What the Popularity of Jesus Revolution Shows

Christianity

Jesus continues to do pretty well at the box office, not to mention streaming online. The recent movie Jesus Revolution, which tells the story of a 1970s California revival, has so far made double what its critics predicted, grossing over $51 million in domestic ticket sales. In fact, the movie has already grossed more in sales than most of the 2023 Oscar nominees—combined.  

Though guardians of high culture prefer movies that demonize Christianity, Americans are hungry for something else. As John Calvin pointed out, humans possess a longing for God. This can either lead to superstition and idolatry, or to the true God revealed in Christ. Jesus Revolution is the latest case study of how artful storytelling can tap into this longing. 

The question in any era of human history is not whether we worship, but rather what we worship. The success of Jesus Revolution is a reminder that art can still capture the imagination and affirm the fundamental human desire for God we all share.

Copyright 2023 by the Colson Center for Christian Worldview. Reprinted from BreakPoint.org with permission.

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A Lack of Productivity Could Point to a Lack of Meaning

Economics, ,

“In the first quarter of 2022,”  The Wall Street Journal reported, “U.S. worker productivity fell in the steepest drop in 74 years.” 

That statistic speaks not just to how much work is getting done these days, but how much workers think their work matters.  

According to one expert, prosperity for the whole country depends on worker productivity.  And in a world where many struggle with the meaning of it all, many also struggle to find true meaning and significance in their work.   

There are two ways to miss the meaning of work: one way is to idolize a job, thinking it will fulfill us completely. The other is to reduce work to something we all must suffer through with minimal effort.  

Christians have the unique perspective that our work is a way of participating with God in His creation, working toward the flourishing of everything and everyone else. Articulating and living that truth can make a big difference.

Copyright 2022 by the Colson Center for Christian Worldview. Reprinted from BreakPoint.org with permission.

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Young Men Now Outnumber Women in Church

Faith, , , ,

In September of 1989, Rev. Billy Graham preached to tens of thousands of people gathered at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock over the course of several nights.

In one of his sermons — which you can listen to hear — Rev. Graham shared these words:

Christ did more to liberate women than any other person who ever lived. Women in many cultures today are exploited … It was Jesus Christ who treated women with honor and courtesy in a nation in which they were despised.

Theologians have noted over the centuries that the gospels list several different women as some Christ’s prominent followers during his earthly ministry and in the New Testament Church.

For many years church in attendance in America has been higher among women than among men. Today, however, young women seem to be leaving the church.

Christianity Today reports that women born after 1990 — women in their 20s and early 30s today — are no more likely to attend church than men their age, and women born after 2000 are actually less likely to attend church than men.

Among Americans age 18-25, 49% of women identify as non-religious, compared to just 46% of men.

John Stonestreet at the Colson Center recently addressed this trend, writing,

Battered by church controversies and scandals, and shaped by cultural messages, women are increasingly heading for the exit. In doing so, they are rejecting a faith that, in the words of my colleague Glenn Sunshine, has done “more to improve the status of women than any other historical force.” The Church is meant to enable and empower men and women to live as image bearers, according to God’s design.  

In this day and age, there are even many believers who think they can follow Christ without the church.

But being part of a local group of believers is an important part of discipleship. Christians help each other grow in the faith.

Put simply, men and women both need the church.

Articles appearing on this website are written with the aid of Family Council’s researchers and writers.

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