John 3:16 Super Bowl Commercial – LookUp 316 (Video length: 0:45)

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

Related post: A John 3:16 Valentine Message

On one side of the debate is Deepak Chopra, famous philosopher and author of “Jesus: A Story of Enlightenment” and Bishop Carlton Pearson, author of “The Gospel of Inclusion.” They will argue that Satan does not exist … On the other side will be Pastor Mark Driscoll of the Mars Hill Church and Annie Lobert, founder of the international Christian ministry “Hookers for Jesus,” who will argue that the devil does exist, and has made a personal impact on their lives.

You can also watch the debate online here. The Mars Hill Blog has more information at: 8 Things to Know About Nightline’s Satan Debate.

“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)

SAT-7 KIDS is the first and only Arabic Christian channel exclusively for children. This channel aims to make the Gospel of Christ available to an entire generation of young Arabs in a way meaningful to them. The channel airs original dramas, talk shows, educational material, cartoons, music programs and other shows that capture the attention of young viewers.

You can watch a live streaming broadcast of SAT-7 KIDS here. I enjoyed it even not knowing the language. (HT: 30 Days of Prayer)

Attention all Monk fans! A special, all-new holiday episode of Monk premieres this Friday night on USA. This will be the only new episode of Monk until January 2009 when the second half of season seven begins.

Detective Adrian Monk believes in such things as hand sanitizer, disinfectant spray and color-coordinated jelly beans. But does Mr. Monk believe in miracles? Find out as a special episode of Monk arrives just in time for the holidays. Catch the premiere of “Mr. Monk and The Miracle” Friday, November 28 at 9/8C only on USA Network.

In other news, USA Network has announced that Monk’s eighth and final season will debut in summer of 2009. This will be a sixteen-episode season which will bring the whole series to a close.

“We want to build to a spectacular conclusion for this wonderful show,” USA Network’s executive vice president of original programming, Jeff Wachtel, said in making the announcement. ” By many measures, Monk is the most successful series in the history of basic cable…. Our fans have been extremely dedicated, and Season 8 should prove to be a very satisfying reward.”

This is a great show, and I will be sorry to see it end, but I am glad they are at least planning for it, so that they can work towards bringing the story arc to a satisfying conclusion.

Click for related post: The Best Monk Review Ever

The Center for Parent/Youth Understanding has put together a new guide to help teens evaluate the media in their lives. The guide is called: How To Use Your Head To Guard Your Heart: A 3(D) Guide To Making Responsible Media Choices.

The 3(D) Guide allows you to teach your students how to move from being “mindless consumers” of media, to an approach of “mindful critique” as they learn how to filter all media through the lens of a Christian worldview. Because teenagers are at a developmental stage where intellectual and cognitive abilities are taking shape, the 3(D) Guide is a tool that allows adults to walk alongside students as they begin to develop the ability to think for themselves.

The 3(D) Guide teaches students 3 Media Evaluation Steps:

1. Discover: Discover the message and worldview communicated in the piece of media.
2. Discern: Evaluate attitudes, values, behaviors, beliefs and worldview elements in light of God’s Word.
3. Decide: Make God-honoring decisions regarding their media use, consumption, and habits.

This looks like great material for youth groups, small groups or youth retreats. The cost is $15 for a pack of 10. You can download a free leaders guide here. You can also download a free media survey to get a handle on how your teens utilize media in their lives.

HT: Stand to Reason

Related posts: Taming Technology in the Home series

THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF LITTLE BATMAN

This fan film is based on the 1966 Batman TV series where a very young Bruce Wayne takes on the famous, pint-sized villains of Gotham City. Directed, shot and edited by Joe Valenti of Valenti Vision Films and produced by Jordan Wachtell.

In Part 1, the Dynamic duo discover Gotham’s latest jailbreak!
(Video length: 9:48)

 

In Part 2, the Dynamic duo discover the criminals’ secret hideout!
(Video length: 7:16)

 

In Part 3, the Dynamic duo are about to be finished off!
(Video length: 8:46)

See related posts:

• Batman Gets Rid of a Bomb
• Batman The Dark Knight Lego and 1966 Trailers

Here’s the thing. Unless I’m wrong, which, you know, I’m not, Monk is the best show on television right now. Monk is a fresh mixture of comedy, drama and good old-fashioned “who-done-it,” but always with a twist. Tony Shalhoub, the actor who plays obsessive-compulsive detective Adrian Monk, is amazing. There’s no doubt about it. He’s the guy.

Here’s what happened. My wife and I watched a few episodes and got hooked. It’s a gift — and a curse. The new Seventh Season episodes start Friday, July 18 at 9/8C. Watch it. Or pick up the DVDs and start from the beginning. Don’t worry, you’ll thank me later.

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Note for parents: Monk contains some instances of strong language. We use a language filter on our TV at home, but you may want to check out the series first before you sit down to watch with your kids.

Related post: Special Holiday Monk Episode

One of our all-time favorite television shows is the Andy Griffith show. Just the other day we were wondering who did the whistling for the theme song at the beginning of the show. That would be Earl Hagen, who passed away earlier this week. Hagen composed original music for more than 3,000 episodes, pilots and TV movies, including the theme songs for “The Andy Griffith Show,” “I Spy,” “The Mod Squad” “That Girl,” “The Dick Van Dyke Show” and “Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.” The Andy Griffith song also had lyrics called “The Fishing Hole,” written by actor Everett Sloane (who played Mr. Bernstein in Citizen Kane).

Click to play “whistling” theme song.
[See post to listen to audio]

Click to hear Andy Griffith sing “The Fishing Hole.”
[See post to listen to audio]

“The Fishing Hole”
Music by Earle Hagen & Herbert W. Spencer
Words by Everett Sloane

Well, now, take down your fishin’ pole
And meet me at The Fishin’ Hole,
We may not get a bite all day,
But don’t you rush away.

What a great place to rest your bones
And mighty fine for skippin’ stones,
You’ll feel fresh as a lemonade,
A-settin’ in the shade.

Whether it’s hot, whether it’s cool,
Oh what a spot for whistlin’ like a fool.

What a fine day to take a stroll
And wander by The Fishin’ Hole,
I can’t think of a better way
To pass the time o’ day.

We’ll have no need to call the roll
When we get to The Fishin’ Hole,
There’ll be you, me, and Old Dog Trey,
To doodle time away.

If we don’t hook a perch or bass,
We’ll cool our toes in dewy grass,
Or else pull up a weed to chaw,
And maybe set and jaw.

Hangin’ around, takin’ our ease,
Watchin’ that hound a-scratchin’ at his fleas.

Come on, take down your fishin’ pole
And meet me at The Fishin’ Hole,
I can’t think of a better way
To pass the time o’ day.

HT: Don Surber