Best Authors Like Max Lucado Podcasts (2025)

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239: Jeff Chu: Finding Meaning, Courage, and Beauty in the Dirt 52:13

Play Pause

9h ago52:13

52:13

Change can come in the most unlikely places. For Jeff Chu, he found meaning and purpose in a pile of compost. At the peak of his journalism career — writing for Time and Fast Company, perched 29 floors above Manhattan — Jeff Chu stared out his office window and asked a question he could no longer avoid: “What is this all for?” That moment of vocati…

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238: Unabridged Interview: Hillary McBride 1:07:33

2d ago1:07:33

1:07:33

This is our unabridged interview with Hillary McBride. At sixteen, Lee C. Camp drove five miles over the speed limit and was seized by terror. In his mind, if he died breaking the law, he was going to hell. That childhood fear, shaped by a theology steeped in shame and judgment, is the kind of spiritual residue clinical psychologist Hillary McBride…

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Is There a Spiritual Awakening Happening Right Now? (feat. Josh Baldwin) 50:09

5d ago50:09

50:09

Is there a spiritual awakening happening right now? Join Matthew in the Story House for an incredible conversation with worship leader and songwriter Josh Baldwin.You know Josh from massive anthems like "Stand in Your Love," "Evidence," and the viral hit "Made for More," but today he’s sharing a side of his artistry you might not have seen before. …

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The Subtext: Wicked: For Good 54:32

4d ago54:32

54:32

What if the real magic of Wicked isn’t the spells, but the way friendship, shame, and belonging shape who we become? In this episode, Savannah and Lee dive into the deeper themes of Wicked: For Good, from dreams that come true but don’t satisfy, to the power of propaganda, to the power of shame with an in-group/out-group mentality. They also unpack…

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238: Hillary McBride: Healing the Hidden Wounds of Spiritual Trauma 52:10

7d ago52:10

52:10

At sixteen, Lee C. Camp drove five miles over the speed limit and was seized by terror. In his mind, if he died breaking the law, he was going to hell. That childhood fear, shaped by a theology steeped in shame and judgment, is the kind of spiritual residue clinical psychologist Hillary McBride sees in her work every day. Clinical psychologist and …

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Dadvice: God Is Good 5:42

8d ago5:42

5:42

Dadvice: God Is Good

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237: Unabridged Interview: Tara Brach 1:10:54

9d ago1:10:54

1:10:54

This is our unabridged interview with Tara Brach. How do you accept yourself fully, just as you are? And if you did, would you ever grow? “Being at peace with how we are in the moment is the precondition to transformation,” says psychologist and meditation teacher Tara Brach. In this episode she provides us with a simple practice to find peace and …

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237: Three Practices to Give You Hope 51:17

14d ago51:17

51:17

When the headlines numb and the culture wars grind us down, what if hope isn’t a mood at all—but a practice you can do with your body, your friends, and your city? In this holiday special, Lee revisits four conversations to find practices of hope: meditation teacher Tara Brach on healing the “trance of unworthiness,” songwriter Tom Paxton on the fo…

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Dadvice: What's on the menu 6:25

17d ago6:25

6:25

Dadvice: What's on the menu

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236: Unabridged Interview: Lara Love Hardin 1:08:45

17d ago1:08:45

1:08:45

This is our unabridged interview with Lara Love Hardin. What if the opposite of addiction isn’t sobriety—but connection? How does a woman go from 32 felony charges to the New York Times bestseller list, lunches with Oprah, and a life devoted to healing?Lara Love Hardin—literary agent, author, and prison-reform advocate—recounts her descent into opi…

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Stop Reading the Bible Like This (You’re Missing the Story) 1:05:29

19d ago1:05:29

1:05:29

Are you reading the Bible all wrong? Many of us treat scripture like a "highlight reel," picking out a few favorite verses while ignoring the difficult or "boring" parts of the Old Testament. But what if you are missing the most important part of the story? I sit down with Zach Windahl, author of The Bible Study and The Bible Simplified, in this ne…

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The Subtext: The Gospel According to Billie Eilish 54:53

19d ago54:53

54:53

In this episode, Savannah rounds up several posts her algorithm served her this week: an influencer from The Bachelor warning Christians not to watch Love Island, a pastor speaking about slavery in the Bible, Billie Eilish calling out billionaires, and a thread about SNAP benefits. Plus, a little conspiracy chat to close things out, courtesy of Kim…

