Best Authors Like Max Lucado Podcasts (2025)

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CNLP 754 | Rick Warren on What 99% of Churches Don't Do, The Rise of the Global Church, and the Call American Churches Need to Hear 1:16:42

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1h ago1:16:42

1:16:42

Rick Warren returns to the podcast to explain what 99% of churches don't do. He discusses the extraordinary rise of the global church and how it's outpacing population growth, and he outlines the call from Jesus every American church needs to hear. 🔗 Show Notes 📩 On The Rise Newsletter 🗣️ Preaching Cheat Sheet 🧠 The Art of Leadership Academy 🎥 Watc…

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227: Max Lucado: “America’s Pastor” on How to Tame Your Thoughts 51:42

1d ago51:42

51:42

Called “America’s Pastor," Max Lucado has sold more than 150 million products and authored over 40 nonfiction books. In this vulnerable career retrospective interview, Lee explores what led Max Lucado to become almost synonymous with grace, acceptance and forgiveness--namely some of his own wounds from childhood experiences in a frugal, sometimes e…

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388: When Your Heart Needs Peace 30:50

1d ago30:50

30:50

Hello, my friend. I hope you’re having a good day. Anxiety. It’s an all-too-common part of our lives. The statistics, especially among young people, are staggering. I know there are legitimate concerns in our world that need attention. And I know there are times clinical intervention is the solution God provides to those who struggle. But I also kn…

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Dadvice: Storyteller Evangelism 6:05

1h ago6:05

6:05

Dadvice: Storyteller Evangelism

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226: Unabridged Interview: Amy Sherman 1:08:12

4d ago1:08:12

1:08:12

This is our unabridged interview with Amy Sherman. What if the church were known not for culture wars or abuses of power, but for building parks, strengthening schools, advancing science education, and championing restorative justice? That’s the vision Amy L. Sherman lays out in her book Agents of Flourishing. In this conversation, Sherman invites …

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What is Your "But God" Story? (A Conversation on Redemption) 59:35

1d ago59:35

59:35

In this powerful and deeply honest conversation, I am joined by my friend and world-class photographer, Hannah Corwin. She shares the incredible story behind her stunning book, "But God," and a testimony of learning to trust God's timing, even when it meant waiting 10 years for a dream to come true. Let's go to the Story House!…

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CNLP 753 | Why White Christian Men Are Afraid to Preach the Bible — Therapy, Calling, and Comedy with Julian Lowe 1:21:10

6d ago1:21:10

1:21:10

Julian Lowe never expected to be a pastor, which ironically freed him up to become one. He talks about what he learned at the Groundlings, in Music, and in ministry, sharing why he feels white men are afraid to preach the Bible, and how to speak the biblical truth to people who disagree with you. 🔗 Show Notes 📩 On The Rise Newsletter 🗣️ Preaching C…

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226: Amy Sherman: A Faith-Based Vision for the Common Good 50:56

20h ago50:56

50:56

What if the church were known not for culture wars or abuses of power, but for building parks, strengthening schools, advancing science education, and championing restorative justice? That’s the vision Amy L. Sherman lays out in her book Agents of Flourishing. In this conversation, Sherman invites us to imagine faith communities not as insular inst…

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387: When You Always Want More Than You Have 28:40

9d ago28:40

28:40

Hello, friend. I hope you’re having a good day. Today’s episode is a bit of a history lesson. We’re going back to first century Rome, to the time of the apostle Paul and the emperor Nero. Readers of the New Testament have learned a lot from Paul, but the life of Nero offers a critical lesson as well.…

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Dadvice: Lessons from the Oz 4:40

10d ago4:40

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Dadvice: Lessons from the Oz

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225: Unabridged Interview: Parker Palmer (Part 1) 1:24:57

10d ago1:24:57

1:24:57

This is part one of our unabridged interview with Parker Palmer. “Things didn’t come together vocationally for me until I was 50.” At 86 years old, Quaker writer, speaker, and activist Parker Palmer has much to say about living a good life. And in his experience, a good life is often hard-won and counterintuitive. In this episode, Parker covers a l…

