When I was growing up, there seemed to be an unspoken agreement between my friends and I when it came to watching movies. We all silently ignored inappropriate content in films as long as they were funny.

Take a break from being awesome every now and then and eavesdrop on some young kids. More often than not, they’ll be laughing about a recent movie or TV show they watched. And more often than not, the humor they’re laughing about has something to do with sexually crude or perverted material. If that’s not enough, give a listen to the most popular comedians in the United States today. Sexually explicit and even grotesque material seems to always get the most laughs. I’m not here to tear down these comedians because often, they are using comedy as an outlet for what has happened to them in their lives. But at the same time, my friends and I have grown up. We still watch movies together often. And finally, we’ve become mature enough to sit down after watching a comedy to ask ourselves a couple important questions. Such as where do we draw the line? And is the laughter worth exposing oneself to all this other content as well? Answering honestly is more difficult than I thought.

So a movie I recently watched with some friends refers to real life awkward situations that are best overcome with humor. But there are some things comedy cannot help overcome. For example, a young person who’s been raped or molested cannot simply go about joking about what has happened to them expecting the laughter of audiences around them to heal their wounds. This may come across as obvious, but take a look at most comedy films and comic acts that come out these days and you’ll see that it’s not so obvious after all.

So, should we as Christians just turn our back on humor altogether? Not quite. It seems that we, too, have overlooked an obvious fact about humor the same way that many secular comedians have. It’s simple, but not stated often enough:

God invented laughter.

If you walked into a storehouse of mine and noticed that I was creating 6 billion unique and individualized greeting cards, I’d take a break from being awesome and tell you that I really like greeting cards. Well, take the number of people on the earth and you’ll find that there are just about that many different senses of humor, and God invented them all uniquely and individually. I think we’re safe to conclude that God himself has a sense of humor. So if we’re made to laugh, wouldn’t the guy who invented laughter know what would make us laugh the best? Definitely.

Enter, Tim Hawkins, A Christian comedian that has been the cause of several people peeing their pants without ever crossing the line from funny to unnecessary. Tim started doing comedy in 2002 and has traveled to hundreds of sold out shows. He has built a following of both Christians and non-Christians alike. His comedy has gone way beyond the unfunny Christian comedy of the past and has yet demonstrated real life situations without crossing the line into indecent material. One situation I’ve come to experience often in my life is brought to life perfectly by Tim in one of his acts, Have You Eaten? . Tim’s bio on his website says it best, “It is this ability to show the brokenness of our human nature and simultaneously marvel in its hilarity which makes Tim such a unique artist.”

As Christians, we should be laughing more than anybody else (Proverbs 31:25) because the creator of laughter lives inside of us. This will be made even more obvious to each one of us as we sit back and witness Tim Hawkins as he never takes a break from being awesome.

About Arvin Sepehr

Arvin is a student at Oral Roberts University studying communications. He works for Family Christian Movies as a writer, marketer, box packer and customer service master (in no particular order.)

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Guest Post by R.J. Vickers
The upcoming documentary film “Back to Bawku” tells the story of Sidney Goodwin – a missionary who died tragically in Africa in the early 1960s. Sidney was the son of two career missionaries who spent part of his childhood overseas in Ghana, where his parents ministered. As an adult, Sidney decided to become a missionary himself, and in the fall of 1962, he, his wife, and his three-year-old daughter set sail for Ghana. Unbeknownst to Sidney and his family, tragedy awaited them. He would perish less than two months after arriving.

Fifty years later, a commemorative service is being held at a church near Sidney’s gravesite. Several members of Sidney’s family are journeying back to Bawku, including myself. My name is R.J. Vickers, and I am the director and producer behind the film. Sidney Goodwin was my great-uncle, whom I never had the pleasure of meeting. This film will tell Sidney’s story, and it also will inspect the mindset of a missionary and try to understand what it is that makes a missionary decide to move across the globe to a foreign land.

