1.

Sprint

Available now on Netflix

The Olympics has us in our sports era, or so it seems. Sprint is a thrilling sports drama that delves into the world of competitive sprinting. Following a young and ambitious sprinter striving to make it to the Olympics, the film explores themes of dedication, sacrifice, and the relentless pursuit of greatness. Sports dramas have a unique way of capturing the raw emotion and intensity of athletic competition, and Sprint. It’s the perfect show to watch before it passes the baton to the official Olympic games.

2. Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot

In Theaters July 4

This film focuses on the true, inspiring tale of Possum Trot, a small community in Texas known for its extraordinary act of kindness. In an unprecedented effort, the dozens of residents from this town adopted 77 of the most hard-to-place foster children, transforming their lives and demonstrating the power of compassion and community. As executive producer Letitia Wright told RELEVANT, “It’s not just a movie — it’s a movement.” Angel Studios, the faith-based company behind the movie, believes this will be a catalyst to encourage families to step up and protect children in the foster care system.

3. Quad Gods

Available on Max July 10

Quad Gods is a high-octane reality series that follows the lives of elite quadriplegic athletes who push the boundaries of physical limitations. With gripping personal stories and intense competitive spirit, this show promises to be a rollercoaster of emotions and adrenaline. As the world is gearing up to watch the summer Olympics, this series serves as a reminder that all of us have our own inspiring stories to tell.

4.

Exploding Kittens

Available on Netflix July 12

Based on the wildly popular card game, Exploding Kittens is an animated series that brings the quirky, explosive fun of the game to life — with a theological twist. The adaptation will showcase the timeless battle between good and evil, personified by God (Tom Ellis) and Satan (Lucy Liu) who find themselves reincarnated as Earth-bound felines. But Exploding Kittens is more than a tale of two cats. It’s a commentary on the absurdity of cosmic conflicts played out in the most mundane of settings. Considering the series was developed by The Office co-creators Mike Judge and Greg Daniels’ animation company Bandera Entertainment, we fully expect more laughs and less philosophical introspection.

5. Futurama (Season 12)

Available on Hulu July 29

After a far-too-long hiatus, the iconic animated series Futurama is finally making its return. Set in the 31st century, the show follows the adventures of Fry, Leela, Bender, and the rest of the Planet Express crew as they navigate the quirks and challenges of the future. Futurama has always been a brilliant mix of sharp wit, clever satire and heartfelt moments. And with many of the original cast and creators back on board, we can expect the same level of creativity and laughs that made it a cult favorite.

Child of God includes 20 songs with several features from Hulvey, Sam Rivera, Tori Kelly, Connor Price, Caleb Gordon, CAIN, JVKE and Jonathan Pokluda, the lead pastor of Harris Creek Baptist Church in Waco, Texas.

Frank has previously released seven albums with his band Surfaces, including their latest album Good Morning which dropped earlier this year. Frank has been creating Christian music on his own, releasing several EPs since 2022 and collaborating with artists like Lecrae, nobigdyl. and Elevation Rhythm.

 

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It’s the latest reboot to find some success on Netflix, following their reboot of classic shows from our youth like Full House and Gilmore Girls.

With all of the talks of sequels and reboots, we put together this list of series that Netflix should bring back next. We know you’re reading Netflix executives: You’re welcome, now get to work on these.

A Jesse Pinkman Breaking Bad Spinoff

When actor Aaron Paul pranked fans by hinting that a new Breaking Bad spin-off following Jesse Pinkman—who evidently escaped to Alaska—was in the works, some of his social media followers weren’t very happy.

But, considering how great the prequel series Better Call Saul is, another Vince Gilligan-produced spin-off could actually work, especially on Netflix, where show-runners get the creative control to do basically whatever they want. As complex and dark as Walt was and as funny and charming as Saul is, Jesse still remains arguably the universe’s most compelling character.

His conflicted morality, struggles with shame, addictions and search for a real family were the heart of the show. Walt was brilliant and unstoppable, but also unrelatable. Jesse was the opposite: insecure, good-hearted and hurting.

Following his journey and search for redemption—especially if Gilligan were involved—could give audiences the moral closure they never got when Walt brought the original series to its violent ending.

Freaks and Geeks

It’s been nearly 25 years since Freaks and Geeks was unceremoniously canceled after just one, brilliant 18-episode season. Obviously, the cast has all aged, so playing a group of early ‘80s high school students wouldn’t work as a reboot, but who wouldn’t want to see Hollywood megastars including James Franco, Seth Rogen, Busy Phillips, Jason Segel, Linda Cardellini and the rest of the cast return as mid-‘90s thirtysomethings still trying to awkwardly find their place in the world? Or perhaps they could follow That 70s Show‘s formula and bring in their kids.

But, what made the original show so special, wasn’t just the cast—it was the creative minds behind the show. Creator Paul Feig (The Heat, Bridesmaids, Spy) has gone on to become one of Hollywood’s go-to comic filmmakers and executive producer Judd Apatow is basically his own brand these days. And, considering Netflix’s ability to pull together big ensemble projects (remember the Arrested Development reboot?), a comeback isn’t all that implausible. Even Apatow seemed (half-seriously, sorta-kinda) open to the idea. He told Variety:

I think we had a beautiful poetic ending, and it’s a miracle that it worked so well. You don’t want to see what happened in the diner after ‘The Sopranos’ ended. As much as at the time it threw you, as the years passed you think, that was a brilliant ending so I don’t think we would mess with it, but you never know—anything can happen.

The Adventures of Pete and Pete

Before Adult Swim regularly provided surrealist comedy to mainstream audiences, The Adventures of Pete & Pete brought its subversive brand of sitcom parody to the kids network Nickelodeon for three glorious seasons. For the most part, the series is just a footnote in the chronicles of millennial TV culture, but it’s weird humor, indie-rock sensibilities (remember how great the theme song was?) and surprising sentimentalism made it one of the era’s forgotten masterpieces.

The show made commentary about suburban life without ever making fun of it. It was weird, light-hearted, never mean-spirited, artful and funny. In other words, the perfect kind of show that would work again today.

Friday Night Lights

Few shows have so beautifully captured faith, community and the drama of small-town American life like the TV version of Friday Night Lights. Obviously, now that the original cast has grown up, they can no longer play Texas teenagers, but that doesn’t mean that revisiting Dillon is off the table.

As the original characters get older and start their own lives and families in Dillon, there’s opportunities to tell stories surrounding a community that still revolves around high school football—even if the football isn’t always at the center of the drama. After all, what made the show so great wasn’t sports—it was relationships. And sometimes, those only get more interesting as we get older.

Could it happen? Probably not, but maybe? As we all know, clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose.

McGee and Me!

When you think about it, the ‘90s Christian VHS franchise McGee and Me! has some similarities with the successfully rebooted Netflix series Full House: Both series were family-friendly comedies; both were comprised of episodes that relied on self-contained, light-hearted morality lessons; and, if we’re honest with ourselves, both were objectively not very good (seriously, watch an old Full House rerun in syndication; the cheesy jokes aren’t as charming as they once were.)

But, the same thing that makes Full House the perfect subject of a reboot would make McGee and Me! such a fun project: nostalgia.

Plus, can you imagine McGee having to navigate the complicated world of 2024 moral pitfalls? Forget the R-rated movies, random acts of vandalism and lessons about sportsmanship (seriously, being a good sport in various athletic competitions was the theme of like half of the episodes) that the original series tackled; now McGee and Nick would live in a world of texting and social media.

Truly, it’s the show we all need.

The “Paper Planes” singer launched her new clothing brand OHMNI, last week, calling it “the armor of the modern knight in the age of technological warfare.” Over the last several months, M.I.A. has drawn criticism for aligning with online personalities who promote conspiracy theories, including Alex Jones.

TheThe brand is currently promoting “tin foil” bucket hats that are made with pure copper and nickel Faraday fabric, which M.I.A. guarantees will “provide 100% brain coverage.” It also will (allegedly) block 99.9% of WiFi, 4G and 5G from reaching the wearer’s brain.

For what it’s worth, a quick Google search will show that claims of damage from 5G and Wifi have been widely debunked by experts.

So why is M.I.A. promoting this? Let’s take a look at OHMNI’s mission, which is stated on its website, to find out: “In the time of smart cities, digital crypto, AI, NeuraLink, hackable humans, zero privacy, deepmind, internal body data harvesting, and indiscriminate tracking surveillance, mind data mining, social media overload, augmented reality, social credit system, virtual dystopian mindfield, we bring you the revolutionary future of fashion.”

Hmm, OK, let’s see where this goes next.

“Future backwards is R U TUF. If the conspiracy theorists are wrong, good for you, you own some beautiful clothes made with pure silver and precious metals. But, if they are right, you just might have saved the future of humanity. Welcome to OHMNI. I could be a genius, I could be a cheat.”

And there we have it!

In a post following the launch, M.I.A. shared a picture of a handbag with the OHMNI logo, hinting that it could be the next item dropping soon.

 

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“So censored and real you’d think it’s conspiracy,” she wrote in the Instagram caption to the image. “But this is true Def of revolutionary clothing.”

In August he’ll open for Phil Wickham and Brandon Lake on the “Summer Worship Nights Tour.” Later in the fall, he’ll release his new album — his first project in three years. But he’s most excited about his new baby boy on the way. It’s a lot of change for the 25-year-old artist, but as he shared with RELEVANT, he’s figured out the key to staying grounded while his career continues to skyrocket.

Hulvey sat down with RELEVANT to talk about the secret to a healthy work/life balance, how his life is completely different from three years ago, and what fans can expect from his upcoming album.

This conversation has been edited for length and clarity. 

You’ve got a tour with Phil Wickham and Brandon Lake this summer, an album coming in the fall, and probably a few other fun surprises. What are you most looking forward to?

Goodness, I mean, for me, I think this new baby boy is what I’m most excited about. The other stuff is awesome, but me and my wife, we already have one son, and just the joy that we get from that. It’s just like, I can’t wait to have that multiple times too. So for me, I’m really looking forward to that. On the career side, I can’t wait to hit the road. Brandon and Phil, it’s going to be amazing. From the times I have got to connect with them, they’ve just been so genuine. I mean, I have an album coming out, and I think that’s also really something I just can’t wait to give people because I put so much into it.

As a young dad, how do you find the balance between your career and your family?

Recently, there’s been this concept my wife and I have been operating on: quality over quantity because of how much I’ve had going on career-wise. When I’m home, I gotta be home. I mean, sit down with my son and just throw the ball with him. If he wants to throw the ball or watch a show with him, whatever it’s gotta be, I wanna be there to do it. Even the other day I had a show and had to travel in a tight window, but he had dads and donuts that morning, so I chose to make it tight and still go to his dads and donuts because I want to be there for that. Fighting for the quality of my relationship with my son and my wife has been key for us because we are aware that the quantity is not as much there right now based on how busy things are. We’ve been really fighting for that.

Do you have any tips for how you remain focused on the things that really matter?

One thing you can do is really talk to your spouse about what’s going on in your world. My wife reminds me, “Hey, keep the main thing, the main thing.” Being willing to have that accountability with your spouse can keep you grounded because she’ll let me know if there’s pride or a lack of intentionality. That helps me level up as a husband and a dad. Mentorship is also important; my mentor was really heavy with me about how all this stuff is going to fade, but my family needs me. The world can get another artist, but my family can’t get another husband and dad. Having those voices in your life to remind you what’s important is crucial. Scheduling is something I’m still learning, but learning to say no is huge as well. Being willing to say, “I’m not going to do this because I need time with my family.” We’re still walking through that, but it’s been fun to learn.

Your new album, which drops this fall, is your first one since 2021. How has your life changed in the last three years?

I could go for years about this, but it’s been a lot of things. I can’t go in public without understanding that how I represent myself could be seen by a fan. That wasn’t the case three years ago, and now it is. If there’s a stressful day going on, the way I represent Christ could be seen by somebody. Just the everyday lifestyle of fighting for Him in the midst of stress is different from what I went through in 2021 because now people really are paying attention. If I go in the Chick-fil-A line, they’re going to see how I act. I wrote a song about it because I had a bad day one day, and they saw that. I had to be honest with myself and realize I need to represent my God and my family better.

The responsibility I have over more people in my world has also changed. There’s a far bigger team now, and I have to handle business relationships in a way that is honoring. I have a responsibility to the fans to provide music that they can connect with God on and that brings them hope. They may not always agree with everything I do, but I always want it to be pure-hearted. Since 2021, the responsibility has grown. Everything the team and I are doing is naturally bigger in the world’s eyes, and I strive to make it tailored to who God made me to be. When we do these big shows, I want people to see what God’s put in me, not a version of somebody else. So, everything is different right now, and that’s okay.

Speaking of things getting bigger, Christian hip-hop is huge now. Why do you think that’s happened?

It’s totally not where it was. What I attribute it to is the TikTok movement. A lot of Christian rappers put in a lot of work on TikTok, and many content creators started coming out as Christian. They started making music for God and putting it on TikTok, and that stuff started blowing up. It became a trend, and now people are making memes about it because of how big it is. You’ve never heard a Christian song like this before; that is literally a movement now. I really attribute it to the TikTok movement.

I also think the culture is really tired of the same message of murder and watching rappers constantly die. People are wanting a breath of fresh air. It’s not just hip hop; the whole music industry is looking for life. I’m noticing that brighter textures of music are starting to be what people love to listen to. In the 2010s, there was a balance of bright and darker tones, but now it seems like people really desire music full of hope. Christian hip hop started with guys like Caleb Gordon and Alex Jean, who started coming up and shocking people. People wanted music to be excellent and reflect God. It’s definitely taken a whole new turn.

What can fans expect from your new album?

Tons. I really get into it on this one. On one of the songs, I peel back layers regarding Christian culture and the so-called church, revealing some things I think we could fix. I talk about how Jesus invites everybody to the table. Jesus is not picking and choosing who’s invited. I think a lot of people love to invite people to the table but then get shocked when they actually show up. This album is like, “Hey, you really are invited for real.” I talk about what I went through as a teenager in church, how I felt, and how God gave me hope. He was like, “Nah, you’re invited, man. You have a seat here.”

The album is funny because it has a sad title, but it’s actually a new play on a word. It’s about re-imagining what it looks like to cry and being thankful for God and what He’s done. Not always dwelling in our pain, but dwelling on how He’s taken our pain. He literally lives in us. This album is a reflection on what He’s done for me and the thankfulness. It’s very bright but also really reflective. Everyone I’ve gotten to play it for early has been really blown away by the response. I was a little scared I couldn’t pull it off because all the singles had me on a heavy momentum, and I was scared I couldn’t continue that momentum. It felt like God was giving me something fresh. He put on my heart, “I’m going to tell the story.” As I listen back, I realize God really did tell the story.

I just addressed the things going on. You’re going to hear moments where I’m being pretty bold in what I’m saying. It’s going to challenge people for sure, but the point is to remind people who Jesus really is. It’s a reminder that we’re all human, but with God in the story, we can have thankfulness and live in that place. The music really communicates that. I’m really looking forward to it. For real.

“I don’t know what’s going on in your life right now,” Smith says at the beginning while standing in a ring of fire, “but whatever’s going on in your life, you can make it.”

Smith starts the song by rapping about struggling with hopelessness in the middle of pain and suffering, feeling “broken and tired, and all your hope is expired.”

But then Moore hops in, with Sunday Service Choir’s harmonies backing him up, to deliver a powerful and hope-filled message.

“Don’t give up on me, I need you to hold on/ Know you’re deep up in the storm/ But I know you can face it/ It can get dark on the road and you’re feeling all along/ Don’t lost sight of where you’re going/ ‘Cause I know you can make it, oh woah,” Moore sang before a storm came and rained down on Smith.

And before the performance wraps up, Kirk Franklin walks on stage to deliver a moving message about persevering through tough times with God’s grace.

Watch the full performance here:

I don’t think these kinds of conversations happen enough. Often, we avoid opening up uncomfortable topics because they just seems like one big can of worms.

And it’s true. There are a lot of worm cans in life that we’re afraid to open.

Sometimes we leave conversations like this feeling terrible and wound up. But we need to talk about the hard stuff. We need our opinions and thoughts to be challenged by opposing viewpoints.

