Sherwood Pictures – An Interview with Stephen Kendrick

While staying with Sammy & Sheri, we attended Sherwood Baptist Church and were very blessed, especially since it was the first church service we’ve been able to attend on this trip. The Sherwood body of Christ was just what you should expect from believers, welcoming, caring, showing the love of Christ in their words and actions. God is moving through Sherwood Baptist Church as one of the goals of the church is to impact the world from Albany, Georgia. They are doing just that with their many ministries, one of which is Sherwood Pictures.  It is amazingly wonderful how the whole church comes together in this movie ministry. For six weeks the whole church body helps in the movie making process and then everything goes back to everyday life for everyone in the church except Alex and Stephen Kendrick, who will spend several more weeks in the editing process. I love how the whole ministry is wrapped in prayer and all walk in humility, without an ego to be found. Walking through Sherwood that Sunday it was kind of surreal as we were greeted by Ken Bevel from the movie Fireproof and Jim McBride, the coach of the Giants from the movie Facing the Giants.  Sheri also introduced us to Alex Kendrick, and an especially favorite part for us was meeting the man who prayed over the students’ lockers in Facing the Giants. He took the time to pray over our family – such a blessing!! Actors from the movies were everywhere, and all were just normal people who have allowed themselves to be used for God’s glory.  I found out later that even Sammy had helped out in Facing the Giants and is the “Giant” tackling the football player on the front cover of the DVD. The next morning we met and interviewed Stephen Kendrick.
Have you ever experienced anything in your life that has the ability to bring you to your knees, in tears, crying out to the Lord to do more with your life? Something that humbles and breaks you, giving you a hunger to draw closer to God. This happened to me when I watched the movie, Facing The Giants.  In the movie the coach goes through his share of trials and tribulations before he gives it all over to God.  Then throughout the rest of the movie you get to watch God move mightily through this broken and humbled man. My desire is to be that man – broken, humbled, and used mightily by God for His glory.  Since watching Facing the Giants, Jodi and I have gone on to see Sherwood Pictures’ other movies (Flywheel & Fireproof). Each had a similar effect on both Jodi and myself, bringing us closer together in our desire to be used by God.  For this reason we were so excited to be able to come to Albany, Georgia, to interview Stephen Kendrick and capture a little of the heart of the Sherwood Pictures’ ministry. One of the coolest parts of this whole experience was that their newest movie, Courageous, coming out September 30th, is based on Malachi 4:6 “And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.” This verse is one of the themes of our trip, as I am pursuing God’s heart for my family. I pray that you will be blessed listening to Stephen and that you might take the time to go see their new film – Courageous, Honor Begins at Home.  Perhaps it will humble us all…