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236: Lara Love Hardin: The Power of Community and Second Chances 51:58

21d ago51:58

51:58

What if the opposite of addiction isn’t sobriety—but connection? How does a woman go from 32 felony charges to the New York Times bestseller list, lunches with Oprah, and a life devoted to healing?Lara Love Hardin—literary agent, author, and prison-reform advocate—recounts her descent into opioid and heroin addiction, the shame that followed, and t…

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Dadvice: Have A Do Something Thanksgiving 6:22

24d ago6:22

6:22

Dadvice: Have A Do Something Thanksgiving

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235: Unabridged Interview: Rick Steves 1:08:16

24d ago1:08:16

1:08:16

This is our unabridged interview with Rick Steves. When Rick Steves was 14 years old, he stood in a park behind the Royal Palace in Oslo, watching families dot the grass in joyful togetherness. That was the moment. A dawning awareness that love — deep, sacrificial, attentive love — was not unique to his own family, but radiated across the globe. “T…

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Give A Gobble LIVE 1:11:45

26d ago1:11:45

1:11:45

Give A Gobble LIVE

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The Subtext: Nobody Wants This 51:19

26d ago51:19

51:19

In this episode, Savannah and Lee dive into the Netflix series Nobody Wants This, a smart and surprisingly tender rom-com about an agnostic podcaster (Kristen Bell) and a rabbi (Adam Brody) trying to make love work across lines of faith and conviction. The conversation unfolds into bigger questions: How do we love people whose choices we disagree w…

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235: Rick Steves: Travel as Spiritual Practice, Political Act, and Global Kinship 51:54

28d ago51:54

51:54

When Rick Steves was 14 years old, he stood in a park behind the Royal Palace in Oslo, watching families dot the grass in joyful togetherness. That was the moment. A dawning awareness that love — deep, sacrificial, attentive love — was not unique to his own family, but radiated across the globe. “This world is filled,” he remembers realizing, “with…

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Dadvice: Thanksgiving Everyday 7:14

1M ago7:14

7:14

Dadvice: Thanksgiving Everyday

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234: Unabridged Interview: Pádraig Ó Tuama 1:07:59

1M ago1:07:59

1:07:59

This is our unabridged interview with Pádraig Ó Tuama. Pádraig Ó Tuama joins us for part three of a three-part series asking the question posed by poet Christian Wiman: What is poetry’s role when the world is burning? It’s not a metaphorical question. We’re living through wars, climate collapse, collective burnout, and political fragmentation. What…

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Is 3 Hours of Instagram a Day Costing You 9 Years of Your Life? 37:46

1M ago37:46

37:46

It’s another episode with the Wests! Matthew is joined by his wife, Emily, for a hilarious and honest debate over their true wedding song—a 22-year-old argument about Marc Cohn's "True Companion." But the fun and games quickly turn to a deep and powerful conversation about the realities of parenting in 2025. Let's go to the Story House!…

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The Subtext: All is Fair in Love And (Culture) War 51:10

1M ago51:10

51:10

When Turning Point USA launches an “All-American Halftime Show” to rival Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl performance, it’s more than a musical critique, it’s a signal of a culture war. In this episode, Savannah and Lee unpack why something as ordinary as a halftime show can feel like a referendum on faith, family, and freedom. From the backlash that followe…

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234: Pádraig Ó Tuama: Poetry, and Making Peace, Bearing Witness and Being Human - Poetry Against the Dark 51:30

1M ago51:30

51:30

Pádraig Ó Tuama joins us for part three of a three-part series asking the question posed by poet Christian Wiman: What is poetry’s role when the world is burning? It’s not a metaphorical question. We’re living through wars, climate collapse, collective burnout, and political fragmentation. What possibly might human flourishing mean in such a contex…

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Dadvice: Apple Of His Eye 4:26

1M ago4:26

4:26

Dadvice: Apple Of His Eye

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233: Unabridged Interview: Haleh Liza Gafori 1:13:05

1M ago1:13:05

1:13:05

This is our unabridged interview with Haleh Liza Gafori. Haleh Liza Gafori joins us for part two of a three-part series asking the question posed by poet Christian Wiman: What is poetry’s role when the world is burning? It’s not a metaphorical question. We’re living through wars, climate collapse, collective burnout, and political fragmentation. Wh…