Yet discussing difficult topics like politics or theology or social issues can quickly turn sour. So how do we engage a quality conversation without it ending in a shouting match? It’s all about managing ourselves and taking a particular posture of communication.

Here are 6 things that I’ve learned from talking about the hard stuff:

Ask Good Questions

One of the most practical pieces of advice my mother has ever given me. By asking meaningful questions and pointed follow up questions, you’re allowing the other person to express their point of view in an elaborative manner. Not only are you gaining a better understanding of their opinion, but you’re also giving them an opportunity to feel heard and to possibly convey their thoughts in ways they’ve never been asked to. Asking questions diffuses tension and allows for depth of conversation to occur.

Listen

There’s nothing worse than having a discussion with someone of an opposing view who would rather talk over you than listen. Don’t be that person. Rather, be the listener you hope others would be. Know when to stay silent and let the other person finish their thoughts before you chime in with your counter point.

Don’t Take it Personally

While someone’s opinion might infuriate you, people are entitled to feel differently than you. You should never take it as a personal affront if you don’t see eye to eye.

Everyone comes from differing places of understanding that are bound to be different from ours. This is good. We need people in our lives that think and see differently than we do in order to challenge us and get us thinking.

If you take this posture of understanding, you’re less likely to walk away feeling burned and your friendships will be thankful for that.

Don’t Expect a Resolution or Change of Heart

Drop the expectation that the discussion is going to end in a neat little bow, or that you’ll change the other person’s mind, or that your opinion is superior. You probably aren’t going to change your opinion, so why should they? Conclusions might not occur—and that’s OK.

Remain respectful of the other person’s right to think for themselves. If you’re arguing for the sake of changing another person’s mind, it’s going to put you on the offensive and will most likely close doors rather than opening them.

Be Open to Change

While you can’t account for another person and shouldn’t expect them to change, you can take charge of yourself. Be open to the possibility that your own opinions can change. Or at the very least, be open to thoughtfully weighing the other person’s point of view.

You never know what God might have in store for you. These discussions are meant to enlighten us and give us a view we might not necessarily have thought of. Be open to what others have to say and they’ll more likely be open to what you have to say.

Know When to Quit

There will come a point in your discussion where it’s gone from fruitful to futile. Know when to fold and walk away. When things start to escalate and get heated, it’s probably time to wrap up the conversation. If you find yourself checking out, no longer listening, or just plotting your next move, politely end the conversation. Getting into a shouting match is going to be more harmful than helpful.

While there are more nuggets of knowledge I’ve mined from my deep discussion successes and failures, these are the ones that have helped set the tone. It’s easy to get wound up and heated, but by accounting for ourselves and keeping these things in mind, you can experience enriching and challenging conversations without losing friends.

So don’t fear the can of worms. Have at it with a sharp can opener. God is bigger than it all anyway.

Therefore, we encounter a problem when small groups aren’t fulfilling their purpose. Last week in my Bible study, our leader laid out four biblical principles for a healthy church, and she challenged us to consider which ones were not being met within our church family. Overwhelmingly, the response was that our community is lacking. As my friends argued about reasons our church “fails” in this area, I couldn’t help but wonder if we’re looking at it all wrong.

Community isn’t about you.

When I became a Christian in high school, I honestly did it to make friends. My teenage logic concluded that if no one else wanted to hang out with me, the Christians would probably still take me since they were pretty dorky anyway. I started attending Young Life meetings, but I gave up after a few months when I hadn’t risen to the top of the social ladder. I then mocked the Christians for being both dorky and mean, and I avoided having a Savior based on disappointments caused by some high school kids. As evidenced by the fact that I’m currently writing an article for a Christian magazine, God eventually humbled me and brought me back around to Him, but it’s taken me years to shake my initial approach to community.

Community in the church doesn’t exist to make my life easier. In fact, I fully believe that true community makes your life infinitely more difficult. Thanks to our fallen nature, we’re programmed to focus nearly all of our thoughts and actions on ourselves, and it’s genuinely hard to shift that focus. When I’m drowning in sin, my community holds my head above water, but their dedication to me calls me to be utterly devoted to their lives as well. A burden shared is significantly lighter, but that doesn’t change the fact that I now help carry the load of many rather than one. If you’re looking to unload your issues and walk away feeling lighter, you should find a therapist, not a community. In a community, you’ll relieve a little of your own burden while picking up a handful more. It’s beautiful, but it’s messy.

Actually, it’s not so much about them either.

Living in community will always be difficult. I don’t have a single friend that hasn’t annoyed me at some point in our relationship, and I know I’ve pulled enough crazy stunts to isolate myself permanently from any of my social circles. Luckily for me, developing solid community isn’t only about building a Christian safety net. In John 13, Jesus ordered His disciples to love one another. Verse 34 has been heavily quoted in faith-centered circles as our mandate to imitate Christ in our relationships: “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” Unfortunately, not enough weight is given to the verse that follows: “By this, everyone will know you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

We don’t live in community because we like to pat each other on the back; we live in community because loving each other brings glory to God. Our relationships are called to look different from those in the world because the world is watching. Brennan Manning said, “The single greatest cause of atheism in the world today is Christians, who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, then walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle.” When we spend our time gossiping and judging, the world sees relationships that don’t look much different than what they already have. Christ warned us that the rest of the world will identify our allegiances based on how well we love those around us.

If you don’t have friends, it’s (probably) not the church’s fault.

I doubt I’ve made any enemies up to this point. It’s hard to argue that community was designed as a way to encourage and love our brothers and sisters while giving all the glory back to God. The problem arises when we look to the church to create an oasis of relational bliss.

Community isn’t the church’s job. I’m not talking big-C, all-the-believers-everywhere church; I mean the building you go to on Sunday is not responsible for your social life. If your church is anything like mine, the pastor probably suggests you greet the people around you at some point during your Sunday gathering, and in my opinion, that’s where his job ends. Many of my friends have floated in and out of biblically sound bodies of believers because “there just wasn’t any community,” but they never took the time to dig roots and build one. The church provides a safe place for people to meet presumably like-minded believers, but if the elder board is spending more time planning ice skating outings than feeding the hungry, then it’s probably not a church you should be investing in anyway.

It’s our job to build community, but unfortunately, most of us are lazy. There’s no doubt it’s far easier to say, “My church doesn’t have a strong community” than it is to say, “I haven’t really tried to make friends.” I have a friend whose parents were in the military, and she grew up in a dozen different hometowns. Every time she’d move to a new city, her mom would remind her that “it takes a call to get a call.” For some reason, we convince ourselves that everyone else is too busy to spend time with us, when in reality, everyone else is probably just as lonely. If we just stop waiting for the church to make the first move and pick up the phone, we can start moving toward the community God intended for us.

1. Psalty the Singing Songbook

Most people understood from the get-go that a talking hymnal was an unusual character. But Psalty ultimately charmed all of us with his encyclopedic knowledge of hymnody that he used to soothe the fears of his youthful choir, whose parents had no problem shipping their children off on global concert tours under the care of an anthropomorphic hymnbook. According to Psalty’s throughly detailed website, he and his family (his wife, Psaltina; daughters, Melody and Harmony; and son, Rhythm — also, often accompanied by a churchmouse named Charity and a superhero salamander named Solomon) all live in Happyville, but Psalty embarks on an annual pilgrimage to a “Winter Worship Workshop in the mountains.” Because, though he’s a dedicated family man, Psalty cultivates a spirit of adventure? No wonder he was our hero.

2. John Avery Whittaker

Focus on the Family’s Adventures In Odyssey radio program largely centered around John Avery Whittaker, and his lore goes deep. He was primarily known as the kindly old owner of a local ice cream parlor, but his resume makes Dos Equis’ Most Interesting Man in the World seem about as fascinating as a styrofoam cup. Whit has been an international spy, an archeologist, an encyclopedia publisher, an inventor, a World War II signalman, a pilot, an ancient languages translator and a rogue agent. He even invented a sort of time machine in “The Imagination Station,” which at one point was even shown to be capable of whisking people into the afterlife. But did we question his background or exhilarating plans? No! Because we were too busy focused on the important life lessons he was sharing (and the ‘stache, if we’re being honest).

3. Colby the Computer

Before there were smartphones or AI, there was Colby. Colby called himself a computer back when computers were a novelty. They were large and, if you watched Colby, were talking, singing Bible trivia whizzes who wore roller skates. Yes, Colby was more of a robot than a computer, but Colby’s legions of young fans were probably more comfortable telling their parents they were hanging out with a computer than with a giant robot. Unlike Psalty, Colby’s backstory remains shrouded in mystery. Who is he? Where did he come from? What inventor gave him life, or is Colby part of the moment of singularity, in which machines become self-aware on their own accord? And, if so, did the children around him have any idea what they were dealing with?

4. Dr. Jake Cooper

Dr. Jake Cooper was the patriarch of the titular family in Frank Peretti’s Cooper Kids Adventure Series, and he was the world’s coolest dad and every helicopter parent’s mortal enemy. Picture Indiana Jones with two kids, whom he would throw into harm’s way at any opportunity. This family of archeologists globe-hopped from unspeakable terror to unspeakable terror, dealing with some truly horrifying, life-altering and childhood-scarring characters. They thwarted the apocalypse. They killed off the last of Goliath’s ancestors. They were trapped in a sunken submarine, hypnotized by poisonous slugs and offered as a sacrifice to giant snakes. A normal man might have left his children in care of a babysitter for such horrors, but Dr. Cooper figured there was no sense in babying his children through life. He brought them into the heat of every adventure he had and, in his defense, they never seemed any worse for it.

5. McGee

Like many of your childhood heroes, McGee’s true nature remains a subject of debate. The focus of the McGee and Me video series was Nick, a relatively normal boy whose adventures generally had some biblically sound moral. He and his friends braved tornadoes, snuck into horror movies and, memorably, ransacked the house of a frightening-but-friendly old Native American. The only difference between you and Nick was that you didn’t have an animated pal who would pop up, Jiminy Cricket style, to offer advice and comedic relief. However, McGee’s origin is where things get trick. Was McGee simply a product of Nick’s imagination or Nick had harnessed the power of breathing life into his drawings? Or was there something even more bizarre happening? The show never made it clear, and we’re haunted by it to this day.

6. Bibleman

Superhero comics have long held a place in the cultural zeitgeist, so it’s not surprising Christians wanted to capitalize on their own Christian superhero. Larry Boy was doing decent work in the Veggietales Cinematic Universe, but apparently that wasn’t enough for the 90s. Enter: Bibleman. Bibleman is the Christian costumed hero whose yellow laser sword appears to be at least somewhat powered by his *checks notes* Scripture memorization abilities. We’re pretty sure he’s supposed to remind us that with the Spirit and Bible on our side, we too can fight villains. But in a world of elite groups like Marvel and DC superheroes, Christians could use a bit more cool points and less on-the-nose lessons.

Not everybody is called to share their faith in the way that I am. I mean, when I get in an Uber ride, I’m automatically looking around to see if my driver has anything hanging from his rearview mirror that might indicate he belongs to another religion so I can ask him about it. That’s just my personality. I’m outgoing, and I like to start conversations with people.

But when my wife, Jackie, gets into an Uber, she’ll put her earbuds in and go straight to sleep. She’s more of an introvert, and that’s okay—that’s her personality. But make no mistake: she’s also great at sharing her faith. She just does it differently. Jackie’s thing might not be walking up to someone on the street and starting a conversation, but when she gets comfortable with someone, I’m telling you, God uses that woman in amazing ways. She challenges people in their faith. She builds people up, and she disciples young women and moms. She might not be comfortable in as many situations as I am, but she prays for God to use her. And God does use her—often. He just uses us differently because he created us different.

A few years ago, we were flying from Virginia to Atlanta, and as we were walking through the airport, I saw some Jehovah’s Witnesses passing out tracts. So, naturally, I was like “Babe, we have forty-five minutes until our flight leaves, and our gate is right there, so I’m going to talk to these guys.”

And she was like “Okay. I’ll go get us some food. Peace out.”

Jackie went her way, and I went mine. After I finished talking to the Jehovah’s Witnesses, I headed over to the restaurant area by our gate. I was surprised to see Jackie with her head bowed, praying with the waitress.

After they finished praying, I introduced myself to the waitress and asked if I was interrupting anything. Jackie said, “Nah, you’re good. I just came over here to get some food for us, and when I ordered for two, she asked me who else I was getting food for. I told her it was for my husband. She asked me where you were, so I said, ‘He’s over there talking to some Jehovah’s Witnesses.’”

It turned out the waitress was raised by Jehovah’s Witnesses, and her family really messed with her head and drove her away from faith, so Jackie started talking with her, and the next thing you know, she was praying with her. Later Jackie told me, “I just felt like God was telling me to share the gospel with her, so I did.”

Jackie might not be as comfortable around strangers as I am or actively seek to engage people the way that I do, but she does ask God to provide opportunities for her to speak on his behalf, and when those opportunities come her way, she’s ready. She doesn’t shy away from them. And you know what? That readiness? That openness to doing God’s will? That willingness to step out of her comfort zone and speak truth and life into a fellow image bearer? That, more than anything, is what it takes to be successful in sharing our faith.

Now, I know what you’re thinking. Yo, Preston, that’s easy for you to say. You basically talk to people for a living and, man, you live and breathe for these conversations. That’s not me. I hear you. But believe me, as extroverted as I am, there have been plenty of times when I’ve been on my way home from a conference after talking with people for two days straight, and I just collapsed into the back of the Uber. Sometimes, the conversation has looked like this:

“So, where you coming from?”

“I was working.”

“So, what do you do?”

“I’m a speaker.”

“What kind of stuff do you talk about?”

I mean, the driver will literally throw the door wide open for me to share my faith, and sometimes I just don’t feel like walking through it. Or I’ll be at a party or out to dinner with a group of people, and I’ll see an opening but think, Man, I’m at a party . . . do I really want to get into this right now?

But as tempted as I may be to just let the moment pass, I try not to let it because this is what God has called me to do.

All believers have a responsibility to share their faith. The great commission wasn’t just for the apostles; it’s for all of us. Even if we don’t always feel like sharing our faith, this isn’t an excuse for disobedience. Because in many respects, sharing our faith is an act of obedience. It’s about intentionally engaging with the world around us.

If you’re driving in a carpool while listening to Christian music and your passenger asks you, “Why are you listening to that?”—that’s an opportunity to share your faith.

If a friend or coworker starts telling you about a difficult season they’re going through—that’s an opportunity to share your faith.

If you’re wearing a cross around your neck and someone admires it—that’s an opportunity to talk about your faith. That’s why I created Bold Apparel. I wanted to create organic opportunities for people to start conversations about their faith. When people see a hoodie or a T-shirt with “Jesus & Therapy” written on it, they get curious. And if the Holy Spirit is working on them, they might just ask, “What’s your shirt mean?”

God provides us with opportunities to share or talk about our faith with others all the time. What we do with them is up to us.

Adapted from How to Tell the Truth: The Story of How God Saved Me to Win Hearts—Not Just Arguments by Preston Perry, available now.

But just because finding movies that will suit everyone’s taste is tough doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Assuming you’ve already made it through the ranks of the Pixar classics and Disney’s better options, you might be looking for a solid option to watch with the parents. Of course, nothing with any spicy content will do — there’s nothing worse than white-knuckling it through a sex scene with your mom and dad right there. You also don’t want too much swearing or grisly violence. But you do want the movie to be good, right? Just not too good in a way that some relatives might consider “pretentious” or “artsy-fartsy.” You want it to be wholesome but not stupid.

What’s a movie-lover to do?

Never fear. We at RELEVANT have combed through the ranks of movies to find some broadly appealing options that should win over anyone on your list.

For Families With Kids

The Fantastic Mr. Fox

Wes Anderson’s first foray into claymation is both his most family friendly and one of his better efforts, uniting his unique aesthetic with a rollicking good adventure and a fully realized world with an ace cast. Those who might normally find Anderson’s whole thing just a little too such-and-such for their tastes will probably still find Roald Dahl’s classic tale irresistible.

Spirited Away 

A lot of Hayao Miyazaki’s output would fit into this list, as the Japanese master filmmaker’s wonderful ouvre rarely missed with kid or adult alike, from My Neighbor Totoro to Ponyo. Spirited Away is a wonderful adventure, a series of folklore-inspired vignettes about a young girl who gets lost in a magical dreamworld and sets about trying to rescue her parents from an evil spell with the help of some of the most fantastical characters ever committed to animation. The moments of peril might make this unsuitable for very young children, but the spectacular visuals and cunning journey will enrapture most.

