One of my favorite authors/pastors over the years! Such a great storyteller and I’m thrilled with this book’s topic and content. He really captured my attention with “default thought”…what is that daily inner dialogue we carry on with ourselves…appraisals, criticisms, label yourself? Test them against God’s word! He goes on to share we need to guard the entryways to our minds. He explains the concept of UFOs (not the ones of outer space but of thoughts): Untruth, False Narrative and Overreaction. But there is a way to tame your thoughts. Max has a way of delivering this topic to allow it to resonate deeply. I highly recommend this book!!

Thank you Max Lucado, Nelson Books and NetGalley for this ARC opportunity!

This is a wonderful book so far and very insightful and inspiring that I can wrangle my jumbled thoughts! I look forward to finishing it.

'Tame Your Thoughts' by Max Lucado offers some good reminders on managing our thoughts and finding peace in world filled with negativity, lies, and skewed perceptions. I have always loved Max Lucado's books. His style is engaging and his stories offer humor while getting to the heart of the message with honestly and love. In this book I missed Max's stories and the natural and engaging flow I have found in his other works. This book was way too repetitive and I found myself continually waiting for the book to move on and pull me in. It still may be a good read for those seeking spiritual guidance with negativity, lies, and skewed perceptions.

Tame Your Thoughts
by Max Lucado
Pub Date: August 12, 2025
Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Few authors speak to my spiritual self-better than Lucado does. For that reason I highly recommend this book to fellow Christians who struggle with their thought life.
When was the last time you awakened to a swirl of out-of-control thoughts? Perhaps you were overwhelmed with the weight of worry, the fear of failing, or the grip of guilt. The way we think directly impacts our joy and peace. In Tame Your Thoughts, Max Lucado provides three biblical and practical tools to renew your mind and transform your life.

Our thoughts have consequences. Most people would agree that positive thoughts generate positive actions. Negative thoughts activate negative behavior. But do we understand that we can manage our lives by managing our thoughts? Not only does neuroscience back this concept, but the idea is also embedded throughout Scripture. "Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind" (Rom.12:2 esv). Tame your thoughts and transform your life!

Another great read by Max Lucado. If you struggle with controlling your thoughts, this book is definitely for you. Max’s writing style is engaging and easy to understand. It provides tools to help you manage your thoughts through difficult times and even daily life.

Max gives very practical examples from scripture and from his own life experiences. Changing your thoughts can bring peacefulness and get rid of our own anxiety. Positive thoughts generate positive actions. Max shows how with God’s help, we can overcome our old thinking and tame our thoughts.

This book is a very inspirational read, and I would highly recommend it to everyone. Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Books for an advanced copy of this book.

As ALWAYS, Max Lucado has come through with yet another great book!! His writing style and humor bring me God's message in easy-to-follow instructions. Notice I didn't say easy-to-do... That part is up to me.
We all have moments in life where the thoughts have our mind racing and we can't shut them up. Sometimes it seems overwhelming! This book is a guide to help shut that devil up!! Many passages in the book struck me right where I am at this point in my life. I've highlighted so many of them that my book is covered in yellow highlights. This is one book that I definitely recommend and will reread myself many times.

In Tame Your Thoughts, the inspiring Max Lucado provided Bible-based and practical tools to help us transform our thinking. Whether you are battling anxiety, are struggling with guilt, can't find joy, are lured by lust, feel overwhelmed, are puzzled by pain, fear God's rejection or can't get any satisfaction; you learn to practice picky thinking, identify untruths that lead to false narratives and overreactions (UFOs), and uproot & replant your thoughts. Recommended to everyone.
I got the ARC from Nelson Books | Thomas Nelson via Netgalley. This is my honest review

This book was great for turning your mindset around and trying to turn negatives into a positive which is great for people like me who unfortunately tend to be more pessimistic than optimistic. I loved how the author incorporated a bunch of scripture along with stories to really explain the point he was trying to make. I highlighted a bunch of scripture passages mentioned and will definitely go back and reread them when I need a refresher. Thank you for the ARC!

