Somewhere in Time with Paul McDonald and Allen Arnold
Paul McDonald and Allen Arnold are expanding our palette with Somewhere in Time. We explore our core longing to be known. We look at our pursuit of beauty and the extreme lengths we will go to pursue it. And we also ask ourselves about the story we are living in: while we say we know that God can make the impossible possible, how much impossible do we really think he can make possible. Join us as we discover our stories in this movie. Join us as we discover our stories in this movie.
Quotes
He wanted her to know him as deeply and as intimately as he knew her.
The hardest part wasn’t travelling back in time, but in winning over the heart of his beloved.
God asks us to do some crazy stuff.
We hear that God can make the impossible possible, but how much impossible do you think he can make possible?
If you’re following Jesus, you’re not just following Him in an ordinary life. You’re following the one who can change rules of nature, physics, and the universe.
Richard wants to live a better story than he’s writing.
There’s a path you will only get to see if you choose Story 2.
We are all trying find our voice: our gifting, our place in the world, what we can speak life into.
Being known is the core longing of our hearts, and we will go to any extreme to find that.
Charging the battlefield means you have to be brave for a couple moments. Being known means you have to be known your entire life.
Themes
Everyone longs to fully known and fully loved, and we should risk everything to have that happen.
One of the most important pieces to achieve the impossible is belief that it can be done.
The questions we ask expose our motives.
The presence of love reveals the true beauty within.
We are asked to do the ridiculous until it looks miraculous (Jabin Chavez).
Richard as a picture of Jesus: outside of time, the groom who comes to woo us and pursue our true hearts, one who will transform our lives
We have a choice of two stories: Story 1-the story you can control, that plays by the rules of this world, that you can make happen on your own strength/wisdom/sweat; Story 2-the story that’s only possible with God, a story of mystery and faith without guarantees, a story that fills you with peace and passion.
You can’t go into Story 2 with the idea that you need a guaranteed result or you’ll be disappointed, angry, or lost faith.
We see a man who is willing to risk it all, and there is a cost (that he was willing to pay).
We all have a desire to come through, and this movie also shows the pressure of getting stuck and losing your dreams.
Resources
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure, buried in a field, that a man found and reburied. Then in his joy he goes and sells everything he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. When he found one priceless pearl, he went and sold everything he had, and bought it.” - Matthew 13:44-46
Based on Bid Time Return by Richard Matheson
Questions
Where has beauty captured your attention? Your heart?
Where are we as relentless and passionate as Richard in life?
How much are you believing and pursuing the impossible?
If your life was a story, would you read it? How can you live a better story?
Are you living more in Story 1 or Story 2? Which story would stir your heart the most?
What will you risk if you know God is inviting you into something?
What will you do to hang on to your passion and reason for existence, and what will you do when that doesn’t come together like you wanted?
How have your dreams been dashed?
How have you stereotyped yourself as a man? Husband? Father?
What are movies that you love that wouldn’t be considered “manly” in our culture?