Paddington and Paddington 2

There was, on paper, no reason an adaptation of Paddington Bear had to be anything more than passably amusing for kids, so why did writer/director Paul King make both of these movies legitimate contenders for any Best Of list for their respective years? Beautifully directed with warmth, wisdom and wit, if your heart is too cold to be won over by Paddington, there is simply no space for you at our table.

For Family With Older Members

First Cow

Available on Hulu, Kelly Reichardt’s lovely ode to early America is a history lesson wrapped up in a charming lesson in confident pacing. By being unhurried, it ends up being more immersive, plunging you into a tale set in the 1800s Northwest that unfurls so organically it inspires awe.

Little Women (2019)

Greta Gerwig’s adaptation of the beloved children’s book is everything we could have asked for. The scenic views of New England, the witty and sharp dialogue, the bond of love between the girls, and, of course, the impressive acting from Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, Timothee Chalamet, Laura Dern— we could go on forever. Watching it with family will remind you of your love for them and your love for creating memories that will last a lifetime.

The Farewell

Awkwafina churns in a performance for the ages in this beautifully bittersweet exploration of family and what saying goodbye to a loved one can look like. The dour subject matter is undercut with a thread of humor that makes the whole thing a remarkably nuanced package that will have your family laughing through the tears.

Jojo Rabbit

Not writer/director Taikia Waititi’s first or best work, but maybe the one that stretches his emotional palette the furthest. This World War II yarn made waves for its uncomfortable premise — a young German boy named Jojo and his imaginary friend Adolph Hitler try to decide what to do when they discover Jojo’s mom (Scarlett Johansson, never better) has been hiding a Jewish girl in the attic — but ultimately becomes more than its premise by virtue of its unflinching view of both the era and the human heart.

For Sports Fans

Fighting With My Family

Florence Pugh stars in this inspired-by-true-events tale of a woman who wanted to make it in pro wrestling and the family who helped her achieve her dream. You may or may not care for pro wrestling (this writer does not) but it’s hard to imagine anyone not getting up and cheering before the credits roll on this born crowd pleaser that features a turn from no less a pro wrestling legend than Dwayne Johnson himself.

42

The movie that put Chadwick Boseman on the map didn’t get enough attention upon its release but watching it now, it’s not hard to see why anyone who walked away from it didn’t know that Boseman was destined for greatness. The story of Jackie Robinson has been told before, but never with so much nuance and grace in the lead performance.

Creed

Anyone skeptical about Rocky re-entering the cultural milieu had their fears immediately put to rest by Ryan Coogler’s stunning re-working of the Rocky Balboa mythos, mining terrific performances from his central cast (Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson and, of course, Sly Stallone) and shooting the boxing matches with verve and daring so intense and immediate you might forget how to breathe while watching them.

For Music Buffs

Blinded By the Light

What cold-hearted villain doesn’t love Bruce Springsteen? Gurinder Chadha spins this irresistibly likable tale of a Pakistani teenager in London who feels adrift in life until a cassette tape of the Boss’ music captures his imagination and turns his life around. It’s not just a tale of a what makes a classic rock icon so great, it’s a poignant look at immigration.

Sing Street

A handful of Dublin teenagers in the 80s decide to channel their adolescent angst into doing what any self-respecting teenager would do: starting a band. Sing Street is almost a musical in its own right (you’re probably familiar with director John Carney’s biggest hit Once) and the music is as terrific as the story itself, which finds real pathos in the most familiar of human feelings: wanting to get away from it all.

20 Feet From Stardom

Morgan Neville’s exquisite documentary features a lot of familiar faces like Mick Jagger, Stevie Wonder, Sheryl Crowe and David Bowier, but for once, the spotlight is on their backup singers — those who take the stage “20 feet from stardom.” You’ve heard most of these women’s voices, but their stories — inspiring, heartbreaking, challenging and uplifting — add a new layer of love to countless classics.

Movies With a Message

Just Mercy

Bryan Stevenson’s well-known book about the criminal justice system doesn’t immediately scream “movie material,” but thanks to terrific direction and an a-plus cast, Just Mercy is a winner. While the book focuses on broad systemic issues in mass incarceration, the movie wisely focuses on just one story of one man who was condemned to die and the team that refused to take “no” for an answer.

Knives Out

How does director Rian Johnson follow his love-or-hate-it foray into the Star Wars universe? With one of the juiciest capers in years, a gobsmackingly fun Agatha Christie-style throwback featuring cast of delicious characters starring a wide-eyed Ana de Armas and Daniel Craig’s just ridiculously good Detective Benoit Blanc. There is not a scene in this movie that doesn’t deliver but beneath the twists and turns is a profound class parable about how we treat the least of these.

Hamilton

Hey, on the off chance you’re one of the six people in the world who didn’t catch Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Disney Plus bonanza, now’s as good a time as any to get caught up. Skepticism may abound but the American history spectacular absolutely lives up to the hype with rip-roaring numbers that’ll make citizens of all stripes proud to be an American, whatever their quibbles about the historical accuracy.

Many thanks to Judson Collier for assisting with this article.

The series follows the 2023-24 Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders squad from the audition process to the NFL season, giving viewers an inside look at the personal lives of the performers. In the fourth episode, several cheerleaders are shown attending a Social Dallas service and speaking with Madu and his wife, Taylor, backstage. The cheerleaders share why they came to Social Dallas and how their faith has impacted their mission and career.

Then, throughout the episode, a portion of Madu’s Vision Sunday sermon is played. The church’s vision statement for the year was “God loves Dallas,” which became a recurring theme throughout the episode.

“Maybe you need a vision for your life, a vision that is bigger than you,” Madu preached on the show. “A vision lets you know what to say yes to and what to say no to. There are some of you who have so many decisions in front of you and the reason you’re struggling to make a decision is because you have not brought clarity to the vision for your life. And I’m trying to tell you the moment you get clarity on vision, you’ll know what decision to make.”

America’s Sweethearts is now streaming on Netflix.

While this list could have been a mile long, we kept it holy and found seven times The Simpsons referenced Christianity in the most hilarious way possible.

Ned Flanders’ Oral Roberts University Degree

Flander’s ORU education comes up in two episodes: In Season Six’s “I Love Lisa” and “Dead Putting Society.”

The Crystal Cathedral

The famous Crystal Cathedral can be seen in season nine’s “Natural Born Kissers,” which even features a pastor that resembles a young version of Robert Schuller, the church’s founder. You can see the clip (which features some cartoon nudity) here.

Praiseland (a Heritage USA Spoof)

In the episode “I’m Goin’ to Praiseland” (season 12), Flanders opens a Christian amusement park, “Praiseland,” in honor of his late wife that was inspired by the now defunct Heritage USA theme park started by televangelist Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker in the late ’70s.

Homer’s Obsession with the End Times after Seeing ‘Left Below’

Season 19’s “Thank God, It’s Doomsday” is a send-up of evangelicalism ends times culture. Homer, after seeing Left Below, tries to calculate the exact date of the rapture and warn the people of Springfield. Irreverent satire ensues.

The Creationism Debate

In the episode “The Monkey Suit” (season 17), Springfield gets embroiled in a debate over the teaching of creationism (vs. evolution) in public schools. The case Lisa Simpson v. God is eventually decided in favor of Lisa after Homer’s ape-like antics are put forth as evidence by an ACLU lawyer.

Christian Rock Band Kovenant

Fronted by Rachel Jordan (voiced by singer Shawn Colvin), Christian rock outfit Kovenant has appeared in two episodes: “Alone Again, Natura-Diddily” and “I’m Goin’ to Praiseland.” Fun fact: Their bass player was from yet another fictional CCM band: Saintanica

Sunday School Stories

In the episode “Simpsons Bible Stories,” the entire family dozes off during a Rev. Lovejoy sermon, only to each have their own Bible-inspired dream. The episode examines the story of Adam & Eve, the exodus, the wisdom of King Solomon, David and Goliath and even the apocalypse.

Within the last three years, the renowned worship leader has left her home country of Australia, joined a new church, become a mother and embarked on a solo career. Suffice to say, things look a lot different for her these days.

But regardless of what season she’s found herself in, she’s discovered that one thing remains constant: God. TAYA opened up to RELEVANT about how she’s rooted her trust in God during the changing seasons of life, and how she’s also found joy through the ups and downs and twist and turns.

This conversations has been edited for length and clarity.

Your song Gonna Be Good is so full of joy. Where did the inspiration for this song come from?

My husband, actually. He felt like he got that message from the Holy Spirit before we were moving to America. So that was maybe about three and a half years ago. He felt in the season that we were about to step into, which was just trusting in God and an overseas move and just stuff that we just hadn’t conceived would happen, but was going to happen. There were a lot of unknowns and things that could cause worry if we chose to go down that route. He felt this word from God that we’re meant to trust and be joyful, which is a really funny combination because you would think when you trust in God, you’re trusting in His character, you’re trusting in who He is. He’s omnipresent, He’s omniscient, He knows everything. Nothing is a surprise to Him, nothing shakes Him. He is true, infallible, eternal God — which should be enough for us.

But again, we’re humans and we have doubts. We allow things to creep in. But then so many times we can trust God, and still have these little attitudes of like, I trust you, but this sucks. And my husband really felt we were meant to trust and be joyful, which means that you truly do let go of the worry and you let go of the fear of the unknown.

And so I took some time out early last year, and I really wanted to hear a word from God because I can’t do it without him. I needed direction, so I waited. Eventually He spoke to me through birds through this scripture in Matthew 6 that says to cease from your worry about money. And I had to ask God, am I worrying about provision? Because we’re living in America, and there was a whole bunch of unforeseen things that were yet to unfold when it came to now no longer working at a church and what that looked like and the unpacking of that and finding a new church community and all of this.

So it felt like He was speaking into that season before we even knew that was going be unfolding. My husband at the time wasn’t working, so we were on one income and then unbeknownst to me, I was pregnant at that time. It just turned out to be wild timing and the wild kindness of God.

I felt like God was speaking into all of it for me. And He was saying, “Get your eyes off yourself, look up at the birds.” And in Matthew 6, it talks about how they are careless in the care of God, about how they are just obeying the instincts that God has placed within them. They don’t gather for food, and they don’t freak out. They don’t have a place to rest their heads. But God provides for them. And how much more does our Heavenly Father know what we need? And so I was having that revelation in January of last year as I was starting to write new music.

That reminds me of the line in “Oceans” where you sing “Spirit, Lead me where my trust is without borders.” Is trust something that you’re always wrestling with? 

Yeah I suppose so. I feel like trust is something that I’ll always have as a theme — not just in music, but in life. Like you said, “Oceans” is all about trust. It’s a kind of trust where it says a prayer of asking God to use me in such a way that I will walk out into the craziest deep water, where I have nothing else to lean on, nothing to fall back on, no borders.

I’ve found in every single season, it’s a reminder that trust is a layered thing. It’s not like you say you trust God in one season and then that’s it. It’s like, no, I get to, in this new season, trust Him in a whole new way, in a deeper way, and with things that are perhaps even more precious and that I care about even more.

And yet, I’m not meant to trust any less. I’m actually meant to continue to trust more and grow in my trust. In this season, it’s trust and joy, which has been a challenge and something that hasn’t come easily.

And again, I just want to be very honest. There have totally been days and times where I’m full-on crying, going, “Lord, what have I said yes to?” Or like, “Are you sure I’m the right person?” It’s like imposter syndrome.

Learning where to bring that — not just sitting in it, feeling it, yes, but knowing who to take it to — I take it to God first, and then I’m able to unpack that with my husband and dear, more mature friends that God has placed in our life. It’s something that I don’t think I’ll ever get away from, and I don’t want to either, because I think anytime I think I’ve got this, I’m going to fall on my face.

How are you learning to trust God as you step into this solo career?

I don’t love to be pegged into a particular box, which is hilarious when you’re called an artist because people want to know how to package this. Before recording a song with United, someone told me something that felt like God’s kindness in preparing me not to compare myself to others and to be content with who God wants me to be. It reminded me not to look left or right in comparison or envy but to be content with what God is doing.

I often go back to this advice: just because ministry, leading, or songwriting looks a certain way for someone else, doesn’t mean it has to be that way for you. Don’t put God in a box. Allow Him to do whatever He wants, and be open to that.

I’ve struggled with this a bit, especially being part of United for the last 10 years with its particular sound. It’s an honor to have music that resonates with people and connects them to Jesus. But what’s crazy is I didn’t write those songs. Now, writing my own songs, they will sound different. This first record allowed me to bring everything to the table—my voice, writing style, and my expression of who Jesus is. I love funky soul chords, prefer the black notes on the piano, and write in A flat.

In the last year, stewarding this record and opportunities from God, I’ve realized I need songs for the church because I’m asked to lead worship. Writing these songs has been harder to figure out and do well. My hat goes off to everyone who writes songs for the church. I’ve led them but am just starting to write them. It’s a learning experience.

Hopefully, the second half of this record, which I’m still working on, will include those expressions. It’s another step of faith, trusting God, and learning to be joyful in starting out again. Representing these songs live has been fun. We’ve translated them, played them differently, adjusted speeds, and made them more congregational. I love how malleable the songs are and how they’ve connected with people in worship settings and churches.

I’m excited for what’s to come. I know there will be a live worship record one day, but it doesn’t feel right for now. I hope people will come along on the journey as I follow what I feel God is saying for this season and the ones to come.

1. Free at Last: dcTalk

Sure, “Jesus Freak” and “In the Light” are the hits, but you’re a Church kid, and you know the deep cuts. “Free at Last” was a track from dcTalk’s days as a Beastie Boys-aping rap outfit, when Michael Tait and Kevin Max mostly seemed to just be sitting around waiting for TobyMac to let them do something.

Of course, re-purposing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous, astonishing treatise on black liberation for a purely spiritual hip-hop song may not be the most racially sensitive move this group ever made, but you probably weren’t thinking about that then. You were focusing on nailing the whole “if you’re ser – i – ous – ly cur- i – ous a-bout my past” part of Toby’s verse.

2. Staci Orrico: Don’t Look at Me

Staci Orrico showed up in 2000 with a sound that approximated the current mainstream pop-trend of Latin-tinged pop music better than a lot of CCM, which was still trying to milk that ska cow.

The great production put the attention squarely on her pipes, which were impressive, and for a solid year, “Don’t Look at Me” was an inescapable hit on Christian pop radio and in youth groups across the nation. The fact that it was all so eminently singable didn’t hurt.

3. Five Iron Frenzy: One Girl Army

Speaking of that ska cow, no band milked it better than Five Iron Frenzy, who were just about the best band of the short-lived ska revolution, Christian or otherwise. They brought an awesome cheekiness to the generally self-serious world of CCM, with songs like “Oh Canada” and the infamous pants medley. But they also delved into surprisingly deep waters too—no other Christian band before or since has referenced William Blake poetry in their lyrics.

They ended every show with “Every New Day” but “One Girl Army” was the one you knew best, and you bellowed that chorus until your throat bled.

4. Relient K: Sadie Hawkins Dance

Speaking of cheeky, no Christian band was as self-referentially goofy as Matt Thiessen and the Relient K guys. They got their start just as the pop punk wave was starting to crest, but had a lot of success anyway on the strength of some above average adolescent hijinks. There was nothing revolutionary about their three chords and a chorus approach, but can you name any other bands with songs about Marilyn Manson cannibalizing girlfriends?

Speaking of, Relient K was one of the few bands to get away with Christian songs about dating that didn’t include an obligatory reference to saving sex for marriage. “Sadie Hawkins Dance” is purely a John Hughes-esque tale of a nerdy guy scoring a date to a dance, with an insidiously singable “Oh-oh-oh!” chorus.

5. Newsboys: Breakfast

It’s a shame the Newsboys of today are mostly known for God’s Not Dead, the last quarter of which is basically just a Newsboys concert film. Believe it or not, there was a time when the Newsboys were making some interesting music. “I just believe it, and sometimes I don’t know why / Gotta go with my gut again on this one” they sang on “Believe,” which is about as close to real expressions of doubt as CCM got in the ’90s.