In order to produce this film, I have starter a fundraiser via Kickstarter.com (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/310913897/back-to-bawku-a-documentary-film). The goal for the fundraiser is $6,000 – which is actually a very modest budget in the filmmaking world. This will provide for the camera and equipment needed to make this film happen.

“Back to Bawku” will bear some similarities to the documentary film “Beyond The Gates Of Splendor” . Both films are “Missions Movies”, and they both tell how God was able to take a horrible situation and transform it into something truly inspiring. They both remind us that God always has a plan and that we should always stay strong in our faith – no matter what.

“Back to Bawku” is a personal project of mine – I am devoting myself to working on this film and I am determined to do everything humanly possible to see it succeed. But I cannot do it alone. I am trusting in God to provide for this film and I am asking any who are able to please contribute. The fundraiser uses an “all or nothing” system, which means that if $6,000 is not raised by the June 28th deadline, “Back to Bawku” will not be funded.

Please help me tell Sid’s story – either with pledges or prayer. Both are mightily appreciated. Thank you and God Bless.

Don’t forget to visit our Kickstarter page to watch a short video where I share my heart for this project.

-R.J. Vickers

What would you do if today, a stranger walked up and handed you $9 billlion? Well, once you finally collected the remains of your jaw off of the floor, you’d probably try and say “thank you.” Now fast forward a little bit and picture this same occurrence happening every year regularly. (I know…WOW). Clearly, this is wishful thinking. But amid the bereavement of financial lack, some questions would begin to spark up eventually. The most paramount among them would be “What is it about me that causes them to throw so much money my way?” This is the question the American film industry should be asking itself.

Every year, over $9 billion is spent on movies in the United States. What is it about films that draw our attention so much? Why is “dinner and a movie” the default date idea? The obsession with movies in our culture sparks a lot of good questions. And the answer to all of them is found not in what individual films are about, but what film is all about, Story. We as humans are obsessed with stories. And we love movies because that is what they do, tell a story.

Good storytellers do not find stories, they are rather found by them. As Christians, we plant our lives on the writings of men who, thousands of years ago, found themselves caught up in stories. And now, our faith in Christ is founded upon what they’ve written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

Now, thousands of years later, Christians are finding that humanity is still being caught by stories they must try to tell. Among all the stories being discovered, none is more inviting and crucial than the story that has caught every human being who has ever lived. That is the story of the world we live in. 100% of the people who have ever existed were born on planet Earth. Telling the story of our planet and discovering the true details about it has been the goal of educational Christian films and DVDs. Whether the educational information is regarding the specific physical details of our planet (like The Privileged Planet or Flight from Illustra Media) or zooms in on one or two specific time periods (such as The Bible Explorer Series from Bridgestone Multimedia Group), Christian educational DVDs have long been family-friendly films that keep one’s interest and inform audiences.

The overarching message of Christian educational DVDs is that we are all caught up in a story that started before we were born and will not end with the end of our lives either. That is the message that science has been teaching us. It is the conclusion of every educational expose on great men and women, events, and places. The goal of educational Christian DVDs is motivated by the same fervor that inspires parents to send their children to school. Those who have lived in this story longer than us are constantly, and in many different ways, saying, “You must learn about what sort of story you have been dropped into.”

Good storytellers are what we are all destined to be, and the Christian educational DVDs available at familychristianmovies.com are aimed at helping us learn as much about this wonderful story we are caught up in as possible.

About Arvin Sepehr

Arvin is a student at Oral Roberts University studying communications. He works for Family Christian Movies as a writer, marketer, box packer and customer service master (in no particular order.)

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The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry

When was the last time you watched a Christian film and felt nostalgic about the good old days? I wasn’t alive 43 years ago, but a recent Christian DVD I watched made me wonder what it would have been like to hang out with Dustin, Mark, and Albert in “The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry.”

“The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry” is an inspiring faith-filled depiction of life in a small town in the summer of 1970. The story focuses in on the life of a boy named Dustin and the journey he experiences with his friends. Throughout this film, one finds Dustin and his buddies going after hot fudge sundaes, pizza, and what all boys love to talk about, girls.