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225: Unabridged Interview: Parker Palmer (Part 2) 1:27:15

4d ago1:27:15

1:27:15

This is part two of our unabridged interview with Parker Palmer. “Things didn’t come together vocationally for me until I was 50.” At 86 years old, Quaker writer, speaker, and activist Parker Palmer has much to say about living a good life. And in his experience, a good life is often hard-won and counterintuitive. In this episode, Parker covers a l…

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CNLP 752 | How Do You Fire Staff That Are Like Family? Jon Gordon on Making the Tough Calls on Staffing and Creating Great Teams 49:13

13d ago49:13

49:13

Many church leaders think of their staff as family. But if they're family, can you fire them? Jon Gordon has coached hundreds of professional sports teams and companies and explains what it takes to make the tough calls, including firing people you see as family. 🔗 Show Notes 📩 On The Rise Newsletter 🗣️ Preaching Cheat Sheet 🧠 The Art of Leadership…

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Are You Living Life Like a Flat Football? (Dabo Swinney on the Holy Spirit) 47:53

14d ago47:53

47:53

In one of the most inspiring and motivating conversations yet, I sit down with Dabo Swinney, the two-time national champion head coach of the Clemson Tigers. Coach Swinney shares the powerful testimony and unshakable faith that have guided him from a difficult childhood to the pinnacle of college football. Let’s go to the Story House!…

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CNLP 751 | The 6 Surprising Traits of Sticky Sermons And Why Focusing On The Problem is the Wrong Approach—With Dan Heath 1:11:27

14d ago1:11:27

1:11:27

Dan Heath, author of Made to Stick, The Power of Moments, and other seminal leadership books, talks about the six surprising traits of sticky sermons, how to design church experiences people never forget, why focusing on the problem is the wrong approach to leadership, what he's learned from Chick-fil-A, and getting people to change. 🔗 Show Notes 📩…

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225: Parker Palmer: Courage, Vocation, and Paradox (Best of NSE) 50:42

15d ago50:42

50:42

“Things didn’t come together vocationally for me until I was 50.” At 86 years old, Quaker writer, speaker, and activist Parker Palmer has much to say about living a good life. And in his experience, a good life is often hard-won and counterintuitive. In this episode, Parker covers a lot of ground, offering wisdom gleaned from a life lived with atte…

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386: When You Battle Guilt 31:41

16d ago31:41

31:41

Hi, friend. Thanks for joining me for another episode of the Encouraging Word Podcast. If you’ve been listening to the podcast the past few weeks, you know we’re talking about finding a new way of living through better thinking. So maybe you’re ready to tackle some of those specific negative thought patterns that weigh us down. Guilt is a big one –…

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Dadvice: Back to School (Pt. 2) 5:33

10d ago5:33

5:33

Dadvice: Back to School (Pt. 2)

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224: Unabridged Interview: Anne-Laure Le Cunff 58:44

11d ago58:44

58:44

This is our unabridged interview with Anne-Laure Le Cunff. When Anne-Laure Le Cunff—then a high-achieving Google executive—was told to go to the hospital for a life-threatening blood clot, she found herself first checking her calendar. Her bizarre response told her something was wrong with her life and priorities. She left Silicon Valley, earned a …

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What if Rejection is God's Redirection? Megan Woods’ Story 56:28

13d ago56:28

56:28

Megan Woods joins me to share her powerful testimony of faith through fear, and how she learned to trust God when her biggest fear was coming true. This is a story about surrendering your dreams to God and discovering the incredible plans He has in store. Let’s go to the Story House!