But they made their rent off of weirder fare, and Christian music didn’t get weirder than “Breakfast” which is about … uhm, well, what is it about? The main theme seems to be that there’s no breakfast in hell, which barely counts as a theme, but the chorus is such a genuine, honest-to-goodness, fist-pumping anthem that you hardly cared then. And you don’t now, do you?

6. Kirk Franklin: Revolution

Kirk Franklin’s had a good career. He started out as a true visionary of CCM, an artist who refused to compromise one inch on his creativity, his identity or his beliefs. He was an early signifier of what gospel music could be, and he brought the genre into the future with an addictive conviction.

The past few years have been good to Kirk, as he’s scored some high profile gigs with Kanye and Chance. But to Church kids of the ’90s, “Revolution” was the first and best intro to his real talents. WHOOP WHOOP!

7. Audio Adrenaline: Big House

“Come. And go with me. To. My Father’s House.” Only Audio Adrenaline had the courage to take what sure sounds like a Sunday School rhyme and put it to crunchy pop rock, which made it fairly appealing to 14-year-olds at church camp too.

“Big House” inspired children’s choirs across the nation, with its earworm of a chorus that seemed designed specifically for hand motions. It’s so easy to sing along to that you could be forgiven for not questioning the orthodoxy (how sure are we that there will be a big, big yard for playing football in heaven?).

8. Switchfoot: Dare You to Move

Plenty of Switchfoot songs could work here, as the band evolved from a low-fi surf rock outfit to a grander, more produced, Bono-flavored affair. “We Were Meant to Live” got lots of radio play, and the tracks on Learning to Breathe were more tuneful, but “Dare You to Move” captured the band at their most earnest, and if you haven’t been to a Switchfoot concert and with both hands shot towards the clouds screaming “DARE YOU TO MOOOOOVE” than you did not have a happy childhood.

9. Jars of Clay: Flood

If you watched Pete Holmes’ Crashing on HBO, you’ve probably realized how much you have in common with the protagonist, Pete. Pete is absolutely a church kid, who gets ridiculed for his music taste, which includes this absolute jam. More than a lot of Christian music of the era, Jars of Clay sounded very much like their own thing — a little Replacements, a little R.E.M. and, well, a lot of originality with some poetry in the lyrics. Jars are good is what we’re trying to say. Admittedly, the “Flood? chorus is more or less one note, but it’s a good note and if you’re too cool to sing along with it, you’re too cool for us.

The pope welcomed invited 107 comedians from 15 nations, including Jim Gaffigan, Whoopi Goldberg, Jimmy Fallon, Chris Rock, Stephen Colbert, Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, Conan O’Brien and Mike Birbiglia.

“In the midst of so much gloomy news, immersed as we are in many social and even personal emergencies, you have the power to spread peace and smiles,” Francis told the comedians.

“You unite people, because laughter is contagious,” he continued, asking jokingly, “Please pray for me: for, not against!”

Francis also let the comedians know that it was OK to “laugh at God” in the same way “we play and joke with the people we love.” He also encouraged the comedians that their work brings joy to both God and His people.

“Remember this: When you manage to bring intelligent smiles to the lips of even a single spectator, you also make God smile,” he said.

After delivering his speech, Francis greeted each of the comedians individually, sharing brief laughs and jokes with some of them.

“It was great, it was very fast and really loving, and made me happy,” Goldberg said afterward.

Gaffigan, a proud Catholic, shared that the pope told him he was his favorite comedian.

The Pope told me I was his favorite comedian. Such an incredible experience. This followed the Pope addressing a room of 200 comedians from throughout the world. It felt like a meeting of everyone who couldn’t behave in church. Thanks to @ragandbone for the fancy suit, shirt… pic.twitter.com/VDTBuTAthS

— Jim Gaffigan (@JimGaffigan) June 14, 2024

O’Brien was fairly baffled that the event, organized by the Vatican’s Dicastery for Culture and Education and Dicastery for Communication, even happened.

“To be in that room and to be with all my fellow comedians, some of whom I’ve been good friends with for many years, in that environment, was quite strange,” O’Brien said. “All of us were thinking, how did this happen? Why are we here, and when are they going to throw us out?”

In an interview with Premiere, Gillam shared that his next film, currently titled The Carnival at the End of Days, has a rather peculiar plot: “God decides to destroy humanity. And the only one trying to save us is Satan because he needs people in hell, otherwise he won’t have a job for eternity.”

Joining Depp and Bridges are Adam Driver and Jason Momoa in undisclosed roles.

The director added that the upcoming movie will mostly likely “be very funny for those who like to be offended.” And — no surprise here — he also shared that he’s planning on taking some creative liberties when it comes to bringing God to the big screen.

“[Bridges] won’t be the God we’re used to,” Gillam explained. “In the film, God is nature. But a nature that can speak to you … I’m going to need animation to bring it to life, because in the scene with God, there are at least 15 animals. And it’s going to be complicated, because it has to be realistic. And it’s going to be very expensive.”

“It feels like a cool opportunity to get back into something I really enjoy, but from a different place,” Perry told RELEVANT. “I’m a different person than I was the last time I made music. Now, as a 34-year-old woman with four children, married for 10 years, with more theology, more life experience, and more suffering, I think the music will benefit from the life stage I’m in.”

This isn’t the first time Perry’s released music. She released her debut album The Art of Joy in 2014 on Humblebeast and released her second album, Crescendo, in 2018. She stepped away from music to focus on writing books and speaking, but she’s eager to step back into the music scene.

“I always enjoyed music; I missed it,” she said. “It was probably last year that I started to lament that I wasn’t able to make music. It was never a financial thing for me. It was just that I like music and I like to create it. But it was just a thing that I let go.”

Perry also shared that she’s also eager to explore a new sound, something fans haven’t heard from her yet.

“My intention will be to create a sound that is more native to me,” she explained. “My previous albums were more hip-hop-oriented and lyrical. I’m still going to be lyrical, but I think there’s a vibe and a southern countryness to my sound that I hadn’t explored before.”

She continued, “That’s kind of what I’m on: how do I make music that sounds good, feels good and produces good works? That will be the goal.”

Listen to her new single, “First Draft,” here:

The streaming giant announced a new live competition between iconic hot dog-eating champs Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi that will take place on Labor Day.

The event, titled Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef, will ultimately determine the top dog of hot dog-eating competitions.

The announcement comes just one day after Chestnut was banned from this year’s Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, which airs each year on ESPN, after he signed a deal with vegan hot dog makers Impossible Foods. Chestnut has become a household name due to his dominance in the yearly Coney Island Fourth of July competition, winning 16 of the last 17 years. He currently holds the world record after holding down 76 hot dogs in 10 minutes.

But if you think Chestnut’s got this in the bag, think again. Kobayashi is a legend in the competitive hot dog-eating world. He appeared on the international scene in 2001, when he doubled the standing world record at the contest and introduced everyone to his “Solomon technique,” which involves him making the hot dog buns extremely wet (and gross) so they’re easier to swallow. He was the reigning champ until Chestnut stepped on the scene in 2007. The last time Chestnut and Kobayashi faced off was in 2009, when Chestnut took home the golden hot dog.

Last month, Kobayashi announced his retirement due to health concerns, but it looks like he’s ignoring medical advice to give the world one last gift.

Whether you’re in the mood for a drama, a comedy or something that will inspire you, we’ve got you covered. Here are six limited series you can — and should — stream right now:

Station Eleven

Available on Max

This show starts off extraordinarily harrowing, given its prescient glimpse of a world reeling from a sudden, mysterious pandemic (sounds familiar, we know). But its focus slowly evolves over time, and time is key to Station Eleven’s development. The gentle balancing of multiple eras before, during and after a flu wipes out much of humanity is one of its great feats. This sickness leaves only a few survivors, the remains of their culture and the struggle to build something new without sacrificing the things they loved. A remarkable achievement.

When They See Us

Available on Netflix

If you haven’t watched this yet (or even if you have), you should add this to the top of your “must-watch” list right away. Led by award-winning director Ava DuVernay, When They See Us is a gripping portrayal of the notorious Central Park jogger case, which saw five teenagers of color wrongfully convicted of a brutal assault. Spanning over decades, the series takes a closer look at the lives of the “Central Park Five” and their fight for justice. Despite enduring systemic injustice and societal prejudice, the boys and their families never give up and work tirelessly to never be defined by their past. It’s a reminder for everyone to not give up when faced with injustice, no matter how long it may take.

Testament: The Story of Moses

Available on Netflix

Earlier this year, the surprising No. 1 show on Netflix was about the story of one of the Bible’s most central figures. The three-part docudrama follows the life of Moses from his exile as an outcast to eventual prophet and leader. Narrated by actor Charles Dance (Game of Thrones), the series also weaves in expert interviews to go deeper into Moses’ story, providing further detail about one of the Bible’s most famous characters. One-part documentary, one-part dramatic retelling, it’s fascinating to see the story of Moses come to life in a compelling and realistic way.

Maid

Available on Netflix

Based on Stephanie Land’s stunning memoir, Maid follows the journey of a single mother named Alex (Margaret Qualley), who escapes an abusive relationship and struggles to build a better life for herself and her daughter. Despite facing numerous challenges and setbacks, Alex finds employment as a maid and begins her journey toward self-sufficiency. Through Alex’s resilience and determination, Maid explores themes of survival, empowerment and the transformative power of love and community. It portrays the strength and resilience of women facing adversity, emphasizing the importance of perseverance and hope in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.

Beef

Available on Netflix

Beef follows the aftermath of a road rage incident between two strangers: Danny Cho (Steven Yeun), a troubled contractor, and Amy Lau (Ali Wong), a self-made business owner. The 10-episode series dives into the intricacies of their lives and their growing feud, keeping you on edge the entire season. The show does an excellent job fleshing out the characters and their backgrounds, particularly Danny, whose struggle with his faith was one of the most compelling scenes on TV in recent years. The series picked up a few awards and a second season is on the way, which means now is the perfect time to catch up.

Fargo

Available on Hulu

Inspired by the Coen Brothers’ film of the same name, this darkly comedic anthology series explores crime, morality and the human condition through interconnected stories set in the icy landscapes of the American Midwest. While it’s not technically a limited series, each season follows a different storyline, so you can really pick up wherever you want. We recommend the most recent season, which follows a seemingly normal housewife (Juno Temple) who is hunted by a sinister sheriff (Jon Hamm). You’ll quickly be drawn in by its richly drawn characters, intricate storytelling and the out-of-left-field plot twists.

5. You Couldn’t Get the Week’s Theme Song Out of Your Head

While your friends were singing along to the latest hits, your mind was an endless loop of songs like “Deep, Deep, Deep (Deep as the Sea)” and “Dive (into God’s Word).” Those earworms have a way of sticking with you long after the closing ceremony, and you’ve caught yourself humming them in line at the grocery store more times than you care to admit.

4. You’ve Experienced Snack Time Chaos

Snack time at VBS is not for the faint of heart. You’ve witnessed the unrestrained joy of kids presented with cookies and juice, and you’ve fought your way through the snack line to get every last crumb imaginable.

3. You’ve Witnessed Your Fair Share of Costume Mishaps

Whether someone was portraying a Bible character or dressing up for theme day, VBS often involves some form of costume. Depending on your church’s budget, you might have seen some impressive costumes. But oftentimes churches spent most of the VBS money on snacks, leaving leaders with creative options that deserved a “You Tried” sticker.

2. You’ve Watched Some, Uh, Creative Story Skits

VBS skits could be their own category at the Oscars. Teenagers and overworked adults would come together to create brief skits that would have the audience in laughter, tears and praise — all within the span of five minutes. There was always one actor who took things way too seriously, but VBS was their moment to shine and they knew it.

1. You Actually Learned Something Valuable That’s Stuck With You

All jokes aside, VBS had a bigger purpose than filling kids with sugar and teaching them catchy songs. The week was a time to learn more about God and His people; a time to plant seeds that would hopefully bear fruit. If that meant learning a bubblegum pop song about the 10 Commandments, then so be it.

On Tuesday, the 36-year-old singer posted photos of his hospital recovery on social media, revealing that he was hit by a car while driving a Vespa on his way home from the gym on June 6. He doesn’t “really remember anything after the collision” but does recall waking up “on a stretcher being put into an ambulance.”

“I’ve cried a lot of thankful and happy tears during the last few days,” Klein wrote. “I know how fortunate I am to still be here. All of my vitals are good, but walking and moving around is still a challenge. I’m getting progressively better though and will be at 100% really soon.”

Due to his recovery process, the band has had to postpone their upcoming Australia and New Zealand tour dates. But Klein assured fans he would be back on stage as soon as possible. 

“This experience has only intensified the feelings of purpose I have, so I can’t wait to heal up and get back to it,” he said.

hey everyone – on thursday night of last week, i got hit by a car while i was on my vespa heading home from the gym. i don’t really remember anything after the collision… i woke up on a stretcher being put into an ambulance. i’ve cried a lot of thankful and happy tears during… pic.twitter.com/dHO2tIlAc9

— LANY (@thisisLANY) June 12, 2024

We seek to share our enjoyment with others, a natural pull that stems from our innate design to live in community with one another. We see it, snap it and almost simultaneously share it. Before the moment has even passed, we’ve invited hundreds of people in to experience everything from our daily latte, to our 30th birthday party, to a getaway in the mountains, to the birth of our third child.

My motto for online engagement has always been “to each his own.” Some share lots, some share never. I’m in no position to run around judging. I share a lot. For me, it’s a creative outlet. It’s a way to engage, share important moments with friends and family, talk about the good happening in the world and hopefully somewhat inspire others.

I even use social media for my job, and I have seen posts encourage, inspire and even bring people together.

But we all know the potential downsides of social media sharing: oversharing with Facebook “friends” who don’t really know us, obsessively curating our Instagram posts to make our life look ideal, not enjoying the moment because we’re too busy sharing it with those who aren’t there.

Some of the most beautifully publicized moments are not as “authentic” as we try to make them seem. Why? Not because these perfectly posed snapshots are inherently evil, but because these moments we share are transient, and some of them, no matter how well ‘liked’ they may be, they have no eternal value. We’ve traded authenticity for approval, and these moments are quickly being glanced at, scrolled through and left to fade away into the abyss of Internet no man’s land.

Where is the balance in what and how we share online? While sharing good with the world can be a wonderful thing, I find that designating some moments to remain secret and sacred just for those who were there adds a greater luster to my life than sharing them ever could.

You know, those quiet, unseen moments where it’s just you and another person? The moments where you hear a still, small voice whisper “This experience is meant for you to be fully present. Put your phone down, treasure this time and give all the love you have.” When we experience these moments where we feel the pull of the Holy Spirit speaking through us, or vise versa, we are left with an awe inspired humility, which no photo could ever come close to depicting. These secret moments are a gift to be experienced fully, treasured and carried inside of our hearts.

We must be intentional about finding these moments and keeping them close, or we might eventually cease to recognize them. It could be an act of kindness—given or received, or a time in which someone unexpected is used to breathe life in to your soul. Maybe it’s a 3 a.m. feeding with your newborn, or time spent alone with the love of your life, maybe it’s a moment spent in the splendor of creation, time given to the poor and needy. These are the moments in which we are eternally transformed. It’s why the Bible tells us to do really beautiful things like fast and pray and give in secret.

“So that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6:4).

“But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6:6).

“But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (Matthew 6:17-18).

In his book Love Does, Bob Goff writes: “Maybe Jesus wants us to be secretly incredible instead. That was His plan for self-promotion. Secretly incredible people keep what they do as one of God’s best-kept secrets because the only one who needs to know, the God of the universe, already knows.”

The God of the universe sees every single good thing we do, and these things honor Him because he gives them! We must believe in the power of becoming secretly incredible. We must begin to savor these secret moments, because the unseen is eternal. To enter in, to love, to give to the world, without feeling the need to tell everyone about it, this is sacred secrecy.

Sharing is wonderful, and I will continue to do it, but what if we put as much emphasis on the secret things as we did the shared? What if we lived for the unseen and let the quiet moments dictate our days? When we’re pushed to be fully present, when God speaks through the unlikely, when He pulls us to connect personally with another human, let’s pull up a chair, listen and engage. The gift of presence is what the world needs, now more than ever.

