Movies & television

I fell in love with the visual storytelling of movies and television very early. Over the years, God has used those stories — Christian and secular — to impact my life. As a result, I have put together a series of messages centered on particular movies. They are available as individual topics for speaking engagements or in workshop format, which may include a series of films or television episodes.

Movies

The Pixar series

I have created study guides for each of the Pixar films made thus far, and I will continue to add to this series as new films are released. Each film contains marvelous lessons about the essence of who we are as human beings and how we relate to ourselves, each other, and the world around us.

Television

The A-Team

You may be thinking, The A-Team? All they ever did was blow stuff up, right? Actually, upon closer examination, the series did occasionally take a hard look at some of the issues of its day — issues that are still with us, decades later.

MacGyver

A man who doesn’t drink, smoke, or carry a gun (and very rarely resorted to profanity). Yes, he had his faults and flaws like everyone else. But he has been one of the few characters on television who dared to think beyond the ordinary, and his innovative choices and ideas are worth examining, as they encourage us as viewers to think innovatively as well.

Numb3rs

For me, one of the most intriguing characters on this series has been Larry Fleinhardt, who has sometimes been the voice of reason — or even conscience — in the face of moral and ethical dilemmas. The series has also dealt with issues of loyalty, trust, friendship, and family in ways that bear closer examination and discussion.

Stargate SG-1

Over the course of its ten seasons, this science-fiction television series dealt with a number of moral, ethical, relationship, and even spiritual issues. Though the writers, directors, and actors did not always make choices in alignment with Scripture, their choices — and the dilemmas surrounding those choices — are worth looking at and discussing.