The Big Idea

We finished The Man Series last Sunday (more on that later), and now we're getting ready for two of my favorite pieces of Summer: our July 4th Reach-Out event at Caldwell Park, and the Summer Blockbuster series.

July 4th means a parade, and thousands of people lining the streets to cheer, clap and get candy. Let's face it, parades are about candy. You could run dump trucks full of cow manure down the street, and if the drivers are throwing candy, there would be a crowd of people, holding their noses and running for Laffy Taffy. So because there's a ready made crowd, we're going to bring Jesus to the people there. Our band will be in the parade, playing the same kind of rocking worship music we do on Sundays, and we'll have dozens of volunteers giving away water, Popsicles, and smiles before and during the parade. Then, afterward, free hot dogs, face painting, and more smiles, with an appearance by the band, all at Caldwell Park. If you still want to volunteer, come to the training at Caldwell Park Friday at 6:30 pm and we'll get you hooked up.

The Blockbuster series is always fun for a couple reasons - one, I love Jesus and I love movies, but since they don't make a lot of movies about Jesus, the only way to combine the two loves is to talk about the spiritual themes in the big summer movies. We've done this for years now, and it always sparks great conversations. That's the other reason I love this: it gets people talking about and looking for Jesus in the culture. God is trying to reach the people of our time, and movies are the storytelling medium of our modern culture. No matter how jaded, cynical and secular the entertainment industry gets, the story of God's love for people, His plan for people, and His redemptive love creep into story after story on the big screen.

I love it when someone comes up to me and starts telling me what they saw in a movie, the spiritual themes, the Jesus moments, the love and grace undercurrents they felt while watching some big budget film. What you see in there that connects to God's story is just as important as what we talk about from the platform. And it's a great way to start a spiritual conversation with unchurched friends who see the movies. I get stories all the time about folks who say, "I was talking to my friend about this movie, and I told them about the sermon, and we talked for an hour..." If God can use a donkey, He can certainly use a movie to share His grace with people.

Here's my favorite website to use to start the conversation: Hollywood Jesus.com

So this year, feel free to let me know what you see in the movies you're watching. And share the stories of how God used the Blockbuster conversations to open doors for the Good News.