“So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

This video clip from Lord of the Rings illustrates this daily battle between the old nature and the new:

I can really empathise with Smeagol sometimes! Can you think of any other well-known pop culture illustrations for key Biblical truths?

Because stories and illustrations from pop culture are often (sadly) better known than the Bible, I think they can be helpful in introducing or reinforcing a point. However, they clearly have their limits. What do you see (or have you experienced) as the dangers of using pop culture examples, such as this Lord of the Rings clip, to introduce and reinforce a point?

Last month John Piper responded to the question “What are your thoughts on drama and movie clips in church services?”. You can read the transcript here, or watch the video here.

Piper says: “I think the use of video and drama largely is a token of unbelief in the power of preaching. And I think that, to the degree that pastors begin to supplement their preaching with this entertaining spice to help people stay with them and be moved and get helped, it’s going to backfire. It’s going to backfire.”

Do you agree with him?

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22 One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. 23 As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. 24 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. 25 “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.”

The power Jesus exhibits is just awesome. There is no one anything like him – he is in a league of his own.

These advertisements from Adidas are a humerous illustration of what is possible if you wear Adidas sports shoes. Apparently with Adidas, impossible is nothing.

These advertisements are funny, but not true.

What is true, is that “nothing is impossible with God” (Luke 1:37). Jesus is living, breathing, walking, talking, dying, rising – proof of that great truth.

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