The Touch of the Master's Hand

The Touch of the Master’s HandStudies on Jesus

Max LucadoGeneral Editor

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THE TOUCH OF THE MASTER’S HAND

STUDIES ON JESUS

© 1999,Thomas Nelson, Inc., P.O Box 141000, Nashville,TN 37214.All rightsreserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy,recording, or any other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, withoutthe prior permission of the publisher.

Scripture passages taken from:The Holy Bible, New Century Version© 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. All rights reserved.

All excerpts taken from Just Like Jesus by Max Lucado.© 1998 Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Cover Art by Koechel Peterson and Associates, Inc., Minneapolis, Minnesota.Interior design and composition by Design Corps, Batavia, IL.

Produced with the assistance of the Livingstone Corporation. Study questionswritten by Christopher Hudson, Carol Smith, and Valerie Weidemann.

ISBN 978-0-8499-5426-9

Printed in the United States of America.

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Contents

Lesson 1 Becoming Like Jesus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Lesson 2 Loving Difficult People . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Lesson 3 Extending God’s Hand . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Lesson 4 Hearing God’s Music. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Lesson 5 Being Led by an Unseen Hand . . . . . 41

Lesson 6 Knowing Where to Look . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Lesson 7 Fulfilling Your Destiny . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Lesson 8 Living the Truth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Lesson 9 Tending Your Garden . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Lesson 10 Finding Treasure in the Trash . . . . . . 91

Lesson 11 Knowing When to Celebrate . . . . . . 101

Lesson 12 Finishing Strong . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

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IntroductionGod loves you just the way you are, but he refuses to leave you thatway. He wants you to be just like Jesus.

Isn’t that good news? You are changeable.You aren’t stuck withtoday’s personality.You aren’t condemned to grumpy-dom.You aretweakable.

God will change you.And he will change you to be just like Jesus.Jesus felt no guilt; God wants you to feel no guilt. Jesus had no badhabits; God wants the same for you. Jesus had no anxiety about death;you needn’t either. God’s desire, his plan, his ultimate goal is to makeyou into the image of God.

As you enter this study, my prayer for you is that these pages willhelp you feel the Master’s touch—as he touches your heart, alters youroutlook, and transforms you, inside-out.

Remember, he wants you to be just like Jesus

—Max Lucado

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“What if, for one day and one night, Jesus lives

your life with his heart? Your heart gets the day

off, and your life is led by the heart of Christ. . . .

Would people notice a change?”—Max Lucado

Becoming LikeJesus

1. Describe a person who truly lives with the heart ofChrist.

L e s s o n 1

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A Moment with MaxMax shares these insights with us in his book Just Like Jesus.

Where did we get the idea we can’t change? From whence come state-ments such as,“It’s just my nature to worry,” or “I’ll always be pes-simistic. I’m just that way,” or “I have a bad temper. I can’t help the wayI react”? Who says? Would we make similar statements about our bod-ies? “It’s just my nature to have a broken leg. I can’t do anything aboutit.” Of course not. If our bodies malfunction, we seek help. Shouldn’twe do the same with our hearts? Shouldn’t we seek aid for our sourattitudes? Can’t we request treatment for our selfish tirades? Of coursewe can. Jesus can change our hearts. He wants us to have a heart likehis.

Can you imagine a better offer?The heart of Jesus was pure. . . .Jesus’ heart was peaceful. . . .His heart was purposeful. . . .His heart was spiritual. . . .

2. List several excuses people give for not changing.

3. What kinds of tools does God use to make our hearts more like Jesus’heart?

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A Message from the Word21 I know that you heard about him, and you are in him, so you weretaught the truth that is in Jesus. 22 You were taught to leave your oldself—to stop living the evil way you lived before.That old self becomesworse, because people are fooled by the evil things they want to do.23 But you were taught to be made new in your hearts, 24 to become anew person.That new person is made to be like God—made to betruly good and holy.

25 So you must stop telling lies.Tell each other the truth, because weall belong to each other in the same body. 26 When you are angry, donot sin, and be sure to stop being angry before the end of the day. 27 Donot give the devil a way to defeat you. 28 Those who are stealing muststop stealing and start working.They should earn an honest living forthemselves.Then they will have something to share with those who arepoor.

29 When you talk, do not say harmful things, but say what peopleneed—words that will help others become stronger.Then what you saywill do good to those who listen to you. 30 And do not make the HolySpirit sad.The Spirit is God’s proof that you belong to him. God gaveyou the Spirit to show that God will make you free when the final daycomes. 31 Do not be bitter or angry or mad. Never shout angrily or saythings to hurt others. Never do anything evil. 32 Be kind and loving toeach other, and forgive each other just as God forgave you in Christ.

1 You are God’s children whom he loves, so try to be like him. 2 Live alife of love just as Christ loved us and gave himself for us as a sweet-smelling offering and sacrifice to God.

Ephesians 4:21—5:2

4. To what extent are we able to fix or change ourselves?

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5. What keeps us from making necessary changes in our lives?

6. List some practical benefits of living good and holy lives.

More from the Word5 In your lives you must think and act like Christ Jesus.6 Christ himself was like God in everything.

But he did not think that being equal with God was somethingto be used for his own benefit.

