Max Lucado is a preacher with a storyteller’s gift—a pastor’s heart and a poet’s pen. Max’s sermons begin at home with the congregation at Oak Hills Church, which he has led for more than 25 years. It...

Max Lucado is a preacher with a storyteller’s gift—a pastor’s heart and a poet’s pen. Max’s sermons begin at home with the congregation at Oak Hills Church, which he has led for more than 25 years. It is in this setting that his stories are first told, from a pastor’s heart. Eventually some of these sermons and stories are refined and fashioned into books that are shared far beyond the walls of Oak Hills and the city limits of San Antonio, Texas. Max’s words have traveled around the world in more than 54 languages via more than 120 million individual products. Most of these products are books (92 million), which have now occupied spots on every major national bestseller list. Over the years Max Lucado has been featured in countless national media outlets, dubbed “America’s Pastor” by Reader’s Digest, and even named one of the most influential leaders in social media by The New York Times. Max was born in a small town in West Texas, the youngest son of an oil field mechanic and a nurse. He grew up in church but as a teen took a different road, walking away from his parent’s faith. One starry summer night, after downing a six-pack of beer, Max began to wonder if there wasn’t more to life than parties and chasing pretty girls. Not long afterward, a Bible class at nearby Abilene Christian University stirred his heart again, drawing the young student into the unconditional love of God. Max left West Texas with a master’s degree in Biblical Studies and a deep desire to share God’s love and mercy with others. When he landed in a small church near Miami, Florida, one of his duties as an associate pastor was to write the weekly church newsletter. It was then he discovered a powerful synergy between his passion for people, pastoral ministry, and writing. Max Lucado’s first book, On the Anvil, was published in 1985. His 31st book, Before Amen: The Power of a Simple Prayer (September 2014), was born from his own struggles with prayer. Max poignantly shows how anyone can overcome disappointment from unanswered prayers and lean into the knowledge that God hears prayer. Max and his wife Denalyn have three grown daughters. They live in Houston, Texas.

In 2002, Filmmaker Caryl Matrisciana founded Caryl Productions, continuing the production of her cutting-edge documentaries and the distribution of informational materials to help discern the perilous...

In 2002, Filmmaker Caryl Matrisciana founded Caryl Productions, continuing the production of her cutting-edge documentaries and the distribution of informational materials to help discern the perilous times in which we live. Matrisciana, a well-known authority on ancient and modern world religions, contemporary cults, paganism and the occult, is a best-selling author, journalist, researcher and commercial artist. Caryl has been a frequent guest on numerous national and international TV and radio programs. Caryl is an informative and articulate public speaker. Her topics have covered enormous diversity and reveal today's cultural trends and social issues with a special emphasis on supernatural themes, contemporary religious views and today's rising "New Christianized Spirituality" that has crept into Evangelical Christianity. She discusses the blending of New Age philosophy, Contemplative Prayer, Eastern Meditative techniques, Gnosticism and Eastern Mysticism, and the displaying of various occult "signs and wonders" within the hyper-Charismatic and Pentecostal New Apostolic Reformation. Also, the ecumenical tendencies within the Emergent, Purpose Driven, Mega and Seeker-Friendly Church Movements. Caryl was co-founder and co-producer of Jeremiah Films for 23 years, serving as the Creative and Marketing Director and contributing to over 60 documentaries. She was instrumental in the research of many films on many subjects, and also narrated several.