But the adventure of Dustin’s summer takes a more important turn when he meets an older man named Jonathan Sperry (played by Gavin Macleod) and learns from him about the issues of life.

The innocence and simplicity of this family-friendly Christian film taught me about a time in the United States when things were more people-oriented, and less about “things.” The plot line and story of the film may have been for younger audiences, but the lessons ingrained into the script transcend age altogether.

The best reminder and encouragement I received from Jonathan Sperry was that of the importance of relationships.

I mean, really, when was the last time we put away all of our screens and distractions, and lived a life that had more to do with eye-contact rather than iPods?

In the film, Dustin and his friends are enjoying a summer long before the invention of cell phones or “The Facebook.” The focus of their attentions is on each other. And it seems that adventures happen best when in the context of relationships.

Life is needed for technology to serve a purpose, but it doesn’t work the other way around. Life can go on without too many distractions, in fact, it works out even greater that way.

I’m not a parent yet, but I’m sure that today’s Christian parents would love for their children to engage in an enjoyable, incredible life that refuses to compromise for the sake of serving a machine’s needs.

Parents would do well to get their kids together and enjoy a Christian movie night with the faith-based film, “The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry.” Once you find out the secrets, you won’t be sorry you asked!

About Arvin Sepehr

Arvin is a student at Oral Roberts University studying communications. He works for Family Christian Movies as a writer, marketer, box packer and customer service master (in no particular order.)

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How I first Heard about Home Run:

I first met Eric Newman at a church event here in Tulsa, OK. A pastor friend of mine needed help with a youth group event that was basically a gigantic good fight out in a field somewhere. Eric and I had both volunteered and needless to say, we were both and were covered in flour, mustard, and egg yolks by the end of the day.  That day, as the food was flying, Eric and I got to talking about a new Christian film he and some others had written called Home Run. It wasn’t until recently that I actually got to watch the film and realized that the gentleman I was throwing ketchup at a few months ago had written a truly inspirational movie.

Home Run is a Christian movie that goes deep into the life of a professional baseball player named Cory Brand. Cory has had to face some trouble in his life but has found a natural gifting for the game of baseball. When his career is in jeopardy due to his behavior on and off the field, Cory is forced to travel to his hometown and face the circumstances, memories, and addictions he has walked away from over and over again. The journey Cory embarks on is indicative of the journey each of us must make in order to live a truly abundant life.

Christian films often wrestle with the balance of keeping their films clear of objectionable content while presenting life as it really is.  As I watched Home Run, I was encouraged to see the issues of addiction (such as alcoholism, pornography, or cocaine), childhood wounds (sexually, psychologically, or verbally abusive parents), and past mistakes (such as walking out on one’s girlfriend after hearing she was pregnant) handled appropriately while showing the reality of the devastation these problems present.

Home Run didn’t just make me aware of the issues, but also portrayed the very real and often messy process of recovery. As I watched Cory’s life being repaired from the bitterness and alcoholism he had struggled with, I was surrounded by several other Christians in the movie theater who had taken part in the same 12-step program Cory had undertaken in the film, Celebrate Recovery. Their nods and claps throughout the film were stamps of approval showing me they had seen in the film what they’d seen in their own Celebrate Recovery programs. That level of “realness” was so encouraging.

So if you’re looking for a Christian movie that is very realistic, try the new Christian film Home Run.

The next time you want a family-friendly movie that informs, inspires, and entertains, choose Home Run.

And the next time someone throws a bunch of mushy eggs at you, ask them what they’ve been writing about lately, the answer may shock you. It sure shocked me!

You can preorder Home Run at FamilyChristianMovies.com.  It will be available July 23, 2013.

About Arvin Sepehr

Arvin is a student at Oral Roberts University studying communications. He works for Family Christian Movies as a writer, marketer, box packer and customer service master (in no particular order.)

