Read our movie review of LET THERE BE LIGHT! - Faith Driven Consumer

We love it when a big-time radio and TV commentator like Sean Hannity teams up with a Hollywood veteran like Kevin Sorbo to produce a faith-driven film that tells a story  that’s relevant for our fast-changing culture. And that’s what’s happening with LET THERE BE LIGHT.   Find out why we think this film will likely resonate well with faith-driven audiences by reading our Faith-Friendly Film Review of LET THERE BE LIGHT, which opens in theaters nationwide this Friday, October 27.   Brought to the big screen by openly Christian actor Kevin Sorbo (HERCULES, GOD’S NOT DEAD) and his team at LTBL Productions in association with WildFire Films, LET THERE BE LIGHT tells the story of “the world’s greatest atheist” coming to faith after his humanist worldview is shaken to the core following a near-death experience. Along the way, this film tackles life-dominating anger and addiction issues, a grim cancer  diagnosis, and family reconciliation themes —all relevant topics for a culture seeking answers  to life’s big questions.         Click here to read the full review and find out how we rated LET THERE BE LIGHT.  As you know, we’ve developed a set of five specific criteria to measure the compatibility of entertainment products for Faith Driven Consumers like you. By supporting faith-compatible entertainment, we collectively encourage Hollywood to continue producing more products that resonate with the 41 million Americans who are Faith Driven Consumers and spend $2 trillion annually. Share this review with your family and friends.  We hope you will use it to make an informed stewardship decision about spending your time and treasure on LET THERE BE LIGHT during its theatrical release and beyond. Sincerely, Faith Driven Consumer http://www.faithdrivenconsumer.com/

Read our movie review of THE CASE FOR CHRIST! - Faith Driven Consumer

Read our movie review of THE CASE FOR CHRIST!  Faith Driven Consumer  April 7, 2017 Just in time for Holy Week and Easter, there’s an important film hitting theaters that takes  a hard look at the evidence FOR the death and resurrection of Jesus. It’s called THE CASE FOR CHRIST, and you definitely don’t want to miss it!     Find out what all the excitement is about by reading our Faith-Friendly Film Review of THE CASE FOR CHRIST—which opens nationwide in theaters TODAY—Friday, April 7th.      Coming to us from the acclaimed faith-driven team at Pure Flix Entertainment (I’M NOT ASHAMED, HILLSONG: LET HOPE RISE, GOD’S NOT DEAD I and II, DO YOU BELIEVE?), THE CASE FOR CHRIST tells the inspiring true story of Lee Strobel, an award-winning investigative journalist—and self-proclaimed atheist—who attempts to disprove his wife’s newfound faith, but ultimately encounters powerfully persuasive evidence that he can’t ignore. Click here to read the full review and find out how we rated THE CASE FOR CHRIST.  As you know, we’ve developed a set of five specific criteria to measure the compatibility of entertainment products for Faith Driven Consumers like you and me. By supporting faith-compatible entertainment, we collectively encourage Hollywood to continue producing more products that resonate with the 41 million Americans who are Faith Driven Consumers and spend $2 trillion annually. Share this review with your family and friends.  We hope you will use it to make an informed stewardship decision about spending your time and treasure on THE CASE FOR CHRIST during its theatrical release and beyond. Sincerely, Faith Driven Consumer http://www.faithdrivenconsumer.com/

Find Out Which New Movie Gets Our First-Ever 5-Star Rating! - Faith Driven Consumer

Great news—Faith Driven Consumer has awarded its first-ever 5-star movie rating! Take a moment and check out our Faith-Friendly Film Review of HILLSONG—LET HOPE RISE, which opens nationwide in theaters Friday, September 16th. Stirring the soul to worship Jesus in fresh, new ways, HILLSONG—LET HOPE RISE delivers a profound theatrical worship experience that is part-documentary and part-concert drama as it traces the humble origins of Sydney, Australia-based Hillsong UNITED to worldwide acclaim. Click here to read the full review. As you know, we’ve developed a set of five specific criteria to measure the compatibility of entertainment products for Faith Driven Consumers like you and me. By supporting faith-compatible entertainment, we collectively encourage Hollywood to continue producing more products that resonate with the 41 million Americans who are Faith Driven Consumers and spend $2 trillion annually. Share this review with your family and friends. We hope you will use it to make an informed stewardship decision about spending your time and treasure on HILLSONG—LET HOPE RISE during its theatrical release and beyond. Sincerely, Faith Driven Consumer http://www.faithdrivenconsumer.com/ Faith Driven Consumer · 3906 Wake Forest Rd, Raleigh, NC 27609, United States You can also keep up with Faith Driven Consumer on Twitter or Facebook. Created with NationBuilder, the essential toolkit for leaders.

Read our movie review of BEN-HUR here! - Faith Driven Consumer

Could this be the faith-friendly movie we’ve all been waiting for? Take a moment and check out our Faith-Friendly Film Review of BEN-HUR—which opens nationwide in theaters today, Friday, August 19th. Coming to us from our friends at Lightworkers Media—who also brought us SON OF GOD, LITTLE BOY, WOODLAWN, The Bible miniseries, and A.D. The Bible Continues—BEN-HUR tells the epic story of Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish prince who is falsely accused of treason by his adopted Roman brother, Messala. After surviving years in slavery, Judah seeks revenge in a chariot race, but is changed after a series of redemptive encounters with Jesus. Click here to read the full review and find out how we rated BEN-HUR. As you know, we’ve developed a set of five specific criteria to measure the compatibility of entertainment products for Faith Driven Consumers like you and me. By supporting faith-compatible entertainment, we collectively encourage Hollywood to continue producing more products that resonate with the 41 million Americans who are Faith Driven Consumers and spend $2 trillion annually. Share this review with your family and friends. We hope you will use it to make an informed stewardship decision about spending your time and treasure on BEN-HUR during its theatrical release and beyond. Sincerely, Faith Driven Consumer http://www.faithdrivenconsumer.com/

Faith Group Challenges AT&T, Marriott, Comcast, Allstate and Wells Fargo to Stop Excluding Christians - FAITH DRIVEN CONSUMER CHARISMA NEWS

Faith Group Challenges AT&T, Marriott, Comcast, Allstate and Wells Fargo to Stop Excluding Christians

 4/6/2016 FAITH DRIVEN CONSUMER  charisma news

Faith Driven Consumer logo (LinkedIn)

Join us on the new C-Pop podcast where Taylor and Jessilyn discuss, debate and sometimes deride pop culture with a strong sense of humor and a focus on Christ. Listen at charismapodcastnetwork.com.

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Faith Driven Consumer (FDC)—representing 41 million Americans who spend $2 trillion annually, has earned wide recognition for its groundbreaking faithequalityindex.com (FEI), which scores more than 500 major brands for compatibility with the FDC community, and also for its Faith-Friendly Film Review entertainment rating system. FDC serves as a key resource for audiences and entertainment industry leaders alike, measuring the faith-compatibility of entertainment offerings and predicting how they will resonate.

Last week, the group launched a national grass-roots "movie to movement" campaign—called #GodsNotDead2Us—with a message of respect and inclusion for Christians that parallels the theme of God's Not Dead 2. 

"Today, the campaign enters a new phase as the group shifts its attention specifically to five companies who have been recognized as leaders in diversity and inclusion, yet continue to exclude Faith Driven Consumers.

"God's Not Dead 2 is a cause-oriented, destination film. It was successful this weekend because millions of consumers of all stripes registered their support for universal inclusion. They recognize the only way to achieve true diversity is to ensure that all of the colors in America's rainbow are welcomed, celebrated and embraced equally—including Faith Driven Consumers," said Chris Stone, founder of Faith Driven Consumer.

"After leaving the theater, millions are seeking action—turning this movie into a movement. The natural place to start is by changing the behavior of the companies Faith Driven Consumers work for and shop with every single day. 

"Today, we are asking our community, and all who value equality, to hold AT&T, Marriott, Comcast, Allstate and Wells Fargo accountable for their conspicuous exclusion of Faith Driven Consumers.

"These companies all have high marks from the most respected diversity indexes, demonstrating a sustained, serious and deeply intentional commitment—including other prioritized communities. 

"However, when those high marks are compared to each company's Faith Equality Index score—built using similar standards and methodologies as the other indexes—their low scores reveal a massive gap.

"While each company states clearly that they do not discriminate—even on the basis of religion—in practice, that is exactly what they are doing. That's not inclusion, it's not diversity—it's hypocrisy—and it's time to change. 

"Today, we ask each company to demonstrate true diversity—close the gap—embrace Faith Driven Consumers equally with other groups."

A new survey by LifeWay Research finds that two-thirds of Americans (63 percent) say Christians face increasing intolerance, up from half (50 percent) in 2013. 

Newly released Faith Driven Consumer analysis of leading Diversity and Inclusion scores and rankings from six sources shows that these five Fortune 500 brands are champions of diversity across the spectrum with one glaring exception—Faith Driven Consumers. 

AT&T, Comcast, Allstate, Marriott, and Wells Fargo all score high on the HRC CEI (LGBT), HACR CII (Hispanic), Black Enterprise 40 Best, and rank among Diversity Inc.'s Top 50 Companies for Diversity. 

However, none of the five score higher than 27 out of 100 on Faith Driven Consumer's Faith Equality Index.

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The battle is just beginning... - Faith Driven Consumer

Are you sick and tired of being marginalized, ridiculed or—worse yet—persecuted simply for living out your Christian faith? 

From the persecution of Christian bakers, florists, bed-and-breakfast owners and T-shirt makers to legal subpoenas of pastors’ sermons and the stifling of the Christian viewpoint in high schools, universities, the marketplace and workplace, there’s a massive suppression taking place that discriminates against us as Faith Driven Consumers. 

As depicted in the movie GOD’S NOT DEAD 2, our basic rights as Americans are being denied.  We are being eliminated from culture—the free expression of our Christian faith is even now being criminalized.    

 

Who’s leading the charge?  Corporate America.

Major brands that you and I spend our hard-earned dollars with every day—companies like AT&T, Bank of America and Comcast—are actively creating second-class citizenship for Christians. This, in spite of the fact that we Faith Driven Consumers comprise 41 million Americans—17% of the adult population—and spend a whopping $2 trillion annually.

Need proof? Check out the glaring gaps.  The Faith Equality Index assesses the faith compatibility of top brands.  See for yourself how your favorite companies are treating you compared to the customers and employees they prioritize and value.  

So what can you do about it? 

1. Go see real life played out in GOD’S NOT DEAD 2 this weekend at your local cinema.
2. Join the movement: Sign the #GodsNotDead2Us petition to let companies who falsely claim to support “diversity and inclusion” know that true diversity means treating Christians equally with other groups.

Every week we have one-on-one conversations with America’s corporate leaders asking them to treat Faith Driven Consumers like you equal to others in their rainbow of diversity.  Largely they have done nothing to stop their discrimination.  Why? They tell us it’s because you aren’t putting as much pressure on them as other groups do.  

Truth is stranger than fiction.  This important and timely movie is a dramatization of real life.  Take action before your voice is silenced.  

Join the movement now.

Sincerely,

Faith Driven Consumer
http://www.faithdrivenconsumer.com/

Is RISEN the Faith Movie of the Year? Read Our Review Here! - FAITH DRIVEN CONSUMER

RISEN Review

FAITH DRIVEN CONSUMER  Feb. 19, 2016

Could this be the faith-friendly movie we’ve all been waiting for?

Take a moment and check out our Faith-Friendly Film Review of RISEN—which opens nationwide in theaters this Friday, February 19th.  

  

RISEN is a fast-paced, powerful movie with many stirring and realistic scenes that encourage viewers to examine the biblical truth claims about Jesus and His resurrection.

Read below to read the full review and find out how we rated RISEN.

As you know, we’ve developed a set of five specific criteria to measure the compatibility of entertainment products for Faith Driven Consumers like you and me.

Share this review with your family and friends.   

Faith Driven Consumer
http://www.faithdrivenconsumer.com/PS: Also don't forget to check out what The Hollywood Reporter had to say about our review.

Overall Rating

Leans strongly toward a biblical worldview

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Ranking Categories:

Overall Faith and/or Biblical Relevance
Faith-compatible Depiction of Characters and Character Relationships
Faith-compatible Depiction of Situations
Family Viewing Suitability
Entertainment Value
view our criteria

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Summary

Just in time for Easter, RISEN offers moviegoers a fast-paced, well-executed and thought-provoking examination of the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus through the eyes of a high-ranking Roman soldier. Opening in theaters nationwide on February 19th, RISEN asks the hard questions and skillfully moves from the head to the heart in ways that will resonate with skeptics and believers alike.   

Produced by Affirm Films and distributed by Sony/Columbia Pictures, RISEN boasts an excellent screenplay by Kevin Reynolds (“Hatfields & McCoys,” THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO) and Paul Aiello—with Reynolds also serving as the film’s director. It features impressive sets and cinematography as well as a strong cast including Joseph Fiennes (HERCULES, LUTHER) as Clavius, Peter Firth (MI-5,AMISTAD) as Pontius Pilate, Tom Felton (BELLE, HARRY POTTER) as Lucius, Maria Botto (“Mad Dogs”) as Mary Magdalene, and Cliff Curtis (LAST KNIGHTS, THE PIANO) as Yeshua (Jesus).      

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Overall Faith and/or Biblical Relevance

While much of the story line in RISEN is extra-biblical, it is nevertheless plausible and holds close to the biblical narrative in a creative and engaging way.  Moviegoers will relate on a personal level to the important philosophical questions about hope, purpose and worldview that are raised by several deep conversations between Clavius and Pilate—and they will be similarly challenged to come to their own conclusion about who Jesus was and is.    

In this sense, RISEN is a like a “who dunnit?” crime detective story in which Clavius plays the role of an investigator seeking the truth about what really happened to Jesus following His crucifixion. Even though he’s a non-believer, Clavius is committed to following the truth wherever it leads him—something all humans are called to do as well.    

In today’s postmodern culture characterized by skepticism, RISEN is a fresh and timely look at the biblical claims about Jesus.  The story is framed and advanced in ways that effectively respond to the doubts that non-believers have raised over the centuries to the narrative Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension—the most important event in human history. 

       

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Faith-compatible Depiction of Characters and Character Relationships

From Jesus and His followers to the Roman occupiers and Jewish leaders of the day, RISEN presents a largely faith-compatible depiction of characters throughout. In a nice touch, Jesus is referred to by His Hebrew name, Yeshua, and his disciples are very loving and appealing—ultimately softening Clavius’ heart as he seeks to carry out his mission from Pilate to find Jesus’ body.

Here, as Clavius interrogates the disciples, each joyfully testifies as to WHO Jesus is—and points to His teachings centered in love.  They do not fear persecution or martyrdom and one tells Clavius, “If you knew Him, you would understand.” Their worldview is so radically different that they seem to speak in riddles and encourage Clavius to look into his heart in order to find this Jesus he is searching for.  

And although Mary Magdalene is depicted as being “of the street”—a popular, but not necessarily biblical understanding—she ultimately leads Clavius to the room where the disciples are hiding, allowing Clavius to see for himself the risen Yeshua.  

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Faith-compatible Depiction of Situations

Although the RISEN story line picks up as the crucifixion of Jesus is winding down, the writers artfully weave miracles and other biblical events into the depiction of many scenes in ways that tell the fuller story of His life—and clearly point to His divinity. And from the opening scene in the Judean wilderness in which the stage is set, RISEN comes full-circle showing Clavius stepping out into a new life after being forever changed by his encounter with the risen Yeshua. 

Along the way, the historical and biblical context of Pilate working closely with Caiaphas and the Jewish leaders to quell unruly Jewish uprisings in this far-flung Roman province is front and center. There is a Masada-type battle scene with bloody hand-to-hand combat and the Jews are shown anxiously awaiting a prophesied messiah who they think will politically deliver them from Rome’s brutal rule.

While there are many scenes in RISEN that are not found in the Bible, each nevertheless moves the story forward as Clavius tries to make sense of what has happened to Jesus’ body. When he learns that many now claim to have seen the crucified Jesus alive, the stakes are raised and Clavius begins to pursue the truth—at great risk to himself personally and professionally. In one beautiful scene, Clavius witnesses the doubting disciple Thomas as he encounters the risen Yeshua—with holes in his hands, feet and side. And in another moving scene, Clavius opens up to Jesus and discovers that Jesus already knows the deepest yearnings of Clavius’ heart. 

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Family Viewing Suitability

At 107 minutes in length, RISEN is rated PG-13 for biblical violence including some disturbing images.  Here, events associated with Jesus’ crucifixion may be difficult for both children and adults to see. Interestingly, the place of the crucifixion—Golgotha—is depicted in unusually narrow confines and the moment when the three crosses are brought down is jarring on multiple levels. 

Beyond this, there are scenes involving conversations between Clavius and Pilate in a hot-water spa featuring upper male nudity, including the suggestion of the pleasure of female company and a massage after a difficult day on the battlefield that some viewers may find unsuitable for children. 

On a positive note, Roman soldiers are humanized and shown to struggle with the brutality of their jobs and Clavius relents on breaking Jesus’ legs when he sees Mary crying—deciding to spear him instead as he unwittingly fulfills the biblical prophecy that none of the Messiah’s bones would be broken.

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Entertainment Value

RISEN is a fast-paced, powerful movie with many stirring and realistic scenes that encourage viewers to examine the biblical truth claims about Jesus and His resurrection. The production values are high, the script is well-written and engaging, the direction is solid, and the cast uniformly strong. 

Although not directly biblical, RISEN offers a contextually accurate, real-world journey that reminds us that even the most unlikely person can be drawn to—and forever changed by—Jesus.  Because of this, RISEN is an excellent movie to share with non-believing friends and family members.  It poses tough questions that critics of the crucifixion have asked over the ages in ways that are fair and believable—all without being preachy.

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Exclusive Testimonies of Christian NFL Super Bowl Players - FAITH DRIVEN CONSUMER

Are you excited about the Big Game this Sunday? Like you, I’m getting together with friends and family to support the Panthers (I’ll forgive you if you like Denver). But, rather than watching the half time show, we are tuning in to Football Sunday. It’s a video put together by our friends at FootballSunday.com featuring powerful testimonies of Christian NFL players, including Drew Breeze, Trent Dilfer, Thomas Davis, Miles McPherson, Matt Hasselbeck, and others. Thousands of churches across America are participating in the experience. Now you can too! Below: Thomas Davis, Carolina Panthers linebacker Today—a day early—Faith Driven Consumer is excited to offer you an exclusive, free preview of tomorrow's FootballSunday.com testimonies. I encourage you to share this with every football fan you know, an incredible way to connect people with Christ! Be Faith Driven! Chris Stone http://www.faithdrivenconsumer.com/

Faith-Friendly Film Review—UNBROKEN

As Hollywood’s self-proclaimed 2014 “Year of the Bible Movie” draws to a close, we’re pleased to share with you our Faith-Friendly Film Review of the Universal Pictures release, UNBROKEN, opening in theaters nationwide on Christmas Day – December 25th.Faith Driven Consumer™ has given UNBROKEN a faith-friendly rating of 4 out of 5 stars.

Click here to read the full review for UNBROKEN.

UNBROKEN (4 stars)

Overall Rating



Leans strongly toward a biblical worldview

As you know, we’ve developed a set of five specific criteria to measure the compatibility of entertainment products for Faith Driven Consumers like you and me.

By weighing in on faith-themed entertainment like UNBROKEN with constructive feedback, Faith Driven Consumers encourage Hollywood to continue producing more products that resonate with the 41 million Americans who are Faith Driven Consumers and spend $2 trillion annually.

Share this review with your family and friends. We hope you will use it to make an informed stewardship decision about supporting UNBROKEN during its theatrical release.

Thanks for helping to create a more faith-compatible marketplace of goods, services and ideas.

Sincerely,

Chris Stone
Founder

http://www.faithdrivenconsumer.com/


Faith Driven Consumer · 3906 Wake Forest Rd, Raleigh, NC 27609, United States

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You can also keep up with Chris Stone on Twitter.

'Exodus' Movie Depicts God as 'Willful Child,' Reports New York Times

'Exodus' Movie Depicts God as 'Willful Child,' Reports NYT

12/2/2014 MATTHEW FARACI  CHARISMA NEWS

Even before the film's release, the casting of 11-year-old British actor Isaac Andrews is drawing criticism amid reports that God is portrayed as a petulant and willful child. (Facebook)

As 2014's "Year of the Bible Movie" enters its final phase—and the run-up to this month's release of Ridley Scott's highly anticipated film EXODUS: Gods and Kings—Faith Driven Consumer continues to measure the success of Hollywood films courting faith-driven audiences. 

 

Faith Driven Consumer recently released the first wave of results from an extensive new national survey, conducted by partner research firm American Insights, detailing what Exodus needs to do to be successful with both its core Faith Driven Consumer (17 percent of U.S. adult population) and broader Christian (77 percent of U.S. adult population) audiences. 

 

In October, The Hollywood Reporter detailed concerns over Exodus in the wake of controversial comments by actor Christian Bale—who plays Moses in the film—in which he characterized Moses as both "barbaric" and "schizophrenic." Another story by ABC News on Nov. 25 quoted Bale as saying "What would happen to Moses if he arrived today? Drones would be sent out after him, right?"

 

Now, The New York Times is reporting that God appears in Exodus as a "willful" 11-year-old boy who is "Children of the Corn terrifying." Faith Driven Consumer founder Chris Stone offers his reaction to this revelation by the NYT. 

 

"The portrayal of God as a willful, angry and petulant child in Exodus will be a deal breaker for most people of faith around the world. Christians, Jews and Muslims alike see this story as foundational and will find this false portrayal and image of God to be deeply incompatible both with Scripture and their deeply held beliefs," Stone says.

 

"Ridley Scott is an established director who can essentially make whatever film he wants, but when he creates a film based on a pivotal Biblical story and renders it significantly unrecognizable, the marketplace will respond negatively. Noah—a $125 million epic that failed to be faithful—left untold millions on the table. Rather than learning from Darren Aronofsky's mistake, it seems that Mr. Scott, with his own larger, $200 million epic, has elected to double down.

 

"As a brand strategist, viewing it from the consumer's perspective, I find many of Scott's choices to be inconsistent with what the market wants. This is especially true given the significant untapped demand for these types of films—this one in particular. Evidently the filmmakers have a goal other than maximizing the film's appeal and its monetary success. The decision to cast an 11-year-old boy to play God, in and of itself, is likely to have a significant impact on Exodus' overall box office returns."