We are constantly facing opportunities to love and give—to make an eternal impact. So much of our efforts on this earth will fade. The secret things are shaping us, and we’ll carry them with us, all the way home. Let’s guard them.

“For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18).

Evans has pastored the church for 48 years and did not provide specific details on why he was stepping away. However, in a written statement, Evans stated that he had fallen short of the biblical standards set by his ministry.

“The foundation of our ministry has always been our commitment to the Word of God as the absolute supreme standard of truth to which we are to conform our lives,” Evans wrote. “When we fall short of that standard due to sin, we are required to repent and restore our relationship with God. A number of years ago, I fell short of that standard. I am, therefore, required to apply the same biblical standard of repentance and restoration to myself that I have applied to others.

“I have shared this with my wife, my children, and our church elders, and they have lovingly placed their arms of grace around me,” he continued. “While I have committed no crime, I did not use righteous judgment in my actions. In light of this, I am stepping away from my pastoral duties and am submitting to a healing and restoration process established by the elders.”

Evans went on to share that he will continue to be part of OCBF as a worshiper and thanked the church for allowing him to lead for 48 years.

Derrick posted a video on TikTok talking about the impact the documentary has had on her life and the negative backlash she’s received.

“Before this documentary, my husband and I, we felt safe,” Derrick said. “Now that this documentary is out, we feel like our lives have been put in danger. We have both been followed in our car, we have received hate mail, death threats. People have been sending us messages to commit suicide. We’ve been stalked.”

Derrick shared a few of the alarming messages she has received through DMs and comments, including someone who threatened to “gut her” and another who said grab her if they saw her on the street.

“I honestly don’t understand how my parents and my sister thought that this documentary would help me, or help our relationship in any way,” she said. “I have been getting together with my family for the past couple of years privately to work on our relationship to make things right, to mend what has been broken, and I’ve been loving it. Getting together, laughing, just enjoying each other’s company.

“This documentary has made it very difficult to continue doing that,” she continued. “Honestly, I think my parents and sister have focused so much on this documentary that they’ve forgotten about working on any relationship with me. And that hurts — that hurts me to say.”

@itsmirandaderrick

♬ original sound – Miranda Derrick

Derrick has been in the spotlight ever since Netflix released Dancing With the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult, a three-part documentary examining Los Angeles-based Shekinah Church and the charismatic pastor who many say abused his spiritual authority and led it like a religious cult.

At the center of the story is a group of very influential TikTok dancers — including Derrick — who joined the church and ultimately signed with the pastor’s talent management company, 7M, which was then used to control many aspects of their lives. Derrick’s sister and parents spoke about the impact the church has had on their relationship, and the lengths they’ve gone to to reestablish a connection.

Last week, Derrick shared in an Instagram story that she had seen the series but did not believe it told the full story.

“I believe that this documentary is a one-sided story,” Derrick wrote. “I gave my life to Jesus Christ in 2020 and asked my family for some space in the very beginning to collect my thoughts and process my new walk I wanted to take with God. My family didn’t honor the space I asked for and I saw a different side of them I’ve never seen before. Honestly, it made me mad, frustrated and annoyed that they were being so overbearing and chaotic.”

Sadly, there’s no shortage of documentaries about the Church. Many highlight absurd instances, but there are a few that represent the truth of the modern church in a difficult light. It can be easy to ignore these documentaries, but it might actually be important for believers to engage with these documentaries to understand what those outside of the Church think of God’s kingdom.

Here are six documentaries that will leave you frustrated, upset, maybe even angry — but they’re all still worth the watch.

Dancing With the Devil

What it’s about: Netflix’s latest documentary, Dancing For the Devil: The 7M TikTok Cult, is a three-part docuseries examining Los Angeles-based Shekinah Church and the charismatic pastor that many say abused his spiritual authority and led it like a religious cult. At the center of the story is a group of very influential TikTok dancers that joined the church and ultimately signed with the pastor’s talent management company, 7M, which ultimately was used to control every aspect of their lives.

Why you should watch it: As former members point out, the Shekinah Church of today is not what it’s always been. Many spoke of how it was a place for community, for refuge, for growth. But along the way, spiritual manipulation from its leader Robert Shinn twisted the church up and lead it down a different path. It’s not a completely uncommon story, and it’s one that believers everywhere should be on the look out for in their own leaders.

God Forbid

What it’s about: This Hulu documentary is not just a salacious story about a sex scandal. It is also a film about the power of religion and the dangers of hypocrisy. The film shows how Jerry Falwell Jr. used his position as a religious leader to justify his own behavior, and how his actions lead to major consequences for Liberty University. It also shows how the Falwell family’s fall from grace had a ripple effect on the evangelical community.

Why you should watch it: The Falwell family has had a massive impact on modern evangelicalism, and to a larger extent on American politics. The documentary explores how things came to be, and how it all imploded with Falwell’s scandal.

The Way Down

What it’s about: The HBO Max documentary looks into Remnant Fellowship Church, a Tennessee-based church led by charismatic leader Gwen  . In the 90s, Shamblin gained popularity for her diet lifestyle book, The Weigh Down. Her success “naturally” led her to starting her own church where she preached “the gospel” of self-control and losing weight. The documentary dives into the consequences of the false gospel, how well-intentioned believers can be misled by a false teachers, the secrets and abuse hidden in a church and so much more.

Why you should watch it: Many former members of the church share their experience with Shamblin and Remnant Fellowship. Through their stories, they warn others how staying connected to The Truth is the best way to steer clear of lies.

The Secrets of Hillsong

What it’s about: This Hulu documentary explores the rise and fall of Hillsong Church, one of the most popular and influential churches in the world. Over four episodes, the story chronicles the church’s meteoric growth, its celebrity following and its hidden secrets, including allegations of sexual abuse and leadership abuse. The documentary also examines the role of Hillsong founder Brian Houston, who has been accused of covering up his father’s sexual abuse.

Why you should watch it: Hillsong Church has been one of the most influential churches of the 21st century. From worship to preaching, their leaders have impacted the global church in more ways than one. If you want to understand how and why things are the way they are today, you need to check out this doc.

Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God

What it’s about: The Catholic Church sexual abuse is, at this point, a well-documented story. There have been numerous documentaries and films about the abuse, but one of the most important is Mea Maxima Culpa, which translates to “my great fault.” This documentary explores the abuse of power in the Catholic Church through the story of four courageous deaf men, who in the first known case of public protest, set out to expose the priest who abused them.

Why it’s important: The story of uncovering Catholic Church abuse is one of the most difficult ones for the Church to face. But it’s an important part of Church history that cannot be overlooked. Additionally, this HBO documentary challenges Christians to be on the look out for those with disabilities in the Church, ensuring they are being cared for just as much as anyone else.

Keep Sweet, Pray and Obey

What it’s about: This gripping Netflix documentary delves into the world of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS). Through firsthand accounts and unseen footage, it exposes the chilling control and abuse wielded by its leaders, particularly Warren Jeffs. This eye-opening series unravels the deep-seated corruption within the FLDS, shedding light on the resilience of those who escaped.

Why you should watch it: At the crux of this docuseries is a profound understanding of the dangers of unchecked power and the impact of religious extremism. The documentary offers compelling, firsthand testimonies that highlight the resilience and courage of those who escaped. Additionally, it serves as a critical reminder of the importance of vigilance and advocacy for human rights and justice.

Shiny Happy People

What it’s about: Amazon Prime’s limited docuseries explores the hidden truths beneath the wholesome Americana surface of the reality TV mega-family and the organization they’re members of: The Institute in Basic Life Principles. Through the lives of TLC’s 19 Kids and Counting family, the Duggars, secrets begin to unravel about the family America watched and the religious organization they helped grow.

Why you should watch it: The bombshell documentary unveiled that the persona held by the Duggars on screen did not match up to the children’s actually lives. Several daughters spoke candidly about their upbringing, alongside formed IBLP members who expressed the harm they received at the hands of the organization’s leaders.

The Eyes of Tammy Faye

What it’s about: Long before Jessica Chastain put on the hair and makeup, the story of real-life televangelists Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker was told in this bombshell 2000 documentary. The film follows the “Queen of the Eyelashes” journey from her love-at-first-sight encounter with Jim, through the glory days of PTL, to the scandal that brought both their empire and their family tumbling down.

Ahead of their latest album release, Move of God, we sat down with SEU Worship leader Chelsea Plank to hear more about her work with college students and how she’s witnessed God’s presence on campus and in young adults’ lives.

This conversation has been edited for length and clarity. 

What is your favorite part about working with college students?

One of the most cutting-edge aspects of our ministry is the constant presence of young adult voices. We always get a taste of the next generation, even as we get older. I love that our ministry consistently hears their concerns, their passions and where they want to invest their labor and love. This unique aspect keeps us in touch with what young people are feeling and needing.

In our ministry, we prioritize writing for our community, hoping that our work will ignite passion everywhere. We ask, “What do our students need? What are they sensing from their friends and peers?” When writing with students, we often have an 18-year-old and a 25-year-old in the room. This dynamic is one of my favorite parts of student ministry.

I love our students and enjoy developing and discipling them. It is refreshing for us and our community to always have a young adult perspective.

What’s something you’ve noticed is on the hearts or minds of college students these days?

We have noticed that with songs like “Monday Morning Faith” or “Slower I Go,” which are on the album, college students are very open to new ways of talking about the Lord. This gives us the opportunity to experiment with bringing fresh perspectives to familiar church teachings. They are craving these new insights.

A common misconception is that they don’t want the truth or that they only want superficial messages. In reality, college students are deeply drawn to the truth. They can easily identify insincerity and find it unrelatable. The pursuit of truth, expressed through new revelations and language, but grounded in solid theology, is something college students seek far more than we often acknowledge.

Young people are craving this truth more than we realize.

What is something these college students have taught you in return?

That’s a great question. I love it. I grew up in this ministry, meaning I came to college here and then joined their team and became staff in the past couple of years. But one of the coolest things about college students, and now we’re seeing another generation coming into our college campuses and ministries, which is incredible. It’s like another wave.

I’m at the tail end of college students. I’m clinging onto it. But then we have some younger students, and I love one thing about college students and the younger generation is their heart for justice. They have a huge justice-oriented heart, and they know more than we might think about how to pursue that with love. So something I’ve learned is just fighting the good fight, even though they’re younger and might not have the same life experience as someone who could offer wisdom on the matter. They’re ready and eager to fight for justice for people, to see truth prevail in various areas.

I’m always inspired by that with this generation. It inspires me to stand for truth, to fight for justice. Justice is a Godly concept, so envisioning it on Earth is vital. I love the hearts of college students and younger generations. It’s becoming more prevalent and I find it really cool.

How does that relationship with college students impact SEU Worship’s music?

I think it gives us perspective on sound for college students, for a younger generation. It gives us a pulse on that sound because it’s what we’re listening to, but also what our student body is listening to. So when we engage in these writing sessions, we’re gaining all these different soundscapes and references for fresh ways of worshiping the Lord and bringing that into songwriting, and ministering to our campus through the songs we’re writing, ministering to whoever’s listening.

It’s awesome to have a youth group to do that with because, firstly, you’re gaining perspective on what the next generation needs, the generation that’s going to be leading us and leading the church. What are they thinking? What are they feeling? What are they needing? What’s the language we can use for that? And also, the sound of it.

At SEU Worship, we love the worship aspect that feels new and fresh, and experimenting with new sounds and new ways of expressing worship to the Lord is something we love to do. So that young audience is crucial for that kind of ministry and sound.

You’re new album, Move of God, is dropping. Where did the inspiration for this music come from? 

So the album is called Move of God, but the track “Move of God” was actually the last song that we wrote for the album. And it just encompassed everything we were singing about in all of the songs.

So much of the songs that we were writing were coming out of a place on our campus where we had seen such a powerful, massive move of God and such a powerful revival where — not that this always has to indicate God moving, He can move in so many different ways — but we were seeing altar calls at the end of our Monday night chapels going until 1 a.m. We were seeing people praying over others on our campus. We were seeing people with radical faith who set an expectation and an atmosphere that the Lord can do anything.

When we have that expectation, He really does do it. Our leadership was focused on positioning ourselves to holiness because it says that the pure in heart see God. We know that purity is more than a destination but a pursuit. It is a real pursuit and we just wanted to see God.

So many of these songs, whether they’re songs of repentance or songs of exaltation to the Lord, ultimately express the move of God that we feel happening across our nation and the globe. In times of darkness, it’s good to be reminded that there is a move of God taking place. If we have the faith to believe it, if we’re hungry, if we’re desperate for it, God is going to show those things to us.

God has a heart for the church. We know that God is aligning all of that through this album and through what He’s doing in the world right now.

From dysfunctional family escapades to solo journeys of self-discovery, these five films offer a fresh perspective on the joys and challenges of life on the road.

(Editor’s note: Some of these films include strong language, so check the ratings!)

5. Wild (2014)

Based on Cheryl Strayed’s best-selling memoir, Wild is the story of a woman seeking redemption and self-discovery on a grueling solo hike along the Pacific Crest Trail. Played by Reese Witherspoon, Cheryl Strayed’s journey is raw, unfiltered, and brutally honest. It’s about confronting your past and finding the strength to move forward.

Why it inspires: Wild is a powerful reminder of the healing power of nature and the importance of facing your demons head-on. Cheryl’s trek is not just a physical challenge but an emotional odyssey, proving that sometimes you have to lose yourself to find yourself.

Travel Takeaway: Solo travel can be transformative. There’s a unique clarity that comes from being alone in nature, allowing you to reflect and grow in ways that the everyday hustle doesn’t permit.

4. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)

Ben Stiller directs and stars in this visually stunning adventure that takes the mundane and makes it extraordinary. Walter Mitty, a daydreaming photo editor at Life magazine, embarks on a real-life quest that takes him from the icy landscapes of Greenland to the rugged mountains of the Himalayas. It’s a whimsical journey of self-discovery and adventure.

Why it inspires: Walter Mitty’s transformation from a timid dreamer to a bold adventurer is a beautiful reminder that it’s never too late to start living the life you’ve always imagined. The film’s breathtaking scenery and imaginative storytelling make it a visual treat.

Travel Takeaway: Don’t just dream about adventure — go out and live it. The world is full of incredible places and experiences waiting to be discovered, and sometimes the biggest risk is not taking one at all.

3. Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

The quintessential indie darling, Little Miss Sunshine is a chaotic blend of dark comedy and heartfelt drama. The Hoover family, a lovable band of misfits, embarks on a cross-country trek in their rickety yellow VW bus to get young Olive (Abigail Breslin) to a beauty pageant. It’s a trip full of unexpected breakdowns — both mechanical and emotional — and it’s through these mishaps that the family finds its strength.

Why it inspires: Because it reminds us that no family is perfect, and sometimes the most memorable journeys are the ones where everything goes wrong. The Hoovers teach us that perseverance and love can get you through the most ridiculous of circumstances.

Travel Takeaway: Embrace the chaos. The best road trips are those that allow for spontaneity and those beautiful, unplanned moments that become the stuff of family legend.

2. Almost Famous (2000)

Cameron Crowe’s semi-autobiographical Almost Famous is a love letter to rock ‘n’ roll and the golden age of 1970s music journalism. We follow teenage prodigy William Miller (Patrick Fugit) as he scores a dream gig: writing for Rolling Stone and touring with the fictional band Stillwater. What unfolds is a wild ride through the highs and lows of rock stardom, captured with equal parts humor and heartbreak.

Why it inspires: The film perfectly encapsulates the allure of following your passion, no matter where it takes you. William’s journey from starstruck kid to seasoned writer is a testament to the transformative power of stepping out of your comfort zone.

Travel Takeaway: Chase your dreams with reckless abandon. Sometimes, the most rewarding adventures come from diving headfirst into the unknown and living in the moment.

1. Crossroads (2002)

Yes, Britney Spears’ Crossroads is on this list, and it deserves to be. This coming-of-age flick is all about three childhood friends — Lucy (Britney Spears), Mimi (Taryn Manning) and Kit (Zoe Saldana) — who reconnect on a road trip to Los Angeles. Each character embarks on the journey with personal baggage, but together, they find closure and new beginnings.

Why it inspires: Crossroads captures the essence of youthful spontaneity and the cathartic power of the open road. It’s a reminder that sometimes, it’s the journey we take with friends that helps us find ourselves.

