Rated G
Starring Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, Usher, Jaden Smith and Ludacris
Directed by Jon Chu (Step Up 3)
I still can’t believe how much I liked this movie.
Justin Bieber’s odds were a million to one, until millions of fans found him online. Now his world is yours with Never Say Never, the riveting and inspiring story of his journey from average teen to the youngest performer to sell out the most famous stage in New York City.
I’m a youth pastor and a parent of a 13-year old girl…and I can honestly say before this movie I could not name for you one Justin Bieber song. Although this really is a great inspirational movie…I still don’t have Bieber-fever.
The film jumps around from home videos of Bieber to his now famous YouTube videos to the big production concert footage. There is also a ton of videos of girls screaming and saying how much they love him…definitely the funniest (and a little scary) parts of the movie. It is edited so well and tells the story of how this teenager took the music scene by storm. My favorite video is the one of him with some friends where they pray before a meal and then he encourages a younger artist performing in a street. Good stuff!
Whether you are a fan of Justin Bieber or still trying to figure what the fuss is all about – I say check out Never Say Never…it’s Theater Worthy.
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
Yes – It’s rated G and a great “overcoming the odds” story.
Conversation Starter
Three Simple Questions (with Answers You May Be Looking for):
Q: What’s the message/theme of this movie?
A: As I said earlier, this movie is about Justin Bieber’s rise to fame. The odds were against him, millions of people were (and still are) against him and yet he overcame every obstacle to become one of the biggest names in music today.
Q: How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this movie?
A: So what can we learn from his story? (The obvious answer is to “never say never” – never give in, never give up.)
We know what Justin has to say about persevering…but what does the Bible say about it?
First of all the word perseverance means endurance, steadfastness, to persist in, to continue, to stand firm, to put up with, and to bear up bravely.
Take a few minutes to read the following passages:
1 Thes 3:3 (TEB) … None of you should turn back because of these persecutions. You yourselves know that such persecutions are part of God’s will for us.
Acts 14:22 (NIV) … strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said.
Now read: James 1:12 (NIV) Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the victor’s crown, the life God has promised to those who love him.
Q: How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this movie to actually living out those opinions? A: What are some things you are going through right now that are difficult?
What is one thing you can do this week to preserve through it? What is one thing I can do to help you?
