
Will Graham, the grandson of well-known evangelist Billy Graham, says that his grandfather is preparing hard for likely his last sermon in November and has started filming for "My Hope America with Billy Graham."
"This is so exciting for me as a grandson to see my granddaddy end well. He can't see well; he can't hear well. So it's hard for him to study the Bible," Will Graham told The Christian Post last week. "So he's trying to memorize and get things just right for the few minutes he will be before the camera."
"My Hope America with Billy Graham" is a massive nationwide evangelistic effort to take place throughout November (Billy Graham turns 95 on Nov. 7) in which Christians will invite their neighbors and friends who don't have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ to their home for a meal and invite them to watch the TV broadcast of "My Hope America with Billy Graham," or the DVD version where Billy Graham will share his new message. more >>
A church in Birmingham, Ala., has confronted patrons of a gentleman's club in the area with a massive billboard that boldly reads, "Strip for Me," but it's not asking what you think.
According to Pastor Mike McClure Jr., 29, of The Rock Church that paid to have the billboard placed next door to the Palace Gentleman's Club, the message piggybacks on the advice given to Christians in the New Living Translation of Hebrews 12:1.
"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us," says the scripture. more >>
No one seems to question Tim Tebow's capabilities when it comes to inspirational speeches. So it was with open arms that Wichita State University men's basketball team, fresh off an upset victory over top-seeded Gonzaga during NCAA's March Madness, granted the Jets QB his request to talk to the players on their bus.
"This you will remember for the rest of your lives," said Tebow, whose plane was refueling in Wichita when the Shockers' bus arrived Sunday. "Some of you might go play in the NBA and have great lives, but this is the time you will remember … these are the special times in your lives regardless of what you do in the future."
As the result of Wichita State's 76-70 victory, the Shockers advanced to the "Sweet 16" and are scheduled to play La Salle on Thursday. The Shockers went into the tournament as a No. 9 seed. The team made five consecutive 3-pointers in the win that ousted the West Region's top seed and the nation's No. 1 team during the regular season. more >>
Editor's Note: In this two-part series The Christian Post takes a closer look at the success of "The Bible," a History Channel docudrama series produced by Mark Burnett and his wife, Roma Downey. CP interviews two Christians in the entertainment industry who have been quite impactful and part of a growing movement to see more quality faith-based movies coming out of Hollywood. In part one, CP interviewed Mark Joseph, founder of MJM Entertainment Group. In part two, below, Phil Cooke of Cooke Pictures is interviewed.
The Hollywood entertainment industry is getting the message – it's good business to respect Christians in America. Thanks to the incredible number of viewers tuning in each Sunday to The History Channel's "The Bible" miniseries, many leaders in the movie and TV business "totally get that," says author and TV producer Phil Cooke.
"There's no question that decision makers in Hollywood and the media business are getting the message … It's simply good business to respect that audience, and I think the vast majority of media leaders I encounter totally get that," said Cooke. more >>
It was a warm spring weekend in March 2010, and I was in the middle of an adventurous trip to rural east India. I decided to visit a local church in Ranchi, Jharkhand that Sunday, but was told that there probably wouldn't be many people gathering in the morning and it might not be safe to venture out alone. There had been some recent persecution of Christians in that region, and many Ranchi residents were skeptical of whether the church congregation would turn out in large numbers.
Determined to check it out for myself, I set out for the Gossner Evangelical Lutheran Church – the most visible church in town – "early," at 7:00 a.m. As I approached the church property, I heard the singing of familiar hymns in a foreign language and soon saw crowds of people lining the streets. When I was finally able to enter the church gates, I was astonished to see hundreds of people waving palm branches, gripping their Bibles tightly, shouting "Hosanna, Yesu Masih ki jai!" ("Hosanna, Jesus be praised!") and singing "Nothing But the Blood of Jesus" – standard tune with Hindi lyrics.
I suddenly realized that it was Palm Sunday, and felt ashamed and embarrassed that I didn't even remember this significant date beforehand. I found out that the church's Palm Sunday gathering had started at 6:00 a.m. that morning and was scheduled to go on the entire day, with most of the crowd – who had come from all over the region – standing in the overflow area outdoors in 90-degree heat. more >>
Editor's Note: In this two-part series The Christian Post takes a closer look at the success of "The Bible," a History Channel docudrama series produced by Mark Burnett and his wife, Roma Downey. Two Christians in the entertainment industry have been quite impactful and part of a growing movement toward more quality faith-based movies coming out of Hollywood. Below is an interview with Mark Joseph, founder of MJM Entertainment Group. Part two is a discussion with Phil Cooke of Cooke Pictures.
The fact that the History Channel's "The Bible" series has reached more than 68 million viewers in just three episodes is not a fluke despite what a large majority of the Hollywood entertainment industry may be thinking, says a film developer and marketer who should know.
"If these types of numbers are true and repeatable, then the entire entertainment industry would have to be rethought, reprioritized and reorganized," producer Mark Joseph told The Christian Post. "So it will attempt to be written off as a fluke. But it's not a fluke if done properly. The audience is there." more >>