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CNLP 750 | Inside Tim Keller's Mind: Matt Smethurst on Keller's Preaching, DNA, and Rule of Life 1:14:08

14d ago1:14:08

1:14:08

Matt Smethurst has listened to and studied more hours of Tim Keller's preaching and teaching than almost anyone alive. In this conversation, Matt gets us inside Tim Keller's mind, breaking down what made Keller's preaching so effective, his DNA, and even his rule of life. 🔗 Show Notes 📩 On The Rise Newsletter 🗣️ Preaching Cheat Sheet 🧠 The Art of L…

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224: Anne-Laure Le Cunff: The Peril of Productivity, and the Happiness of Tiny Experiments 52:06

22d ago52:06

52:06

When Anne-Laure Le Cunff—then a high-achieving Google executive—was told to go to the hospital for a life-threatening blood clot, she found herself first checking her calendar. Her bizarre response told her something was wrong with her life and priorities. She left Silicon Valley, earned a degree in neuroscience, and wrote Tiny Experiments: How to …

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385: How to Uproot and Replant Your Thoughts 29:52

23d ago29:52

29:52

Hello, my friend. I hope you’re well. What do you think of when you hear the word “meditation”? Perhaps a yoga class or quiet chanting or one of those mindfulness apps on your phone? You might think of the phrase “Clear your mind.” Well as you learn to tame your thoughts, you’ll discover that an empty mind is not the goal. When you banish the bad t…

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Dadvice: Back to School 5:36

20d ago5:36

5:36

Dadvice: Back to School

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223: Unabridged Interview: Baratunde Thurston 1:10:15

18d ago1:10:15

1:10:15

This is our unabridged interview with Baratunde Thurston. What does it mean to be human in the age of AI? From writing for The Onion to hosting PBS’s America Outdoors and launching the hit podcast Life With Machines, Baratunde Thurston has spent a career telling stories about interdependence—with one another, with the natural world, and now, with r…

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CNLP 749 | Revival Series Pt. 5 | Why God is Moving So Powerfully Now: JP Pokluda on Gen Z and Gen Alpha Revival and How to Share the Gospel with Your Uber Driver 1:08:52

26d ago1:08:52

1:08:52

In Part 5 of our Revival series, JP Pokluda brings firsthand accounts of how God is moving in college stadiums. He shares the Gospel with your Uber driver, server, and other people you meet, what's different about Gen Z and Gen Alpha, and why God is moving so powerfully now. 🔗 Show Notes 📩 On The Rise Newsletter 🗣️ Preaching Cheat Sheet 🧠 The Art o…

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How Do You Want To Be Remembered? (A Question That Will Change Your Life) 35:43

23d ago35:43

35:43

How do you want to be remembered? In this deeply personal and reflective conversation, my wife Emily and I sit down to recap our summer and discuss the ultimate "why" behind everything we do. Let’s go to the Story House!

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CNLP 748 | Revival Series Pt. 4 | Gen Z Men Converting—UK Church Revival Lessons for America: Nicky Gumbel, Al Gordon and Stephen Foster on Reversing Generations of Church Decline 1:18:59

28d ago1:18:59

1:18:59

In Part 4 of the Revival series, Nicky Gumbel, Al Gordon, and Stephen Foster explain how and why Gen Z men in the UK are becoming Christians in record numbers. They discuss how they're seeing generations of church decline reversed and what America can learn from it. 🔗 Show Notes 📩 On The Rise Newsletter 🗣️ Preaching Cheat Sheet 🧠 The Art of Leaders…

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223: Baratunde Thurston: Being Human in the Age of AI 51:38

25d ago51:38

51:38

What does it mean to be human in the age of AI? From writing for The Onion to hosting PBS’s America Outdoors and launching the hit podcast Life With Machines, Baratunde Thurston has spent a career telling stories about interdependence—with one another, with the natural world, and now, with rising machine intelligence. Together, he and Lee unpack ho…

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384: Breaking Through Destructive Thought Patterns 35:23