Author and pastor Max Lucado illustrates the profound influence our thoughts have on us through personal and biblical stories. He shares practical strategies for battling “stinking thinking” and shows readers how to intentionally manage their thought life. Our thought life shapes who we are and colors our experience of the world.

Max said our minds process about 70,000 thoughts a day. Some of that inner chatter is positive and constructive, but many of our thoughts are negative, critical, or unhelpful. I reread the part where Max said 80 percent of our thoughts are negative. I did a search and found this article from Pratham Mahajan, writing for Medium here. He said the same. "This doesn’t mean we are bad or pessimistic people," Pratham said. "It simply shows how our brain is wired. Most of these negative thoughts happen quietly, in the background, without us even noticing." The mind replays failures, amplifies fears, and stirs up storms on otherwise sunny days.

Max highlights new research in the field of neuroscience. Thanks to neuroplasticity, our brains are more like pliable clay than hardened concrete. God made our minds this way. Max reminds Christians that we are "not be conformed to this age, but [to] be transformed by the renewing of [our minds], so that [we] may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2, HCSB)

After establishing that we humans can change how we think, Max urges readers to pay attention to what we think about and use tools he will provide to break the negativity cycle. Like the writer of Proverbs, he wants us to "guard [our hearts] above all else, for it determines the course of [our lives].” (Proverbs 4:23, ESV) We face an adversary who wants to trap us in mental prisons of our own making, Max said, and he will use every trick to confuse and discourage us. Satan loves to infect our thoughts the way a virus infects software.

First, we need to don God’s armor. (Eph. 6:10-18) Max focuses on the helmet of Salvation and the Sword of the Spirit, the word of God. For a soldier, the helmet was crucial for it protected the command center of the body. Without it, the rest of the armor is useless. (Source: Got Questions).

Max fully explains the three mental strategies he uses often in the first part of the book, and he shows the three in practice in the second part. They are:

Practice Picky Thinking
Identify UFOs (Untruths, False Narratives, Overreactions)
Uproot and Replant

In 1961, President John F. Kennedy had a bowling alley converted into a secure, windowless Situation Room to conduct White House business that cost around $35,000. (Source) The Chicago Tribune wrote a piece about the "sit room," and though it has been remodeled over time, its function "has remained the same: Duty officers working around the clock in the space sift through intelligence feeds for the president’s daily briefing. And when a crisis strikes, it becomes a secure communications center with global reach."

Max draws a parallel between the "sit room" and our minds. We have to be as selective as these duty officers in what are deemed trustworthy thoughts for us to consider. Yet, unlike with food, we often let every. single. crazy. thought into our personal situation rooms. And Max wants it to stop. He said, “Practice picky thinking.” Take your thoughts captive, as Scripture says in 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (GNT):

“The weapons we use in our fight are not the world's weapons but God's powerful weapons, which we use to destroy strongholds. We destroy false arguments; we pull down every proud obstacle that is raised against the knowledge of God; we take every thought captive and make it obey Christ.”

In Greek, he explained that "stronghold" refers both to an impenetrable citadel and a fortress where someone is held hostage. God’s word is the key to breaking those strongholds. Jesus Himself quoted Scripture to defeat Satan’s attempts to tempt Him in the desert after 40 days of fasting. He wants us to use Scripture as the sword it is. Unlike Jesus, we do not do this in our strength. Jesus is ready to help us spot lies and false narratives so that we don't overreact to them.

Uproot and Replant

Some weeds grow better than flowers in my backyard. My husband Dave does most of the yardwork, but I tackled a few beds on my own. Some roots were so deep I needed a shovel. Sadly, even with a shovel, I saw those stubborn weeds return. I thought, "This seems like a metaphor. I just know this is an object lesson."

