Subscribe!

Here's what people are watching, reading, listening to, and learning about...

Top Five Movies (according to box office returns)
1. Iron Man (Rated PG-13)
2. Made of Honor (Rated PG-13)
3. Baby Mama (Rated PG-13)
4. Harold & Kumar Escape from Guatanamo Bay (Rated R)
5. Forgetting Sarah Marshall (Rated R)

Notables: Iron Man did huge business this last weekend (it topped $100 million). Robert Downey, Jr. plays the title role of Tony Stark/Iron Man. His character is one of many in movies and television who serve as heroes riddled by character flaws (see the show House for another good example). It's interesting that we want our heroes to have a dark side to them—some character trait or nasty habit that handicaps them emotionally or psychologically or spiritually while they remain dominant physically or intellectually.

Because of the horrifying tragedy in Myanmar (rescue officials think the death toll may climb as high as 100,000), many of us will probably want to lead our congregations through difficult issues like pain and suffering. We've gathered a few illustrations and tagged them as "Free" for the next 30 days to help you in your preaching. Most of these stories come from past tragedies—the tsunami that killed over 400,000 people, Hurricane Katrina, the attacks at Virginia Tech—and obviously speak to the heart of what we're watching unfold in Myanmar.

Every week, Preaching Today posts new illustrations - a mixture of stories, statistics, quotes, humor, and scenes from popular movies or TV shows. As a regular part of our PT Talk sessions, Brian Larson and I would like to take a moment to talk about how we might use some of our illustrations in a sermon. We decided to try this out on a classic: Master Violinist Goes Unrecognized. We felt it was the best illustration of 2007.

To hear us talk about specific and more abstract ways to use this illustration, click "Play" on the audio player below to listen to PT Talk via audio stream. If you'd rather download the audio file so you can have it on the run, there is a link just below the player.

To download this episode of PT Talk, click here.

Share this:

I’ve been working on a sermon series idea for the three-week window between the start of school and Labor Day. It’s a strategic time because everyone is back from summer vacation. Yet I don’t want to begin my fall sermon series until after Labor Day. Here is my plan . . .

In late 2005, the long-anticipated movie version of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe was released. It went on to earn $745 million at the box office worldwide (and over $1 billion in DVD sales). On May 16, its sequel—Prince Caspian—arrives in theatres. The world is abuzz. It's safe to assume it will be a hit. It's also safe to assume it will open the door to conversations over its Christological content. You might be planning to weave themes from Prince Caspian into your preaching. Here are a few links to helpful resources from our sister sites:

If you’re still trying to find a sermon series for summer, here is an idea . . .

Here's what people are watching, reading, listening to, and learning about...

Top Five Movies (according to box office returns)
1. Baby Mama (Rated PG-13)
2. Harold & Kumar Escape from Guatanamo Bay (Rated R)
3. Forgidden Kingdom (Rated PG-13)
4. Forgetting Sarah Marshall (Rated R)
5. Nim's Island(Rated PG)

Notables: Time magazine recently ran an article about how the Harold and Kumar movie subversively speaks out against the Bush administration's military doctrine concerning imprisonment and torture.