30d ago35:23

35:23

Hi, friend. Thank you for joining me on the podcast this week. Today’s episode is about UFOs. No, not that kind. I’m using the term UFO to describe those destructive thought patterns that leave us stuck in what the Bible calls strongholds. But there is hope! When you learn to identify and deal with them, those scary, odd-looking UFOs will stop taki…

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Dadvice: With God all things are possible 5:12

27d ago5:12

5:12

Dadvice: With God all things are possible

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222: Unabridged Interview: Dan Heath 1:09:28

25d ago1:09:28

1:09:28

This is our unabridged interview with Dan Heath. Do you feel like your life needs a reset? Lee C. Camp sits down with Dan Heath, bestselling author and host of the podcast What It's Like To Be, to explore strategies of how we can change, whether at work or in our personal lives. In his new book Reset: How to Change What’s Not Working, Dan shares pr…

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How Do You Trust God When Your Body is Broken? (The Rob Roozeboom Story) 58:03

1M ago58:03

58:03

“Is this God’s plan or His punishment?” It’s a question many have wrestled with. On the podcast, my friend Rob Roozeboom—founder of RiseFest and author of Broken Still Chosen—shares his raw journey with muscular dystrophy, years of anger toward God, and the moment God met him in his deepest pain to transform his heart. Let’s go to the Story House!…

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CNLP 747 | Revival Series Pt. 3 | Revival Broke Out at Saddleback: Andy Wood and Luke LeFevre on How Far the Church In America Has Fallen and the Way Back 1:44:46

28d ago1:44:46

1:44:46

In Part 3 of our Revival series, Andy Wood (Lead Pastor of Saddleback Church) and Luke LeFevre (A Gen Z preacher who works with the Gather movement) discuss a prophetic word Luke received about an outpouring of the Spirit at Saddleback church. They discuss the prophetic word, what actually happened, how God is moving at Saddleback, and the implicat…

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Tame Your Thoughts Preview - When You Battle Anxiety 31:18

1M ago31:18

31:18

Hi friend, Max Lucado here. As an Encouraging Word listener, I want to share with you an exclusive preview of my new audiobook, Tame Your Thoughts. This message is for anyone who embraces the promise found in Romans 12:2 – “Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.” I pray it encourages you.…

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222: Dan Heath: How to Change What’s Not Working 51:49

29d ago51:49

51:49

Do you feel like your life needs a reset? Lee C. Camp sits down with Dan Heath, bestselling author and host of the podcast What It's Like To Be, to explore strategies of how we can change, whether at work or in our personal lives. In his new book Reset: How to Change What’s Not Working, Dan shares proven techniques he discovered to help transform s…

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383: Think About What You Think About (Tame Your Thoughts Series) 26:15

1M ago26:15

26:15

Hello, friend. I hope you’re having a good day. We’re diving into a new topic this week on the Encouraging Word Podcast – thought management. Controlling your anger or managing your anxiety may seem like an impossible task at times, but it’s not! It’s a promise found in Scripture and backed up by neuroscience. With God’s help, you can tame each tho…

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221: Unabridged Interview: Sharon McMahon 1:15:29

1M ago1:15:29

1:15:29

This is our unabridged interview with Sharon McMahon. Have you ever wished someone would explain the inner workings of America’s political landscape — without taking sides or fueling the outrage machine? With over 1.3 million Instagram followers, Sharon McMahon, known affectionately as “America’s Government Teacher,” has spent her career doing exac…

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Dadvice: Praise the Lord continually 4:48

1M ago4:48

4:48

Dadvice: Praise the Lord continually

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Tame Your Thoughts Preview - Practice Picky Thinking 32:15

1M ago32:15

32:15

Hi friend, Max Lucado here. As an Encouraging Word listener, I want to share with you an exclusive preview of my new audiobook, Tame Your Thoughts. This message is for anyone who embraces the promise found in Romans 12:2 – “Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.” I pray it encourages you.…

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CNLP 746 | Revival Series Pt. 2 | Preparing and Preaching For Revival: Jon Tyson on the History, Dynamics and Prep You Need to Be Ready for Revival 1:14:40

