Max Lucado is a pastor, speaker, and bestselling author with more than 145 million products in print that have been translated in 45 languages and distributed in 80 countries worldwide. Max entered the ministry in 1978. As a writer, Max is known for combining poetic storytelling and homespun humor with the heart of a pastor. He’s been dubbed “America’s Pastor” by Christianity Today, and “The Best Preacher in America” by Reader’s Digest. He was awarded the 2021 ECPA Pinnacle Award for outstanding contribution in publishing. Max currently serves as Teaching Minister of Oak Hills Church in San Antonio, Texas. Max and Denalyn live nearby in Central Texas. They have three grown daughters, two sons-in-law, and two grandchildren. Visit his website at www.MaxLucado.com. 

Bruce Reyes-Chow speaks and writes on issues of faith, technology, race, parenting, and church culture. He was the Moderator of the 218th General Assembly and is currently the Pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Palo Alto. He is also a Senior Consultant and Coach with The Convergence Network, and a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach.

Bruce hosts the podcast, BRC & Friends and is the author of four books. His latest, In Defense of Kindness: Why It Matters, How It Changes Our Lives, and How It Can Save the World was published by Chalice Press in 2021. He has an active online presence and can be found on most social networks via @breyeschow.

Diana Knott began Asher’s Gift Box after receiving the news of hearing loss in her seven month old son, Asher. The mission of Asher’s Gift Box is to support and empower newly diagnosed children under 3 years old, who are hard of hearing, and their families. Each Asher’s Gift Box contains a children’s book with hard of hearing characters, an American Sign Language book, a stuffed animal with a hearing device, among other treasures. Head to Diana’s Facebook page to read testimonies and find out how you can get involved. 

Noel and Alex Miranda are co-founders of Bravebird, a woman and indigenous-owned video production agency that brings dignity through visuals. Alex spent 15 years working in Hollywood, first as a professional actor and later in creative development at a top Hollywood studio. His credits include TV shows like The Lost World: Jurassic Park and Walker Texas Ranger. Noel produced Bravebird's first competitive short film, Fantasy in D Minor, which premiered at the San Luis Obispo International Film Festival and won Best International Short Film at Oxford. Check out their work at https://www.wearebravebird.com. 

Chrystal Evans Hurst is a gifted writer, speaker, and worship leader. Being the eldest child of Dr. Tony and Lois Evans, Chrystal been surrounded by the Word of God her entire life. Chrystal recently co-authored Divine Disruption with her dad and three siblings. You can find Chrystal writing on her blog—Chrystal’s Chronicles—where she poignantly reflects her thoughts about her faith and day-to-day experiences. Chrystal is a dedicated wife and homeschooling mother of five. She considers herself to be the COO (Chief Operating Officer) of the Hurst household which is located in a small town just outside of Dallas, Texas. Learn more at https://chrystalevanshurst.com.

Nicole turns the tables on Fargo’s Life 97.9 morning show icon Allen Jones! Nicole is usually the one to share kindness stories on his show – now it’s his turn!

In her debut children’s book, Christina Dankert takes us into Mr. Wilson’s second grade classroom where students learn the power within themselves to be kind. Even adults will feel the encouragement of The Kindness Machine!

Adam Weber is the founder and lead pastor of Embrace, a church based out of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Author of Love Has A Name and Talking with God, he also hosts a podcast called The Conversation. Adam likes sitting on his front porch, singing in his car at the top of his lungs, and meeting strangers (the stranger the better). He still cheers for the Cincinnati Bengals but no longer drives a Rambler. He’s married to his (patient) wife, Becky, and has four kids: Hudson, Wilson, Grayson, & Anderson. He also has seven chickens, two dogs, & three fish, but what he really wants is a sheep. You can find out more at adamweber.com.

As a Top-3 finalist on Season Eight of American Idol, Danny Gokey quickly became a favorite of millions. Following Idol, Gokey dropped his first album, My Best Days, which debuted at #4 on the Billboard Top 200 album chart. Since that time, Danny has cemented his place on the radio charts with multi-week, multi-chart top-ten runs in the United States, Canada and now Latin markets with his Spanish singles. He has been honored with three Grammy nominations, three wins as KLOVE Male Vocalist of the Year, two Dove Awards and numerous Dove Award nominations. You can connect with Danny at https://www.dannygokey.com.

In this special episode of The Kindness Podcast, we are kicking off Season 5 by introducing our new listeners to our host, Nicole Phillips. Nicole is a champion for using kindness and the power of prayer to overcome all of life’s difficulties, including her own battles with alcoholism, depression and breast cancer. You may have seen Nicole on Hallmark Channel’s Home & Family show, HGTV’s House Hunters or on The Price is Right. She was also Miss Wisconsin 1997. Nicole is the author of five books, including Kindness is Contagious and The Negativity Remedy. She is married to her childhood crush, Saul, who is the college men’s basketball coach at Northern State University. The couple lives in Aberdeen, South Dakota with their three children and oversized Goldendoodle. You can connect with Nicole at www.NicoleJPhillips.com.