Max knows how I feel about those weeds. He grew up in Texas and started yard work at age 12. His father asked him to remove grass burrs before mowing, but Max just mowed over them. They returned. His father showed him how to uproot them. Max said he felt dismay because mowing took much less time. His father agreed. He worked alongside Max.

Max notes that, unlike his dad, our Heavenly Father won’t do our mental weeding for us unless we agree and accept His help. God stands ready, but we must allow Him to help us replace negative thinking with His Word.

Max started with anxiety, using the acronym ANTs for "anxious, negative thoughts." (They really are like ants.) And he also discussed our very real circumstances God allows in our lives. God sometimes calms the storm, and other times He calms His child. Max recounted watching a peaceful scene of a mother feeding her baby during a chaotic layover at an airport. The baby was the perfect picture of the calm God wants for us. Max gives three steps—the 3 Ts—to claim peace:

Trust God
Tell God
Thank God

He said, “We cannot be anxious and thankful at the same time.”

Max’s chapter on joy references Jeremiah, the “weeping prophet,” and Jesus, a “man of sorrows,” both possessing courageous, resilient joy independent of their circumstances. Their joy became a shield during hardship. Job remembered God's character and sovereignty in the midst of great suffering and found hope. Paul accepted his thorn, trusted God’s wisdom, and leaned into his suffering for the joy of giving God the glory. They knew the secret that has become a favorite Scripture passage for many – Philippians 4:11-13 (NIV),

“…I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

While Christians are known for their love, Max said we should also be recognized for contagious joy. It’s not surprising that the first-century church’s joy was so compelling that others wanted to know Christ. Max outlines the ABCs of joy:

A – Assess your joy level.
B – Believe that joy is possible.
C – Call out to God for help.

And those "giants" in our lives? We all have them. Job loss. Rejection. Death of a loved one Chronic pain that has no end. A diagnosis. Anxiety and Depression. Max wants us to deal with them the same way the then-shepherd David did when he faced Goliath. We can claim victory in the name of Jesus.

Max doesn’t shy away from difficult topics. He talks about the struggle with lust that led to rape and murder in the biblical story of David’s children Amnon, Tamar, and Absalom in 2 Samuel 13. He then moves on to modern problems with lust, such as pornography’s devastating grip on men and women. His chapter about excess and over-consumption probably should have followed. Lust and appetite seem to go together. Max contrasts the lives of Nero and Paul in his chapter on "I Can't Get No Satisfaction." One man had everything yet lived a miserable and self-centered life. The other had next to nothing, yet lived contented and on fire for the Lord.

Max shares stories about rejection and the healing effect of love, and he reminds Christians of God’s promise: “Nothing can ever separate us from God’s love” (Romans 8:38). And he assures us of another promise in Jude, verse 24, that God “keeps you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into His glorious presence without a single fault.”

Concluding Thoughts
Tame Your Thoughts turned out to be the book I needed this summer. I tend to battle thoughts of regret and spend too much time thinking about "what might have been." I struggle with worry, anxiety, and sometimes feel weighed down by my thoughts. Max wants me to silence the enemy and those critical voices. He reminds me that I belong to God. He loves me and is for me.

I received an advanced ebook of Max’s book, Tame Your Thoughts: Three Tools to Renew Your Mind and Transform Your Life so I couldn't quote directly, but I so admire his writing. His style is light-hearted and down-to-earth, at times humorous, full of literary techniques like alliteration, which I enjoy. His storytelling befits a seasoned pastor.

Max excels at creative nonfiction. For instance, he discusses the Israelites’ complaints to Moses and Aaron after escaping Egypt, referencing several passages in Exodus and Numbers. Despite seeing miracles and receiving manna, they grumbled. Max joked that he received an email from Moses@Mt.Sinai.com. Moses pointed out that we Christians today grumble, too. We were slaves to sin and are now freed. We have God’s word and His Spirit within us. Yet we still find reasons to complain. He doubted we would have survived the desert.

