GOD's NOT DEAD: More than a Movie

Recently, our brief study of evolution in my Man, Sin and Salvation Course intrigued me despite my firm belief in creation based on biblical teaching.  I recall Dr. Dean Haywood’s lecture where he taught us the evolution theory that “several billion years ago, chemicals in the sea, acted on by sunlight and cosmic energy, formed themselves by chance into one or more single-celled organisms, which have since developed through beneficial mutations and natural selection into all living plants, animals, and people.”  I also listened closely as he shared with the class about those that believe that God directed the process to create the world that which is the process of naturalistic evolution. If I am honest, even though I was intrigued, I glossed over this part of the information because if it was not my belief system why must I know it? I understood it yet did not get too deep into it.

As I sat in the movie theater ready to be “entertained” this weekend, everything I learned in class came back to me and I realized what God was saying to me. Evangelism! How can we share the faith with non-believers if we are unaware of their beliefs? The movie, God’s Not Dead, chronicled the journey of a young college student who challenged his Philosophy professor who required all students in his class to write that “God is Dead” on a paper at the beginning of the class. This student, as a Christian, could not write such a thing and stood up for what he believed at a great cost. In the process, he evangelized many souls that did not know God including the atheist professor.

The young student was challenged to address the evolution theory, the same ones that I learned in class, and refute it not just with biblical truth but moral and ethical findings. He even used the words of trusted scientists and philosophers that the professor and his peers could relate to. Often when evangelizing we must meet people where they are in order to reach them, as God meets people where they are. People do not believe for many reason therefore as believers we must have an understanding first of God’s Word, the fall of man and finally what they believe in and do not believe in.

After the movie, I came home and immediately downloaded the book with a thirst for more. It is not like the movie which pleased me because my thirst was centered on the message God had for His people. By understanding what others thinks we can evangelize and win more souls for Christ which is what we are all called to do. We spend a great deal of time doing other things yet this is the great commission. Paul tells us in Romans 12:2 (NLT), “Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” Allow God to transform those as they learn who God is.

The books official website states, “God’s Not Dead serves as a guide to understanding the arguments of new atheists such as Dawkins, Harris, Krauss and Mahrer, and an easily digestible reference to the teachings of scholars such as Darwin and Nietzsche.”

I was transformed and blessed by the movie God’s Not Dead.