Lucado Releases First Bible Study Workbook

Experiencing the Heart of Jesus Focuses on Life of Christ

NASHVILLE, TN – Max Lucado’s first full-size Bible study workbook, entitled Experiencing the Heart of Jesus (February 2003, $17.99), is the largest release in 2003 for Nelson Reference & Electronic Publishing. Filled with 50 “Intimate Lessons” on the person of Jesus, this workbook is specifically written to train the reader to be aware of Jesus’ presence daily. This workbook differs from previous Lucado Bible studies in its length and depth of study materials.

Lucado compares Experiencing the Heart of Jesus to his childhood family vacations, when the Lucado family would drive from dusty West Texas to the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. About 50 miles outside of Denver, his family would see the impressive mountain peaks in the distance. “We could have stopped right there and said: ‘We finished our vacation. We’ve seen the Rockies,’” recalls Lucado. “But we wanted to really experience the Rockies—catch fish and climb mountains. The same can be true of how we experience Jesus. Hopefully, this workbook will take you from the flatlands of seeing Christ at a distance to the life-changing experience of being surrounded by Jesus.”

Experiencing the Heart of Jesus, designed for individual or group study, contains 10 chapters exploring 10 distinct attributes of Jesus. Through open-ended questions, applicable scripture, memory verses and moving stories, Lucado shows that each are promised to us today. Chapter titles include:

§ Experiencing the Care of Jesus

§ Experiencing the Peace of Jesus

§ Experiencing the Grace of Jesus

§ Experiencing the Freedom of Jesus

§ Experiencing the Joy of Jesus

§ Experiencing the Love of Jesus

§ Experiencing the Power of Jesus

§ Experiencing the Forgiveness of Jesus

§ Experiencing the Prayer of Jesus

§ Experiencing the Hope of Jesus

Lucado wrote this workbook to help others know more about Jesus, and hopefully, become more like Jesus. “We can never study Jesus enough,” says Lucado. “His is the life that changed history and is the model for every aspect of life.”

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Experiencing the Heart of Jesus workbook release, page two

Nelson Reference & Electronic Publishing is supporting this lead product with full-page trade advertising, a comprehensive end cap kit (ISBN: 0-7180-0291-1) shared with The Devotional Bible, secondary advertising in a wide variety of consumer catalogs, author video streaming on the Internet and a national print and broadcast publicity campaign. Stores can order directly from Nelson full color postcards featuring Lucado and the cover of Experiencing the Heart of Jesus (ISBN: 0-7180-0506-6, pack of 50, free) and blank on the other side to personalize and send to customers.

Releasing just in time for curriculum buyers and continuing the momentum into the 2003 Christmas season, Nelson Reference will be releasing the Experiencing the Heart of Jesus Leader’s Guide with a CD-ROM in trade paper in September (ISBN: 0-7852-5095-6, 144 page count, $9.99). “When Max Lucado writes about Jesus, people want to know more,” says Wayne Kinde, Associate Publisher, Nelson Reference & Electronic Publishing. “The CD-ROM contains both the workbook and the leader’s guide plus additional promotional materials to help church leaders promote the study to their congregation and community.”

During the past fifteen years, Max Lucado has become recognized for what USA Today called “his chatty, easy-to-read style.” A New York Times best-selling author with more than 28 million books in print, Lucado is nothing short of a publishing phenomenon. He is the first author to win three *ECPA Book of the Year awards and at least one of his books has appeared on an ECPA bestseller list every month for the last 12 years. Max Lucado, his wife Denalyn and their three daughters reside in San Antonio, Texas, where he serves as a minister at Oak Hills Church of Christ.

Nelson Reference & Electronic is a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., (TNM-NYSE) a leading publisher, producer and distributor of books emphasizing Christian, inspirational and family value themes, and believes it is the largest publisher of Bibles and inspirational books in the English language. For more information, visit our website www.ThomasNelson.com.

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Experiencing the Heart of Jesus

Knowing His Heart, Feeling His Love

By Max Lucado

Available February 2003 from Nelson Reference & Electronic

Trade Paper, Bible Study, ISBN: 0-7852-4991-5, $17.99

8 ½ x 11 inches, 240 page count