One memorable illustration that will stay with me is about “rumination,” which the Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines as:

The act or process of regurgitating and chewing again previously swallowed food; And, obsessive thinking about an idea or problem, especially when it interferes with normal mental functioning, focusing on negative or distressing thoughts that can fuel depression.

In discussing this disordered thinking, Max gently jokes about us being like cows, “ruminating” for hours. Chewing, swallowing, regurgitating, chewing again, swallowing regurgitating.... You get the picture. I’ll never look at cows the same way again.

If you are thinking ahead about fall Bible studies, please consider Tame Your Thoughts. The book has questions for individual or group study, but Max also provides this 6-session workbook with a code for streaming video in back. He advertises this study on Facebook.

Thanks to NetGalley for this early read. Who knew it would come at the right time where I needed a little guidance on how I was thinking throughout my days. I especially loved the questions and references at the end of the book and a quick overview but also guide to jump right to the meat/verse when needed in a moment. This is a book I would love to own a hard copy of!

As always Maxs book are so understandable. I have practiced this week allowing The Holy Spirit to help me take captive my wandering thoughts and filling my mind with gratitude. Taming your Thoughts also reminded me that I don’t have to allow every thought to expand and take up my time . Praying for God to quiet the storms in my mind praying and believing.
Max gives very clear practices.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book; it was highly informative. I will certainly recommend it to others. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

Anything that Max Lucado writes is inspiring and a great read with profound biblically accurate insights to help the reader develop a great relationship with our Lord.

This book helps us to better navigate our thought process during difficult times in our lives with principles set in the Bible. Not only do we get examples and situations from the Bible but also real world scenarios based with neuroscience. This book is well written, easy to understand and I would recommend this book to anyone that is struggling with negative thoughts and feelings. Honestly I believe that everyone can benefit from this book because we all have at least one point in our lives felt like life is pointless or we’re heavy burdened but once we can align our thinking with the Lord’s truth, we can achieve true happiness.

Thank you NetGalley, Max Lucado and publishers for a complementary copy of this book for an honest review.

Practical, biblical help for thinking more as Christ desires - like Christ Himself thinks. Author and minister Max Lucado is his usual wise, funny, sound self, applying his practical suggestions to a variety of common "stinking thinking" we might get caught up in. He helps us to see the value of taking thoughts captive, testing each thought against Scripture, getting rid of dangerous thought threads, and acting and thinking like Jesus. Not particularly deep, but a great, practical read.

Thank you NetGalley for a complementary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you for this ARC.
I am always thankful when I am able to read a book by Max. In this book, the message is strong and helpful. 80% of our thoughts are negative and uninviting. Learn the UFO method in this book. Easy to read. Easy to understand. Enjoy.

This book has helped me see Gods truths more clearly to change my thought life. The application of things Max suggests in his book have really helped with the guilt and shame cycles in my head. So thankful God gave me the opportunity to review this book.

The timeliness of this book was spot on. I needed help with negative thoughts taking too much of my time. Learning about tools to help with this is what I needed. I think so many can use help in this area.

Publication: August 12th, 2025

Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I love Max Lucado, and this book came at the perfect time. He shares simple, practical ways to uproot negative thoughts and replace them with God’s truth, reminding me to trust Him more and not stay stuck in my head. It went so much deeper than I can even describe. It really made me think, and I just love the way he writes.

Thank you NetGalley and Nelson Books
All thoughts and opinions are my own in exchange for a honest review

I enjoyed this book. I believe that we are all inside our own heads, creating tangled thoughts, untruthful thoughts and patterns. Max does a good job of reminding us of this and giving sound Biblical advice on how to change this. I was not a fan of the UFO though, it’s not something that will stick with me but I appreciated the attempt to find something to combat untamed thoughts and maybe it’ll help someone else.

Thank you NetGalley and Nelson Books for the ARC.

Max Lucado didn’t fail with this book “Tame Your Thoughts.” He shows you the toxic thoughts that you are probably experiencing and shows you how to get rid of them all in the phases and wordings that you can understand and learn ..