Travel Takeaway: Road trips are a great way to reconnect and rediscover friendships. There’s something about being trapped in a car together that forces you to confront your issues and, hopefully, come out stronger on the other side.

Whether you’re planning a cross-country trek or just dreaming of your next adventure, let these movies be your guide. Pack your bags, hit the road, and see where the journey takes you. Safe travels!

A new report from the Barna Group found that 77% of pastors believe God can use AI to connect with humanity. That’s a big difference from churchgoers, who are much more skeptical about God using AI. Only 31% say God can work through artificial technology, while 46% said there was no way God was using AI.

AI has been a major concern for all areas of society over the last several years, with fears growing exponentially since OpenAI released ChatGPT in 2022. U.S. adults are evenly split on their feelings about AI: 32% say it’s exciting, 33% are scared of it, and 41% say they’re “concerned” about AI.

And while a majority of U.S. pastors agree AI is something to be concerned about, they also see its potential for good. Three in four pastors (76%) believe that AI can be used to empower individuals with disabilities, and nearly three in five (57%) see its potential for making advancements in healthcare.

Brian Paige, vice president for IT at Calvin University, spoke with RELEVANT about the various ways that AI can impact our personal faith as well as our churches. 

“When it comes to AI, or any technology, I think it’s good to be discerning, but we don’t have to be scared,” Paige said. “I think there’s a lot of media hype at this point that’s playing into fear. But for every dark side of technology, there’s a lot of positives, too.”

This doesn’t mean we should dismiss any worries, Paige said. Rather, it should cause us to question why we’re afraid, or exactly what we are afraid of, giving us the opportunity to grow in our relationship with Go.

“If God is in control and God is not fearful of this, what is causing this fear?” Paige said. “Is it because somehow I’m not in the right relationship with God, or am I not in the right relationship with technology?”

Williams is using the movie to tell everyone how God pieced his life together — literally.

“This film is about my life and how God is continuing to give me the pieces that put it together — piece by piece — and to have really amazing people along the journey in my constellation,” Williams told Variety. “To all the stars, musically, and all my teachers and everybody who has contributed to this constellation.”

To be clear, Piece By Piece is about Williams’ whole life story, not just his faith journey. The animated film chronicles his humble beginnings in Virginia to his success as one of the most respected names in pop music. LEGO versions of Kendrick Lamar, Jay Z, Justin Timberlake, Snoop Dogg, Gwen Stefani, Timbaland and Busta Rhymes also appear in the movie, but there’s one character whose presence is at the center of the story: God.

“There are two new songs for the movie,” Williams said. “One is made for a specific scene. And the other one is made for a specific scene but tells the story; it’s like my thesis — [which is] that God is the greatest, that awareness, just understanding that that’s the story.”

This isn’t the first time Williams has combined his faith with music and film. Back in 2020, Williams starred in the Netflix docuseries Voices of Fire, directing a gospel choir alongside his uncle,  Bishop Ezekiel Williams. He spoke with RELEVANT about the power of faith and art, and the impact it can have on everyone in the room.

“When the wind blows, you can’t see the wind,” he told RELEVANT. “No one’s ever seen the wind ever, right? But when the wind blows across the trees and leaves, we can see its pattern. And that’s the same way we see the Spirit wash over people in the church when the church catches fire. When the Spirit just jumps out of nowhere because of a chord change or a particular part of the song, you just see it.”

We’ll see the full story come to life — well, to LEGO? — when the movie drops in theaters on October 11.

Just nine months after Elon Musk hooked up a remote Amazon tribe to the internet, there have been some troubling issues — mainly the community’s young men developing a porn addiction. (Perhaps they’ve been spending some time on X.)

The Marubo tribe’s elders spoke to The New York Times about their experience with internet access. While it was initially a huge celebration for them, things have taken a dark turn and caused some of the previously chaste tribesmen to display “aggressive sexual behavior.”

One tribesman, Alfredo Marubo, shared that some men are sharing explicit videos in group chats, and he’s concerned they will mimic the graphic content they’re seeing on screen.

And it’s not just porn that’s causing the elders to worry. Young children are playing violent video games, chatting with strangers online and getting addicted to their phones for hours.

According to another tribesman, Tsainama Marubo, young people are also becoming “lazy” and adopting “the ways of the white people.”

Despite these issues, the tribe shared that access to the internet has also made positive impacts for the remote community. They’ve been able to reach out for help in emergencies, connect with family members who moved away, and access education resources.

So, pretty much their experience with technology is just like the rest of society’s.

On Tuesday, Derrick shared an IG story that refuted claims made by her family and others in the documentary. Derrick clarified she couldn’t go into too much detail because of legal purposes, but she felt compelled to share her side after the series premiered on May 29.

“I love my Mom, Dad and Melanie and they will forever be a part of my life,” she wrote. “The truth is, we just don’t see eye to eye at this time. I believe that this documentary is a one-sided story. I gave my life to Jesus Christ in 2020 and asked my family for some space in the very beginning to collect my thoughts and process my new walk I wanted to take with God.

“My family didn’t honor the space I asked for and I saw a different side of them I’ve never seen before,” she continued. “Honestly, it made me mad, frustrated and annoyed that they were being so overbearing and chaotic.”

Derrick also explained why she missed her grandfather’s funeral, which her family claimed in the documentary that 7M had not allowed her to attend. Derrick said that she chose not to attend with her family because she “felt threatened by them.”

“Before we went into the hospital to [say our last goodbyes], I started to pray for our Papa in the car and Melanie got offended, angry with me and told me to stop and to never pray around her,” Derrick wrote. “Fast forward about a month and a half, Melanie and I are in LA and we’re about to head back to Michigan for our Papa’s funeral. I was at a place with my family where I felt like I was being harassed. My parents and sister are not religious. They immediately called me going to church twice a week a ‘cult.’ I felt that if I went back for the funeral they would try to keep me there and not let me come back to LA.”

Derrick concluded her statement by saying that she has tried to keep this issue private, but the documentary has caused a “public attack.”

“No one likes to be portrayed as their brainwashed/not in control of her own life/shell of herself/human trafficked daughter/sister when that just isn’t the truth,” she wrote. “I am just a woman trying to live my life. I am not a victim, I am not in any harm, I am not being abused. I’ve never asked my family or anyone else to ‘help’ me in any way. Respectfully, what I choose to do with my life is up to me.”

Medical examiner Dr. Feng Li confirmed to The Tennessean that the 47-year-old singer died from complications of class III obesity. Class III obesity is a disease in which a person “has a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or higher or a BMI of 35 or higher and is experiencing obesity-related health conditions.” Her death was listed as natural, Li said.

Additionally, the report shared that the American Idol alum was found dead in her home by friends after no one had heard from her in “approximately three weeks.”

On April 19, a rep for Mandisa announced she had died from unknown causes and police were investigating the situation.

“We can confirm that yesterday Mandisa was found in her home deceased,” they wrote. “At this time we do not know the cause of death or any further details. We ask for your prayers for her family and close-knit circle of friends during this incredibly difficult time.”

Mandisa was a Grammy-Award-winning gospel artist who got her start as a contestant on season 5 of American Idol. Following her death, American Idol paid tribute to the singer, with  Idol alums Colton Dixon, Melinda Doolittle and Danny Gokey performing “Mary Mary’s “Shackles (Praise You),” which was the first song Mandisa sang when she competed on the series in 2006.

“This dramatically changes things,” Moore wrote. “I’ve so not wanted to leave this site because of the community we developed. Dialogue. Insight. Hilarity. Silliness. The praying for one another. Celebrating victories and mourning losses. What shall we do?

“One thing that worries me is that we surely have numerous people in our community who’ve struggled with [porn],” she continued. “Is it irresponsible of us, then, to stay? If I were a recovering alcoholic, for instance, I’d very much wish my friends would think of a different place to meet up than a bar. Get what I’m saying? On the other hand, will we ultimately have this issue wherever we go? Are there settings here we can change?”

Moore has grown a large following on X over the years, letting people in on everything from her daily activities to deeper thoughts on faith and theology — which has made her name a trending topic on more than one occasion. She’s stuck around through lots of changes on the platforms, but it looks like Musk’s latest move could be the final straw.

“Some of y’all reading this will not understand why we’re making such a big deal of it — I mean, just move to Threads and be done with it — but many of us can tell you we survived some of the worst seasons of our lives together here,” Moore concluded. “Disrupting the community we found here — new friends we made who are now important to our well-being — will be like leaving our hometown.”

Some further thoughts: the p0rn is very offensive to me but it doesn’t tempt me. I’ve had a lot of issues but I’ve not this one. One thing that worries me is that we surely have numerous people in our community who’ve struggled with it. Is it irresponsible of us, then, to stay?…

— Beth Moore (@BethMooreLPM) June 4, 2024

In a new update to its official usage policies, X said users can “share consensually produced and distributed adult nudity or sexual behavior, provided it’s properly labeled and not prominently displayed.”

“We believe that users should be able to create, distribute and consume material related to sexual themes as long as it is consensually produced and distributed,” X says in the update. “Sexual expression, whether visual or written, can be a legitimate form of artistic expression. We believe in the autonomy of adults to engage with and create content that reflects their own beliefs, desires, and experiences, including those related to sexuality.”

To be clear, X has had NSFW content for a few years now. Back in 2022, an internal review found that adult content made up 13% of all tweets. Before, users could flag adult content and get it removed. Now, creators have Elon Musk backing their content. We can only imagine how much worse the X experience is going to be from now on.

Following the docuseries’ release, social media users were shocked by what they saw, pointing out the importance of keeping an eye out for false pastors and false doctrine.

If you’re into documentaries, please watch “Dancing for the Devil” on Netflix. The way these false pastors manipulate the bible is insane. But this is why it is so important you read the bible for yourself and ask God for discernment.

— MEL (@ada3z3x) May 29, 2024

Dancing with the devil on Netflix is so sad bro. People do anything for money like Robert 1. A false prophet preaching lies and making gullible, naive, & vulnerable young people fall into a pit of true destruction

— Lynadia Whiting (@lynadiasmusic) June 1, 2024

This Dancing for the Devil doc on Netflix has me perplexed. Sounds like they were creating a collab/influencer house but it was really a cult and this was happening right in front of our eyes on the clock app.

— Nikki (@yesthisisnikki) May 31, 2024

The Dancing for the Devil documentary is proof of what happens when you follow “leaders” who take the Bible out of context and just run with it. Be mindful of false doctrine and false teaching. You cannot follow everyone just because they says they are a man or woman of God.

— L J (@LondonJac11) May 31, 2024

You can watch all three episodes of Dancing With the Devil on Netflix now.

Following his album Departures in 2021, Foreman fully expected his next solo project would be called Arrivals. But the last few years have taken him on a new path of reflection, gratitude and striving to be present. The result is 12 tracks that remind listeners that there’s a lot of things to be hopeful about in this world — no matter what you think or feel right now.

“I think this can be the soundtrack for a new journey for someone,” Foreman said.

Ahead of the album’s release, we sat down with Foreman to hear more about his new project, how he stays present, and why humanity should have a little more hope.

This conversation has been edited for length and clarity. 

When did you start working on In Bloom?

So I’ve been working on it, chipping away for the past couple of years. Ever since Departures came out, that was where my headspace was. I’m not the only person who, since 2020, is wrestling with loss and trying to figure out what to do with these things in my life that keep me up at night. Against the backdrop of all that, I think the garden has this amazing metaphor for me to find myself in.

The idea that tomorrow’s fruit is born from yesterday’s crap—the stuff that hurts us, haunts us, the dead parts of ourselves that we let go and allow to fertilize the future. That’s essentially what this record feels like to me. It is certainly a letting go. Even just letting go of “Arrivals” and saying, “Okay, I’m gonna let that go. It’s done, but it was a big deal for me.”

That’s the season I’m in right now, saying yes to things that might feel uncomfortable and stepping into what that looks like.

What are you hoping people take away from this album?

I’m hoping, as I said before, that this can be the soundtrack for a new journey for someone. Even when I propose a toast, singing about both the beautiful and the painful, the bridges I’m still burning. Here’s to all the mistakes we’ve made. That kind of language, I think, embraces an ability to move forward. And that’s what I’m hoping for this album: that it will be a soundtrack for people looking for freedom and new ways to interface with themselves and the world.

I am at the phase in my life where my friend did the math and said that by the time this record comes out, or maybe even now, I will have written and released over 300 songs. When he said it, I thought, that’s not true. Then he did the math, and I realized that’s a lot of songs. I’m at the point where I’m realizing that who I was at 18, 28, 32, 12, or whatever—those parts of myself are still there, but I’m moving forward. I want to continue to grow and learn. The Bob Dylan line referenced at the very beginning of In Bloom comes to mind: “He not busy being born is dying.” I want to be about the business of being born. I hope this album is a soundtrack for new life and for people who are busy being born.

You’re talking about a lot of things changing. Are you someone who likes change or do you prefer things to stay the same?

I think it depends on the change, really. But I think generally I can be someone who looks forward to things. I’m a ruthless idealist who’s always expecting the best to happen.

I genuinely want and expect the best from people, including myself. When I let myself down or let other people down, or when someone lets me down, it can be a shock. “You’re human? Are you kidding me? How could you let this happen?” This record wrestles with that. In “Eulogy,” and the chorus says:

“Every day I write the eulogy for everything I used to be / I’m still aiming for a better me / I’m the mosaic of a shattered man / Broken and becoming who I am”

This encompasses the idea that I’m eulogizing past versions of myself, thankful for where I’ve been, but looking forward to the future with expectations. I am the broken, shattered mosaic of a man who is still becoming, still unfolding, forgiving, and being forgiven.

Many times faith is described in terms of “I was, but now I am” with finality. There’s a beauty to that, yet for me, if we think we’ve arrived, we’ll be very let down by ourselves and by others.

Even biologically speaking, the skin cells we have gotten rid of—are we the same person we were at 12? If someone saw you then and sees you now, would they recognize you as the same person? These are all things the album wrestles with, in a way that hopefully allows past versions of ourselves to be the fertilizer for whatever blooms tomorrow holds.

Last year, Switchfoot celebated the 20th anniversary of The Beautiful Letdown. What was it like to relive that era of your life?

Yeah, I mean, it really was a strange thing to go back in time and sing those lyrics. Heraclitus, the Greek philosopher, says, “You never step into the same river twice.” And I think that is essentially what we were attempting to do. But when you step into the river, of course, it’s a new river every time. When you come back, it’s like the ocean. Every time you come back to the ocean, it looks different, sounds different. Same ocean, but a little different.

I think that’s what I love about music. Statistics hold a very small portion of truth. A metaphor, a simile, a song, a poem, they have a much more expansive understanding of reality that allows for growth. And so I’m really thankful I was singing songs rather than statistics. With a song, I can now sing it with the understanding that the last 20 years have brought, and it can become bigger rather than smaller. There was a lot of singing the same lyric with a different understanding.

But now looking back, I’m thinking that it did influence this solo project. There’s a line in “Eulogy,” the very first verse, that says, “In my rearview mirror dreams, I see myself staring back as a kid, wondering whether I still believe in all those songs the same way I did.” It continues, “Now you’ve got a wife and kids and the scars that life alone can give. Do you honestly believe that we were meant to live?” And that’s the way “Eulogy” opens.

I think it’s such a beautiful thing to have these songs to grow up with and to be able to sing and dance with them. As you grow, they kind of grow with you. I’m thankful that a song I wrote about my 18-year-old girlfriend wasn’t the big hit we’re still trying to sing years later. That might be a little awkward or uncomfortable. I mean, I’ve got a lot of friends in bands where people are like, “Play that one song,” and I know the backstory, and I’m like, oh. I’m sure it means something different now too.

It’s interesting that you were celebrating the past last year and now you’re embracing the future with In Bloom. Is there anything in particular you’re looking forward to in this next season?

So, I hear about the future. As you’re saying that, I’m wondering, rather than the future, if this is an album that’s just celebrating the present. Or at least that’s my hope. My hope is that I am living more fully in the present than I’ve ever done because I feel like the future and the past can be preoccupations with regret or fear, and those preoccupations can take the form of ghosts and phantoms that can haunt the present in unhelpful ways.

