MOVIE RESOURCE LIBRARY

American Gospel 1

Year: 2018
Platforms: DVD
Runtime: 139 mins

Description: “This is “Is Christianity Christ + the American dream? American Gospel examines how the prosperity gospel (the Word of Faith movement) has distorted the gospel message, and how this theology is being exported abroad.”

Pastor Ernest: Our Bible study has watched this twice (they requested it again). This movie is well made, entertaining, and shocking as you’ll see what popular preachers and pastors teach today. This is great to watch in 1 sitting or break down into 2-3 shorter sessions.

American Gospel 2

Trailer: CLICK HERE

Year: 2019
Platforms: DVD
Runtime: 86 mins

Description: The gospel message of “Christ crucified” has always been offensive. In our culture it is common for preachers to soften the offense of the cross, and the attributes of God that are displayed in the person and work of Jesus Christ. “American Gospel: Christ Crucified” explores how the paths of post-modernism and progressive Christianity lead to a different gospel, and a god created in our own image.

Pastor Ernest: Those who enjoyed the first will enjoy the 2nd but this one is a bit more academic. It includes interviews with famous people who hold the views presented as erroneous by the film makers. This movie addresses theological topics that are becoming more popular in churches today.

God Grew Tired of Us

Trailer: CLICK HERE

Year: 2006
Platforms: DVD & free on Youtube
Runtime: 90 mins

Description: A 2006 American documentary film about three of the “Lost Boys of Sudan”, a group of some 25,000 young men who have fled the wars in Sudan since the 1980s, and their experiences as they move to the United States.

Pastor Ernest: What would it be like for someone who has grown up in utter poverty to experience an American grocery store or an electricity? This documentary stuck with me for years. There is a Christmas scene that really asks a great question for Christians to consider even though this movie is not faith-based. It is really helpful to get a glimpse into what struggles refugees go through and the value of community.

Genesis – Paradise Lost

Trailer: CLICK HERE

Year: 2018
Platforms: Blu-ray Disc & DVD
Runtime: 110 min

Description: The first seven days of creation spring to life in this thought-provoking and biblically accurate documentary! Ken Ham, Ray Comfort, and other experts use cutting-edge cinematography, stunning visual effects, and the latest research to investigate our origins and explore the historical and scientific
context of the hotly debated first book of the Bible.

Pastor Ernest: Whether you hold Young Earth/Old Earth views it is good to learn more about the topic and this film.

Paul Apostle of Christ

Trailer: CLICK HERE

Year: 2018
Platforms: DVD & on Netflix
Runtime: 108 mins

Description:

Pastor Ernest: A faith-based film that is actually well filmed as it tries to give a glance of what writing the books of the Bible looked like. This movie is helpful to humanize the writers of Scripture and get a visual for their lives/times but be mindful that they create drama to make it cinematically exciting which is not
found in the Scriptural account.

Risen

Trailer: CLICK HERE

Year: 2016
Platforms: DVD & on Netflix
Runtime: 107 mins

Description: In 33 AD, a Roman Tribune in Judea is tasked to find the missing body of Jesus Christ, who rose from the dead.

Pastor Ernest: A fictional film based on resurrection of Jesus that I honestly had very little expectations for after recent Hollywood films butchered the stories of Noah and Moses. I was impressed by this film and recommended it to many and we showed it at Youth a few years ago. It is well worth the watch for all who haven’t seen it.

The Radicals

Trailer: CLICK HERE

Year: 2020
Platforms: DVD & free on Youtube
Runtime: 100 mins

Description: Renouncing the Catholic Church and taking up with the Anabaptists, Michael and Margaretha Sattler seek to restore the church by challenging the 1,000 year control of the Church by the State.

Pastor Ernest: The acting is mediocre, the quality of the video makes you marvel at how far we’ve come, but the story is true and teaches the viewer about the rise of Anabaptism and the struggles it faced. This one is for those interested in church history and Mennonite history, not one to watch with kids or people who need constant explosions to stay awake.

Amazing Grace

Trailer: CLICK HERE

Year: 2020
Platforms: DVD
Runtime: 117 mins

Description: An inspiring story of how one man’s passion and perseverance changed the world. Based on the true story of William Wilberforce, Amazing Grace follows his courageous quest to end the British slave trade.

Pastor Ernest: A true story, impressive costume design, good acting from famous actors, powerful music, this underrated movie is great. Kids might be bored, teens and parents will learn and be moved by the story. This is worthy history to know and an important story as we find ourselves in a time where human value (the unborn, refugees) is still often diminished for self-gain, convenience, and lack of empathy.

Tortured for Christ

Trailer: CLICK HERE

Year: 2020
Platforms: USB Stick file
Runtime: 72 mins

Description: Fourteen years in communist prison could not break the faith of Pastor Richard Wurmbrand who dared to speak out against atheism.

Pastor Ernest: Our Young Adults really enjoyed this film and inspired some to read works by Pastor Wurmbrand. If European history, the persecuted church, and movies that challenge your faith and inspire you than this one will check off all the boxes. This movie is not appropriate for children as it shows some mild (by today’s standards) torture scenes. This story is great and I recommend it highly.

Ben Hur

Trailer: CLICK HERE

Year: 2016
Platforms: Blu-ray
Disc Runtime: 123 mins

Description: Judah Ben-Hur, a prince falsely accused of treason by his adopted brother, an officer in the Roman army, returns to his homeland after years at sea to seek revenge, but finds redemption.

Pastor Ernest: There will always be hate for a classical remake but this rendition of Ben-Hur is a worth the watch. It’s a great fictional story that takes place during the lifetime of Christ which I appreciate as it helps me better visualize and understand the historical background of the New Testament. I enjoyed it
enough to actually re-watch it.

Jesus in Athens

Trailer: CLICK HERE

Year: 2020
Platforms: DVD
Runtime: 91 mins

Description: This is the story of the work of God in the midst of one of the greatest movements of people in modern history.

Pastor Ernest: A documentary about the work that Christians are doing to help the overwhelming waves of refugees arriving in Europe. This movie is worth watching to get a better understanding of current events and seeing the love of Christ practically worked out in the greatest humanitarian crisis by scale we’ve ever seen. This movie is not for children and does show some disturbing and distressing moments as it captures real people in crisis including the famous photo of a Syrian child washed up on a Turkish beach.

Bonhoeffer

Trailer: CLICK HERE

Year: 2020
Platforms: DVD & Youtube
Runtime: 92 mins

Description: One of the most famous Christian authors of the last 100 years becomes a pastor and theologian during the rise of the Nazis and then secretly joined the assassination plots to kill Adolf Hitler.

Pastor Ernest: I’ve always been fascinated by Dietrich Bonhoeffer and read the thick volume written by Eric Metaxes on him. This documentary is informative and succeeds as a quick summary of his life, work, and struggles. If you’ve ever wondered about the man or what it was like to pastor in a time filled with compromising churches and idolatrous nationalism then you’ll enjoy it.