1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:11,040 This is the Real Faith Podcast where we talk about a movie clip, a scripture, and make 2 00:00:11,040 --> 00:00:12,640 an application. 3 00:00:12,640 --> 00:00:15,600 We hope these provide encouragement to you. 4 00:00:15,600 --> 00:00:17,540 I'm your host, Chuck Bower. 5 00:00:17,540 --> 00:00:22,560 After a successful church ministry of 28 years, I became a public school teacher currently 6 00:00:22,560 --> 00:00:24,960 teaching high school English. 7 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:27,160 We hope you are blessed by these episodes. 8 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:33,000 Have you guys ever gone to Sunday school? 9 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:35,880 PUNY GOD! 10 00:00:35,880 --> 00:00:40,040 I love you. 11 00:00:40,040 --> 00:00:46,160 I know. 12 00:00:46,160 --> 00:00:48,000 Welcome back to Real Faith. 13 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:52,200 Thank you so much for tuning in and thank you for spreading the word about the podcast 14 00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:53,320 on social media. 15 00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:55,240 I really appreciate it. 16 00:00:55,240 --> 00:00:59,580 For the four episodes in February, I will be talking about love. 17 00:00:59,580 --> 00:01:01,560 We throw that word around a lot. 18 00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:02,900 We love our spouses. 19 00:01:02,900 --> 00:01:04,120 We love our kids. 20 00:01:04,120 --> 00:01:05,380 We love pizza. 21 00:01:05,380 --> 00:01:06,660 We love sunsets. 22 00:01:06,660 --> 00:01:07,920 We love to travel. 23 00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:09,160 You get the idea. 24 00:01:09,160 --> 00:01:13,080 We use the same English word to describe a strong feeling. 25 00:01:13,080 --> 00:01:16,260 At least that's how we normally talk about love, right? 26 00:01:16,260 --> 00:01:18,200 But it's more than a feeling. 27 00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:19,760 Sorry Boston. 28 00:01:19,760 --> 00:01:24,320 So for the next four weeks, we'll look at types and examples of love and we'll see 29 00:01:24,320 --> 00:01:29,160 what God's word says as we try to walk closer with Him. 30 00:01:29,160 --> 00:01:34,080 Our first clip comes from a classic children's story, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe 31 00:01:34,080 --> 00:01:37,560 from The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. 32 00:01:37,560 --> 00:01:41,960 I recently re-read the short book and re-watched the movie. 33 00:01:41,960 --> 00:01:45,220 By the way, it's currently playing on Disney+. 34 00:01:45,220 --> 00:01:49,640 If you have young children, I highly recommend getting them this book series. 35 00:01:49,640 --> 00:01:53,880 Depending on their ages, you could read it to them or they could read it on their own. 36 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:58,920 I read it to my boys as they were growing up and it's a wonderful memory for me. 37 00:01:58,920 --> 00:02:04,400 Greta Gerwig, director of the hit movie Barbie, is rebooting the series for Netflix with the 38 00:02:04,400 --> 00:02:09,400 first movie releasing in theaters Thanksgiving of 2026. 39 00:02:09,400 --> 00:02:10,760 But back to our movie. 40 00:02:10,760 --> 00:02:14,380 It came out 20 years ago in 2005. 41 00:02:14,380 --> 00:02:19,680 It was directed by Andrew Adamson, who directed the other Narnia movies, as well as several 42 00:02:19,680 --> 00:02:21,400 Shrek movies. 43 00:02:21,400 --> 00:02:26,880 It stars Tilda Swinton as the White Witch, Liam Neeson voices Aslan. 44 00:02:26,880 --> 00:02:30,240 And here's one I didn't remember until I just watched it recently. 45 00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:33,800 James McAvoy is Mr. Tumnus. 46 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:37,940 The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe tells the story of four British siblings who have 47 00:02:37,940 --> 00:02:42,440 to move out to the countryside because of the bombings of World War II. 48 00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:47,020 They live in a huge mansion with an old professor and his housekeeper. 49 00:02:47,020 --> 00:02:50,840 One day the children are bored and they decide to play hide and go seek. 50 00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:54,500 Lucy decides to hide in the wardrobe in an empty bedroom. 51 00:02:54,500 --> 00:02:58,720 And as she walks through the furs that are hanging up to the back of the wardrobe, she 52 00:02:58,720 --> 00:03:05,040 is transported to Narnia, where she meets Mr. Tumnus and has tea with him. 53 00:03:05,040 --> 00:03:08,920 Of course, he is supposed to turn her in to the White Witch because there's a prophecy 54 00:03:08,920 --> 00:03:12,080 concerning the sons and daughters of Adam. 55 00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:16,640 He shares this news with Lucy, but then leads her back to the lamp post so that she can 56 00:03:16,640 --> 00:03:18,960 return to her own world. 57 00:03:18,960 --> 00:03:23,000 Lucy runs to tell the others and of course they don't believe her and the wardrobe is 58 00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:26,800 just a normal wardrobe when she tries to show them. 59 00:03:26,800 --> 00:03:28,800 Don't you hate it when that happens? 60 00:03:28,800 --> 00:03:32,940 There's another time that the kids try to get into the wardrobe, however, and punky 61 00:03:32,940 --> 00:03:35,400 brother Edmund gets through. 62 00:03:35,400 --> 00:03:41,280 He meets the White Witch and he makes a deal with her just to get more Turkish delight. 63 00:03:41,280 --> 00:03:48,280 Eventually, all four Penzi's siblings end up in Narnia and Edmund sneaks off to make 64 00:03:48,280 --> 00:03:54,000 good on his deal, only to realize the White Witch isn't going to keep her end of it. 65 00:03:54,000 --> 00:03:59,280 Eventually, the children get with Aslan, but the White Witch arrives to claim the blood 66 00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:02,240 of a traitor, that of Edmund. 67 00:04:02,240 --> 00:04:09,440 And we get the first part of our clip of the week. 68 00:04:09,440 --> 00:04:15,160 You have a traitor in your midst, Aslan. 69 00:04:15,160 --> 00:04:18,840 His offense was not against you. 70 00:04:18,840 --> 00:04:22,000 Have you forgotten the laws upon which Narnia was built? 71 00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:25,440 Do not cite the deep magic to me, witch. 72 00:04:25,440 --> 00:04:29,680 I was there when it was written. 73 00:04:29,680 --> 00:04:35,380 Then you'll remember well that every traitor belongs to me. 74 00:04:35,380 --> 00:04:38,160 His blood is my property. 75 00:04:38,160 --> 00:04:43,400 Try and take him then. 76 00:04:43,400 --> 00:04:53,200 Do you really think that mere force will deny me my right, little king? 77 00:04:53,200 --> 00:05:00,200 Aslan knows that unless I have blood as the law demands, all of Narnia will be overturned 78 00:05:00,200 --> 00:05:03,760 and perish in fire and water. 79 00:05:03,760 --> 00:05:09,720 That boy will die on the stone table. 80 00:05:09,720 --> 00:05:16,800 As is tradition. 81 00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:19,720 You dare not refuse me. 82 00:05:19,720 --> 00:05:20,720 Enough. 83 00:05:20,720 --> 00:05:27,680 I don't talk with you alone. 84 00:05:27,680 --> 00:05:32,620 The White Witch comes to Aslan and she claims Edmund's blood, right? 85 00:05:32,620 --> 00:05:33,660 Because he's a traitor. 86 00:05:33,660 --> 00:05:36,920 She states that the law of the land demands blood. 87 00:05:36,920 --> 00:05:38,460 Edmund's blood. 88 00:05:38,460 --> 00:05:41,480 We see this in scripture time and time again. 89 00:05:41,480 --> 00:05:43,280 Especially in the Old Testament. 90 00:05:43,280 --> 00:05:47,440 I'm currently reading through Deuteronomy and I think we forget that there had to be 91 00:05:47,440 --> 00:05:50,560 an accounting for every sin. 92 00:05:50,560 --> 00:05:53,200 So many of them required blood. 93 00:05:53,200 --> 00:05:57,760 Blood of a sacrificial animal or even the blood of the guilty. 94 00:05:57,760 --> 00:06:04,660 It's very humbling to think about us and our sins and the price that was paid. 95 00:06:04,660 --> 00:06:08,260 But let's go back to thinking about love for a moment. 96 00:06:08,260 --> 00:06:11,320 Think of the most popular verse in the Bible. 97 00:06:11,320 --> 00:06:12,320 What is it? 98 00:06:12,320 --> 00:06:13,800 John 3 16, right? 99 00:06:13,800 --> 00:06:16,080 Don't we have that one memorized? 100 00:06:16,080 --> 00:06:18,960 Didn't we learn that very early in life? 101 00:06:18,960 --> 00:06:22,920 Whether it be in Sunday school or VBS or children's church. 