I love the arts, entertainment and culture. One of my passions is to see the perceived secular/sacred divide broken so we can communicate and experience God’s truth and goodness in every aspect of life. These posts are inspired by musicians, TV shows, movies, current events etc. that illustrate a biblical truth about life with Jesus.
*This is a follow-up post to my article Can Christians Listen To "Secular" Music? My thoughts here will make more sense if you read that post too. *** As Christians, most of us understand that we're supposed to be set apart for Jesus and live differently from the world. I can tell you from observation and from my own personal…
If you grew up in church like I did, you know that one of the most taboo things you can do in Christian culture is listen to "secular music” or be a secular entertainer. But is that really how God feels about secular arts and entertainment or is it just church tradition? As a lifelong lover of music, entertainment…
So recently I walked into a movie theater for a night out with some friends and I left having encountered God. I saw The Greatest Showman (which you NEED to go see if you haven’t!). The film is a musical about the birth of show business inspired by the life of P.T. Barnum, an American showman and founder of…
***For a companion post, read my blog 8 Blogs & Videos for Christians Deciding What to Do About Halloween Some people might think asking questions like “should Christians celebrate Halloween” is just an excuse for believers to justify compromising with culture or a lazy attempt by Christian pastors and influencers to stay culturally relevant. I disagree. I think any sincere…
“The world starts changing when the Church starts praying.” That’s a bold claim, isn’t it? Do you believe it’s true? That’s a lyric from the song When We Pray by Tauren Wells, which, FYI, is about to be your new jam if it’s not already, and is also a great song about the power of prayer. God calls His people…
A while back some friends and I got together for a movie night. After MUCH deliberation over what movie to watch (we’ve all been there, haven’t we?), we got so close to choosing a movie everyone agreed on…until one friend objected because it included some content that was disturbing to his conscience. I remember getting so internally frustrated with…
A few weeks ago Ariana Grande hosted One Love Manchester, a benefit concert for those affected by the terror attack at the Manchester show on her Dangerous Woman Tour. The concert was a beautiful display of love, resilience and hope in the face of fear as artists and Manchester residents came together for the event. (Watch the concert here) Justin…
*This blog has been revised from its original 2017 version, Does Legislating Morality Work? I submitted the same blog to RELEVANT magazine, which they graciously published online under a different title chosen by their editors–a title I don't agree with and doesn't fully reflect the heart of why I wrote the article. I no longer stand by that article and…
So I went to see The Shack. If you’re unfamiliar, The Shack is a movie starring Sam Worthington and Octavia Spencer, adapted from the novel by William P. Young. The Shack tells the compelling story of Mack, a husband and father whose young daughter is abducted and killed in a shack during a family camping trip. Mack receives a…
Christian conversation online after the Super Bowl Halftime Show is interesting–and not in a good way. The same is true after the GRAMMYs or any other significant event in music and entertainment. It seems that celebrities, artists, and entertainers are the Christian community’s favorite group of people to criticize. Here’s how I got clued into this phenomenon. There's A Better…