Emptied & Humbled: Frozen – Glory

This is part of Emptied & Humbled, a movie based Lenten devotional. The whole devotional can be found here.

Lent is about glory! The choices, the sacrifice, and the death all lead to the glory. That’s right, glory comes as the result of the choices, the sacrifice, and the death.

As a result God exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow – in heaven and on earth and under the earth – and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9-11, emphasis mine)

As a result of Jesus’ emptying and humbling, God the Father exalted him, all for the Father’s glory.

Suffering is first, glory is second. The glory is the result, the reward.

We see the same in Frozen with Anna’s resurrection, Arendelle’s restoration, and Anna’s and Elsa’s reunion.

Anna Lives!

We hear early in Frozen that only an act of true love can thaw a frozen heart. First, we think that this true love is Hans, then Kristoff. But in the end, it is Anna who shows an act of true love. In the end, we see that “true love” is far more than just a romantic love. Instead, true love is a sacrificial love.

It is this act of true love – it is this sacrifice – that can thaw a frozen heart.

The last breath, because of her sacrifice, turns into the breath of life.

Just like with Jesus, death has been defeated! Anna lives!

Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? (I Corinthians 15:55)

Because Jesus lives, we can live also!

Arendelle Restored

Remember, the world of Arendelle was cursed with a never-ending Winter. Because of Elsa’s actions, the world was cursed.

But because of Anna’s sacrifice, the world was restored back to its original creation! The once frozen land is thawed and restored to its natural beauty.

For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead also came through a man. For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. (I Corinthians 15:21-22)

We look forward to the same.

But, according to his promise, we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness truly resides. (2 Peter 3:13)

Someday God will fix this broken world. This world that is so wrong will be made right. We look forward to the new heaven and the new earth.

Do you want to build a snowman?

When they were little, all Anna wanted was to play with Elsa. Anna kept asking Elsa, who had locked herself away if she wanted to build a snowman. Anna gets her happy ending. Anna gets her glory.

After Arendelle is restored, Anna and Elsa are reunited. Anna gets her sister back.

While the resurrection of the dead and the restoration of the world are things we look forward to in the future, reconciled relationships are part of the glory we can experience today!

Just like Anna and Elsa were reconciled, you, too, can reconcile with others.

Is there someone in your life with whom you want – or need – to reconcile?

Remember, the glory – that reconciliation – comes at a cost. Maybe it’s just making the first move, making the first call. Maybe it is confessing sin and asking for forgiveness. Maybe its forgiving someone who has hurt you.

As Philippians 2 and Frozen show us, the glory (the reconciliation) comes as a result of the sacrifice.

Today I leave you with a charge instead of a question.

Move first.

Make the call.

Send the text.

Did you know I wrote a whole devotional based on Frozen? You can check out Sharing God’s Story with Disney’s Frozen over at Amazon. Also, here are two free downloads that help share God’s story with Frozen. The first one applies Frozen to the Wordless Book. The second illustrates the “Romans Road” using the storyline of Frozen. Just right-click, “save as” and enjoy!

SharingGodsStorywithFrozen SharingGodsStorywithDisneysFrozenandtheWordlessBook

This is part of Emptied & Humbled, a movie based Lenten devotional. The whole devotional can be found here.

[Tweet “Check out Emptied & Humbled, a movie based Lenten devotional.”]

Get my free e-book, How to See God’s Story in Movies. This free download will help you share God’s story with your kids and students by showing you how to see God’s story in movies.

Not only will this guarantee that you get the latest Reel Parables posts, but you will also get my most popular downloads, including “How to Time Travel.”

And be sure to check out my About page for more info on what I do around here at Reel Parables.

Until next time, God bless.

Simon L Smith

March 30, 2017February 14, 2018

Emptied & Humbled: Frozen – Identity

This is part of Emptied & Humbled, a movie based Lenten devotional. The whole devotional can be found here.

Lent is about identity. Jesus’ death and resurrection show that he is both the Son of God and the Son of Man. In the same way, Anna’s death showed that she, and not Hans or Kristoff, was the real hero!

Frozen toys with us. First, it makes us think that Hans is Prince Charming, coming in and sweeping Anna off her feet. It even plays with the traditional Disney trope of love at first sight.

How many times did we hear someone say, “You can’t marry a man you just met.”

Frozen first makes us think that Hans, the good-looking smooth talker, is the love interest and then reluctant hero once Elsa runs away. Eventually, Hans is unmasked as the bad guy when he fails to deliver “true love’s kiss” to save Anna.

Frozen then makes us think that Kristoff is the real “true love.” (Did Disney just do a love triangle?) During the climatic ending, we see Kristoff racing back to the castle to declare his love for Anna and to save her with true love’s kiss.

But neither Hans nor Kristoff is the true hero. In an act of true love – sacrificial love – Anna intercedes to save Elsa. As Hans is about to kill with Elsa with a sword (man, I don’t remember Frozen being this dark…), Anna jumps between them to save her. Anna sacrifices herself to save Elsa.

Anna shows herself to be the real hero.

[Tweet “Anna is the real hero of Frozen.”]

Sacrifice has a tendency to reveal who we really are. What we choose – and what we sacrifice – reveals what is important to us. This is true with money. This is true with time.

What do your choices say about you?

What does your spending say about you?

What does the way you spend your time say about you?

Who are you?

If you have trusted Jesus then part of that answer is:

I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So the life I now live in the body, I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

If you are not, hit me up. I would love to introduce you to him.

SharingGodsStorywithFrozen SharingGodsStorywithDisneysFrozenandtheWordlessBook

This is part of Emptied & Humbled, a movie based Lenten devotional. The whole devotional can be found here.

[Tweet “Check out Emptied & Humbled, a movie based Lenten devotional.”]

Get my free e-book, How to See God’s Story in Movies. This free download will help you share God’s story with your kids and students by showing you how to see God’s story in movies.

Not only will this guarantee that you get the latest Reel Parables posts, but you will also get my most popular downloads, including “How to Time Travel.”

And be sure to check out my About page for more info on what I do around here at Reel Parables.

Until next time, God bless.

Simon L Smith

March 29, 2017February 14, 2018

Emptied & Humbled: Frozen – Death

This is part of Emptied & Humbled, a movie based Lenten devotional. The whole devotional can be found here.

Lent is about death. Unlike Spider-man 2, Wreck-it-Ralph and (possibly) Guardians of the Galaxy, which hint at or imply a death, Frozen shows us that true sacrificial love often ends in death.

Of all the movies we’ve already looked at, Disney’s Frozen gives us the best Reel Parable of Philippians 2.

The whole world of Arendelle is under a curse because of the actions of one person, Elsa.

Queen Elsa, acting like the prodigal daughter, runs away from her kingdom and from her sister, Anna.

Anna, following in the footsteps of the woman who lost a coin and the shepherd who lost a sheep (the “Lost” parables), runs after her.

When Hans, the Devil-like character disguised as Prince Charming, is about to kill Elsa, Anna intercedes. In an act of true love, Anna empties herself of her own ambition and humbles herself to the point of death to save Elsa.

Frozen makes it very clear that unlike Spider-man and Ralph, Anna dies. They show her taking her last breath.

For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. (For rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person perhaps someone might possibly dare to die.) But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6-8)

Anna loved Elsa the way Christ loves us.

Elsa was helpless and “ungodly.” She is the one that caused the curse on Arendelle. She is the Queen that left her kingdom. She is the older sister who left her little sister, the only family she had left. She was, as Romans 5:8 says, a sinner.

Yet Anna died for her like Christ died for us. Why? Because Anna loved Elsa.

[Tweet “Anna loved Elsa the way Christ loves us.”]

This Lent season, remember that Jesus loves you so much that he died for you.

SharingGodsStorywithFrozen SharingGodsStorywithDisneysFrozenandtheWordlessBook

This is part of Emptied & Humbled, a movie based Lenten devotional. The whole devotional can be found here.

[Tweet “Check out Emptied & Humbled, a movie based Lenten devotional.”]

Get my free e-book, How to See God’s Story in Movies. This free download will help you share God’s story with your kids and students by showing you how to see God’s story in movies.

Not only will this guarantee that you get the latest Reel Parables posts, but you will also get my most popular downloads, including “How to Time Travel.”

And be sure to check out my About page for more info on what I do around here at Reel Parables.

Until next time, God bless.

Simon L Smith

March 28, 2017February 14, 2018

Emptied & Humbled: Frozen – Sacrifice

This is part of Emptied & Humbled, a movie based Lenten devotional. The whole devotional can be found here.

Lent is about sacrifice. Disney’s Frozen shows this very clearly: Anna, to save her big sister, Elsa, jumps between her and the bad guy’s sword.

This is a fantastic example of Christ’s sacrifice.

Else ignored Anna for years.

Elsa, not Anna, caused the curse on Arendelle. Anna didn’t do anything wrong,

Elsa is very much the “Prodigal Sister.” She is the one who ran away.

Anna is the one who emptied herself and humbled herself. With Elsa gone, Anna is now the Queen. But because Anna loved Elsa, she left her position to serve Elsa.

Anna did not pursue her own selfish ambition. Instead, she considered Elsa’s needs as more important than her own.

When Hans – the bad guy disguised as Prince Charming – is about to kill Elsa, it is Anna who intercedes. She literally sacrifices herself to save her sister.

After her death and resurrection/glory, Elsa asked Anna, “You sacrificed yourself for me?

Anna’s reply is God’s reply, “I love you.”

[Tweet “Anna loved Elsa the way Jesus loves us.”]

Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through him. (John 3:14-16)

But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

Yes, Jesus loves you the way Anna loved Elsa. And Jesus sacrificed himself for you just like Anna sacrificed herself for Elsa.

The sacrifice of Lent shows us that God loves us.

So today I leave you with this reminder.

God loves you.

SharingGodsStorywithDisneysFrozenandtheWordlessBook

SharingGodsStorywithFrozen

This is part of Emptied & Humbled, a movie based Lenten devotional. The whole devotional can be found here.

[Tweet “Check out Emptied & Humbled, a movie based Lenten devotional.”]

