Why the 'God's Not Dead' Films Just Keep Getting Better - STEVE STRANG CHARISMA MAGAZINE

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Why the 'God's Not Dead' Films Just Keep Getting Better

 9/4/2018 STEVE STRANG  charisma magazine

A scene from the latest God's Not Dead film, "A Light in the Darkness." (YouTube/YouTubeMovies)

Troy Duhon is one of the most interesting people I know. The son of a Pentecostal preacher, he has become extraordinarily successful in the car business, with 21 automobile dealerships across the United States.

Several months ago, he invited me the International Christian Film Festival, which had over 5,000 people in attendance in Orlando, Florida. I was invited to be one of the presenters for the award for Best Screenplay. I was also asked to have an autograph signing. It was fun to hang out all day with a different crowd than I am normally around. And I enjoyed the time with Troy, who, while we were talking, gave me several excellent story ideas.

I have interviewed and written about Troy before. He is the one who put up the money for the first God's Not Dead movie, which was one of the most successful independent movies of all time. Troy says when the film hit the box office in 2014, it grossed $60,000,000, but DVD sales and streaming brought that number to more than $100,000,000.

Later, he was behind God's Not Dead 2, and even invited me to watch some of the movie being made in Arkansas a couple of years ago. The film confronts the hypocrisy in many public schools, where teachers are free to teach on Muhammad, Buddha and other religious figures, but often aren't allowed to teach about Jesus Christ as a historical figure.

Now, he has come out with God's Not Dead 3, also called A Light in the Darkness. I recently viewed it, and if you haven't seen it, you really should. The DVD released Aug. 21, and you can purchase it here. To me, it was the best movie of the three. The plot and acting were even better than the first two. It deals with some of the issues regarding the role of government regulating the church, the opposition to organized religion on most university campuses and how Christians should respond to ethical and moral dilemmas that face them. There is quite a surprise ending.

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With the entire God's Not Dead brand, Troy says he and his team are trying to reach Millennials, whom he calls the almost-forgotten generation in church. He's concerned that fewer Millennials are pursuing the Lord and attending church.

Research done by Rice Broocks—author of the God's Not Dead book that inspired the film—seems to confirm Troy's fears. Rice has done research through his ministries on 700 college campuses and has found that 64 percent of all kids raised in a Christian home end up going to a liberal college and walking away from their faith. I've known Rice since the 1980s and have seen his passion to reach youth for Christ.

Troy believes the fact that the films were so successful shows just how hungry college kids are to know why they can believe God exists. He hopes the films help give Millennials a reason to get involved in church again, which I think is a truly noble goal.

I interviewed Troy a couple months ago on my podcast, "The Strang Report," where he offered some compelling insights. I encourage you to listen to the interview below.

A Light in the Darkness

In this episode of the Strang Report, Steve speaks with Troy Duhon, executive producer of the God's Not Dead 3. The movie is aimed at Millennials, which Duhon refers to as the "almost forgotten generation" at church in these chaotic times.
Listen here: Strang Podcast

Steve Strang is the founder of Charisma Media and president of Christian Life Missions. He is also the author of the best-seller God and Donald Trump. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. Click here to subscribe to the Strang Report podcast, and here to sign up for the Strang Report newsletter.

Millionaire Producer: God Told Me to Rebuild Ten Commandments Monument - TAYLOR BERGLUND CHARISMA NEWS

A statue of the Ten Commandments is seen after it was installed on the grounds of the state Capitol in Little Rock, Arkansas. (REUTERS/Steve Barnes)

Millionaire Producer: God Told Me to Rebuild Ten Commandments Monument

 7/10/2017 TAYLOR BERGLUND  CHARISMA NEWS

Join us on our podcast each weekday for an interesting story, well told, from Charisma News. Listen at charismapodcastnetwork.com.

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God's Not Dead executive producer Troy Duhon says God led him to donate money to rebuild Arkansas' destroyed Ten Commandments monument.

Arkansas' new Ten Commandments statue, located on public land but paid for with private funds, was demolished just one day after its installation. The culprit, Michael Tate Reed, professed to be a Christian and posted a video of his vandalism to Facebook.

The act of destruction dominated the news cycle and enraged many believers—and Duhon was no exception.

"The first day it gets put up, a gentleman decides he's going to run it over," Duhon said. "I was on the bus, headed to Creation Music fest, and I felt God say, 'Will you help me?'"

Duhon and fellow executive producer Bob Katz called the governor's office and donated $25,000 to efforts to rebuild the monument. One week later, Duhon and Katz flew to Little Rock, Arkansas, for the formal presentation of the check. Michael Berry, deputy general counsel and director of military affairs for First Liberty, was also present. A skilled debater for religious freedom, Berry fielded several press questions at the event regarding separation of church and state.

Duhon says not to mistake this as the end of the battle, though. The ACLU will likely file suit, and the case will live on. But Duhon says Arkansas' willingness to "take the fight on" is exciting.

"From a private citizen's perspective and being a Christian, I was so impressed with what the state of Arkansas is doing," Duhon said. "Instead of relinquishing their rights, they are fighting to put rights back into the state capitol, back into schools."

God's Not Dead 2 was filmed in Little Rock. It was the first of many great experiences for Duhon in the state.

"God is doing something special in the state of Arkansas," Duhon said. "I think the rest of the country is going to open their eyes and realize, especially if they prevail, that God is doing something."

Duhon believes that this Arkansas monument battle is symbolic of a much larger battle for Christians nationwide.

"My oldest son said, 'Why is this relevant?'" Duhon said. "I said, 'Son, tell me what America would look like if Americans operated under the Ten Commandments. When you look at the crime rate, the divorce rate, the incarceration rate and the murder rate, what would America be if we honored the Ten Commandments?'

