Martian Child with Paul McDonald and Britt Mooney
To celebrate Father’s Day, Britt and I discuss Martian Child. We can’t be David unless we’ve gone through being Dennis. It gives us compassion, empathy, and humility necessary to provide a safe environment. Because we all need to feel safe in order to find healing. As we do that, we find that there is a difference between telling a story and living a story. Let’s live an interesting story today, and discover God’s truth in this movie.
Quotes
The maturity needed for the problems of tomorrow is being forged today.
Humility can feel like weakness, but it’s actually a strength.
It’s not his ability that propels him, but his compassion.
We can’t be David unless we’ve gone through being Dennis.
You will find more contentment and meaning by fathering or mentoring someone else than you ever do in your job.
The stories that we write are the ones we are living.
Themes
Adoption/Fatherhood
The fact you’re worried about being a good father means that you are one
It’s about showing up and loving the person in front of you.
It requires empathy.
It’s about helping them discover who God created them to become, not trying to force them into a mold of what we think they should be like.
Being a parent will take all that you have.
How we (and people coming to church for the first time) are like Dennis
When fear is in control, you won’t heal.
We have to feel safe to find healing.
How can we make people feel safe in the church?
We can’t expect people to just know what a great family will/should look like. We have to show them.
There’s a difference between living a story and telling a story. When you start living a story, it changes the stories you tell. What makes this story interesting is because he does something crazy.
Resources
Wild at Heart podcast Into the Doorway, part 1
Andy Samberg quote on fatherhood
“And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” - James 4:6 (NLT)
Men at the Movies podcast: Parenthood
Tiktok video about the impact we can have
Men at the Movies podcast: Top Gun
“God sets the lonely in families,” - Psalm 68:6 (NIV)
The Connected Child: Bring Hope and Healing to Your Adoptive Family by Dr. Karyn Purvis
The best art simultaneously disrupts and invites. It helps people see something in a new way so they can then experience life in a new way. Your art wants to grow deeper, wilder, truer. To play it real rather than play it safe. It's just waiting for you to go first. - Allen Arnold
Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing (about). - Benjamin Franklin
Because we are the sons of God, we must become the sons of god. - George MacDonald
We Were Reborn for This: The Jesus Model for Living Heaven on Earth by Britt Mooney
Questions
What do you love about the original Star Wars trilogy?
Which Luke do you associate with most: going in guns blazing, or walking with patience and confidence?
How have you experienced training?
What did it take to prove yourself after being trained?
How does humility strengthen you?
How does the Dark side work in your life?
Why did killing Vader in the cave condemn Luke? How would he have been condemned if he killed Vader on the Death Star?
How did you come to know Jesus? How was love shown to you through that process?
More info
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Edited and mixed by Grayson Foster
Logo and episode templates by Ian Johnston
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.
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