What would you do if your college philosophy professor told the class to write "God is dead" on a piece of paper, sign it, and hand it in, or else risk 30% of your grade? In the movie, "God's Not Dead," a freshman named Josh Wheaton is told just that. Josh looks around the room and watches everyone do just as the professor said. But as a Christian, he can't bring himself to do it. As a result, the professor tells him that he must present his argument for why God is NOT dead to the entire class for the next several weeks. Then the class will vote on whether God is dead or alive.
Josh is now sacrificing grades in his other classes in order to devote time and energy to prove that God's not dead. He also faces pressure from everyone --his parents, girlfriend, friends --to just let it go, and let the professor win his argument. But Josh just can't do it. A local pastor helps him to stand up and defend the Truth, reminding him of what Jesus said in Matthew 10:32-33, "Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven."
Josh does a masterful job of arguing for God's existence, angering his professor and slowly impacting his classmates. Josh knows that his purpose in life is to glorify God in every area of life, and he's not going to let anyone frustrate or distract him.
As we witness the erosion of religious freedom in our country (especially for orthodox Christians) and we hear about the horrific persecution and massacre of Christians in other parts of the world, it is easy to become discouraged or disheartened. But I hope you take the time to watch "God's Not Dead." It is a positive, hope-filled movie that will inspire you to stand up and speak the Truth in Love. As our Redeemer said, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world! (John 16:33b)
