Monday, September 7, 2015

Intersect DVD by Rob Peabody and Cris Rogers

Welcome to Intersect; a resource designed to help you start spiritual conversations with your small group, your friends, or people who don't yet know Jesus. 

Intersect uses the creative medium of video storytelling to start and  facilitate discussions about where your story and God's story converge. We can all relate to stories, as we all have our own stories. Some of them are joyous and easy to share with the world. Others are difficult and remind us of times that we sometimes wish we could simply forget. But nonetheless, we all have beautiful lives that are marked by events, situations, and circumstances that have shaped us uniquely into who we are today.

The stories you will watch chronicle choices that are made when individuals find themselves in the middle of hard times. All human beings have the propensity to go through situations that are trying, and the Bible even teaches that finding ourselves in these times will be a part of all our journeys. It is how we respond to these times that helps define our lives and develop our characters.

Each story and its related discussion questions takes a look at an issue that we are all likely to experience at some point. Together you and your group can explore your responses to: expectations, rest, disappointment, trust and control. We hope that each person will identify with each story and theme, will connect with the choices that were made in the video story, and explore how that specific situation intersects with their own life.

Intersect also aims for you to find inspiration in how, in each story, the opportunity is there to turn to God for help. We believe that the Bible is a guide, telling the story of how we were created to live. We hope you and your group will connect with the Bible passages and realize their truth and usefulness for application in your life. This is where your stories will intersect with God's story.

Intersect is a useful tool for those in the church to use as they seek to engage those outside of it with the love and message of Jesus. Starting spiritual conversations in this context can feel intimidating, but this resource can be easily shared with friends, neighbors, colleagues and family members. The video stories give platform to meaningful conversation, and the questions lead the way through the topic.

Intersect is for followers of Jesus too. Our hope is that through these stories your faith and understanding will grow, and you will discover where your story and God's story converge.

My review:
   I was excited to review this, as I think it is the first review of this kind I have done. The DVD is done well, having 5 different individuals tell their stories from one man dealing with his wife abruptly leaving and divorcing him to a singer having a hard time making it. After each person tells their story, one of the DVD producers talks.

  Inside the DVD case is a booklet with questions to answer. They follow a specific pattern:
1) Topical questions about the theme of the video.
2) Deeper question looking at the root of that theme.
3) Question about the story told in the video.
4) Introduction of a Bible passage with questions about what the Bible says about the theme.
5) Challenge to seek God's truth with respect to the video theme.

   This DVD would be great for newer Christians, but maybe not so much for more mature Christians. I feel the questions and videos are too brief and don't have enough depth, but that doesn't mean it cannot be a good tool for newer Christians.

About the authors:


ROB PEABODY @AwakenRob

Rob is the Co-Founder and International Director of Awaken, a non-profit charity that exists to resource the church for action. Awaken creates resources that inspire, educate, and equip local churches to live as Kingdom-bringers in their communities. In 2011, Rob and his wife, Medea, along with their two boys left his position as a lead campus pastor at a mega-church in Texas to pioneer and lead fresh expressions of church seeking to engage unreached 20-30's in northeast London. His latest book, Citizen, was released in Autumn 2014.


CRIS ROGERS @RabbiRogers

Cris is a writer, pastor, speaker and church visionary. In 2010, Cris planted a church in the poorest area of London with a dream for it to be an explosion of joy within the tower block estate in which he works.





Thanks to Litfuse for the review copy.


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