So, my hope is that this is an album that addresses fear and doubt, but brings them up in order to move past them and stay focused on the present because this moment is a gift. I think having kids has brought this to my attention more than anything. Every season feels like it will last forever because you’re in it, and every morning they do this one thing, and then suddenly that season’s over and they don’t do it ever again.

I want to be present in the moment right here, right now, because that’s where my kids are, that’s where my friends are, that’s where my wife is, that’s where I’m alive, that’s where the day is dawning upon us. I think that’s where God is, right here, right now, in no other place if he’s not here.

Being present is a great goal. How do you stay grounded and focused on the here and now?

I think meditation is a great thing to practice: prayer, putting your phone down, taking a deep breath, actually paying attention, bringing your presence to the moment, and listening. These are all things that, as I’m saying them, I think, I should do that more, I should do that more. Those aren’t things that I possess. But I do think that surfing, songwriting, and playing music are all things that bring me back to the present. The mistake you made three seconds ago doesn’t exist right here. Oh, you made another one? Okay, move past that one too. In surfing, the same thing applies. With the ocean, you’re always responding; you’re never in control. I think they’re metaphors for life, where you’re continually trying to find the flow, trying to find your melody, your purpose, your song. Gratitude might be at the top of the list of things that allow me to come back to the present and escape the constant barrage of the future or the past.

I think the other thing that helps the most is probably putting the phone down. The phone is an interesting piece to add to this because it brings us into the present and the past. It also brings us around the world, fragmenting us away from not only the moment but this particular location. Suddenly, we’re not only in the past and the future, but we’re everywhere. It’s a beautiful thing to be able to talk to someone around the world, but also, I need to find a way to stay centered, to stay true, to stay human right here.

Some cultures don’t want you to take their picture because it takes a part of their soul. I think of that, and I think there’s something to it. The idea that if you’re transmitting yourself all around the world, that’s where your mind and focus are. You’re giving your energy, your worth. It’s a form of worship that you’re engaged with every day, just staring at this thing. As I’m talking, I’m saying, these are the things I want to do better. As you’re talking, I’m thinking I need to throw my phone out or just be present. Or maybe I’ll just lock it away for a few hours. That might be the medium I have to do.

The first episode will be released as a livestream on The Chosen’s social media pages and The Chosen App on Sunday, June 2, at 7 p.m. ET, followed by the second episode on Thursday, June 6 at 8:30 p.m ET. New episodes will be released on Sundays and Thursdays over four weeks until the finale on June 27. UPDATE: The CW has announced the fourth season will make its’ broadcast debut this fall beginning Sunday, Sept. 1.

No word yet on when the season will release on major streaming platforms.

“To be clear, if you want to watch The Chosen season four over the next month, you either need to watch our livestreams, watch it via streaming on The Chosen App, or order our Season 4 DVD in our gift store, which will allow you to binge all eight episodes at once,” Jenkins announced in a livestream on Wednesday.

Season 4 of The Chosen initially debuted in theaters in February. The series has been held up pending legal issues that prevented it from being released on streaming until now.

We asked the Internet to give us the worst, most cringe-worthy Christian excuses they’d ever heard for a break-up. The answers did not disappoint. You can check out the full list of cringed responses here, but we’ve included a few of our favorites below.

10. Was IM really the best option?

9. Then again, IM is better than this.

8. Of all the Biblical characters to be compared to…

7. Some of God’s ways are more mysterious than others.

6. The toughest one to bounce back from. Absolutely brutal.

5. Someone else in their life? Are they aware of this?

4. We’re simply too stunned to speak!

3. Crazy how God always seems to speak to only one person in the relationship.

2. Not the yokes …not the yokes.

1. At least this time they didn’t blame it on God?

Last week, Google unveiled AI Overview, the company’s latest technology that is intended to help answer people’s questions quickly. However, social media users have pointed out that the new technology is generating incorrect answers instead, including recommending glue as part of a pizza recipe or ingesting rocks to boost your immune system.

Google describes AI Overview — its biggest change to its search engine in years — as “letting Google do the Googling for you.” The new technology pulls snippets from sites around the web to generate an answer. It can even cite its sources but doesn’t know when that source is incorrect — or in the case of an article from The Onion, is being humorous.

“Google invented the transformer they will win the AI race”

Google AI: pic.twitter.com/dLquFIBRWS

— Dr. Parik Patel, BA, CFA, ACCA Esq. (@ParikPatelCFA) May 24, 2024

Google shared the system was designed to answer more complex and specific questions than regular search. But, like most things on the Internet, things went awry, and users posted screenshots of baffling responses to social media platforms like X.

As long as it’s non-toxic pic.twitter.com/VIv6ozVwQN

— Jeremiah Johnson (@JeremiahDJohns) May 26, 2024

“smoking while pregnant” pic.twitter.com/egFgmupYvW

— Jeremiah Johnson (@JeremiahDJohns) May 26, 2024

“train eight days a week” pic.twitter.com/xlDkOQEKo8

— Jeremiah Johnson (@JeremiahDJohns) May 26, 2024

Looney Tunes moment pic.twitter.com/dzqgv55J0F

— Jeremiah Johnson (@JeremiahDJohns) May 26, 2024

“how long can I stare at the sun” pic.twitter.com/Q22V490f6F

— Jeremiah Johnson (@JeremiahDJohns) May 26, 2024

A survey conducted by Talker Research on behalf of Lenovo found that 46% of Gen Z feel like they live a “double life” online. Nearly half of Gen Z admitted they their personality online is much different from how they present themselves in the real world. That’s much higher than other generations who feel the same way with 38% of millennials, 18% of Gen Xers and 8% of baby boomers claiming to live “double life” online.

Respondents shared that they feel more comfortable expressing themselves online. Fifty-three percent of Gen Zers admitted it’s easier to be vocal about their opinions online — whether it be political takes, fears and insecurities, dreams and ambitions. Additionally, Gen Zers said that their online persona has much clearer likes/dislikes, different likes/dislikes and more controversial opinions and values than their real-life personality.

For a generation that supposedly values authenticity, something’s not adding up.

“I’ve been a Christian a month now, and it’s been a big change,” the Brand said in a new TikTok video. “Not that I’ve entirely changed as a person. Of course, I haven’t, but I’ve taken on a lot of new concepts, and it changes you to accept that it’s not like you’re in a game show, and by doing really, really good things, you can get redeemed.”

Over the last month, Brand shared that he’s been digging into the concept of repentance while wrestling with mercy.

“Repentance, to repent, means that you have to continually change and acknowledge that ‘I am in a battle against myself,’ that I need to surrender myself to an ever-present, internal and accessible Jesus, that mercy is something that’s given to me, been granted to me, that I live with through love, not something that I can sort of win or achieve by doing good deeds,” he said.

“I love the simplicity of the idea of God coming to earth as a man to experience what it is to be human and to sacrifice Himself because that’s the only sacrifice that could bring us home, that could give us the opportunity for redemption,” he continued. “I like the idea, when I’m in prayer and in communion, just alone, that there is a figure available, wounded and coronated, available to me. In my failings and my failures and in my fallibility, there is strength.”

He also shared that he’s been surrounded by strong leaders who have helped guide his spiritual journey.

“When I’m in doubt, I feel that instruction is there, accessible. I feel like I know what I’m supposed to do, and when I don’t do what I’m supposed to do, that’s even clearer,” he said. “When I feel myself being selfish or inconsiderate or putting myself first or not thinking about how I can be better to other people, it’s as if there is an inner illumination available to me now.”

Brand stated that this was only the beginning of his journey, and he’s aware there’s plenty more room to grow.

“It’s a beautiful journey to go on,” he said. “I know I’m just at the beginning. I know I’m just learning. I know there’s so much more to learn, and I’m so excited to learn more from you and for us to learn together.”

He concluded his video by encouraging his audience to share their own spiritual journeys with him and others.

“Let me know where your journey’s taking you. Can you remember your first month as a Christian, and let me know if since I’ve been talking about this publicly, it’s made you think about Christianity differently. We’re having lots of conversations about this stuff, and I’m so grateful to be having them with you. Stay free.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Russell Brand (@russellbrand)

Back in April, Brand shared a video of his baptism online with his followers and spoke candidly about the “profound experience.”

“Yesterday, I got baptized and it was an incredible, profound experience,” Brand shared on Instagram. “Many aspects of it were very intimate and personal. The truth is this: As a person that has in the past taken many, many substances and always been disappointed with the inability to deliver the kind of tranquility and peace and even transcendence that I’ve always felt I’ve been looking for, something occurred in the process of baptism that was incredible, overwhelming.”

 

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A post shared by Russell Brand (@russellbrand)

During his 20s, Brand struggled with a heroin addiction. He’s been open about his recovery process, and in December 2023 he shared that he was 21 years sober. Back in 2017, he spoke with RELEVANT about he began his faith journey while in recovery for addiction.

“My route to spirituality comes through addiction, so it comes from desperation and fear and this sort of defeat, destruction, annihilation of self in a very humiliating way, I suppose,” he said. “So, I had no choice but to embrace spiritual life, but now I am grateful for this. It makes sense of my life.”

Gen Z — emerging adults and adolescents born between the years 1997 and 2012 — is the first generation to grow up surrounded by smart devices. You Gen Z’ers use social media around four hours a day and realize it’s bad for you. You’re also at risk for mental illness — though of course, I’m sure I don’t need to remind you of that.

And if you’re one of these young digital natives struggling to attain mental health and choose to turn to the internet for help, you will find apparently endless resources offering you conflicting and possibly unhelpful information. You will encounter page after page of possible diagnoses, complemented by hundreds of internet personalities trying to sell you a solution to the problem you think you might have.

In fact, there are strong links between precisely this relentless froth of information and mental illness itself.

Smartphone saturation and heavy social media use have diminished attention spans, increased body dysmorphia and depression, weakened in-person social skills and blurred the boundaries of our identities. Smartphones even disrupt our sleep. And all of us, without regard to age, are bombarded with news around the clock — much of it bad!

The same place many of you would seek answers is the very place where you could be the most deeply harmed. It can be discouraging and lonesome to try and heal alone, adrift in a sea of meaningless and contradictory digital noise.

In addition, mental health, just like mental illness, is a complicated and deeply personal phenomenon. None of the labels the internet might offer you can adequately describe any person’s mental illness or help people attain mental health without the relationships, stability, professional insight, and emotional integration humans need to truly flourish — particularly during adversity.

And your generational cohort has a lot to contend with at the moment.

You’re facing one of the most important transitions of your life, from childhood to adulthood. But you’re navigating it while burdened with more digital access than your still-developing brain could effectively handle. It’s natural to become anxious, lonely, depressed. Maladaptive coping behaviors often emerge.

Don’t blame yourself. You’re stuck trying to survive when you should be learning to thrive. Healthy, mentor-like relationships can help.

A recent Young Life study underscored the felt urgency of this need: Gen Z as a whole still values close relationships and face-to-face interactions above digitally centric ones. You’re digital natives, certainly, but you are still human. You need and want guidance, love, and security every bit as much or more than you did as children. Sometimes other generations need to be reminded of this, though I doubt you do.

After all, we humans need, and have always needed, healthy relationships to help us discover and understand ourselves. Gen Z is no exception — and the internet is no surrogate for community. The internet offers complexity and diversity where simplicity would serve us much better, at least to start.

Take the gendered differences we can observe in the expression of mental illness as an example. Men and boys tend to struggle with mental illness with externalizing types of behavior: Anger, aggression, and the like. Women and girls, on the other hand, tend to struggle with mental illness with more internalization; they withdraw, and become anxious and overly scrupulous.

But scrolling through even hundreds of articles on the internet can’t really help you dissect your mental health. The articles and research we often read as a form of diagnostic care don’t even account for things as simple as effective stress relief, let alone as complex as family dynamics, trauma, community stability, and innate talent or predisposition. So we can’t start with the internet when we want to heal.

We have to start by reaching out to those nearest and most important to us. We need to reflect on ourselves, as we are right here and now. More specifically, we can cultivate the trust, transparency, time, and talent we may or may not already have in our lives.

Cultivate authentic relationships with older mentors. Foster openness and genuine concern, in yourself and in your most important relationships. Allow yourself to trust people who are worthy of it.

Commit to transparent communication. Share your life experiences — both triumphs and challenges — no matter how difficult it might seem at first. Through transparency, you will develop both a richer community and greater self-awareness.

Invest your time in things that will nourish and support you. Don’t let distractions steal your days. Deliberately spend time with people and things that uplift, guide, and improve your heart and mind. Defend this time fiercely, no matter how easy it might seem to give it up in favor of work or distraction.

Learn how to accept yourself — particularly your talents. Learn to acknowledge, value, and nurture your unique talents and gifts. Seek out and rely on mentors who will provide opportunities for growth, development, and realization of your capabilities.

These four elements of trust, time, transparency, and talent will look completely different from one person to another. We’ve been made marvelously and each of us placed in different circumstances, with different adversities and advantages to contend with.

That’s why there are as many ways to find mental wholeness and healing as there are people. God made us unique, and He delights in our differences. He calls each of us to an unrepeatable journey of suffering, healing, grief, and joy.

Life is uncertain. You can feel uncertain about how God will show up. But you can be certain He always will.

Find the well-being and health He made you for through purposeful relationships and mentorship rooted in Christ.

Dr. Julie Yonker is a psychology professor and the public health program director at Calvin University in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Good news for fans of great TV: FX‘s hit series The Bear is set to return this summer for its third season.

The show follows the story of Carmen “Carmy“ Berzatto (played by Golden Globe-winning actor Jeremy Allen White) as he comes back to Chicago to turn his family  sandwich shop, The Original Beef of Chicagoland, into a high-end restuarent. Carmy tries (and occasionally succeeds) to juggle the struggles of small business ownership, a strong-willed kitchen staff and his strained family relationships.

The teaser trailer shows Chef Carmy arguing with Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) and Cousin Richie (Ebon Moss-Barach) in a chaotic kitchen, which is exactly what we anticipated.

“This is a dysfunctional kitchen,” Sydney says, to which Carmy and Richie respond together: “Show me a functional one!”

Who needs to engage in thoughtful dialogue about faith, the Bible and the teachings of Christ when you can simply slap a verse on an appropriated logo? Just figure out a way to make the the words “Jesus saves” fit on the Heinz Ketchup bottle, put it on a T-shirt and wait for the revival to break out.

When it comes to skirting trademark laws by the skin of their teeth, no one does it better than Christian t-shirt designers.

Here are a few of the most audacious:

10. Major League Rip Off

Who needs the express written consent of Major League Baseball anyways?

9. We’re Fed Up Alright

Checkmate, atheists.

8. Not Even Trying

Literally, this one is just a Nike Swoosh with the word “Jesus” on it.

7. Life Savior, Get It?!

Real talk: Are Life Savers still a thing?

6. Viral Marketing

Seriously, who is wearing this?

5. Bad, Even for a Dad Joke

We’re willing to forgive the “Catch up” with Jesus pun, but “blessed from my head to-ma-toes” is too far.

4. Another Hot Dog Condiment One?

This one just seems to take things too far.

3. This Must Be Stopped

Mayo you light shine?!

2. Get Out Tough Sins?

We’re not even sure what that means.

1. This Looks Like an Advertisement for Sinners

Font choices were made.

In a teaser posted on X Friday morning, Johnson announced the title along with a tentative release date.

The next Benoit Blanc mystery, the follow-up to Knives Out and Glass Onion, is called Wake Up Dead Man. pic.twitter.com/pdDXRDmwcI

— Rian Johnson (@rianjohnson) May 24, 2024

“In the beginning, the knives came out,” Daniel Craig narrates in the teaser. “Then, behold, the glass was shattered. But my most dangerous case yet is about to be revealed.”

Details have not been released, but we definitively know Craig is returning as renowned Detective Benoit Blanc. One thing we know for sure is the inevitable cast will be absolutely stacked. Between the first two films, we’ve seen knockout performances from Ana De Armas, Chris Evans, Janelle Monae, Toni Collette, Dave Bautista, Edward Norton, Kate Hudson, Kathryn Hahn — you get the picture.

Following the sequel’s footsteps, the film will drop on Netflix in 2025. Despite the first film grossing $312 million at the box office, Netflix put out a limited theatrical release with Glass Onion. Let’s hope they give Wake Up Dead Man a better chance at the movies.