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Is Your Faith Bold... Or Are You Hiding It? 33:11

1M ago33:11

33:11

"God has called us to be the light of the world... to live our lives unashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ."In this special solo episode, Matthew West shares a message that will challenge and inspire you: God has you exactly where you are for a reason. Forget "spiritually playing dead." This is a rallying cry to live boldly for Jesus in your ever…

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The Subtext: Liver King: Masculinity in Crisis 47:59

1M ago47:59

47:59

When the “Liver King” built an empire on raw meat, steroids, and slogans about being “a real man,” what if he wasn’t selling a message based on muscles but mortality? In this episode, Savannah and Lee dig into how the fear of death shapes our obsession with control, strength, and self-sufficiency. Drawing from Untold: The Liver King, Scott Galloway…

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233: Haleh Liza Gafori: The Poetry of Rumi, Theology, and Social Critique - Poetry Against the Dark 51:14

1M ago51:14

51:14

Haleh Liza Gafori joins us for part two of a three-part series asking the question posed by poet Christian Wiman: What is poetry’s role when the world is burning? It’s not a metaphorical question. We’re living through wars, climate collapse, collective burnout, and political fragmentation. What possibly might human flourishing mean in such a contex…

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232: Unabridged Interview: Joy Harjo 1:00:33

2M ago1:00:33

1:00:33

Joy Harjo joins us for part one of a three-part series asking the question posed by poet Christian Wiman: What is poetry’s role when the world is burning? It’s not a metaphorical question. We’re living through wars, climate collapse, collective burnout, and political fragmentation. What possibly might human flourishing mean in such a context? And w…

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Dadvice: Knocked down but not out 6:20

2M ago6:20

6:20

Dadvice: Knocked down but not out

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What if Your Deepest Pain is Meant to Bring You to God? 43:34

2M ago43:34

43:34

Today I’m joined by Amber Smith, wife of Granger Smith. Amber shares their story of navigating the unspeakable tragedy of losing her 3-year-old son, River, and how that "bathroom floor" moment of ultimate grief and despair became the very place God met her. If you are walking through a storm or know someone who is, this conversation is a powerful r…

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The Subtext: God and Gilmore Girls 42:49

2M ago42:49

42:49

In this episode, Savannah and Lee celebrate the 25th anniversary of Gilmore Girls and use Melissa McCarthy’s viral story about Yanic Truesdale’s “fake” French accent as a springboard to talk about authenticity, faith, and what we’ve been trained to hear as “real.” From Luke’s Diner to the Sermon on the Mount, this episode asks: how do we tell the d…

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232: Joy Harjo: Poetry and the Pursuit of Justice, Truth, and the Common Good - Poetry Against the Dark 51:11

2M ago51:11

51:11

Joy Harjo joins us for part one of a three-part series asking the question posed by poet Christian Wiman: What is poetry’s role when the world is burning? It’s not a metaphorical question. We’re living through wars, climate collapse, collective burnout, and political fragmentation. What possibly might human flourishing mean in such a context? And w…

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Dadvice: Sidelines 7:25

2M ago7:25

7:25

Dadvice: Sidelines

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231: Unabridged Interview: Garrett Graff 1:04:54

2M ago1:04:54

1:04:54

This is our unabridged interview with Garrett Graff. What can it possibly mean to flourish in our tech saturated world? In the early 2000s, the internet felt like a civic miracle in the making, with profound possibilities for human flourishing and civic progress. Facebook gave voice to protestors in Egypt’s Tahrir Square. Twitter helped bring down …

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A Message for the Girl Who Feels Overlooked and Unseen 57:32

2M ago57:32

57:32

On today’s episode, I sit down with young author Caroline Shankle for a powerful and honest conversation about navigating the challenging "mean girl" years of high school and how those struggles prepared her for facing bigger giants in life. At just 22 years old, Caroline has poured her heart into her new 100-day devotional, "The Lion and the Bear:…

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The Subtext: The Life of a Showgirl (Lee’s Version) 56:36

2M ago56:36

56:36

When a Christian influencer warns moms that Taylor Swift will lead their daughters astray, the conversation has moved beyond pop music and into culture. In this episode, Savannah and Lee trace how the church has wrestled with cultural artifacts, including Niebuhr’s Christ and Culture, and what frameworks can help us understand modern reactions to c…

