I Can Only Imagine

Let me start this off by saying I do not typically enjoy Christian movies. Sad, but true. I find that most Christian films that I have seen are of poor quality, really bad acting and seem to only exist to get a specific message across. Now that may not be true for all films in this genre but I have yet to find one personally that has much in the way of quality when compared to typical Hollywood fare. In my opinion, Christian based media should be just as good as the alternatives.

OK, rant over.

I say all of the above because when Graf-Martin Communications offered me free tickets to see I Can Only Imagine, I was interested, based on the trailer, but not expecting much.

I Can Only Imagine is based on the true story of Bart Millard, lead singer of MercyMe. This is the story behind the hit song and title of the film.

My expectations were low but this film went way above anything I expected. This is how a Christian based move should be done. T|he acting was superb, led by Broadway star J. Michael Finley. With well known cast members including Trace Adkins, Dennis Quaid and Cloris Leachman. Every actor added depth, humor and passion to their roles.

I probably laughed more during this film than  any movie I can recall. The humor was well-timed and most of the theatre was laughing out loud at all the right places. Yet interspersed with that humor was a heart-wrenching story of abuse, romance, abandonment and redemption that also had me wiping my eyes on more than one occasion.  Not many films have ever brought me to this much of a visceral response.

I Can Only Imagine did well at the Box Office in its first week and deserves a wide screening. If you get the chance to see this movie you need to do so. You will not be dissapointed.

You can check out the movie's website here: I Can Only Imagine

This Changed Everything

This Changed Everything is a new DVD that comes out this October. I received a advance copy from my friend John Armstrong, author of Your Church is too Small and president of the Act3 Network.

The three-part documentary looks at the rich history of the Reformation, examining its good parts while also asking the tough questions about what went wrong in the aftermath. Could division have been avoided? Is the fractured and divided church of today beyond hope for reunification? Jesus spoke about unity, does it still apply today?

Hosted by actor David Suchet, church historians across the religious spectrum share deep insights and ask those tough questions about unity and the future of the Christian church.

As a history buff I fell in love with this DVD. The transitions through this period of time were smooth and lead the viewers deeper into the past then the average believer may have gone before. I learned things I never knew and found myself wondering and asking some of the same questions that the historians address.

Luther, Zwingli, Calvin and beyond are examined in a fresh light. We in the church today hold the reformation in such high regard. Have we ever counted the cost? With all of the good that came from this transformative period of history, we cannot ignore the problems it wrought as well.

Is there still hope for unity in the body of Christ? I believe there is.

I recommend this DVD to every student of church history, to every Pastor and leader in the body of Christ and to every Christian who truly believes that we should love one another!

The High Calling - A Review

I was pointed to a website I haven't seen before this past week.

The website has some thought provoking articles, like How to Quit Your Job with Grace and Integrity.

The High Calling is really an online magazine and community which is founded on the belief that God cares about our daily work. I struggled for a few years in seeing God in my job, like when I worked on cars for a living, and would have found his resource helpful then.  I actually found it helpful now as well.

The site has a wide range of articles, interviews, devotionals, and inspirational stories—all specifically created to help the reader to find God in our work and family.

You should really check this site out.

While there you can sign up for their Weekly Calling which usually has an audio message from Howard Butt, a Christian business leader and author, several articles from The High Calling website, a video from The High Calling, and several other articles from around the High Calling community and other sites.

I checked out a few of their Weekly Calling newsletters and was overall impressed.  Some of the articles were very thought provoking.  My only criticism would be that some of the articles would have benefited by having a corresponding Scripture that backed up the premise of the article.

Overall I liked what I saw and just signed up for the newsletter this week.  You should check it out.

Go to  The High Calling and look for the newsletter sign up on the right hand side of the page.