Ask that question in any crowd, and you’re sure to get many different answers ranging from historical facts about His life to cynical remarks to denial that he ever actually existed.

Judah Smith, lead pastor of City Church in Seattle, dared to ask that question in his book Jesus is ______, challenging people to truly examine what they think about Jesus and how those views affect their lives.

We talked to Smith about stereotypes about Jesus, good and evil and how a healthy view of Jesus can transform our lives.

Q: You’ve mentioned that you’ve been on a journey of challenging stereotypes the past few years. What stereotypes of Jesus did you want to upturn?

A: Jesus has, I think, for a long time been portrayed as very serious. To a fault. Meaning I don’t think a lot of seekers or believers have it in their thinking at all that Jesus actually had a sense of humor.

The way we were created, the way we function, our emotions, our soul, our laughter, our joy—all of these things reflect—they are because of God’s glory and they are for God’s glory. Jesus was the full and complete embodiment of all that God is, and so, no doubt, He would have enjoyed a good time.

I mean, look at the guys he chose, the 12 blue-collar, average, ordinary dudes. Some of them royal screw-ups. Jesus chose them and no doubt they were cracking jokes and laughing and having a good time.

Q: That’s an interesting take on the dynamic of the disciples. It seems like we usually think of them as very serious and somber.

A: We have the luxury of reading the end of the book, so we look at these 12 guys with colored glasses. We know all of these guys do great things later in life. So we minimize how rough, ragged and ridiculous they were when Jesus chose them to be His earthly crew. When He chose them … they were an absolute joke in terms of their lifestyle and probably their vocabulary and how they functioned socially.

Q: Yeah, they worked with fish for a living!

A: Exactly! Peter is a cussing sailor, there’s no question about it. But we have deified these guys, and because of that I think it’s reflected in our lifestyle. Christians are afraid to befriend people who are rough, befriend people who are lost, people who are notorious. We feel like we should only befriend people who are upstanding, good, right, godly.

And you look at who Jesus chose, you also look at who He hung out with—Zacchaeus is a horrible guy. He cheats little old ladies out of their pension. And Jesus says “Let’s sit down, let’s go have dinner.” They had dinner probably in front of an open air window, so people walking the streets could see that Jesus, who claimed to be God, is sharing a meal with essentially the drug lord of the day.

Q: Jesus was always pushing the boundaries and reaching out to people who were outcasts. Why do you think that in our version of Christianity today we keep coming back to this idea of a clean-cut Jesus and a clean-cut Gospel?

A: I think the greatest illusion in all of human history is control. We’re addicted to control more than anything else. So if Jesus is calculated—He’s clean, everything’s clear, there’s no blurry lines, there’s no messes—it feeds that inner need for being in control.

But the message of grace assumes a horrible mess. Saving people is messy business. It’s chaotic. It can’t be scheduled. It can’t be controlled.

Jesus, who obviously is God, the savior of the universe, did not come for a clean, calculated approach. He came in the mess of it all and he got dirty with the people—obviously sinless and perfect, but was not afraid to be associated [with people]. He was very passionately invested, to say the least, as He put on skin and bone as God to really help humanity.

It’s embarrassing to admit, but the reason I have either sidestepped some friendships or avoided them altogether is because [I worry] What will people say? What if I’m in the wrong place at the wrong time and someone sees me and it doesn’t make sense?

The Pharisees and Sadducees grew up from a premise that dirty always affects clean, but Jesus came and, for the first time, the whole New Testament narrative is that the dirty now can be made clean. The Gospel, in its nature, in its essence, is far more contagious than even sin itself. And I believe with all my heart that righteousness is contagious, moreso than even sin.

Q: That goes back to this whole bottom line question of are humans good or evil inherently? How do we live in this tension that we are sinners, yet we are saved by grace?

A: Obviously, biblically we must believe that all are born in sin and we are sinful. Part of that though is that when you experience Jesus, when we turn our faith toward Christ, we are granted a new nature.

Corinthians tells us “he who knew no sin became sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.” So now I am righteous—not based on what I do or what I’ve done, but based on what He has done. I am permanently, forever, in right standing with God. And now I am free to live this life that I otherwise would be so far from.

What’s difficult is because sin is so real to me. I was a prolific sinner and still struggle with it today. Do I believe that I’m righteous? Or though I’m righteous, do I still go back and believe “no, see I still sin, so I’m a sinner. That’s who I am. I’ll always be defined that way.”

What it comes down to, to be frank, is we still have more faith in sin than we do in our savior. God is not intimidated by sin. He is in control, and the blood of His son has canceled and conquered the power of sin forever for all who simply believe.

When we find that place of just trusting God and realize we are righteous permanently and our past, present, future sins are forgiven, all the sudden there is a contagiousness. We discover things like self-control and morality and purity—these things we’ve strived for our whole life that don’t come by discipline, but come by a real trust in the person of Jesus.

And that’s what I mean by “righteousness is contagious.” You start discovering this real freedom to live free from past sins and condemnation and guilt and shame. I’m telling you, people will take notice, and they will want what’s on your life. It’s not because we’re extraordinary or some exceptionally disciplined person, it’s because faith in Jesus sets your soul free and allows you to live a whole new kind of life.

When we searched the Internet for ridiculous youth group games, we expected things like blending food up for disgusting challenges, chubby bunny, etc. But many of the answers we found left our jaws on the floor. Seriously, how were some of these games legal?!

Here are 20 of our favorites:

20. Chicken Soccer

It’s not a true youth group game if there isn’t a level of danger involved.

19. Bobbing for Mayo

Bobbing for apples in a tub of mayonnaise

— Robbie S. (@OfficialRobbie) March 31, 2022

I’d rather be poisoned, TBH.

18. Find the Antichrist(???)

Only youth group kids could find a way to make a math game both religious and terrifying.

17. Survivor

My first year in youth group, one of the first evenings was a Survivor-themed night…and when my team lost, I got voted out first. I had to sit in the sanctuary by myself for the rest of the evening. Not great for my 14 year old self esteem. pic.twitter.com/CxekI7caZd

— Rebecca Wettlaufer (@REWettlaufer) March 31, 2022

God gives His quietest battles to His loneliest soldiers.

16. Fire Hot Potato

So we would soak a 3 pack of tennis balls in gasoline. Then we’d light them on fire and play hot potato. It wasn’t exactly “sanctioned” by the church, but all the YG leaders played.

— Adam Welty. (@adam_welty) March 31, 2022

“Can’t believe this wasn’t sanctioned by church,” we said with so much sarcasm.

15. Round Up the Heifers

If you were the youth pastor who came up with this game, please DM us immediately.

14. Chug!

The one at camp where you had dirty, muddy socks, traded one with a friend, and then had to slide it over a can of coke and chug it. Happy to say, I stopped all dehumanizing games in youth group once I became the pastor!

— Benjamin Spears (@SpearsBenjamin) March 31, 2022

There were so many disgusting and unnecessary steps in this game…

13. The Original Squid Game

Was it… was it a live squid?

12. Got Milk?

I think the statute of limitations is up on this, but in the 90’s there was a competition where you would have to drink a gallon of milk in an hour and whoever kept it down the longest won. No one really won.

— ChurchTechTalk (@churchtechtalk) April 1, 2022

There are rarely ever winners when it comes to youth group games.

11. PB&J&Feet

I once had my students make pb & JJ’s with their feet then feed them to each other

— Jeffrey M. Luchun, D. Min. (@JMLuchun) March 31, 2022

Jail.

10. Amazon Women

“Ended with blood shed” and “they loved it” should not be in the same description.

9. Diaper Dinner

Eating tapioca and butterscotch pudding out of a diaper

— dj tenEightyP (@djteneightyp) March 31, 2022

This can’t be real. We simply refuse to believe it.

8. Sardines

Is Sardines the most controversial youth group game of all time?

7. Horror Relay Races

Hear me out… Relay race where you had to piggy back a team member across the room, they took a mouthful of pop from a 2 litre bottle, got carried back across the room and spit it into a bowl. Then the next people went. pic.twitter.com/AS2DXhddwd

— Stephen Uchacz (He/Him) (@SMUchacz) March 31, 2022

Was there supposed to be some sort of spiritual lesson here or do youth pastors just like seeing how far kids will go before they revolt?

6. Honey, If You Love Me

There was always that one kid who took this game just a little too far.

5. Turkey Bowling

Turkey Bowling! Line the hallway with a tarp, dish soap it up and bowl with a raw, frozen turkey. Highest youth attendance night of the year.

— Kyle H (@the_tandy) March 31, 2022

This should be a requirement at all Thanksgiving dinners.

4. Freeze Scum

This feels like a game the leaders enjoyed just as much as the kids.

3. Booger Ball

"booger ball" had to be the most wild. imagine jailbreak from elementary PE but with a giant plastic nose filled with smelly, velcro-laden balls. object is to get kids out or take out "the nose." played in a fellowship hall, took out 3 folding tables in a (failed) leaping dodge.

— Brendan Spencer (@BS_nerd) March 31, 2022

This is actually really creative. Gross, but creative.

2. Footloose

Youth group hosted a party after the Homecoming dance. Guys had to feed their dates nachos WITH THEIR FEET.

— Emily Mathews (@EmilyAnnLoves) March 31, 2022

This is not biblical. Too much feet content. It’s getting weird.

1. Chubby Bunny

So this is how we find out that someone has, in fact, died from playing Chubby Bunny.

Known as “StreamSaver,” the bundle will be offered to all Comcast broadband, TV and mobile customers, and today the services announced it would cost just $15 a month. That is, of course, before the inevitable price raises that are sure to come.

This is the second major streaming service bundle announced this month. Last week, Disney and Warner Bros. announced a bundle combining Max, Disney+ and Hulu that would launch later this summer (pricing TBA). And a sports streaming bundle from ESPN, Warner Bros. Discovery and Fox is already in the works.

The bundles are obviously enticing to some consumers who are currently paying more and more every year for a half-dozen individual services. Since 2022, nearly every major streamer has raised their prices multiple times and introduced ad-supported plans. Many subscribers have begun to drop services because of those raising prices, leaving streamers looking for bundle options to help save on cost.

With streamers turning to a “cable 2.0 model,” customers will now get sucked into tricky bundle subscriptions where you’ll be paying for a ton of content that you never engage, but don’t want to cancel because of the bundle savings. We’re essentially talking about unregulated cable, just over the internet.

With streaming channels offering us less options, less shows — seriously, when was the last time a streamer dropped a new series with more than 10 episodes? — and more ads? How much longer before old school cable makes a full comeback?

It’s hard not to compare new characters to the familiar faces in Scranton. That’s probably because each one of them has real, actual personality — which is more than you can say for a lot of lesser sitcoms.

Ah, but which personalities are they, exactly? That’s a question for the Enneagram. So we put our heads together, consulted a few experts and to the best of our abilities, mapped out Michael and the gang’s types.

Stanley: 8w9 — The Challenger

The secret to Stanley’s long-running success at Dunder Mifflin is how well he stands his ground — mostly willing to fly under the radar and get his job done until he’s challenged on something important to him (Pretzel Day, for example). Few employees are as unwilling to put up with Michael’s worst instincts as Stanley is, and that’s the mark of a confident, assertive, straight-talking eight. His wing 9 comes into play most days because he doesn’t feel like rocking the boat. But once the boat’s been rocked, all bets are off. Did we stutter?

Erin: 6w7 — The Loyalist

At first, Erin’s bubbly enthusiasm might lead you to peg her as a seven, but her attention to detail and dedication to Michael’s most harebrained schemes suggests a slightly more nuanced read. Erin is a troubleshooter, prone to stress but able to rise above it, and she’ll have her boss’s back no matter what. Her wing 7-ness comes out when a friend brings her along for a crazy adventure. Erin is all in, even — especially — when she shouldn’t be.

Andy: 2w3 — The Helper

Andy Bernard went through a few iterations as Ed Helms shifted his performance to meet the demands of the script. But Cornell’s proudest grad was at his best as a deeply insecure doofus whose inherent good nature was sometimes thwarted by his own eagerness to look cool (that’s his wing 3 coming in to play). Andy needs to be needed, which is a trademark of unhealthy twos. But as he grows healthier and more sure of himself, you can also see Andy’s generosity, warmth and sincerity emerge.

Oscar: 5w4 — The Investigator

Enneagram 5s often get a bad rap as know-it-alls, but that’s because their research-minded personality means they do, in fact, know a lot. Oscar proudly carries his know-it-all attitude into every room he enters, and the whole office knows it. As Jim explains, the gang is known as “Actually,” because “he will insert himself into just about any conversation to add facts or correct grammar.” Sometimes this rubs others the wrong way, but when push comes to shove, Oscar’s voice of reason kept the office from completely going up in flames (most of the time).

Angela: 8w9 — The Challenger

Challengers are great. When they’re at their healthiest, they’re decisive, inspiring leaders who can rally a team to face any problem. Of course, like all Enneagram types, there is a potential unhealthy side as well, and that seems to be where Angela ends up for much of her time on The Office, domineering the longsuffering party planning committee.

Ryan: 3w4 — The Achiever

This isn’t a hard call. Ryan enters Dunder-Mifflin as a temp but has his eyes on far grander professional titles. He even temporarily achieves some of them — no surprise there, since threes have charm and ambition to spare. But Ryan flies a little too close to the sun in later seasons as his own dreams of grandeur get the better of him. Threes, take heed. In the later seasons, we see more of his wing 4 come to life, as he’s decided since he can’t achieve status in the corporate world, he has to achieve status in the eyes of society by being the coolest guy in the office — another goal he fails to reach.

Kelly: 7 – The Enthusiast

Fashion show! Fashion show! Fashion show at lunch! Like any good seven, Kelly is forever in the here and now, intensely into whatever she is feeling at the moment and nursing an emotionally allergic reaction to boredom. She can be impulsive and impatient, leading her to make some questionable decisions (like, say, swallowing a tapeworm) but at her best, she pours her boundless energy in healthy directions.

Darryl: 3w2 — The Achiever

Don’t let his job in the warehouse fool you. Both on and off the clock, Darryl is ambitious — showcasing strong leadership qualities that draw others to him. He wants to advance in his role and advocates not just for himself but for the rest of his team, which is proof of just how seriously Darryl takes his job and the people who help him do it.

Pam: 9w1 – The Peacemaker

Like any nine, Pam is easy to get along with. She’s friendly, accepting and trusts the goodness of others. But also, like any nine, Pam struggles with inertia and is a little too eager to bury conflict for the sake of keeping the peace. She powered through her relationship with Roy long after it’d run its course, and had a difficult time breaking out of her receptionist job to pursue her creative dreams. But when she did, she was able to fully realize her own potential and happiness …it just took a little push to get her going.

Jim: 9w8 — The Peacemaker

While Pam has a one-wing that gives her a dreamy idealism, Jim’s eight-wing manifests in merciless pranks and occasional attempts to shake up his own status quo by switching jobs or locations. Jim’s chummy affability and avoidance of picking fights come from a fear of being disliked — and that generally works out well. But when he finds himself in a leadership position, his fear of displeasing anyone works against him.

Dwight: 5w6 — The Individualist

Buried inside Dwight Schrute is a competent, intelligent salesman who knows a lot about a lot of subjects — as long as that subject doesn’t include social norms. Dwight’s eccentricity and isolation come from being so preoccupied with his own thoughts that he doesn’t always pay attention to the world around him. It’d be easy for you to equate his oddness with incompetence, but you’d be wrong. He’s also got a strong wing 6 when it comes to his loyalty to Dunder Mifflin and Michael Scott — and when those two entities are at a cross with each, you get Dwight at his most chaotic.

Michael: 6w7 — The Loyalist

The source of all Michael Scott’s many, many problems is how badly he wants the security and support of the people around him. To win them over, he wants to be his employees’ confidante, buddy, motivational speaker, beloved jokester and shoulder to lean on — without really having any of the resources to be those things. Of course, this is also one of the things that makes Michael such a believable, frequently relatable and occasionally even admirable person: his loyalty to his staff, his girlfriends and his company. Does that make him the World’s Best Boss? Well, no. But if he ever learned to do a little self-reflection and maybe sit down with a therapist, it would definitely emerge as a positive trait.

[Thanks to Adam Buzard for his help in this article]