Entertainment is a powerful form of persuasion. We must not forget how powerfully movies and other forms of entertainment shape how people think about the world. And they especially influence young people, which is the target audience for this new film. As John Stonestreet and I lay out in our book Same-Sex Marriage, the largest forces that have shaped how our culture views marriage and sexuality are such as shows like Will & Grace and Modern Family.

Afflictions help loosen our grip on the world. When you dig away the dirt from the root of a tree, it is to loosen the tree from the earth. So God digs away our earthly comforts to loosen our hearts from the world.

“Disney has put me and many other parents like me in the position of having to explain to very small children why this movie is bad for them. But we will do it. And we will use it as a teachable moment about the true story of the world—a story in which we are strangers... Continue Reading

But there is good news: God has graciously provided a way for men to reset their lives at a more sustainable pace. Drawing on my own experiences—and time spent with other men who have also experienced burnout—I’ve written a new book which offers weary men hope for the future, helping them identify the warning signs of burnout and offering practical strategies for developing patterns that help them live a grace-paced life and reach the finish line with their joy intact.

“Because modern readers define and interpret allegory so loosely and broadly, it has become common to speak of the Narnia stories as allegories of the Christian faith (or at least to speak of the first book in the series as an allegory of the gospel story), or to speak of Lewis’s Space Trilogy as allegories... Continue Reading

“I experienced so many emotions watching this film, none of them good – sadness, anger, frustration, helplessness, guilt, fear, worry, doubt. I asked myself so many questions. What would I do? Would I have the courage to not denounce my faith? Is that courageous or is it stupid?”   Silence was a beautiful film, but... Continue Reading

“All of us at Tyndale House Publishers feel a sense of grief over Family Christian’s decision to close the entire chain of stores,” he stated. “Family’s millions of customers now have even fewer options for finding these wonderful, life-giving products. The entire Christian community—indeed the entire nation—will be poorer as a result of this pending... Continue Reading

This is one of the better books I’ve read on suffering and the sovereignty of God: Is God Really in Control by Jerry Bridges. This book is outstanding because it is very biblical, pastoral, and practical. You won’t find a detailed philosophical discussion of theodicy in these pages, but you will find hope, comfort, and encouragement in the sovereignty of God’s love in Christ. As always, Bridges writes in a straightforward manner that most Christians can understand. You can give this book to a 60-year-old Christian going through a trial or a newly married husband and wife grieving over a miscarriage. This is truly a book for the church.

Here, then, is a key difference between Narnia and The Shack. Aslan is a character from a different world and a different system of beliefs who has some similarities to God the Son. The Shack presents a character in this world who claims to be God the Son. It also presents characters in this world who claim to be God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. To look at Aslan on the silver screen is to see a character who is like Jesus in some key ways; to look at Papa or Sarayu on the silver screen is to see characters who claim “I am God the Father” and “I am God the Holy Spirit.” (Let me say this clearly: My concern with portraying God the Father as Papa and God the Spirit as Sarayu has nothing to do with their race or gender, or even their humanity. The concern is portraying God as anything at all.)

The production is high quality and moves quickly. Seven or eight top scientists in various disciplines are interviewed and provide expert testimony. This was genuinely informative to me. If you’re a pastor like me who may not be strong in scientific particulars, it is refreshing to have such strong reinforcement from well-credentialed and knowledgeable professionals.... Continue Reading