102 00:06:22,920 --> 00:06:26,880 Let me read it from the King James version because I think that is how most people know 103 00:06:26,880 --> 00:06:27,880 it. 104 00:06:27,880 --> 00:06:33,480 For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth 105 00:06:33,480 --> 00:06:37,280 in him should not perish but have everlasting life. 106 00:06:37,280 --> 00:06:44,040 25 words that have changed the world and continue to change lives today. 107 00:06:44,040 --> 00:06:46,920 Let me just focus on the first phrase. 108 00:06:46,920 --> 00:06:49,220 God so loved the world. 109 00:06:49,220 --> 00:06:50,920 Think about that for a second. 110 00:06:50,920 --> 00:06:55,300 I mean you could preach a series of sermons on that one phrase. 111 00:06:55,300 --> 00:06:57,660 God so loved the world. 112 00:06:57,660 --> 00:07:04,480 To put it in practical terms we can say or you can say I mean something to God. 113 00:07:04,480 --> 00:07:08,480 If you're listening someplace where you can say this statement out loud, do it. 114 00:07:08,480 --> 00:07:09,480 Try it. 115 00:07:09,480 --> 00:07:12,320 Say I mean something to God. 116 00:07:12,320 --> 00:07:13,920 What else needs to be said? 117 00:07:13,920 --> 00:07:14,920 A.W. 118 00:07:14,920 --> 00:07:20,680 Tozer wrote that this verse and phrase sums up the whole intent of the Bible from Genesis 119 00:07:20,680 --> 00:07:22,360 to Revelation. 120 00:07:22,360 --> 00:07:28,800 Tozer writes quote, God has his eyes upon me and is emotionally concerned about me. 121 00:07:28,800 --> 00:07:33,580 If this simple message could rise above the confusion of the religious world, it would 122 00:07:33,580 --> 00:07:36,280 offer hope to those who embrace it. 123 00:07:36,280 --> 00:07:37,280 End quote. 124 00:07:37,280 --> 00:07:44,280 Now I don't know about you but I feel so much better thinking about this verse and its implications. 125 00:07:44,280 --> 00:07:48,240 God loves us and we mean something to God. 126 00:07:48,240 --> 00:07:49,540 We can take it further. 127 00:07:49,540 --> 00:07:51,720 Love is a verb as the saying goes. 128 00:07:51,720 --> 00:07:53,760 So how does God love us? 129 00:07:53,760 --> 00:07:57,160 What action does he do or has he done? 130 00:07:57,160 --> 00:08:19,800 Well let's go back to our clip of the week and finish this clip up. 131 00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:25,460 The White Witch has renounced her claim on the Trader's Blood because of course later 132 00:08:25,460 --> 00:08:31,640 we find out Aslan has promised to give himself up in Edmund's place. 133 00:08:31,640 --> 00:08:33,640 That sounds familiar doesn't it? 134 00:08:33,640 --> 00:08:38,800 Aslan the King taking the place of Edmund the Trader. 135 00:08:38,800 --> 00:08:45,520 Romans 5 8 tells us and I'm back to reading from the New Living Translation, but God showed 136 00:08:45,520 --> 00:08:53,240 his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. 137 00:08:53,240 --> 00:08:54,440 Boom. 138 00:08:54,440 --> 00:08:57,660 That's how God puts action into his love. 139 00:08:57,660 --> 00:09:01,180 He sent Christ to die in our place. 140 00:09:01,180 --> 00:09:04,220 Just like Aslan died in Edmund's place. 141 00:09:04,220 --> 00:09:07,600 When you read the book or you see the movie you don't like Edmund. 142 00:09:07,600 --> 00:09:08,600 He's a punk. 143 00:09:08,600 --> 00:09:12,200 Out of the four children he's the least likable. 144 00:09:12,200 --> 00:09:14,380 But isn't that the perfect connection? 145 00:09:14,380 --> 00:09:16,920 In our sins we're punks. 146 00:09:16,920 --> 00:09:18,520 We're not likable. 147 00:09:18,520 --> 00:09:23,280 But while we were sinners Christ died for us. 148 00:09:23,280 --> 00:09:24,360 Why? 149 00:09:24,360 --> 00:09:25,740 Because God loves you. 150 00:09:25,740 --> 00:09:27,520 You matter to God. 151 00:09:27,520 --> 00:09:34,800 And God shows his great love for you by letting Christ die in your place. 152 00:09:34,800 --> 00:09:40,780 I hope this message stirs within your heart an inclination that grows as you reciprocate 153 00:09:40,780 --> 00:09:44,440 that love back to God and others. 154 00:09:44,440 --> 00:09:51,000 Until next time remember again, you are loved. 155 00:09:51,000 --> 00:09:55,720 If you enjoyed this episode of Real Faith, please hit that subscribe button so you don't 156 00:09:55,720 --> 00:09:58,320 miss out on future episodes. 157 00:09:58,320 --> 00:10:04,280 Remember you can find us at wherever podcasts are found and on SCBower.com. 158 00:10:04,280 --> 00:10:07,840 That's S-C-B-O-W-E-R dot com. 159 00:10:07,840 --> 00:10:11,680 There's also contact and bio information on that website. 160 00:10:11,680 --> 00:10:22,520 If you have a question or if I can help you out, please let me know.