"I think it's something as Christians we need to fight for. We need to fight for our rights. My hat's off to State Senator Jason Rapert because for a senator to take this fight on, coming under the scrutiny he's been under, and not be afraid—we as a Christian community need to support him and endorse him." 

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'God's Not Dead' Executive Producer Urges Others to 'Step Out of the Boat' - STEVE STRANG CHARISMA MAGAZINE

Shane Harper in God's Not Dead (YouTube)

'God's Not Dead' Executive Producer Urges Others to 'Step Out of the Boat'

3/4/2016 STEVE STRANG  charisma magazine 

You may never have heard of Troy Duhon, but you probably have heard of the movie God's Not Dead, which he bankrolled. Friday, he inspired me when he spoke at our Seminole County Prayer Breakfast locally, in which he challenged us to step out of the boat.

Troy is a successful businessman. His 23 car dealerships gross more than $1 billion a year. That's why he was able to write a check for a movie about an obscure book on apologetics called God's Not Dead by Dr. Rice Broocks. He had never made a movie, so it was risky. But he stepped outside the boat, and the rest is history. An estimated 50 million people worldwide have seen the movie, and it's become a movement with the sequel God's Not Dead 2 releasing April 1.

At the prayer breakfast, Troy told a moving story about his dad, formerly an alcoholic, who got saved when Troy was a teen and became a powerful Pentecostal preacher. In his later years, Troy and his dad became very close. His dad told him one day: "Son, if you keep your eyes on Jesus, you can walk on the water. If you turn around and look at His disciples, you'll sink."

Consider what stepping out of the boat meant for making a movie. First, it involved investing $1 million. Add to that the fact that Christian movies are often low quality and lose money. So it's very risky. However, this movie exceeded all expectations.

If you saw it, you know how good it was. It's been enormously successful. It grossed well over $100 million, making it perhaps the most successful independent movie of all time based on return on investment. You can watch the trailer here.  

The success of the movie is so great that it has actually turned into a movement. This is a big story and one we covered in next month's issue of Charisma magazine. But the movie would never have been made if a businessman with a heart for evangelism had not said yes to God and stepped out of the boat.

Because I had gotten to know Troy, he invited me to the set to watch the second movie being shot in Arkansas. You can read what I wrote about it last July. I got to meet the star, Melissa Joan Hart, and watch the classroom scene. Since then, I've been able to see the entire movie, which opens in a few days. To me, God's Not Dead 2 is as good or even better than the first. You can watch the powerful trailer here, and I urge you to go see it.

Troy's story is certainly amazing, if only for his success as a businessman and his participation in the movie. But there's another side to him. He's also a philanthropist.

Of his accomplishments and successes, Giving Hope Foundation holds the key to his heart. Troy's dad always told him that people will not care how many cars he sells, but God cares how many of His people he feeds. With that resonating in his head and heart, The Food Pantry of New Orleans was birthed. The Food Pantry is the flagship for the Giving Hope Foundation. Reading what Troy has done will inspire you to step out of the boat.

Giving Hope Foundation focuses on eight key areas of outreach/ministry. Those areas include: The Food Pantry of New Orleans, Hope for a Home, Hope House Orphanages, Giving Hope Retreat Center, Hope for Success, Hope Against Trafficking, Angola Re-Entry Program and Giving Hope Partnerships.

In under two years, The Food Pantry has supplied over 200,000 hot meals to senior citizens and impoverished families around the city of New Orleans. Nearly 850 free boxes of groceries are also given out monthly.

Through the adoption of their daughter, Annahstasia, Troy and Tracy Duhon saw the need for better living conditions in the overseas orphanages. Because they were unable to take these precious orphans home themselves, they decided to make a difference in the villages and communities these young children call home.

With the vision to build an orphanage on every inhabited continent, Hope House India was dedicated in 2014, Hope Honduras was dedicated in 2015, and Hope House Africa will be dedicated in 2016. Future Hope Houses are planned for Russia, Australia, South America and China. Hope for a Home reaches a similar need here in the United States. Every child needs a forever family, so Hope for a Home provides financial and emotional resources a family may need as they go through the adoption process.

"In partnership with the New Orleans Mission, Giving Hope Retreat Center provides a place of refuge, recovery and re-engagement for the homeless in our city," Troy says. "Giving Hope Retreat Center provides a community to learn and grow. We are assisting these formerly homeless in learning a trade (Culinary, Auto Mechanic, Landscape, etc.). In doing so, they also become active members of society. Giving Hope Retreat Center will also house a Women's Pavilion to reach battered and/or trafficked women. Hope Against Trafficking, a strategic campaign against human trafficking, is another targeted area for Giving Hope. Our goal is to bring awareness and develop strategic initiatives to meet the needs of individuals that have been a victim of trafficking. Hope for Success will help provide stylish business attire for these and other men and women to make an impression as they re-enter the workforce. Giving Hope also partners with the Angola Re-Entry Program, an already existing program set up for former inmates of Angola prison. The connection of the automotive industry has allowed Giving Hope to provide employment to the graduates of this program."

Because of the foundation of outreach that Troy and Tracy have built, Giving Hope Partnerships has resourced and inspired other businesses and businesspeople to reproduce this same spirit of outreach in their communities. From California to Nashville to Kansas City to Richmond, businesses are making a positive impact on the communities and Giving Hope to those in need.

I had the privilege of interviewing Troy for several podcasts of "The Strang Report." You can download them next week from the Charisma Podcast Network. I believe hearing his story will inspire you, as it inspired me, to step out of the boat.

Steve Strang is the founder of Charisma and CEO of Charisma Media. Follow him onTwitter or Facebook.

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