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Cinematic Scripture

Cinematic Scripture

Hosted by: Cyle Harless

Helping people see Jesus through story, in film, in Scripture, and in their own lives. Cinematic Scripture is a weekly video podcast that explores how the stories we love reveal the ache of the human heart and how...

All Episodes

Episodes

Episode 45: Film as Sacred Medium — How Movies Preach Without a Pulpit

Most of us were taught to treat movies as harmless entertainment — something to relax with, laugh at, or escape into. But what if film is doing far more than we realize? What if every movie is preaching a message…...
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Episode 44: What Is Good Film? (And Why Christians Should Care)

What makes a film good—and why should Christians care? Most of us were taught to judge movies with one question: “Is it clean?” But that question flattens film into moral policing and blinds us to its deeper power....
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Episode 43: What Is Good Theology? (And Why It’s More Than Doctrine)

What is good theology — and why is it always more than doctrine? In this episode of Cinematic Scripture, we explore why theology that stays in the head never transforms the heart — and why Jesus, Scripture, and even...
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Episode 42: Genesis 12–15: Blessing for the Nations Begins Here

In this episode of Cinematic Scripture, we step into Genesis 12–15 — a story shaped by fear, famine, barrenness, and the ache of waiting… and a God who speaks blessing into the middle of it all. Abram isn’t a distant...
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Episode 41: Les Misérables (2012): Grace Does What the Law Cannot

Les Misérables is more than a musical. It’s a story of shame, mercy, judgment, and the kind of grace that can rewrite a life. In this episode of Cinematic Scripture, we step into 19th‑century France — a world of...
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Episode 40: Why Theology Needs Story - and What Film Reveals about God

What if theology wasn’t meant to stay abstract, but to be felt—to shape our imagination, our desires, and the way we see the world? In this first episode of Season 1: Foundations of Cinematic Theology - Why story...
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Episode 39: To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) — Growing Up in a Broken World and Choosing Goodness Anyway

In this episode of Cinematic Scripture, we explore why To Kill a Mockingbird remains one of the most powerful stories about innocence, justice, and moral courage. Through Scout’s eyes and Atticus Finch’s quiet...
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Episode 38: The Grinch (2018): From Isolation to Belonging — A Parable of Tables, Not Spectacle.

🌲 The Grinch (2018): From Isolation to Belonging — A Parable of Tables, Not Spectacle. The Grinch believes the only way to survive hurt is to hide, to control, and to shut himself off from joy—and he lives that belief...
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Episode 37: Elf (2003): Living Love Loud Enough to Change the People Around You

Buddy the Elf believes joy can change people, kindness can soften cynicism, and presence can rewrite a story—and he lives that belief without apology. But what if Elf (2003) is doing more than making us laugh? What if...
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Episode 36: The Empire Strikes Back (1980): The Cost of Rushing, the Power of Patience

Luke Skywalker doesn’t fail because he’s weak — he falters because he’s impatient. The Empire Strikes Back is more than a sequel; it’s a formation drama. In this episode of Cinematic Scripture, Cyle explores how...
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Episode 35: Why Reading the Entire Bible Changes Everything

The Whole Story: Why Reading the Entire Bible Changes Everything Stop Reading Verses. Start Reading the Story. Most Christians read the Bible in fragments—verses for comfort, passages for clarity, chapters for...
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Episode 34: Genesis Season Two: Mercy in the Midst of Ruin

🎬 Genesis Season Two: Mercy in the Midst of Ruin Chapters: Genesis 4–12 When worship distorts, death multiplies, ambition grasps—and mercy begins again. Genesis 4–12 traces humanity’s descent (Cain, Enoch, the flood,...
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