Religion is one of the most important aspects of society and the world. I am a Christian. I believe there is one true God, who sent his one and only son to die for our sins. I believe this gave every human an opportunity to submit to the Lord, live for him and have eternal life after death. I don’t believe in denominations or “groups” as much as I believe in a relationship with Christ. As you can probably tell, religion and spirituality play a huge role in my life. This does not mean I am perfect, it just means I am a sinner saved by grace.
I am a part of a local church plant in Jacksonville called “The Point” and we have grown tremendously over the last few months. We just had our first ever Easter service. I am on the media team and I attend church every Sunday morning, as well as small group and college groups weekly. So, in reality, I attend a church-oriented service three times a week. I could not be happier, as I used to not be excited about church in the past. It plays a big role in my life along with religion itself. I am very involved not only in the media, but in the church body as well. I am often called upon to pray for various things by church members and family members both at home and at church. I was raised in church as well, but some of my beliefs and views have changed over time. For example, I have strayed from a few traditional beliefs such as Bible translation (From KJV to NKJV, ESV, etc) and the importance of pews, or lack thereof. These aren’t huge issues but I have changed my perspective on things like that over the years. Another part of my belief system that has changed is the fact that I think Christians should be more outward and express their faith more openly in order to reach lost people. When I was in a traditional church as a teenager, I thought being comfortable and letting other people do most of the work was the way it should be. I have deviated from that and am now more proactive in my faith. All in all, my beliefs have changed mainly due to having a broader perspective and a more open mind.
In closing, I would like to explain why I think we are here on Earth. I believe in the Bible as God’s ultimate and inerrant word. This means I believe every word in it is true. I believe in the one true God and that the Earth was created by Him. I do not think the world just popped up or developed over time. After watching a “Creation vs Evolution” movie by Ben Stein, many scientists are clueless as to how the Earth came to be. Just looking around at the mountains, fields, rivers, and oceans, it is clear to me God exists and he created these works of wonder. It’s awe-inspiring in my opinion. I also think God does certain things to discipline believers, not “punish”. For example, I wrecked my dirt bike in 2003 and severely broke my right arm. I had to have two surgeries and two casts. That day I was being very disrespectful to my parents and authority. I was a believer at the time but doubtfully “saved”. I think God did that to wake me up and I gave my life to Christ a year later. Overall, I think we are all here on Earth to serve a purpose and that is to choose good over evil, to choose right over wrong, and to trust God and live solely for him, the one who marvelously created us. I don’t deserve anything. My house, my car, my friends, my family…all of this was given to me by God who in some way thought I was worthy of it, but truthfully I am not. We all deserve Hell. I just thank my savior for taking the punishment that I should have received and giving me on opportunity to spend eternity with him in heaven.
The Dark Knight Rises
eight cylinders at all times. There is never a dull moment. Every single scene contributes to the overall production and that’s what makes it so great. It manages to do this, even while having a staggering 165-minute runtime. This is an extremely difficult thing to do. Christian Bale is stellar as always as Batman, and Anne Hathaway proves a welcome addition as Catwoman. She does a great job embracing the character, doing a lot better than most would expect. The cast is filled with talent. Bane is one of the most menacing characters in the Batman universe, and Tom Hardy cements that idea here. His voice, at first, may sound laughable, but as you learn Bane’s evil intentions and see what he is capable of, the voice goes from funny to terrifying. It’s one of the most unique you will hear from a villain or any other character. Bane ranks near the top, falling short of only the Joker as one of the most acclaimed Batman villains of all time. All of the characters also seem to mesh together extremely well.
The special effects in The Dark Knight Rises are simply remarkable. From a transforming motorcycle to a futuristic-looking aircraft piloted by Batman, it’s all beautiful and just plain cool. There’s also plenty of action, face-offs, and drama. Gunfights are intense, seeing Batman and Bane go toe to toe is exhilarating, and watching the drama of Gotham City unfold is pure entertainment.
