Independence Day with Paul McDonald and Britt Mooney
This week on the Men at the Movies podcast, we celebrate the 4th of July with the movie Independence Day starring Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, and Randy Quaid as a guide to dealing with crisis. Crisis happens to everyone, but it’s still a surprise when it does. Crisis also reveals what and who matters most, as well as showing us who we really are. The most important thing is not if a crisis will happen (we know it will), but how will we respond when it does. Happy Independence Day, and lets discover God’s truth in this movie.
Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night
Crisis reveals identity
Quotes
When the supernatural arrives, everything changes.
Crisis happens to everyone, and it’s always a surprise.
What kind of person do I want to look back and say that I was?
When crisis comes, the stakes are always personal.
Crisis burns away the crap.
Crisis and conflict force us to put what we believe into action.
God wants to reveal the treasure that’s within you.
We want the swagger, but avoid the hero stuff.
Themes
Alien’s arrival parallels/mirrors the supernatural presence.
Crisis:
Principles of a crisis:
It happens to everyone
It’s always a surprise
Purpose of a crisis
Reveals who and what is most important to us
Reveals who we are
How do respond to crisis?
Resources
Ian Johnston: https://ianhjohnston.com/
YouTube channel: @menatthemovies
Paul and Britt discuss “Do not go gentle into that good night: https://youtu.be/2Vtv6stv6jM
Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/menatthemovies
“…for there must be factions (divisions) among you in order that those who are genuine among you may be recognized.” -1 Corinthians 11:19 (NLT)
“But the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief. Then the heavens will pass away with a terrible noise, and the very elements themselves will disappear in fire, and the earth and everything on it will be found to deserve judgment. Since everything around us is going to be destroyed like this, what holy and godly lives you should live, looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along. On that day, he will set the heavens on fire, and the elements will melt away in the flames. But we are looking forward to the new heavens and new earth he has promised, a world filled with God’s righteousness.” 2 Peter 3:10-13 (NLT)
“So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.” 1 Peter 1:6-7 (NLT)
“We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.” - 2 Corinthians 4:7 (NLT)
“But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” - 1 Samuel 16:7 (ESV)
“Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.” - Romans 5:19 (NLT)
Questions
How would you act if the end of the world was here?
If you had one day left, how would you spend it? With whom?
What crises have you experienced? How did you respond? Where do you wish you had a do-over? Where can you look back and say that’s who you wanted to be in that moment?
How did crisis reveal who and what was most important?
What did you learn about yourself from the crises you've experienced?
More info
If you would like to support our work (and get some behind-the-scenes perks), visit our Patreon page, www.patreon.com/menatthemovies. Get invites to livestreams, ebook devotionals drawn from a movie, even free merch. If you’d like to do a one-time contribution (a cameo appearance), visit www.menatthemovies.com/investors.
Edited and mixed by Grayson Foster (https://graysonfoster.com/)
Logo and episode templates by Ian Johnston (https://ianhjohnston.com/)
Audio quotes performed by Britt Mooney, Paul McDonald, and Tim Willard, taken from Epic (written by John Eldredge) and Song of Albion (written by Stephen Lawhead).
Southerly Change performed by Zane Dickinson, used under license from Shutterstock
Links: