Q. My youth pastor refers to "redeeming" movies a lot. He says that some mainstream movies might be made by non-Christians, but are still redeeming. What does that mean?

A. The word redemption is huge for Christians. We were lost, bound for eternal death, with no way to save ourselves. Jesus died that death for us so we could be welcomed into God's family forever by trusting in him. Christ redeemed us from our sins.

So it's no wonder we're attracted to stories where people in desperate situations—like the one our sin put us in—experience something amazing and end up in a hopeful, happy place—like the one we're in now as children of God with a home in heaven. We get glimpses of that in a lot of movies. These redeeming films tell stories that can communicate truth, hope, love and grace. They show a positive change in the life of a character.

A recent example: In Akeelah and the Bee, a girl growing up without a dad in the rough part of L.A. is given the unlikely chance to win the national spelling bee. Why? Because one man sacrifices his time, energy, and emotional stability to invest in her training. He isn't shown to be a Christian, but he displays some Christlike attitudes that improve the lives of folks he cares about.

Want more examples? You'll find a lot of redemption themes in comic book movies (like Superman Returns, the Spider-Man films), sports movies and true-life stories where people win against incredible odds.

But watch smart: Not every movie with a story of redemption reflects the truth of God's Word. Some movies suggest that redemption can be found through a sexual relationship, selfish anger, revenge, immorality or self-reliance. Learning to spot the false messages is as important as identifying the positive ideas in your movies. And it's a big step toward becoming a mature film buff.

Mark is the founder of WisdomWorks Ministries. You can learn about his conferences, read movie and music reviews, and more at www.planetwisdom.com.

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