The Entertainment Ministry

Jesus of Asgard

2011-05-18T12:14:00.001-05:00

Truth, Justice and the American - Wait, What?

2011-05-02T09:28:00.000-05:00

Christ on the Cross Quotes Poem

2011-04-22T13:30:00.000-05:00

The Greatest Story Ever Re-Told

2011-04-16T15:05:00.000-05:00

I Have Fallen

2011-04-06T13:02:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday - LIVE!

2011-03-29T19:09:00.000-05:00

Somebody Save Me

2011-03-23T14:42:00.001-05:00

The First Person God Invested

2011-03-16T20:36:00.000-05:00

The God of Entertainment?

2011-03-09T11:06:00.001-06:00

Harry Potter as Christ Figure

2011-02-28T15:56:00.000-06:00

Apostle Paul Quotes Pretty Woman?

2011-02-22T11:48:00.000-06:00

Gospel of Superman

2011-02-14T12:00:00.000-06:00

Harry Potter = Mission Field

2011-02-08T09:32:00.002-06:00

Gilligan's Island and Ephesians 2:8-9

2010-09-23T10:38:00.002-05:00

Below, Gilligan grills fish on a boat deck(!), setting the boat on fire, but attracting a rescue helicopter!

Like Gilligan, have we been saved not because of our actions but despite our actions, leaving no other explanation for our salvation but the grace of God?

Through God's grace, we're saved - not because of what we do, but despite what we do.

Ephesians 2:8-9
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is a gift from God - not by works, so that no one can boast.

Beverly Hillbillies and Luke 17:3

2010-09-16T13:13:00.004-05:00

In this clip, Granny calls the cops on Cousin Pearl - for yodeling(!) - then begs, cries and crawls for forgiveness!

Like Granny, have we asked for forgiveness through genuine repentance - or have we freely given forgiveness when the offender repented?

After we sin against others, before it is up to them to forgive us, it is up to us to ask for forgiveness through genuine repentance.

Luke 17:3
..."If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him."

New Chronicles of Narnia trailer

2010-08-06T11:28:00.006-05:00

Below is the newest trailer for the film adaptation of the Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader. The trailer was released this past Tuesday on the DVD for Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Dawn Treader is due in theaters on December 10, 2010.

As reported in a previous post, this time around, Edmund and Lucy Pevensie join forces once again with their royal friend Prince Caspian as they are whisked away on a mysterious mission to the Lone Islands, and beyond. On this bewitching voyage that will test their hearts and spirits, the trio will face magical Dufflepuds, sinister slave traders, roaring dragons and enchanted merfolk. Only an entirely uncharted journey to Aslan's Country – a voyage of destiny and transformation for each of those aboard the Dawn Treader – can save Narnia and all the astonishing creatures in it, from an unfathomable fate. Enjoy!

Lucy Show Bible Study

2010-07-08T14:16:00.003-05:00

The ministry has just released the Lucy Show Bible Study to DVD. Below is one of my favorite scenes from the series. When Lucy goes shopping, she breaks everything she touches, but she doesn't buy anything!

This clip offers a great way to talk about forgiveness, which shouldn't come with a scorecard - we should forgive as many times as a person needs to be forgiven. See Matthew 18:21-22: Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times."

Like Lucy, have we needed to be forgiven multiple times - and have we been willing to forgive others as many times as we have been forgiven?

Super Man Bible Study

2010-07-01T09:12:00.010-05:00

This is the teaser trailer for Superman Returns (2006). I think about this trailer often for the way in which it intentionally illustrates the parallels between Superman and Jesus Christ.

Near the end of the trailer, Superman floats over the Earth in the silence of space - almost as if listening to prayers from the planet below. Over this scene, the voice of his father is heard, paraphrasing John 3:16: "They can be a great people, Kal-El. They wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way. For this reason above all, their capacity for good. I have sent them you. My only son." Suddenly, Superman hears a cry for help and rockets toward the Earth, a sonic boom in his wake.

That's the image of a savior who cares, that's the image of our Lord Jesus Christ. For more examples of how the Superman story was based on the Christ story - by the admission of the Superman storytellers themselves - check out my Super Man Bible Study.

Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader

2010-06-17T07:23:00.005-05:00

I'm so glad to see the third Narnia movie (Voyage of the Dawn Treader) making its way into theaters on December 10, 2010. As a high-profile marriage of Christian content and Hollywood artistry, the films made from C.S. Lewis' Narnia books represent an incredible opportunity for the church to catch the attention of the masses as we again pass through the intersection of culture and Christianity.

