Tell of His Wonders

We have been empowered to actively and accurately communicate what we have seen God do in our lives and in the world around us.  What we have experienced, we can tell it to those who desperately need to hear His message. Psalm 105 says:
1 Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; Make known His deeds among the peoples!
2 Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him; Talk of all His wondrous works!
3 Glory in His holy name; Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord!

Pay careful attention to verse 2b: "Talk of all His wondrous works."  God is doing amazing things - and we can communicate what we have seen and heard.  We can also relate about the incredible things He has done for us - we can live in a manner that reflects joy; joy regarding who He is and what He has done, with a sense of appreciation and awe.  Our willingness to allow God to use us and faithfulness to follow through can have a tremendous impact in bringing hope to people and the good news of salvation through Him.

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Jesus has been described as the greatest storyteller of all, and He used parables to relate God's truth - some would hear, others would not. In Matthew 13, we read:

33 Another parable He spoke to them: "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened."

34 All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them,

35 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: "I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world."

There are a few developments to discuss in the world of movies that communicate a faith message, including the release today of Indivisible, from eye doctor turned moviemaker David Evans, who, along with his wife, and their church, made the movie, The Grace Card, a few years back.  We'll be hearing from David and his wife, Esther, during the second hour of The Meeting House, in a conversation recorded at UNITE this summer.   The film portrays a military chaplain and his wife and the struggles that they face.  Sarah Drew, who starred in Moms' Night Out, is one of the leads.

That film was made by Jon and Andy Erwin, who later made Woodlawn and I Can Only Imagine.  Now, the Erwin Brothers, of Birmingham, have their sights set on greater pursuits for God's kingdom.  Baptist Press notes that Jon Erwin...

...his brother Andy and their production partner Kevin Downes have formed a new filmmaking company, Kingdom, which will bring multiple filmmakers together to create a "pipeline of event movies" that proclaim a biblical message and "serve the church," Erwin told Baptist Press.

He likens it to a "Christian Pixar or a Christian Marvel" studio that specializes in a specific area and is able to work on multiple films at one time -- but all with the quality that moviegoers expect from an Erwin-branded movie. Some movies will be directed by the Erwins, while others will employ other veteran or upcoming directors. Lionsgate will distribute them.

Erwin is scheduled to announce Kingdom's first lineup of films at the National Religious Broadcasters meeting March 26 in Anaheim, Calif. At least one of those will be directed by the Erwins.

Meanwhile, men known for their athletic abilities have jumped into making faith-based films.  ChristianHeadlines.com reported on former Heisman Trophy winner, professional baseball player, and co-host of SEC Nation, Tim Tebow, who has been involved in producing a film, along with his brother, Robby, called, Run the Race.  It's described this way:

The film tells the story of two brothers who have lost their mom and whose father walked out on them after her death. Despite this, the brothers are determined to make the best out of a bad situation. They plan on obtaining football scholarships so that they can use the money to change their circumstances. Suddenly, everything changes when one of the brothers sustains an injury bringing his football dream to a screeching halt.

The article quotes Tebow:

"This is a story about overcoming the hard issues of life, about the power of sacrifice, the power of family and the power of forgiveness," Tebow told Hollywood Reporter. "I love being a part of a project like this because it will impact lives."

He told CBN News: "I wanted to be part of something that's encouraging and inspirational to the viewer."  The film is scheduled to be released in February of 2019.

And, another pro athlete who just put 51 points on the board this past Wednesday night will be an executive producer of a faith-based movie.  Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors, who is part of a new entertainment company, is involved with Breakthrough.  ChristianHeadlines.com states:

The film is based on a book called The Impossible by Joyce Smith which tells the inspiringly true story of how Smith’s son, John, fell through the ice, drowned, and was declared legally dead, only to be revived an hour later through the power of prayer.

You may remember that Joyce and their family pastor were guests on The Meeting House to discuss their experiences and God's faithfulness.  The article relates:

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Curry jumped at the chance to work on Breakthrough because of its strong messages of faith and family.

"John's story is nothing short of incredible," Curry told THR. "It's a story about the power of prayer and perseverance and one I immediately connected to. After reading the script, I knew I wanted to be a part of bringing it to life onscreen."

According to THR, executive producer DeVon Franklin pitched the movie to the Golden State Warrior during a general movie meeting and 24 hours later Curry was sold.

Franklin has been involved in two of the highest-grossing Christian movies of all time, Heaven is For Real and Miracles From Heaven, both in the top 10, according to Box Office Mojo.   The afore-mentioned, I Can Only Imagine is at #6; The Passion of the Christ sits atop the list.

There are several areas to consider when we look at these new developments. 

One is the power of a story.  All of these filmmakers, in a way, are involved in telling stories.  The Erwins talk often about the importance of telling good stories.  As it's been pointed out, we see how Jesus used parables - stories - to illustrate His truth.  A good story, infused with faith, can result in a changed heart or a changed perspective.

And, we can consider the power of faith.  People are looking for hope these days; so many want answers that are not derived from human wisdom.  Faith transcends our own human understanding and takes our thinking and acting to a higher level.   We can soar in our faith as we are inspired - the Bible says that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.  So, God's Word is the foundation of our faith.  But, God will use other tools in order to propel us to grow.

Another area is the power of a platform.  Tebow and Curry are using their platform as professional athletes, high-profile individuals in our culture and are venturing out into another realm.  I have mentioned before the importance of athletes, even student-athletes, using their influence to make an impact for Christ.  People are watching, and we can consider how we are using the gifts he's given us to glorify Him.