Nothing is Impossible With God

When I grew up, Sunday church lasted no more than an hour and Sunday school was about 45 minutes. They had a few people show up for Sunday night services and less than that for the Wednesday night service. Each sermon consisted of three points and a poem. Some could deliver those points better than others and those ministers had bigger churches than the ones who were less talented.

Things are changing in the church world.

A few weeks ago we visited Andy Stanley’s North Point Community Church in Atlanta with our son and his wife. They have a different method of doing church. And what they are doing is working. The church we attend in Warner Robins is on the leading edge of using different methods to reach people. And that strategy is also working.

Michael Catt, the Senior Pastor of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia, believes his church can reach the world from that South Georgia town.

I happen to believe him.

We went to see the movie, “FACING THE GIANTS” last night. The movie was produced by Sherwood Pictures, Sherwood Baptist’s unique filmmaking ministry. The cast of the movie was made up of local volunteers. Alex Kendrick and Stephen Kendrick are associate pastors at Sherwood Baptist. These two, along with their brother Shannon, wrote and produced the movie. Alex played the lead part of the head football coach. The coach’s wife in the movie was played by the real life coach’s wife at Sherwood Academy in Albany. And the list goes on.

It took six weeks to film this movie with a two week break in the middle. Incredibly the movie was shot with one high-definition camera and edited on a PowerMac –G-5 computer using some purchased software. Sherwood Pictures rented video and film equipment and work trucks.

Sherwood approached Provident Music Group in Nashville for permission to use songs by Provident artists Third Day and Casting Crowns. Provident’s president viewed the film, liked what he saw and began discussions with Sherwood to oversee the film’s distribution. Provident Films showed the film to Sony Pictures. Samuel Goldwyn Pictures, through its relationship with Sony, agreed to distribute the film nationally.

Nothing is impossible with God.

I did not know any of those facts about the making of the movie when I went to see it yesterday. My impression at the beginning of the movie was that you could tell the acting was not professional. I was wondering where they got these actors to play these parts.

I don’t know if the acting got better or what, but within 30 minutes I didn’t think about the acting again.

I was caught up in the story of the movie and more importantly the message of the movie. And I can tell you I cried more at this movie than I did when Old Yeller died in his movie.

And I left this movie motivated and with a stronger desire to face my giants and a stronger desire to help others face theirs.

When I saw Old Yeller I just wanted to go pat my dog.

The underlying message of the movie is that we all face giants in our lives. And no matter how big the giant and how impossible the situation looks, nothing is impossible with God.

Critics will say (and have said) the movie is unrealistic because it represents that if you have faith in God all your problems will work out to your satisfaction.

Those critics miss the point.

The message is simply that our faith can be exercised in all facets of our life and nothing is impossible with God.

Just a suggestion from a country undertaker…

If you are facing giants in your life and you really don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, take the time to go see this movie.

Oh.. be sure to take some tissues with you. You will need them.

But be prepared to leave with a new perspective on life.