|
Facing The Giants: A Modern-Day Parable
10/15/2006
The basic plot of this movie revolves around a Christian high school football coach whose team hasn’t had a winning season in six years. If that weren’t bad enough, his personal life appears to be falling apart as well. At the end of his rope, he cries out to Jesus for help. God then proceeds to illustrate to him and his team that with a life surrendered to Him, win or lose, “all things are possible.”
“Facing the Giants” is the brain-child of Alex Kendrick and Stephen Kendrick, associate pastors at Sherwood Baptist Church of Albany, Georgia. The film was shot on a shoestring budget using an all-volunteer cast consisting of their church members. Alex Kendrick stars as the head football coach.
I went to see this movie with low expectations for several different reasons. First of all, I’m still not sure about the whole concept of “Christian” entertainment. You don’t see a whole lot of that in the Bible and, unfortunately, much of what is billed as Christian entertainment is really just humanism and man-made religion. It serves to continue the dilution of the Gospel and detract from sound doctrine. Secondly, if in the context of a feature film you put together the terms “football” and “amateur” then it inevitably means one thing : lame. However, several Christian friends had recommended the movie so although I had reservations I went anyway.
For the first half-hour of the film, it seemed that my fears had been realized. Much of the acting and writing seemed amateurish and it really failed to engage me in the story. But soon after that it began to find its pace. The movie theater slowly fell away and I found myself laughing, and more than once, crying. It truly was a good story with good cinematography and a decent sound track…but it was more than that. The message wasn’t the watered-down swill one usually expects in “inspirational” entertainment. Two scenes stand out in particular:
You won’t see this film at the Oscars and I doubt if the world will pay it much notice. This is a film targeted towards the church and the building up of the Body. But it really is a modern day parable which, if we take it to heart, is a step in the right direction in bringing the church back to the “narrow way.”
http://www.facingthegiants.com/
1 Corinthians 3:7 So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth.
In the first, the Coach is presenting to his team his new approach, not only to football, but to life. He tells them that football is too small a thing to live for and that, even if you win, the victory is fleeting. He tries to lead them to an understanding that everything we do in life is not about us but about God and His glory. It’s not about winning…it’s about giving everything you’ve got and then leaving the results to God. THAT is a lesson that desperately needs to be heard in the church today. Too often we’re concerned with what works instead of what’s right. The church appears ready to try anything to fill the pews regardless of the expense to the integrity of the Gospel or to sound doctrine. If we just focused on presenting the whole counsel of God with all our might and leaving the results to Him, the church wouldn’t be the swamp of confusion it is today.
James 1:2-4 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
In the second scene, the Coach tells how we need to give God praise whether we win or we lose. Again, it isn’t about winning, but about God and His glory. Many times the church, in its misguided attempt to be “positive” at all costs, ignores the fact that everyone loses or fails at one time or another. And sometimes, as in Job’s case, it seems like nothing is going the way we want. In fact, suffering is part of God’s plan for you! But we need to realize that especially in those times that God is “still on the throne”…He is still in charge…and He hasn’t abandoned us or stopped caring for us. But we have been “bought with a price” and until our affections are truly focused on Him and His glory, we will never be content. But when we truly care more about Him than we do about ourselves, then we are willing to endure “various trials” and still be content because we want His glory more than anything else.
Philippians 1:29 For to you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake
I should also mention the “death crawl” scene which truly inspired me to never quit in pressing “on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Sure it will be hard…there will be pain and suffering and times when you think you just can’t go on. But “having done everything, to stand.”
Matthew 7:13,14 “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”