Rated PG for thematic elements, language and some rude humor.Starring Kevin Spacey, Christopher Walken, Jennifer Garner, Robbie Amell and Cheryl HinesDirected by Barry Sonnenfeld (Wild Wild West and Men in Black)If you’re a cat lover you may love this…if not, then you may wonder why this movie was even made. Tom Brand (Kevin Spacey) is a daredevil billionaire at...
Rated R for brutal battle scenes and disturbing graphic images.Starring Matthew McConaughey, Keri Russell, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Mahershala Ali, Jessica Collins and Jacob LoflandDirected by Gary Ross (The Hunger Games, Seabiscuit and Pleasantville)Oscar-nominated filmmaker Gary Ross tells the real-life story of Confederate army deserter- Newton Knight. Set during the Civil War, Free State of Jones tells the story of...
by Thom McKee Jr.
Do people manufacture hope simply because they can’t deal with the possibility that there might be none? This is a question that is not only about how people react to crisis, but also about the very nature of meaning in the universe. Are we merely animals who are so fearful of the unknown that we create entire mythologies (or even religions) in order to give ourselves a sense of hope?
French philosopher Voltaire famously said that “if God didn’t exist, it would be necessary to invent him.” Another quote attributed to a first century Roman thinker, Seneca the Younger, says “Religion is regarded by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful.”
While these ideas are somewhat elitist and maybe even a little offensive, I still see an element of truth in them. I am a pastor, a thinker, and definitely a “religious” person, but I also see
Main Point of Discussion: In a world seeking happiness through temporary thrills… God offers something much better, living life to the fullest now through eternity!Introducing The Song:It’s been just a year since Bruno Mars released his hit song Uptown Funk, and he has followed up with the smash hit 24K Magic. This new party anthem is #6 on the...
Rated PG-13 for extended and intense sequences of Western violence, and for historical smoking, some language and suggestive material.Starring Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Peter Sarsgaard, Ethan Hawke, Vincent D'Onofrio, Luke Grimes, Haley Bennett, Byung-Hun Lee, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo and Martin SensmeierDirected by Antoine Fuqua (Olympus Has Fallen, Training Day and Shooter)This film was… magnificent. With the town of Rose Creek...
Rated PG-13 for bloody images, intense sequences of peril, and brief strong language.Starring Blake Lively, Oscar Jaenada and Brett CullenDirected by Jaume Collet-Serra (Non-Stop, Unknown and Orphan)It’s not Jaws, but still a pretty intense ride. Still reeling from the loss of her mother, medical student Nancy Adams (Blake Lively) travels to a secluded beach for some much-needed solace. Despite...
Rated PG-13 for sci-fi action violence.Starring Megan Fox, Will Arnett, Stephen Amell and Tyler PerryDirected by David Green (Earth to Echo)Turtles in a half shell? I would have preferred half the movie.Michelangelo, Donatello, Leonardo, and Raphael are back to battle bigger, badder villains, alongside April O’Neil (Megan Fox), Vern Fenwick (Will Arnett), and a newcomer: the hockey-masked vigilante Casey...