7 But he gave up his place with God and made himself nothing.He was born to be a manand became like a servant.

8 And when he was living as a man,he humbled himself and was fully obedient to God,even when that caused his death—death on a cross.

Philippians 2:5–8

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7. How do we begin thinking as Jesus does?

8. What cultural pressures do we need to overcome to become servantslike Jesus?

9. How does Christ’s death on the cross enable us to change?

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My Reflections“God’s plan for you is nothing short of a new heart. If you were a car,God would want control of your engine. If you were a computer, Godwould claim the software and the hard drive. If you were an airplane,he’d take his seat in the cockpit. But you are a person, so God wants tochange your heart.”—Max

JournalWhat is one specific change I can make in my daily routine to becomemore like Christ?

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For Further StudyTo learn more about becoming like Jesus, read Romans 8:29–30;Colossians 3:10–17; Hebrews 12:2.

Additional Questions10. What happens when we surrender our hearts to God?

11. How can a person determine what he or she is holding back fromGod?

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12. What motivates you to continue striving to imitate Jesus?

Additional Thoughts

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“The mercy of Christ preceded our mistakes;

our mercy must precede the mistakes of others.”

—Max Lucado

Loving DifficultPeople

1. How do people typically respond when they seesomeone make a foolish or stupid mistake?

L e s s o n 2


A Moment with MaxMax shares these insights with us in his book Just Like Jesus.

Jesus himself knew the feeling of being stuck with someone. For threeyears he ran with the same crew. By and large, he saw the same dozen orso faces around the table, around the campfire, around the clock.Theyrode in the same boats and walked the same roads and visited the samehouses, and I wonder, how did Jesus stay so devoted to his men? Not onlydid he have to put up with their visible oddities, he had to endure theirinvisible foibles.Think about it. He could hear their unspoken thoughts.He knew their private doubts. Not only that, he knew their future doubts.What if you knew every mistake your loved ones had ever made andevery mistake they would ever make? What if you knew every thoughtthey would have about you, every irritation, every dislike, every betrayal?

Was it hard for Jesus to love Peter, knowing Peter would somedaycurse him? Was it tough to trust Thomas, knowing Thomas would oneday question Jesus’ resurrection? How did Jesus resist the urge torecruit a new batch of followers? John wanted to destroy one enemy.Peter sliced off the ear of another. Just days before Jesus’ death, his dis-ciples were arguing about which of them was the best! How was heable to love people who were hard to like?

2. Why do the very things that draw us to someone often irritate us overtime?

3. In your opinion, what is the key to sustaining lifelong, committedrelationships?

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A Message from the Word5 Then he poured water into a bowl and began to wash the followers’feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

6 Jesus came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going towash my feet?”

7 Jesus answered,“You don’t understand now what I am doing, butyou will understand later.”

8 Peter said,“No, you will never wash my feet.”Jesus answered,“If I don’t wash your feet, you are not one of my

people.”9 Simon Peter answered,“Lord, then wash not only my feet, but wash

my hands and my head, too!”10 Jesus said,“After a person has had a bath, his whole body is clean.

He needs only to wash his feet.And you men are clean, but not all ofyou.” 11 Jesus knew who would turn against him, and that is why hesaid,“Not all of you are clean.”

12 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes andsat down again. He asked,“Do you understand what I have just donefor you? 13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you are right, becausethat is what I am. 14 If I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet,you also should wash each other’s feet. 15 I did this as an example sothat you should do as I have done for you.”

John 13:5–15

4. List some simple, practical ways Christians can serve one another.

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5. In what circumstances is it more difficult to serve rather than to beserved? Why?

6. When is it more difficult to be served than to serve? Why?

More from the Word12 God has chosen you and made you his holy people. He loves you. Soalways do these things: Show mercy to others, be kind, humble, gentle,and patient. 13 Get along with each other, and forgive each other. If some-one does wrong to you, forgive that person because the Lord forgaveyou. 14 Do all these things; but most important, love each other. Love iswhat holds you all together in perfect unity. 15 Let the peace that Christgives control your thinking, because you were all called together in onebody to have peace.Always be thankful. 16 Let the teaching of Christ livein you richly. Use all wisdom to teach and instruct each other by singingpsalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to

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God. 17 Everything you do or say should be done to obey Jesus your Lord.And in all you do, give thanks to God the Father through Jesus.

Colossians 3:12–17

7. What does it mean to be God’s holy people?

8. If we have experienced God’s unconditional love and forgiveness,what keeps us from extending the same love and forgiveness to others?

9. How would our communities be different if everything we said and didwas in obedience to Jesus?

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My Reflections“Are any relationships in your world thirsty for mercy? Are there anysitting around your table who need to be assured of your grace? Jesusmade sure his disciples had no reason to doubt his love.Why don’t youdo the same?”—Max

JournalWho is one person who needs to be reassured of my love and loyalty?How can I provide this?

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For Further StudyTo learn more about loving others, read 1 Corinthians 13:1–13;Ephesians 4:29–32; 1 John 1:7.

Additional Questions10. How does it feel to be loved unconditionally? How does God’sunconditional love alter our lives?

11. How does withholding forgiveness from others affect us?

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12. Explain the ramifications of the statement, “Forgive and you will beforgiven.”

Additional Thoughts19


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The Touch of the Master's Hand

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