The Spiritual Muscle of Movies
I just visited Campus Crusade for Christ’s website, searching for statistics on the effectiveness of their JESUS film. I knew the movie was released in 1979, and I’ve long heard that more than 200 million people have made a commitment Christ after watching the film. What I didn’t know (until I saw the website) was […]
Stinky Christian Films
Several months ago, I talked with a man on the phone who ended our conversation like this: “Bob, my giving for 2012 and 2013 is pretty much set in stone. But beginning in 2014 my wife and I want to take a closer look at funding a Christian film—in the neighborhood of a million, perhaps […]
‘I Didn’t Even Notice’
Not long ago, someone sent me an article by the Rev. Craig Groeschel (senior pastor of LifeChurch.tv) titled “What’s the Big &%#*! Deal about Profanity?” What impressed me about the article was how eloquently he discussed the need for Christians to be discerning when it comes to their entertainment. For me, it was like reading […]
Out of India
I just got back from India. Along with a handful of other folks, I was a guest of Friends Church of Yorba Linda, Calif., on an eight-day journey that included the cities Hyderabad, Bangalore and Mumbai (plus two treks to rural India). The invitation came my way because this fellowship in Southern California has been […]
Going Green
Recently I ran across a disturbing Associated Press article that began with this: “More teens are smoking dope, with nearly 1 in 10 lighting up at least 20 or more times a month.” A few paragraphs later, I read that “past-month usage of marijuana grew from 19 percent in 2008 to 27 percent last year.” […]
A Few of My Favorite Things
Plugged In regularly receives letters and emails requesting lists of films we recommend. It sounds like a simple request and an easy one to fulfill. But it isn’t quite as cut and dried and it might seem. Why? Well, first of all, I’ve been working in this department for the better part of 19 years, […]
The Truth Behind The Vow
Are you intrigued by movies claiming to be based on a true story? Note that I said claiming to be. It’s the rare Hollywood drama inspired by actual events that doesn’t take liberties in the interest of spicing up the narrative. That may involve inventing characters, adding conflict or tweaking details to make the whole […]
Super Bowl Ads: What Were They Selling?
With the Denver Broncos eliminated from the NFL playoffs several weeks ago, I have to admit I had no “dog in the fight” when it came to this past weekend’s Super Bowl. That said, like a billion other people on this planet, I watched it anyway. Chock it up to a case of global media […]
The Profanity Puzzle: Is It a Sin to Watch a Profane Movie?
Editor’s note: A version of the following post originally appeared in Jim Daly’s Finding Home blog. Recently we received the following email: In your movie ratings you include a section labeled “profanity.” I have a particular problem when the Name of Jesus is used as a cuss word. … My question is this: Is it […]
The Katy Perry We Knew
It’s been a while since Katy Perry stopped by to chat with me about her music. Yes, that Katy Perry. Although it may be hard to believe, a decade ago Katy (then known as Katy Hudson) dropped by Focus on the Family to help get the word out about her self-titled, just released Christian album. […]