Max Lucado - Just Like Jesus: A Heart Like His

God loves you just the way you are,
but he refuses to leave you that way.
He wants you to be...

Just Like Jesus

Also by Max Lucado

INSPIRATIONAL

3:16
A Gentle Thunder
A Love Worth Giving
And the Angels Were Silent
Come Thirsty
Cure for the Common Life
Every Day Deserves a Chance
Facing Your Giants
God Came Near
He Chose the Nails
He Still Moves Stones
In the Eye of the Storm
In the Grip of Grace
Its Not About Me
Just Like Jesus
Next Door Savior
No Wonder They Call Him
the Savior
On the Anvil
Six Hours One Friday
The Applause of Heaven
The Great House of God
Traveling Light
When Christ Comes
When God Whispers Your Name

CHILDRENS BOOKS

All You Ever Need
Because I Love You
Best of All
Coming Home
He Chose You
Hermie, a Common Caterpillar
Hermie and Friends Bible
If Only I Had a Green Nose
Jacobs Gift
Just in Case You Ever Wonder
Just Like Jesus (for teens)
Just the Way You Are
Milo, the Mantis Who
Wouldnt Pray
Next Door Savior (for teens)
Punchinello and the Most
Marvelous Gift
Small Gifts in Gods Hands
Stanley the Stinkbug
Tell Me the Secrets
Tell Me the Story
The Crippled Lamb
The Oak Inside the Acorn
The Way Home
With You All the Way
You Are Mine
You Are Special
Your Special Gift

GIFT BOOKS

A Heart Like Jesus
Everyday Blessings
For These Tough Times
Gods Mirror
Gods Promises for You
God Thinks Youre Wonderful
Grace for the Moment, Vol. I & II
Grace for the Moment Journal
In the Beginning
Just for You
Just Like Jesus Devotional
Let the Journey Begin
Max on Life Series
Mocha with Max
One Incredible Moment
Safe in the Shepherds Arms
Shaped by God
The Cross
The Gift for All People
The Greatest Moments
Traveling Light for Mothers
Traveling Light Journal
Turn
Walking with the Savior
You: Gods Brand-New Idea!

FICTION

An Angels Story
The Christmas Candle
The Christmas Child

BIBLES (GENERAL EDITOR)

He Did This Just for You
(New Testament)
The Devotional Bible
Grace for the Moment Daily Bible

1998, 2003 by Max Lucado

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or otherexcept for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Thomas Nelson, Inc., titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund-raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail SpecialMarkets@ThomasNelson.com.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the New Century Version. 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Other Scripture references are from the following sources:

Holy Bible: New International Version (NIV). 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

The King James Version of the Bible (KJV). Public domain.

The Living Bible (TLB). 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

The Message by Eugene H. Peterson (MSG). 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. All rights reserved.

The New King James Version (NKJV). 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

J. B. Phillips: The New Testament in Modern English, Revised Edition (PHILLIPS). J. B. Phillips 1958, 1960, 1972. Used by permission of Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc.

New American Standard Bible (NASB). The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977. Used by permission.

Revised Standard Version of the Bible (RSV). 1946, 1952, 1971, 1973 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Used by permission.

The Jerusalem Bible (TJB). 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd. and Doubleday & Company, Inc. Used by permission.

New Revised Standard Version of the Bible (NRSV). 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. All rights reserved.

Todays English Version (TEV). American Bible Society 1966, 1971, 1976, 1992.

ISBN 978-0-8499-2122-3 (Special Edition)

The Library of Congress has cataloged the earlier edition as follows:

Lucado, Max.
Just like Jesus / by Max Lucado.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN-13: 978-0-8499-1785-1 (hardcover)
1. Jesus ChristExample. 2. Spiritual lifeChristianity. I. Title.
BT304.2.L83 1998

232.9'04dc21

98-22587

CIP

Printed in the United States of America

08 09 10 11 12 QW 5 4 3 2 1

To the staff of Oak Hills Church of Christ

God is fair; he will not forget
the work you did and the love you showed
for him by helping his people.

HEBREWS 6 : 1 0

CONTENTS

ONE
A Heart Like His

TWO
Loving the People You Are Stuck With
A Forgiving Heart

THREE
The Touch of God
A Compassionate Heart

FOUR
Hearing Gods Music
A Listening Heart

FIVE
Being Led by an Unseen Hand
A God-Intoxicated Heart

SIX
A Changed Face and a Set of Wings
A Worship-Hungry Heart

SEVEN
Golf Games and Celery Sticks
A Focused Heart

EIGHT
Nothing but the Truth
An Honest Heart

NINE
The Greenhouse of the Mind
A Pure Heart

TEN
Finding Gold in the Garbage
A Hope-Filled Heart

ELEVEN
When Heaven Celebrates
A Rejoicing Heart

TWELVE
Finishing Strong
An Enduring Heart

CONCLUSION
Fixing Your Eyes on Jesus

When my daughters were little, they loved playing dress-up. Theyd put on their moms shoes and dresses, fill a grown-up purse with crayons, and pretend grown-up scenarios. They even tried to speak adult-ese. For the moment, they werent content to be children; they wanted to be just like mom.

Arent we the same? We look at ourselves, with our immaturity, our sinfulness, and we want to clothe ourselves in something betterholiness. We want to be just like Jesus. This seems like an impossible goal until we accept one simple truth: God loves us. And not only does God love each of us exactly as we are, he wants us, little by little, to become like him. He doesnt love us and leave us alone; he loves us enough to live within us, making our hearts his home. But doing so requires a bit of sprucing up, remodeling, refurnishing. Why? Because he wants us to have a heart like his.

Need to hear that message a few more times? Dont we all? In fact, thats why I wrote this bookto remind you and me of just how far God will go to transform us into his likeness. When