40 Lives in 40 Days: Experiencing God’s Grace Through the Bible’s Most Compelling Characters

by John F. MacArthur Jr.

Have you ever wondered why God uses ordinary people to accomplish His work and to spread the good news? Join bestselling author and Bible teacher John MacArthur as he takes a closer look at the everyday lives of the men and women that God trusted to carry His message and lead His people. 40 Lives in 40 Days is a brand-new devotional compilation of MacArthur's extensive studies of the Bible characters who show us that we don't have to be perfect to do God's work. From the twelve disciples to the Samaritan woman, MacArthur shares that Jesus chose average people--fishermen, tax collectors, doubters, political zealots--and gave them a remarkable mission. These encouraging stories, based in Scripture, help shed light on these real men and women who endured struggle, pain, and heartache, just like us. They were perfectly ordinary sinners--living proof of God's kindness--who went on to serve an extraordinary purpose in spreading the gospel. By tracing the lives of these unlikely heroes, MacArthur shows us that the difficulties and temptations that they lived through are the same trials that modern believers face today. Throughout 40 Lives in 40 Days , MacArthur As you get to know each of these 40 figures even better, you'll see why the lives they led can still serve as an inspiration to believers today.

Genres: Christian, Christian Living, Nonfiction, Christian Non Fiction, Religion, Devotional

224 pages, Hardcover

Published July 19, 2022

About the author

John F. MacArthur, Jr. was a United States Calvinistic evangelical writer and minister, noted for his radio program entitled Grace to You and as the editor of the Gold Medallion Book Award-winning MacArthur Study Bible. MacArthur was a fifth-generation pastor, a popular author and conference speaker, and served as pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California beginning in 1969, as well as President of The Master’s College (and the related Master’s Seminary) in Santa Clarita, California.

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO GOOD! Loved it so much!!!! I will definitely read it again. And thank you to Grace to You for sending me this book as a free gift!

[Sherilee · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting highlight of people from the Bible. Nothing revolutionary but an easy study and easy read.

[Miguel · Rating 5 out of 5]

great content. great format. short concise profiles with depth made accessible.

[Ethelann · Rating 5 out of 5]

In just a few pages for each person, John MacArthur tells about 40 different lives in the Bible.

[MJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice devotional with a quick overview of significant Bible figures.
These are all short excerpts from MacArthur's previous books.

[MJ · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author was so critical of these people. Were they flawed? Yes; but to judge them so harshly was unnecessary. He also made assumptions that he has no way of knowing - such as Jesus’ mother leaving her role
as a mother to become only a believer in her Lord. That’s quite an assumption. Judas Iscariot being “the most colossal failure in human history… [who] committed the most horrible, heinous act of any human, ever.” Really?
MacArthur is just too harsh and presumptuous for me to even listen to his thoughts.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compelling read into the lives of extraordinary yet ordinary people.

I will read this book multiple times for my daily devotional. John MacArthur has a wonderful way of bringing out the best in the lives of people I grew up with in Sunday school.

[Al Halpain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book about the people God has used throughout the ages to spread His Gospel!

[Blake · Rating 4 out of 5]

When visiting someone's home, many of us are drawn to various pictures that grace the walls in the home. We often find ourselves intrigued by and interested in the people in the various photos. I personally, have often enjoyed looking at family's photo albums and hearing brief snippets of explanations about the individuals in the pictures. Much can be learned about one's family and friends by looking through a photo album.

When it comes to this book, "40 Lives In 40 Days," by John MacArthur, it is much like looking at a photo album of God's family, made up of some of the many individuals in the pages of Scripture who had a unique impact upon their family, their culture, and their world. Author, John F. MacArthur is one of my favorite authors and in this devotional of sorts, he delivers an excellent "written" photo album of key figures throughout biblical history. Each chapter focuses in on one individuals and provides the reader with critical information about the particular person's life and impact in the world. If one doesn't know much about the Bible, this resource can be very helpful in providing a general introduction to 40 individuals in Scripture. Each chapter also ends with several questions designed to get the reader to think through the material presented and then consider practical application to one's life. It was a joy to read this book and it is one that I highly recommend for your reading.

[Kyle Bartsch · Rating 4 out of 5]

John MacArthur is one of the few authors whose words are as easy to understand reading as they are hearing. His words and ideas are simple and understandable, with nothing being lost out one ear. It’s as if being sat in his presence and hearing him speak of these things. There are some MacArthurisms, that stick out. For one, he does take hard stands on things that don’t require hard stands, but by and large he is so biblical in his thinking that you can trust that he is speaking accurately to the scriptures. One thing I noticed about this book is just that some of the chapters have a bit of extrapolation in them. MacArthur goes outside the confounds of the text given for some of the people in this book, in order to draw an application from them. This is noticeable with a few of the people but notably the one that sticks out is Enoch. There is a handful of words in scripture to outline Enoch’s life, yet MacArthur is able to write a chapter of the same length about Enoch as he is about other people like Peter, Paul, and Jesus who all have copious amounts of scripture to record their dealings, far more than that of Enoch. Not that what he says is bad or even wrong, but it is worth noting that some of his points about some of the people in this book are up for debate and are somewhat assumptive. All in all though I really liked this book. Easy, practical, and applicable, all coming from a strong biblical source, John MacArthur.

[Sandra Stiles · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author takes us on a trip through the lives of forty different Biblical people. He starts with some of the disciples and continues to other important people. I found his description of Thomas, also known as “Doubting Thomas” funny. He said that Thomas was a worrier. It was pointed out that he was so connected to Christ that he would rather die with him than be apart from him. The author compared him to “Eeyore” from the “Winnie the Pooh” book. He speaks of Abraham’s wife Sarah as an example of what happens when we try to take matters into our own hands. It never works out right. Rahab is an example of how God reaches down to the lowest of the low. I was surprised by how many women he spoke about. This is a wonderful book that can be applied to all of our lives.

[Monica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Author covers the 12 disciples, Jesus's brother (I didn't realize he had a brother, Mary, Magdalene, Anne, Esther, Jonah and Onesimus, the Prodigal Son and his brother (this I found very interesting).
Good overview with Scripture references.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good and challenging devotional book.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good little devotional!

[Anne Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a precious little book!

[Van Reese · Rating 4 out of 5]

This had interesting information. I had some theological disagreements in some places, but overall I think it has useful insights on these Bible characters.

[Ammie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed these short bios. Especially toward the end, where most of the people were broken, and God used them for His glory.

[Fred Klein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent Bible Study

[Christy Copeland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book about extraordinary people in the Bible.

[Douglas Nelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

John MacArthur explained it well how each individual from the Bible is prominent in this book.

[Robert Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great for a devotional with reflective questions by the author.
Well, worth it.

[Vince Morano · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick study of 40 people from the Bible. This is good for a small group study as a study tool when exploring the lives of these saints.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing book, quick read as well but so informative.

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Precious Truths

Another great book by a faithful pastor and shepherd. I learned something new from each of the wonderful 40 lives presented.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

This was an absolutely great book to read. I would definitely recommend this book to my family and friends. You definitely need to read this book.

[Garrett Rupp · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice little devotional I guess, highlights some random biblical figures