This time around, Edmund and Lucy Pevensie join forces once again with their royal friend Prince Caspian as they are whisked away on a mysterious mission to the Lone Islands, and beyond. On this bewitching voyage that will test their hearts and spirits, the trio will face magical Dufflepuds, sinister slave traders, roaring dragons and enchanted merfolk. Only an entirely uncharted journey to Aslan's Country – a voyage of destiny and transformation for each of those aboard the Dawn Treader – can save Narnia and all the astonishing creatures in it, from an unfathomable fate.

In the World, Of the World, Until...

2010-06-10T10:55:00.005-05:00

UPDATE 6/15/10: Samme was told that 713 people called into CBN and made a 1st time decision for Jesus after his segment ran on the 700 Club!

This is the testimony of a buddy of mine, Samme Palermo, which is being featured on CBN today (6/10/10). Samme enjoyed pleasure-seeking the night away as a DJ, but when his wife became a Christian, his life took a different turn. A great video segment about a great guy.

Gulliver's Travels Trailer

2010-06-08T10:44:00.005-05:00

Here is the new trailer for Gulliver's Travels, starring Jack Black, due out December 22, 2010. By the look of the trailer, it appears 20th Century Fox is going for a family-friendly vibe. That's a good thing. If Hollywood did their job right, churches will be able to use the cultural impact of the film (or even merely the promotion of the film) to point to the Christian origins of the story - and thereby get a foot in the door to talk about Christianity.

Gulliver's Travels: Christian Classic

2010-06-03T12:14:00.002-05:00

A new Gulliver's Travels movie is coming out in December. In this modernized version, Jack Black stars as Lemuel Gulliver, a free-spirited travel writer who, on an assignment in the Bermuda Triangle, suddenly finds himself a giant among men, when he washes ashore on the hidden island of Liliput, home to a population of tiny people.

Of course, Gulliver's Travels was written by Jonathan Swift, one-time Dean of St. Patricks, Dublin. The fantastical (and very entertaining) adventures are window-dressing for the cleric's satirical commentary on issues of faith and politics.

Coming in the same year as Alice in Wonderland, another Christian classic, 2010 is a banner year for church outreach opportunities that leverage the promotional efforts of Hollywood to impact our communities at the crossroads of culture and Christianity.

Nashville Flood

2010-05-29T14:49:00.011-05:00

Some of you who know the ministry is based in the Nashville area have been kind enough to ask how my family and I made it through the recent flood. We did fine. My parents and one of my sisters did experience some property damage related to the flood, but it was not much compared to the multitudes of people who lost everything. This was a 500-year flood event (meaning it is estimated to occur only once in five centuries), and the majority of those that suffered property damage did not have flood insurance. Those are the folks that most desperately need our prayers. Please pray for those in need and those helping them.

Alice in Wonderland Church Movie Night

2010-05-28T15:42:00.011-05:00

With the release of the Tim Burton/Johnny Depp Alice in Wonderland to DVD on June 1st, churches across the country have a wonderful opportunity to engage their communities with the Christian heritage of Alice in Wonderland. A church movie night with Walt Disney's new Alice movie might draw in a crowd of both believers and seekers - who would then be surprised to learn how deep the rabbit hole goes with the revelation of what the Reverend Charles Dodgson (author of Alice) was actually saying through his heroine and the Wonderland characters. Futterwacken dance lessons optional.

How Lost Lost Its Way

2010-05-27T13:01:00.004-05:00

For a TV series that seemed so ripe with issues and imagery of faith, in my humble opinion, Lost certainly lost its way. One way in which the show failed was in refusing to provide answers to some of the big (and small) questions it raised. To wit, the embed below. As another blogger wrote, I was okay with the way Lost ended... until I saw this.

Alice in Wonderland in Top 10 Land

2010-05-26T23:56:00.005-05:00

Walt Disney's new Alice in Wonderland movie has now become the tenth highest-grossing movie of all time. It kicked the second Lord of the Rings movie out of the deca-club, basically swapping one Christian author for another Christian author. The Reverend Charles Dodgson, author of Alice, would be proud. (Hey Culture, the church has bragging-rights here! Hey Church, start bragging - as we humbly work to equip the congregants and reach out to the lost, of course!)