This week on the Men at the Movies podcast, we enter the wild wild west with The Mask of Zorro. In Don Raphael, we find insight into how the enemy works. He offers control of our destiny, but the result is always slavery. In Jesus and Don Diego, we find that when we submit, we find life. We choose whether to fight bravely and die quickly, or to become the student when the teacher appears. Let’s discover God’s truth in this movie.

This week on the Men at the Movies podcast, we deep dive into The Fifth Element. Like Zorg, we frequently try to make deals with the Shadow, trying to maximize what we can get out of life. It’s when our plans backfire that we realize our need for a savior, and that’s when Jesus shows up. But it’s not to judge, criticize, or condemn us—rather it’s an invitation to love, adventure, and purpose. Grab your multipass, and let’s discover God’s truth in this movie.

This week on the Men at the Movies podcast, Paul McDonald and Steven Falletti talk about Minority Report. Systems might change our behavior, but they won’t change our heart. What will we do when the systems we depend on fail? Those failures bring us face-to-face with the divine: will you receive healing and love by letting go, or end up with a halo in hell holding on to a broken system? Everybody runs—so lets run to discover God’s truth in movie.

This week on the Men at the Movies podcast, we talk about the Last Starfighter. If you have a talent or gift that you think is too weird and it’s never going to be used, just give it over to God and He will use it. Our specific brand of strange is exactly what the world needs. But we can disqualify ourselves if we don’t trust the calling we’ve been given. Victory or Death! Let’s discover God’s truth in this movie.

This week on the Men at the Movies podcast, we try to ride the coattails of Weird: The Al Yankovic story by talking about UHF. We find leadership lessons from George Newman, and dig into the gospel according to Stanely Spudowski. When you give misfits a voice, it challenges the system and offers hope to the people around us. The ones we are called to impact. Badgers, we don’t need no stinking badgers. Let’s discover God’s truth in this movie.

This week on the Men at the Movies podcast, we remember and commemorate 9/11 by diving into 12 Strong. We describe September 11th as a day the world changed—but what if the world didn’t change, but simply our perspective of it? Likewise, when massive events occur in our lives, we know God doesn’t change, but how we view Him does. Like Nelson, we have brothers to walk with us into battle, discovering the power of submitting to authority along the way. Follow me as we discover God’s truth in this movie.

This week on the Men at the Movies podcast, we’re running a three man weave as we talk about Hustle. In order to become men who can mentor others, we must first receive affirmation of who we are. But it’s difficult to trust the mentor because so many uninitiated men manipulate and abuse their power. And even though the only way to improve is through adversity, we find that when we engage and risk in what we believe in, even the setbacks and adversity are part of the best time of our lives. Never back down, and let’s discover God’s truth in this movie.

This week on the Men at the Movies podcast, we complete our August archive dive with Britt’s number one favorite movie, Say Anything. Like Lloyd, we all crave a dare to be great situation, but when it arrives, our tendency is to settle for safety and security. Even when we decide to get involved, we are surprised when life hits back. What we learn is that, even though we want to use our strength to fix things, sometimes the hardest thing to do is simply be there. The world is full of guys. Be a man. Let’s discover God’s truth in this movie.

This week on the Men at the Movies podcast, we dig into the archives to share our discussion about Rocky starring Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, and Meredith Burgess. This is a story of transformation and rebirth—for Rocky, Adrian, Mickey, and even Paulie. And how is this transformation accomplished? Through love and forgiveness. Yo Adrian, let’s discover God’s truth in this movie.

This week on the Men at the Movies podcast, we give you Christmas in August with Die Hard starring Bruce Willis. While many set this up as a conflict between John McClean and Hans, we discuss the contrast between John and Ellis. The key difference is John knew and understood his enemy, while Ellis’ overconfidence and ignorance cost him his life. Welcome to the party pal—let’s discuss God’s truth in this movie.