Get my free e-book, How to See God’s Story in Movies. This free download will help you share God’s story with your kids and students by showing you how to see God’s story in movies.

Not only will this guarantee that you get the latest Reel Parables posts, but you will also get my most popular downloads, including “How to Time Travel.”

And be sure to check out my About page for more info on what I do around here at Reel Parables.

Until next time, God bless.

Simon L Smith

March 27, 2017February 14, 2018

Emptied & Humbled: Frozen – Choice

This is part of Emptied & Humbled, a movie based Lenten devotional. The whole devotional can be found here.

As we saw in Spider-man 2, Wreck-it Ralph, and Guardians of the Galaxy, Lent is about choice. Specifically, Philippians 2 tells us that Jesus chose to empty himself and to humble himself and that we are to do the same.

We all make choices every day. That is one reason Disney’s Frozen is so awesome. Just about every single character must make a choice.

Elsa wants solitude so she does not hurt anyone and chooses to run away.

Anna, her little sister who wants her big sister’s company, chooses to run after her.

At first, Kristoff wants to work hard and keep his job. As the movie plays out, he wants Anna.

Hans, who says he loves and wants to marry Anna, really wants to kill her so he can become King!

And Olaf, sweet Olaf, wants the very thing that will hurt him, warm hugs.

Yes, everyone in Disney’s Frozen wants something. Some of these things are good, some of them are not. Regardless, each character makes a choice – based on their integrity or lack of it – to get what they want.

We’ve seen that we, too, must make choices because of our own wants, desires, and ambitions.

Philippians 2 tells us to treat others as more important than ourselves and to concern ourselves with the interests of others.

Instead of being motivated by selfish ambition or vanity, each of you should, in humility, be moved to treat one another as more important than yourself. Each of you should be concerned not only about your own interests, but about the interests of others as well. (Philippians 2:3-4)

We all want things. We all have desires. To empty and humble ourselves is to look at others’ wants and desires as more important than our own.

What about you? What do you want? What choice must you make to get it?

What has God been working on with you this Lent season?

What is God currently asking you to choose between?

Are you currently acting selfishly? Or are you acting humbly?

Or do you, like Olaf, want something that is actually bad for you?

SharingGodsStorywithFrozen

SharingGodsStorywithDisneysFrozenandtheWordlessBook

This is part of Emptied & Humbled, a movie based Lenten devotional. The whole devotional can be found here.

[Tweet “Check out Emptied & Humbled, a movie based Lenten devotional.”]

Get my free e-book, How to See God’s Story in Movies. This free download will help you share God’s story with your kids and students by showing you how to see God’s story in movies.

Not only will this guarantee that you get the latest Reel Parables posts, but you will also get my most popular downloads, including “How to Time Travel.”

And be sure to check out my About page for more info on what I do around here at Reel Parables.

Until next time, God bless.

Simon L Smith

January 5, 2015

Be Your Kid’s Spiritual Hero

Every story has a hero.

The Matrix has Neo. Lord of the Rings has Frodo. Star Wars has Luke Skywalker. Frozen has, well, no spoilers… yet. Your kids have you.

Every hero has a goal.

As parents, our goal is to see our kids grow in wisdom, in stature, and in favor with God and man (Luke 2:52).

We want to teach our kids about God and His Word.

We want to help our kids understand God’s Story and we want to help our kids understand their place in God’s Story.

Simply put, we want to disciple our kids.

Every hero has a struggle.

The goal is easy enough – disciple our kids. So what’s the problem?

Sometimes this is easier said than done.

Sometimes our kids would rather watch TV or a movie.

Sometimes our kids are more interested in entertainment than they are education.

Sometimes they simply check out at the mention of a well-known Bible story.

Sometimes they just want to watch Frozen for the 100th time.

Sometimes they want to build a snowman!

Every hero has a mentor.

Neo has Morpheus. Frodo has Gandalf. Luke Skywalker has Obi-Wan. You have me.

Let me help you share God’s Story with your kids! Let me be your Morpheus. Let me be your Gandalf. Let me be your Obi-Wan.

Every hero takes action!

Like Jesus often did, I will show you how to share God’s Word with a story.

Like Paul, we can use our culture to share God’s Story. (Acts 17:16-34)

Sharing God’s Story with Disney’s Frozen is a movie-based Bible study that uses a movie your kids already love to teach them about the most important story, God’s Story.

Why? Because Frozen tells a very biblical story.

Arendelle is under a curse because of one person’s actions.

Only an act of true love can lift the curse.

In Frozen, this act of true love ends up being sacrificial love.

The story ends with a sacrificial death and a resurrection!

Yes, Disney’s Frozen can teach us God’s Story!

Download your copy of Sharing God’s Story with Disney’s Frozen today!

Together we can share God’s Story with Disney’s Frozen.

You – and your kids – will not be disappointed.
Get my free e-book, How to See God’s Story in Movies. This free download will help you share God’s story with your kids and students by showing you how to see God’s story in movies.

Not only will this guarantee that you get the latest Reel Parables posts, but you will also get my most popular downloads, including “How to Time Travel.”

And be sure to check out our new Start Here and About pages!

Until next time, God bless.

Simon L Smith