The Heart of Man

At first I went into this thinking, "another Christian movie.. sure sure".

Then, I relaxed a bit, started to listen to the testimony, the stories, and realized, this was about so much more that the prodigal son, and Gods unconditional love. It was about men/women/people being able to testify to their pain, the suffering that the have been through, the scars and wounds that they carry. It's about knowing it has impact, and doesn't go away when you buy a shiny car, new house, or find "love" in all the wrong place. It's that real acceptance to your pain, and wounds, and being open and real in the love that God has for you. It's admitting brokenness, and trauma... and letting the Father be there for you.

I was really hit by the strength and courage that each person had in confessing, giving testimony to the world the sin and shame they carried, and realized, if we could all do better in this, what a different place we could live in. Shame is a weight so great, it crushes you through your whole life, and must be shed to live free, and in Gods love.

Seconds of sin, lead to a lifetime of Shame... Give this video a chance, take from it what you will, but I feel it is well worth the watch, and discussion. I am 100% confident you have spent 120 min watching something that has no value and were ok with that. :)

A moving and heart renching look inside ourselves and the shame we all carry.

The movie brings hope through stories of personal salvation and the pursuing heart of our father God to our darkest sins and hurt.

This movie has changed me. I am a new creature.

This is a movie that takes a hard and honest look at the roots of shame. It examines why so many feel unworthy to be loved and why these feelings create destructive behaviors. It addresses how many use pornography as an extension of their imagination in an attempt to find fulfillment - with interviews of top thought-leaders, William Paul Young ("The Shack"), Dr. Dan Allender (Professor of Counseling Psychology), John Lynch (co-author, "The Cure) and Jackie Hill Perry (spoken word artist), on brokenness, identity and shame. It's a movie about unfailing love and hope.

It features a small part from Serena Karnagy (from the Hawaii Five-O series) and it has an amazing music score and cinematography. It's uniquely done and admirably so, as the retelling of the ancient prodigal son story is intertwined with real life testimonies.

This movie is a piece of art. I have every intention of watching it several more times. There's a lot to take in - a lot to chew on. It moves you. It's about our human nature and it's a confirmation of a spiritual journey that we are all on - one that ultimately yields great reward.

"Shame hates it when we reach out and tell our story. It hates having words wrapped around it - it can't survive being shared. Shame loves secrecy. When we bury our story, the shame metastasizes." - Brené Brown

How can I describe a movie that is incredibly visually stimulating when using mere words to describe it? But I will try... The mix of the dramatic presentation juxtaposed by the raw and honest interviews made this rendition of the parable of the prodigal son come alive! The acting was superb and the cinematography was was done with such excellence that if there were no words, you would get the idea clearly by watching all the breathtaking scenes. I went with 5 friends, 3 men and 3 women total. Each of us was moved by the story and felt it applied quite personally to each of us in different ways. It was a story that spoke of tragic results of good desires gone wild. It was a story of our struggle to set ourselves free from the bondage of guilt and shame. It was a story of the heart of our Father, God, and His desire for our best, even when we are at our worst. "Intense" is too light a word to describe the weight of this theme. It is a universal human theme...to desire something more than God Himself. "Prone to wander" could have been the theme song. But it doesn't end there, thankfully. Restoration is the longing of our God for each of us and the transformation that occurs when we begin to understand who we are and Whose we are brings us closer to His heart. His love heals and restores, and as the movie sweetly depicts, brings us back into harmony with our God. I would strongly recommend this movie to men and women of all ages because it speaks to male issues and female issues of lust and desire in ALL aspects of life (not only sexual). Also, there is a discussion at the end of the movie that will help the viewer to understand some of the symbolism and the heart of the director. Some of the characters are part of the discussion as well as some of those being interviewed. This important time wrapped up the theme and intent of the movie nicely, and it was well worth the extra time spent at the end. This flick was done with as much excellence (if not more) than any Hollywood made movie I have ever seen. Ask your local theaters to show it again! When it comes out on DVD, I will be sure to own it and share it with as many as I can!

The Heart of Man, surprising the artistic backdrop to this documentary. The stories told are honest (brutally) and they are compelling. Its about how we as humans in the condition we are fall victim to desires that lead deception, brokenness and hurting the very ones we love. We lie, we hide and we deny there is a problem, Until. The documentary itself is so important because of the epidemic of sex addiction that it deals with that is tearing families apart leaving broken and wounded souls in it's path. It is about how to get beyond the addiction and through honestly facing the demon and through reconciliation and redemption lives and families are restored.

The backdrop story, a group of actors playing out the very stories told by those sharing their life experiences tell the story without saying a word. And if you never heard any of the real life stories in the film you would still know what they were by what you would see. The cinematography is stunning and so well done, the imagery of a family/clan of years ago and the draw of forbidden desires and the lust for them that leads a prodigal to search out what he believes is there. Only to find heartbreak but a loving father pursue him, restores him and reclaims him as his own.

If you struggle with this problem see the film it will help. If you don't struggle with this problem see the film because you can be part of the help. I hope it makes the theaters again but whatever way you can see it do, it will change your understanding of infidelity and sexual addiction how it happens, why and what leads to restoration. It is truly an amazing film.