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I took a couple minutes to review the most recent DVD from the Torchlighters series – “The Augustine Story.”   It’s a really well done animated story for kids with a good purpose.  It shows a man who is willing to stand up to the enemies of God and do what’s right.  Check out my review at the video below.

About Jake Olson

Jake manages the content on the FamilyChristianMovies.com blog and is one of the main contributors. A Christian husband and father of 2, Jake has spent over half of his adult life in Adana, Turkey, and the other half in Minnesota. He and is family currently reside in the small community of Mora, MN.

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Flight: The Genius of Birds, the new documentary from Illustra Media, blows away the typical idea of a Christian movie with scientific evidence and beautiful scenery regarding the existence of birds.

Now I know what you may be thinking…a documentary? A Christian documentary? A Christian documentary about birds? Yes. Yes that’s what I said. But after having the chance to preview the Flight: The Genius of Birds DVD, I have come to realize that even the simplest detail regarding creation is very, very complex. When watching Flight: The Genius of Birds,  you’ll find out that each feather on a bird’s body has over 1 million parts! Or perhaps you’ll find your mind blown by the fact that a hummingbird flaps his wings over 100 times every single second!

The complexity and intricate detail of every aspect of a Bird’s anatomy point to the abilities and work of a master designer who has engineered every piece to fit together like a 3D puzzle. This Christian film forces one to ask himself/herself, “If God did all of this for some birds that are smaller than most other animals, how many intricate details have gone into his building of the human anatomy?”

The curiosity inspired by Flight’s concrete evidence of intelligent design causes me to marvel at how these complex yet simple creatures that defy the laws of gravity each time they fly because that is what they were created to do.

I don’t expect you to watch this Christian DVD and think about birds every day for the rest of your life, because surely I will not either. But the idea suggested by these animals causes me to ponder what God has perhaps enabled me to do that may go against “laws” of nature. If Birds were made ingeniously to defy the laws of gravity, what was man made to defy?

What obstacles exist in our lives that our creator has designed us to intricately and easily overcome?

These questions inspire me to look further into nature and its characteristics. Families can expect to be inspired by fascinating facts and content that will spark conversations about creation and God’s work. I know that has been true for me since I have watched Flight: The Genius of Birds. I think it will be the case for you too. Check out the trailer for this moving Christian documentary;Flight: The Genius of Birds at FamilyChristianMovies.com!

Flight: The Genius of Birds Will be available on DVD – May 14, 2013

Flight: The Genius of Birds Will be available on BluRay- June 11, 2013

We’re taking orders/preorders for both.

About Arvin Sepehr

Arvin is a student at Oral Roberts University studying communications. He works for Family Christian Movies as a writer, marketer, box packer and customer service master (in no particular order.)

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I took a couple minutes to turn on the camera and share what I thought of the new Christian movie “Not Today.” As I shared in a previous blog post, I really was moved by this film.  Take a look at the quick video below, and leave a comment in Youtube letting me know what you thought.

About Arvin Sepehr

Arvin is a student at Oral Roberts University studying communications. He works for Family Christian Movies as a writer, marketer, box packer and customer service master (in no particular order.)

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Every now and then, I sit down and ponder the way life has happened. It’s not very long before I ask myself the very mysterious “What If” questions. You know what I mean by “What If” questions. They typically go like this:

• What if I had studied harder in that class?
• What if I’d picked up extra hours at work?
• What if I didn’t let my daughter/son go here/there….?

The options for What If questions are endless. Christian movies have long avoided the What If questions…until now.

“What If,” the new faith-based film from Pure Flix Entertainment and Jenkins Entertainment goes against the grain of Christian cinema and still provides a family-friendly DVD that is both inspiring and encouraging.

Kevin Sorbo (Soul Surfer, Abel’s Field,) stars as Ben Walker, a successful business man who had left his life of ministry with his girlfriend Wendy 15 years prior. In midlife, however, Ben is reminded of the life he left behind when he meets an angel, (played by John Ratzenberger – Cliff from Cheers,) and is forced to answer the question, “What If?”

