Pastor Kyle’s Top 5 Favorite Movies
5. Dumb and Dumber
4. Lord of the Rings
3. Bourne Identity
2. Pirates of the Carribean
1.
You might have noticed that my #1 slot is blank. There are lots of movies I like, love, and enjoy. I just can’t seem to pick a top favorite because there are so many good stories out there and I seem to love them all. My wife would say if the light of the TV is glowing, I’m watching. Really, it’s simple: I ENJOY STORIES.
Why do I love stories so much?
-I love when the underdog wins. This happens in almost all stories (Luke Skywalker, Rudy, event the “Giants” football team from the 1990’s family Friday night classic, “Little Giants.”…does anyone remember that?)
-Stories take me on a journey (Lord of the Rings, The Princess Bride, Goodburger..for any of you in my generation who appreciated that one as much as me).
-I love to see the main character change throughout the story (especially when it’s in a music montage).
I’ve been reading a book called “Storyline” by Donald Miller. In it, he says, “a story is simply this: a character that wants something and overcomes conflict to get it. (p. 12). When I think about it, I realize that this is so true about the bible; even about God. Actually, it’s true about all of us. We’re all “characters” who want something and we overcome conflicts to get there.
Take a look at Moses, Joshua, David, and Daniel…even Jesus. They all have a common thread. They want something in adversity. It’s no wonder that we see this same theme happening to people like Luke Skywalker and Frodo Baggins.
The question for people like us is this: “How do we get our lives to tell a story like these guys?” We may have to be willing to look a little weird, or take a few risks. After all, their stories wouldn’t be as good without the ugly parts.
If you feel like you’re in the “ugly” part of your story, maybe you’re just around the corner from your breakthrough (or “happy ending” as Frodo would like to call it).
I know my life has had some up’s and down’s (even cancer). But I know that God’s writing a pretty cool story, and it’s up to me to decide how adventurous it’s going to get.
James 1:2-4 (MSG) “Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is force into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.”
This is how I want my story to end; “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matthew 25:23).