Directed by: George P. Cosmatos
Written by: Kevin Jarre
Studio: Buena Vista Pictures
Starring: Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Sam Elliott, Bill Paxton
Rated: R
About the film:
Wyatt Earp moves to Tombstone Arizona with his brothers and his old friend Doc Holliday. His plans for a peaceful retirement from law enforcement are interrupted by a group of outlaws who call themselves The Cowboys.
Movie Quote:
“Look at all the stars. You look up and you think, ‘God made all this and He remembered to make a little speck like me.’ It’s kind of flattering, really.”
Morgan Earp (Bill Paxton) in Tombstone (1993)
Bible Quote:
“When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?”
Psalms 8:3-4 (NIV)
Commentary:
As we can see from the scriptures, Morgan Earp wasn’t the first one to look at the creation of God with awe and wonder. How much more “flattered” might he have been to know that we were not just one of God’s afterthoughts but the reason behind creation itself?
At the center of God’s heart has always been the desire to have a family. He wants to enjoy fellowship and to love and be loved in return. We are the recipients of that love. All that was made by him was made with us in mind.
The heavens were positioned precisely so that human life could be sustained on this planet. The earth was created so that it could nutritionally support life and aesthetically please and bless us. No other planet in the universe provides us with all our needs the way the earth does. God designed it for us.
The psalmist asks a question that, at the time he wrote it, wasn’t able to be answered fully. It is now, because of what the sacrifice of Jesus Christ made available. What is man, that God is mindful of him? For those who believe, the answer is obvious: We are His kids.
Questions to consider while watching the film:
1. Compare and contrast the motivations of the various characters – notably Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, Curly Bill and Johnny Ringo.
2. Why did Virgil Earp decide to accept the sheriff’s badge? What is our obligation when we find ourselves confronted with injustice?
Michael Elliott
www.screensermon.blogspot.com
Showing posts with label creation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label creation. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
HAMLET (1996)
Directed by: Kenneth Branagh
Written by: William Shakespeare
Studio: Columbia Pictures
Starring: Kenneth Branagh, Kate Winslet, Julie Christie
Rated: PG-13
About the film:
The prince of Denmark returns home to find his father dead and his mother married to his late father’s brother. Feigning madness, he plots revenge against his uncle.
Movie Quote:
“What a piece of work is man. How noble in reason. How infinite in faculty. In form and moving, how express and admirable. In action, how like an angel. In apprehension, how like a God.”
Hamlet (Kenneth Branagh) in Hamlet (1996)
Bible Quote:
“I will praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”
Psalms 139:14 (KJV)
Commentary:
Shakespeare may have been onto something. After all, his plays have been adapted for the screen more often than any other English speaking writer. But as brilliant as his works may be, they pale in comparison to the subject of which he writes. It is God Who created us and as a creation, we are indeed something to marvel.
The intricate workings of the human body simply cannot be duplicated by man. The manner in which the entire body is kept fed and nourished; the way in which it is protected from foreign invaders; and how it is so precisely interlaced that each independent part can effectively function in concert and to the benefit of the whole… all this is indicative of the godly design that went into its creation.
Next to His Word, our bodies can arguably be said to be His greatest creation. And it is this wondrous creation which serves as the illustration of how we are to function together as individual members of the unified body of Christ.
Questions to consider while watching the film:
1. What functions of the human body lead us to believe that is was divinely created?
2. What biblical principles could Hamlet have followed that might have kept his story from being a tragedy?
Michael Elliott
http://screensermon.blogspot.com
Written by: William Shakespeare
Studio: Columbia Pictures
Starring: Kenneth Branagh, Kate Winslet, Julie Christie
Rated: PG-13
About the film:
The prince of Denmark returns home to find his father dead and his mother married to his late father’s brother. Feigning madness, he plots revenge against his uncle.
Movie Quote:
“What a piece of work is man. How noble in reason. How infinite in faculty. In form and moving, how express and admirable. In action, how like an angel. In apprehension, how like a God.”
Hamlet (Kenneth Branagh) in Hamlet (1996)
Bible Quote:
“I will praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”
Psalms 139:14 (KJV)
Commentary:
Shakespeare may have been onto something. After all, his plays have been adapted for the screen more often than any other English speaking writer. But as brilliant as his works may be, they pale in comparison to the subject of which he writes. It is God Who created us and as a creation, we are indeed something to marvel.