Families looking for a funny Christian Comedy that still has a great message about the importance of following God and loving your family will thoroughly benefit from and enjoy “What If.”

You can check out the trailer or buy What If at FamilyChristianMovies.com

About Arvin Sepehr

Arvin is a student at Oral Roberts University studying communications. He works for Family Christian Movies as a writer, marketer, box packer and customer service master (in no particular order.)

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The founder and CEO of FamilyChristianMovies.com was finally able to watch The Bible Epic Miniseries on The History Channel on Palm Sunday (These were episodes 7 and 8).  Sorry this is going up late.

Some stories depicted in these episodes were:

1. Jesus calling Matthew, the tax collector, to become his disciple. It was very interesting to see how the director integrated the calling of Matthew to the parable of the tax collector found in Luke 18:13. In Luke 18:13, the tax collector would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” The series integrates that story to the calling of Matthew. What really touched my heart was that Matthew was crying as Jesus told the story. It was a moment of true repentance and I love it.

2. The second scene in episodes 7 and 8 of The Bible Miniseries was the depiction of the woman caught in adultery. The story is found in John 8:1-11.We all know the story, A group of Jews bring a woman caught in adultery wanting to stone her to death with Jesus’ approval. The Bible passage in John tells us Jesus was bent down to write on the sand before saying anything to the crowd. In The Bible Miniseries, this is not shown. Instead, the director takes another artistic approach and throws in a very interesting statement, “I will give my stone to the first man who tells me he never sinned.” Now, this statement is not in The Bible. But this was an artistic approach to the story. What is really nice about the event in John 8:1-11 is that we see Jesus demonstrating merciful acts rather then those of condemnation. He was the only one who could have thrown a stone at her. But instead, he chose to defend her before telling her to “go and leave your life of sin.”

At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

11 “No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

3. The third scene I really loved in this episode of The Bible Miniseries was the feeding of the 5000. Anytime I read that story in Matthew 14:13-21, I am amazed yet again. This was very cool to see on the screen. At the end, Jesus says, “Put God first and everything will follow, ask and it will be given to you.”

4. The storm on the Sea of Galilee was depicted in a very nice way. The cinematography was very well done. This scene follows Jesus as he is arriving in his home town of Nazareth. Reading from the book of Isaiah, He says, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, he has sent me to declare freedom for captive and give sight to blind. Today this scripture has been fulfilled. It was awesome to hear that truth on TV presented like that. I loved that this message was being portrayed on a secular network, The History Channel, instead of just being on a Christian station such as TBN (Trinity Broadcast Network).

5. Then Jesus goes to see Martha, Lazarus’ sister. At this point, Jesus dear friend Lazarus has been dead for 4 days. Jesus raises him from the dead. He then says, “Believe in me and you will see the glory of God.” Amen to that!

6. My favorite scene was when Jesus was climbing the stairs of the temple. The camera closes up on his feet and then zooms back to an angle where you can see Jesus once again climbing up on the stairs. The next shot demonstrates the magnificent structure of the Temple.

7. The last thing I really enjoyed seeing on The Bible Miniseries on The History Channel was when Nicodemus met Jesus in the garden. Jesus tells him he must be born again to enter to the Kingdom of God. Again, it was great to hear Biblical truth coming from the television. Lastly, Jesus says, “God so loved the world that he gave His only one son and whoever believes in him shall have eternal life.”

Millions and millions of people heard the Truth again on their television sets! I cannot think of a greater possible evangelism tool than this.

And finally, “don’t be afraid, trust in the God and trust in me also. You will know the way. I am the way, the truth, and the life.” These are Jesus words given for our eternal hope and joy. I love The Bible Miniseries on The History Channel. Thank you Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, well done.

This article was written by the founder and CEO of FamilyChristianMovies.com

About Jake Olson

Jake manages the content on the FamilyChristianMovies.com blog and is one of the main contributors. A Christian husband and father of 2, Jake has spent over half of his adult life in Adana, Turkey, and the other half in Minnesota. He and is family currently reside in the small community of Mora, MN.

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