Jump to content


Photo

Facing the Giants


  • Please log in to reply
5 replies to this topic

#1 thirstydeer

thirstydeer

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 50 posts

Posted 07 October 2010 - 11:00 PM

Although I really liked this movie (despite at times some pretty bad acting lol) I found it a little on the prosperity gospel side.

Everything worked out. I mean everything! The coach had the right attitude and so did his wife. Praise God no matter what. But it kinda gives the message that if you are faithful to God EVERYTHING will work out.

This can be really misleading and devastating to some people who believe that IN THIS LIFE God will work everything out right. Alot of the time I think we have to wait for the next life

What do you think?

#2 Julie Daube

Julie Daube

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 987 posts
  • Interests:Intercessory prayer, spiritual warfare, prophecy, science fiction and fantasy, music, fitness, nutritional healing, apologetics, and evangelism
  • Gender:Female
  • I am a National Office Worker

  • I attend a non-Alliance church
  • First Evangelical Free Church

Posted 08 October 2010 - 10:32 AM

Although I really liked this movie (despite at times some pretty bad acting lol) I found it a little on the prosperity gospel side.

Everything worked out. I mean everything! The coach had the right attitude and so did his wife. Praise God no matter what. But it kinda gives the message that if you are faithful to God EVERYTHING will work out.

This can be really misleading and devastating to some people who believe that IN THIS LIFE God will work everything out right. Alot of the time I think we have to wait for the next life

What do you think?

I agree with you, thirstydeer. Although I didn't see the movie, I have heard it criticized for implying that the Christian life is relatively easy and that faithfulness to God always results in immediate blessings. But if you look at Scripture, this is rarely the case. Joseph obeyed God when he refused the advances of Potiphar's wife, and he landed in prison. When Moses first confronted Pharaoh in obedience to God's word, Pharaoh made things harder on the Israelites, and Moses suffered for it. The Book of Job is a classic study of how bad things things can happen to God's people even when they have been completely faithful to Him.

You are so right about how devastating this kind of thinking is. Often, it leads believers to feel that when things go wrong in their lives, they are to blame (because if they really had been faithful to God, they wouldn't be suffering). In my own life, I have been told by well-meaning believers that all of my problems would magically disappear if I just obeyed God in some particular area where they assumed I was being disobedient. But Jesus never said all of our problems would go away once we decide to follow Him; He said, "In the world you will have trouble. But take heart; I have overcome the world."

I also believe that the kind of thinking portrayed in "Facing the Giants" can lead to attempts to manipulate God. People will think that if they perform a certain way and do all the "right" things, He is obligated to act on their behalf. A friend of mine used to get really angry at God every time something went wrong in her life. She would say, "I'm being obedient and doing everything right; God is supposed to be blessing me!" But under the New Covenant of grace, God's blessings come from our position in Christ, not from our performance as it was in the Old Covenant.

#3 thirstydeer

thirstydeer

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 50 posts

Posted 08 October 2010 - 11:52 AM

You have a great way of putting things!

I think I agree with everything you have said :-)

I first saw a snippet of 'facing the giants' at a meeting. It was just a few minutes worth where the coach was talking bout attitude and getting the player to carrying another player on his back blind folded. Cos the coach kept encouraging the first player, he was able to go heaps further. Tho extremely hard for him.

I was really impressed with that little bit and it impacted me. That was a very worthy lesson to take from the movie.


I watched another movie recently "did you hear about the morgans" well, i knew it would be tragic in that pathetic hollywood sort of way but also funny (hugh grant) there were fertility issues in that movie and in the end they were resolved (well not quite as completely as facing the giants tho maybe)

My point is that you'd expect that kind of ending in hollywood but God does not work as hollywood does

#4 thirstydeer

thirstydeer

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 50 posts

Posted 08 October 2010 - 11:54 AM

Tho in saying that - the bible is FULL of stories in the bible where God healed barren women. And I wasn't sure i'd ever have kids either (now have a toddler and a baby)

But in general NOT everything works out in this life if you are a christian.

#5 Julie Daube

Julie Daube

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 987 posts
  • Interests:Intercessory prayer, spiritual warfare, prophecy, science fiction and fantasy, music, fitness, nutritional healing, apologetics, and evangelism
  • Gender:Female
  • I am a National Office Worker

  • I attend a non-Alliance church
  • First Evangelical Free Church

Posted 08 October 2010 - 12:00 PM

My point is that you'd expect that kind of ending in hollywood but God does not work as hollywood does

That's a great way of putting it!

Yes, God is still the God who does miracles, He does heal, and He does give us victory. But it doesn't always look the way it does in the movies! :)

#6 thirstydeer

thirstydeer

    Advanced Member

  • Members
  • PipPipPip
  • 50 posts

Posted 08 October 2010 - 12:24 PM

And why do you we watch movies (at least for ALOT of women) for the happy endings!

Otherwise we could just sit and observe the world around us for free!