Fireproof Movie has a Great First Weekend at the Box Office

I had the privilege of seeing Fireproof twice this weekend. On Friday with the department I work in at LifeWay and on Saturday with fifteen couples from the Church I serve bivocationally, Gladeville Baptist Church.

I had seen the Fireproof movie several months ago in a screening here at LifeWay but I loved getting to see it again through fresh eyes. I was amazed at how Fireproof affected me emotionally even seeing it for a second and third time. I thank God for Alex Kendrick and Stephen Kendrick who are both great story tellers. I thank God for a Pastor Michael Catt, Executive Pastor Jim McBride, and the Sherwood Baptist Church family who gave so much of themselves to bring glory to God in this film.

I received this e-mail newsletter from the Fireproof marketing folks yesterday and rejoiced in the good news ...

You made FIREPROOF the No. 4 overall movie in America this past weekend! In fact, if you look at per-screen average (and Hollywood does), you made FIREPROOF the second-leading per-screen film this weekend.

You puzzled Hollywood pundits and prognosticators. You boggled movie-based bloggers. You showed the movie industry that there not only is interest in good, wholesome films, but there is also an audience for them.

You made an impact. And in case you're wondering, people noticed. This is what USA Today said:

“The surprise of the weekend, though, was the Christian-themed Fireproof. Made for $500,000 and released on 839 screens, the Kirk Cameron drama did $6.5 million and took fourth place.

“Most analysts did not expect the film to crack the top 10, yet it enjoyed the second-largest debut this year for a film opening on fewer than 1,000 screens; the biggest was Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour, which debuted to $31 million on 683 screens.”

After winning the championship game in Facing the Giants, Coach Grant Taylor asks the members of his football team, “What is impossible with God?” To a player, they all answered: “Nothing.”


I hope and pray that you will have the opportunity to see Fireproof, that you will do The Love Dare for your spouse, and that you will consider leading a group through the Fireproof Bible Study that will come out in February 2009 with the Fireproof DVD.

If you are a pastor or bible teacher feel free to adapt this model sermon manuscript by Pastor Michael Catt called Fireproof Your Marriage.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Should We Anoint the Sick with Oil Today?

Image
I'm not sure where you stand on this issue. Anointing with oil is not part of my normal practice. Bruce Grubbs, the senior pastor at the church where I serve part-time on staff ( Gladeville Baptist ) does this on a regular basis and I think it's very cool. I posted a new article on this subject by Pastor Harold Dinsmore in the Pastors Area of LifeWay.com. Pastor Dinsmore believes we are missing a great opportunity if we don't choose to offer the anointing of oil when we pray for the sick. He offers his reasoning as well as five things to consider should you choose to do this. Read Should We Anoint the Sick with Oil Today?
Read more

How to do a group brainstorming session

Pastor, when we are trying to plan a new sermon series, promote an event, or solve a problem, here's the group brainstorming process we follow (Michael Eubanks, our Pastor for New Generations brought this process back from a conference). We pull together a team of five to eight creative types with different perspectives and give them an overview of what we're trying to get to. We then distribute a stack of 3x5 cards to each person and give them about ten minutes to write as many creative ideas as they can (one simple phrase on each card). We then gather the cards and begin reading them and taping them to a wall in categories. Be sure to capture this treasure of ideas on paper to help you in further planning. Also, give options to your team for participating in the implementation of the ideas. It's a great opportunity to train and equip other leaders. You'll love the results. When you're going through the process, be sure to keep in mind Osborn'
Read more

Preaching through the Bible in a Year - 2 Plans!

Image
I'm reading through the Bible again this year using George Guthrie's Reading God's Story: A Chronological Daily Bible plan. In 2011, our entire church used the reading plan in response to the Radical sermon and small group series we did at the end of 2010. I'm was delighted to see Aaron Linne's Blog post about a new online resource with lists of sermons inspired by the Read the Bible for Life initiative. These lists from B&H Publishing are designed so that you can take a church through the Bible in a year. They currently have a plan prepared by David Platt (52 sermons) and Chuck Maxwell (50 sermons). Check the tabs at the top to switch between the two lists. Access the complimentary lists of sermons here ... Learn how to use this resource on your iPhone, Android, or tablet here ...
Read more