This week on the Men at the Movies podcast, we get you ready for football season with The Replacements starring Gene Hackman and Keanu Reeves. This is a story of transformation, from the man Shane Falco is to the man he could be. He had spent his life measuring himself by what he was not, rather than what he was. But through his transformation, he learns how to correctly define success. Pain heals, chicks dig scars, glory lasts forever. Join us as we discover God’s truth in this movie.

This week on the Men at the Movies podcast, we close out our summer blockbuster series with the movie ET. This is a story of wonder, of how the impossible comes to what we think is ordinary, and colors the world differently. We find that when the supernatural touches your life, the impossible manipulates the environment and changes everything. But if we allow ourselves to stop worrying and connect to a life of mystery, mess, and miracles, we find that the impossible becomes possible. Join us as we discover God’s truth in this movie.

This week on the Men at the Movies podcast, we enter week four of our Summer Blockbuster Series with Men in Black. The world is more than it seems, and we’ve got to be prepared with an approach of curiosity, humility, courage, and tenacity. Along the way, we’ll find ourselves over our heads and engaging in new experiences. But once we go through our initiation, we’ve got to invite others to join us. We make this look good—join us as we discover God’s truth in this movie.

This week on the Men at the Movies podcast, we explore the deeper themes of Aliens, starring Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, and Paul Reiser. We contrast the characteristics of godly femininity and masculinity with the signs of toxic femininity and masculinity. The toxic examples are driven by scarcity, treats life like a zero-sum game, manipulating and sacrificing others to get what they want. But Ripley demonstrates the ability to empower others while being empowered herself, finding strength in her vulnerability, and willing to sacrifice herself to protect others. We’re tiptoeing through this topic like walking through a cave full of facehugger eggs. Join us as we discover God’s truth in this movie.

This week on the Men at the Movies podcast, we roll out week 2 of our summer blockbuster series with Avatar. The main character is Jake, who has lost his legs and his identity. He sees this mission as a way to restore what was lost. Although true, his path to restoration goes through wonder, danger, and initiation to a greater purpose than he could’ve possibly imagined. It’s time to wake up, and discover God’s truth in this movie.

This week on the Men at the Movies podcast, we look at Independence Day starring Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, and Randy Quaid as a guide to dealing with crisis. The principles of crisis is that it happens to everyone, and it’s always a surprise. The purpose of a crisis is to reveal what and who matters most, as well as revealing 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.

This week on the Men at the Movies podcast, we ride the roller coaster of Parenthood starring Steve Martin, Mary Steenburgen, and Dianne Wiest. We put too much pressure on ourselves as parents, feeling like we have to be perfect so that we don’t break our children and ruin their lives. Even though life is messy, it is in the messes that we find the most meaning. Like Proverbs 14:4 says, you won’t get a bountiful harvest without a barn full of crap. Even if you feel like your whole life is have to, I have good news for you. It doesn’t have to be. Join me as we discover God’s truth in this movie.

This week on the Men at the Movies podcast, we break down the movie Cinderella Man starring Russell Crowe, Renee Zellweger, and Paul Giamatti. Crisis reveals character, and in James J. Braddock we see a reflection of true fatherhood. He used his creativity to create a world of hope, refusing to allow it to fuel his fear. The fights we face aren’t about us, but handling them with integrity bring inspiration to others. It’s time to get in the ring, and discover God’s truth in this movie.

This week on the Men at the Movies podcast, we look at The Sandlot as a way to build friendships and find joy. We’ve got to break out of our comfortable rut, but it’s through new experiences that relationships are strengthened. To make memories and find joy, we have to engage the senses. But if we can do that, we will find that every day is an adventure. You’re killing me Smalls, and let’s discover God’s truth in this movie.

This week on the Men at the Movies podcast, we get you ready for summer with Field of Dreams. In a vibrant life with God, He is always offering invitations to us. But we must cultivate the conscious awareness to notice when He is speaking. And when we embrace the risk and act on what he says, the story will always be better than we thought it would be. So let’s follow the voice and go the distance, and discover God’s truth in this movie.