Lucy Show Bible Study

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

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

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...

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

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

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

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.