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231: Garrett Graff: Social Media, Politics, and the Failure to Flourish 51:29

2M ago51:29

51:29

What can it possibly mean to flourish in our tech saturated world? In the early 2000s, the internet felt like a civic miracle in the making, with profound possibilities for human flourishing and civic progress. Facebook gave voice to protestors in Egypt’s Tahrir Square. Twitter helped bring down dictators. The web seemed poised to enhance democracy…

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Dadvice: Stay In The Game 6:23

2M ago6:23

6:23

Dadvice: Stay In The Game

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230: Unabridged Interview: Anna Sale 1:12:51

2M ago1:12:51

1:12:51

This is our unabridged interview with Anna Sale. When Anna Sale launched Death, Sex & Money in 2014, she was 30 years old, newly divorced, living alone in a studio apartment in New York City, and trying to figure out what her life would become. She had covered politics as a reporter, but her personal world was unraveling. So she started asking stra…

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From Revisionist History: The Alabama Murders [ft. Lee Camp] 34:10

2M ago34:10

34:10

Here’s a preview of a new podcast series that Lee recently appeared in, The Alabama Murders from Revisionist History. Florence, Alabama. 1988. A preacher has an affair. A woman is murdered. One death cascades into more, stretching across decades and leaving no one untouched — victims, bystanders, perpetrators, and those just trying to help. On The …

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Burned on 100% of His Body... Now His Life is a Major Motion Picture. 43:15

2M ago43:15

43:15

At nine years old, John O'Leary was burned on 100% of his body and given no chance to survive. Today, his miraculous story is the inspiration behind the major motion picture "Soul on Fire," releasing in theaters on October 10th.Matthew West sits down with the incredible John O'Leary for a conversation about his journey of overcoming the impossible.…

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The Subtext: When Artists Fund the Military 42:03

2M ago42:03

42:03

When Spotify CEO Daniel Ek invests in a military AI startup, it raises a deeper question: how do we live with integrity in systems that profit from harm? In this episode, we explore the uncomfortable relationship between the best and brightest, money, and violence—from Deerhoof’s protest to Oppenheimer’s legacy, from Walter Wink’s “powers that be” …

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230: Anna Sale: Cultivating Courage to Talk About Hard Things, like Death, Sex, and Money 51:34

2M ago51:34

51:34

When Anna Sale launched Death, Sex & Money in 2014, she was 30 years old, newly divorced, living alone in a studio apartment in New York City, and trying to figure out what her life would become. She had covered politics as a reporter, but her personal world was unraveling. So she started asking strangers to talk about hard things, the questions sh…

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Dadvice: Head Gear 6:44

2M ago6:44

6:44

Dadvice: Head Gear

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229: Unabridged Interview: Terence Lester 1:05:25

2M ago1:05:25

1:05:25

This is our unabridged interview with Terence Lester. It was three days before Christmas when Terence Lester’s family dropped him beneath a bridge in Atlanta. With no change of clothes and a biting winter cold, he began a month-long experiment in solidarity with the unhoused. Strangers offered blankets, socks, even stories around a firepit. It was …

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A Pastor's Simple Advice For A Consistent Prayer Life 1:04:29

2M ago1:04:29

1:04:29

On today’s episode of the podcast, Matthew sits down with his pastor, Kevin Queen of Cross Point Church, for an incredibly honest and practical conversation about the struggles and triumphs of faith. Pastor Kevin shares his powerful testimony and what led him to become the leader of a thriving church. He provides a simple, transformative framework …

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The Subtext: Friendship Recession 43:52

2M ago43:52

43:52

In this episode, Lee and Savannah explore why friendships are harder to form and sustain in today’s culture, despite living in the most “connected” era in history. They examine how technology and convenience have reshaped friendship from a priority into a luxury. They ask whether these shifts meet our deep human need for connection or quietly erode…

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229: Terence Lester: Human Flourishing, Self Development, and the Common Good 52:01

2M ago52:01

52:01

It was three days before Christmas when Terence Lester’s family dropped him beneath a bridge in Atlanta. With no change of clothes and a biting winter cold, he began a month-long experiment in solidarity with the unhoused. Strangers offered blankets, socks, even stories around a firepit. It was humbling, painful, and life-altering. And it was from …

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Dadvice: All Day Long 4:53

2M ago4:53

4:53

Dadvice: All Day Long