in our lives, fear, failure, doubt, a shady past, whatever it may be. In the beginning of the book, Lucado vividly paints a portrait of tiny David and how he stood firm against a nine-foot giant, against all odds, in the midst of others' doubt, and dropped the behemoth with one stone hurled from a sling, the simplest of weapons. Lucado cleverly and effectively shows that David's focus was on God, not the towering threat that loomed over him. This is how we should live our own lives, with our focus on the Master, on the one who sits upon the throne and guarantees our success if we just trust in Him.

I say in the title of this review that the book was released just in time because the book's release coincides with the phenomenal Christian movie, Facing the Giants, which harbors the same themes as this book. Lucado himself has marveled that God works in amazing ways, as we learn in this book by studying the tumultuous but God-seeking life of David.

This book is for anyone, Christian or not, who know they have been dwelling in the negatives of their life, overpowered by "giants", and encourages them to set their sights on God instead and ask him to help you face these giants and understand: "Focus on giants -- you stumble. Focus on God -- your giants tumble."