Seeing Stories

Jesus is described in John 1 as the Word who became flesh - He was the physical expression, the embodiment of God's Holy Word. the chapter says:
12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:
13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

Just as Christ demonstrated the power and principles of His Heavenly Father and provided a visual of how to live according to the Word of God, since He was the Word in the flesh, we can be encouraged to allow the Holy Spirit to live through us, bringing to life the Word and manifesting through us the incredible stories of God's love and faithfulness.  We can be bold and sensitive to tell our stories, to speak God's truth, and to allow the Scriptures to flow through us.

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Peter knew Jesus personally - he walked with Him here on this earth, and even though he knew him face-to-face, he wrote this in 2nd Peter chapter 1:

16 For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.

17 For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

18 And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain.

19 And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts...

Peter says, "listen to my story" and "heed the Word that has come to you."

The movie industry has certainly taken a hit, and I don't mean "hit" films, from the coronavirus crisis, but there has still been a steady stream of films that have come to home video and even limited screenings over the last year.  This weekend, the movie comedy, Church People, with Stephen Baldwin and Thor Ramsey, will be in a three-day release.  And, the Erwin Brothers and Kingdom Story Company are at work on a biopic depicting the life of NFL great and Super Bowl champion Kurt Warner.

Christian entertainment content hasn't gone away during the pandemic, and there are some bright signs on the horizon.  For instance, a new studio has announced its operation in the Phoenix area, and it is devoted to producing a significant number of faith-based films.  Movieguide reports that:

JCFilms is a family-friendly and faith-based studio located in Tempe, Arizona, to shoot 12 movies next year.

“Our goal is to do between 6 to 12 films here next year in Phoenix,” Jason Campbell, president of JC Films, said. “We just want to be a hub … for people of faith to get together and make family-friendly content.

The studio's website says:

To date, JCFilms has produced over 30 faith and family films. They hope the new studio will not only attract more film makers but offer people of faith the unique opportunity to get involved in all aspects of the faith-based film industry.

The article says that "Campbell hopes that his studio will provide faith content to a large market of believers in the U.S. and act as a potential kickstart for more movies based in Arizona."  First up, a film called, Forgiven, featuring actor Dean Cain.

About the film, the studio website states:

The new story that is being made into film is called FORGIVEN and focuses on child abuse, a subject that could not have come at a better time. In the past year, during this global coronavirus pandemic that has shut down businesses and schools, child abuse has increased 82% with a record number of nearly 1 MILLION reported cases in 2020.

“And just like that God opened the doors for this film to be made,” Campbell said. FORGIVEN tells the true-life story of Andrea Weber-Pomykala, a successful real estate investor in the Phoenix area. As a young girl, Andrea was physically, emotionally, and sexually abused. Now, her story will be told highlighting her recovery, her forgiveness, and her perseverance to overcome.

Her goal is to utilize this film to help bring awareness and education and to assist communities with identifying child abuse. “This pandemic is detrimental to many of the children in our community because we know the abuse is getting worse,” Andrea said.

The new studio in Phoenix is also inviting people to participate, with the website asking for film ideas and letting people know that there are opportunities to use it for various projects.

It's always good to check in from time to time about entertainment options for believers.  When we expose ourselves to these options that reflect and affirm our values, it can be uplifting for us. And, we can be thankful for people like Jason Campbell who are devoted to presenting a Christian worldview on the screen.  

There are scores of ideas that are available and Christian ideals are in a competition, you could say, with content that is not glorifying to God and presents a view of the world that is not consistent with our own.  We can tell amazing stories of God's love and His grace, and it is encouraging to see how He uses people and the stories they tell to bring honor to His name.

We need redeeming stories to be communicated to our culture.  And, we know that God is writing His story through each and every one of us - if we are saved, we have become part of His redemption story - and the effects of the presence of Christ can give us plenty to share.