1M ago1:14:40

1:14:40

In Part 2 of our Revival series, Jon Tyson does a deep dive on the history of revival, including a detailed account of what happened/is happening in the Hebrides and in NYC. Jon explores how to prepare and preach for revival, how to be sensitive to its dynamics, and what to do to get ready personally and organizationally. 🔗 Show Notes 📩 On The Rise…

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What’s holding you back? (A Message for Christians) ft. Rory Vaden 55:23

1M ago55:23

55:23

What if the most difficult parts of your story are the exact qualifications God wants to use for your calling? New York Times best-selling author and world-renowned speaker Rory Vaden joins me for a conversation that will completely reframe how you see your past. He reveals how looking at your past pain, setbacks, and tragedies is the fastest way t…

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CNLP 745 | Revival Series Pt. 1 | Inside the Asbury Outpouring: Zach Meerkreebs on the Sermon that Sparked Revival, Miracles, and Gen Z's Spiritual Awakening 1:30:00

1M ago1:30:00

1:30:00

In our Revival Series opener, Zach Meerkreeb shares the backstory of the Asbury Outpouring sparked by his sermon, which didn't go particularly well. He explores Gen Z's unique spiritual awakening, the power of humility and confession, and offers guidance for church leaders who want to see revival in their churches. 🔗 Show Notes 📩 On The Rise Newsle…

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221: Sharon McMahon: Escaping the Partisan Trap 51:49

1M ago51:49

51:49

Have you ever wished someone would explain the inner workings of America’s political landscape — without taking sides or fueling the outrage machine? With over 1.3 million Instagram followers, Sharon McMahon, known affectionately as “America’s Government Teacher,” has spent her career doing exactly that. Drawing from her roots in public education, …

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382: Trust God, Really Trust Him 24:31

1M ago24:31

24:31

Hi, friend. Thank you so much for joining me for the podcast this summer. I hope this series has been an encouragement to you, particularly if you’re going through a difficult time. We’ve got some new stuff coming next week that I’m really excited about, but first we’re going to put a bow on our study of the life of Joseph. If there’s one thing you…

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Dadvice: Turn and Run 5:02

2M ago5:02

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Dadvice: Turn and Run

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220: Unabridged Interview: Emma Varvaloucas 1:03:14

1M ago1:03:14

1:03:14

This is our unabridged interview with Emma Varvaloucas. What if the way you consume the news could shape the world for the better? In this stirring conversation, Lee C. Camp sits down with journalist and Buddhist practitioner Emma Varvaloucas, Executive Director of The Progress Network, to explore how we can reclaim our agency in a world addicted t…

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Do You Need the Whole Plan to Obey God? (Lulu West's Story of Faith) 59:22

2M ago59:22

59:22

What happens when you trade the traditional college path for a six-month mission trip around the world? I sit down with a very special guest—my oldest daughter, Lulu West—for an incredible conversation about her life-changing YWAM (Youth With A Mission) experience. Let’s go to the Story House!

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CNLP 744 | This One Thing Separates Ministry Survivors from Ministry Casualties: Ray Johnston's Secret to Lasting Decades In Ministry 1:48:54

1M ago1:48:54

1:48:54

Ray Johnston, senior pastor of Bayside Church in Sacramento, CA, reflects on decades of ministry and how to stay encouraged in ministry even when you feel done, why cynicism is incurable, how to finish well, and how to park your ego so you can raise up a team of all-stars. This episode is a 90-minute breakdown of what a long obedience in the same d…

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220: Emma Varvaloucas: Mind Over Media 52:04

1M ago52:04

52:04

What if the way you consume the news could shape the world for the better? In this stirring conversation, Lee C. Camp sits down with journalist and Buddhist practitioner Emma Varvaloucas, Executive Director of The Progress Network, to explore how we can reclaim our agency in a world addicted to anxiety. Emma shares practical tips for engaging with …