The intricate workings of the human body simply cannot be duplicated by man. The manner in which the entire body is kept fed and nourished; the way in which it is protected from foreign invaders; and how it is so precisely interlaced that each independent part can effectively function in concert and to the benefit of the whole… all this is indicative of the godly design that went into its creation.
Next to His Word, our bodies can arguably be said to be His greatest creation. And it is this wondrous creation which serves as the illustration of how we are to function together as individual members of the unified body of Christ.
Questions to consider while watching the film:
1. What functions of the human body lead us to believe that is was divinely created?
2. What biblical principles could Hamlet have followed that might have kept his story from being a tragedy?
Michael Elliott
http://screensermon.blogspot.com
Friday, October 16, 2009
FRANKENSTEIN (1931)
Directed by: James Whale
Written by: Francis Edward Faragoh, Garrett Fort
Studio: Universal Pictures
Starring: Colin Clive, Mae Clarke, John Boles, Boris Karloff
Rated: Not Rated
About the film:
A scientist discovers the process of “creating” life but his experiment results in a horror that will prove disastrous for all living beings.
Movie Quote:
“Where should we be if no one tried to find out what lies beyond? Have you never wanted to look beyond the clouds and the stars, or to know what causes the trees to bud? And what changes the darkness into light?”
Henry Frankenstein (Colin Clive) in Frankenstein (1931)
Bible Quote:
“Whatever wisdom may be, it is far off and most profound – who can discover it? So I turned my mind to understand, to investigate and to search out wisdom and the scheme of things and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the madness of folly.”
Ecclesiastes 7:24-25 (NIV)
Commentary:
In the cited quote from Frankenstein, the doctor is rationalizing his experiments and explaining his obsession. His curiosity is both understandable and natural. God made us curious for a reason. But Dr. Frankenstein is misguided in where he is letting his curiosity take him.
The world is full of secrets: Unexplained objects, unseen events resulting in visible phenomenon. It is natural for man to be curious about that which he does not know or understand. It is also understandable that we seek to satisfy our curiosity.
This is exactly what Solomon, the “Preacher” of Ecclesiastes, set out to do. He learned, after subjecting himself to a myriad of experiences (both good and bad), the greatest truth of all:
“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter. Fear (Respect) God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” Ecclesiastes 12:13 (NIV)
God built into us an inquisitive nature. He did this because He wants us to ask the questions and seek the answers regarding life and living. He knows that as we do, we will inevitably be led to Him. Answers are available. We just need to know where to look.
Questions to consider while watching the film:
1. What kind of “creator” did Dr. Frankenstein turn out to be? How does he differ from our Creator?
2. How can we best channel our natural curiosity into productive and profitable areas? How do we avoid the folly of pursuing knowledge that is unavailable to us?
Michael Elliott
http://screensermon.blogspot.com
Written by: Francis Edward Faragoh, Garrett Fort
Studio: Universal Pictures
Starring: Colin Clive, Mae Clarke, John Boles, Boris Karloff
Rated: Not Rated
About the film:
A scientist discovers the process of “creating” life but his experiment results in a horror that will prove disastrous for all living beings.
Movie Quote:
“Where should we be if no one tried to find out what lies beyond? Have you never wanted to look beyond the clouds and the stars, or to know what causes the trees to bud? And what changes the darkness into light?”
Henry Frankenstein (Colin Clive) in Frankenstein (1931)
Bible Quote:
“Whatever wisdom may be, it is far off and most profound – who can discover it? So I turned my mind to understand, to investigate and to search out wisdom and the scheme of things and to understand the stupidity of wickedness and the madness of folly.”
Ecclesiastes 7:24-25 (NIV)
Commentary:
In the cited quote from Frankenstein, the doctor is rationalizing his experiments and explaining his obsession. His curiosity is both understandable and natural. God made us curious for a reason. But Dr. Frankenstein is misguided in where he is letting his curiosity take him.
The world is full of secrets: Unexplained objects, unseen events resulting in visible phenomenon. It is natural for man to be curious about that which he does not know or understand. It is also understandable that we seek to satisfy our curiosity.
This is exactly what Solomon, the “Preacher” of Ecclesiastes, set out to do. He learned, after subjecting himself to a myriad of experiences (both good and bad), the greatest truth of all:
“Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter. Fear (Respect) God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.” Ecclesiastes 12:13 (NIV)
God built into us an inquisitive nature. He did this because He wants us to ask the questions and seek the answers regarding life and living. He knows that as we do, we will inevitably be led to Him. Answers are available. We just need to know where to look.
Questions to consider while watching the film:
1. What kind of “creator” did Dr. Frankenstein turn out to be? How does he differ from our Creator?
2. How can we best channel our natural curiosity into productive and profitable areas? How do we avoid the folly of pursuing knowledge that is unavailable to us?
Michael Elliott
http://screensermon.blogspot.com
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
THE FISHER KING (1991)
Directed by: Terry Gilliam
Written by: Richard LaGravenese
Studio: Columbia Pictures
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Robin Williams, Mercedes Ruehl
Rated: R
About the film:
After the ramblings of Jack, a radio “shock jock,” motivate one of his unbalanced listeners to commit a senseless act of violence, he finds personal redemption in trying to help one of the peripheral victims – Parry, a deranged, homeless man who claims to be seeking the Holy Grail.
Movie Quote:
“I don’t believe that God made man in his image.”
Anne Napolitano (Mercedes Ruehl) in The Fisher King (1991)
Bible Quote:
“So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”
Genesis 1:27 (NIV)
Commentary:
Why does man have such a hard time believing what the Word of God asserts so clearly? Perhaps it is because we often force an interpretation upon it instead of delving more deeply into His Word to allow it to speak for itself.
Take the scripture cited from Genesis. For many, they interpret this verse by assuming that God looks like us. But that is not what the verse says. The verse reads that He created us in His own image. To understand the truth, we must then ask ourselves, what is the image of God?
The answer is provided in another section of the Bible. “God is spirit” John 4:24 states. Thus, the statement that we were made in God’s image must be a reference to the fact that God made or created a similar spirit within man.
Further study reveals that man was originally designed to be a threefold creation: Body (formed from the dust of the ground); Soul (made when God breathed into Adam’s nostrils the breath of life; and Spirit (which is the very image and essence of God – and our eternal link to Him.)
Questions to consider while watching the film:
1. What logic does Anne use to back up her statement? How would you have responded to her?
2. How do Jack and Parry help heal each other? How does their relationship relate to God’s exhortation to us?
Michael Elliott
http://screensermon.blogspot.com
Written by: Richard LaGravenese
Studio: Columbia Pictures
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Robin Williams, Mercedes Ruehl
Rated: R
About the film:
After the ramblings of Jack, a radio “shock jock,” motivate one of his unbalanced listeners to commit a senseless act of violence, he finds personal redemption in trying to help one of the peripheral victims – Parry, a deranged, homeless man who claims to be seeking the Holy Grail.
Movie Quote:
“I don’t believe that God made man in his image.”
Anne Napolitano (Mercedes Ruehl) in The Fisher King (1991)
Bible Quote:
“So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”
Genesis 1:27 (NIV)
Commentary:
Why does man have such a hard time believing what the Word of God asserts so clearly? Perhaps it is because we often force an interpretation upon it instead of delving more deeply into His Word to allow it to speak for itself.
Take the scripture cited from Genesis. For many, they interpret this verse by assuming that God looks like us. But that is not what the verse says. The verse reads that He created us in His own image. To understand the truth, we must then ask ourselves, what is the image of God?
The answer is provided in another section of the Bible. “God is spirit” John 4:24 states. Thus, the statement that we were made in God’s image must be a reference to the fact that God made or created a similar spirit within man.
Further study reveals that man was originally designed to be a threefold creation: Body (formed from the dust of the ground); Soul (made when God breathed into Adam’s nostrils the breath of life; and Spirit (which is the very image and essence of God – and our eternal link to Him.)
Questions to consider while watching the film:
1. What logic does Anne use to back up her statement? How would you have responded to her?
2. How do Jack and Parry help heal each other? How does their relationship relate to God’s exhortation to us?
Michael Elliott
http://screensermon.blogspot.com
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