{"id":24015,"date":"2023-03-08T11:26:34","date_gmt":"2023-03-08T16:26:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/?p=24015"},"modified":"2023-03-09T12:47:36","modified_gmt":"2023-03-09T17:47:36","slug":"god-can-work-in-this-industry-actor-brett-varvel-describes-his-passion-to-use-film-for-christ","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/2023\/03\/god-can-work-in-this-industry-actor-brett-varvel-describes-his-passion-to-use-film-for-christ.html","title":{"rendered":"\u201c\u2026God can work in this industry.\u201d Actor Brett Varvel Describes His Passion to Use Film for Christ"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
UP2U Films \/ courtesy Everett Collection<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With the growing availability of Christian shows like \u201cThe Chosen<\/a>\u201d and \u201cThe Wingfeather Saga<\/a>\u201d along with movies like \u201cThe Jesus Revolution<\/a>\u201d and \u201cBig George Foreman<\/a>,\u201d Christian actors are being given more and more opportunities to share their faith with the world. One such actor, Brett Varvel, is getting to do so as he promotes the release of his movie, \u201cRunning the Bases<\/a>,\u201d on home video. According to the film\u2019s summary, it tells the story of how \u201cA small-town baseball coach gets the offer of a lifetime from a larger 6A High School, he uproots his family and leaves the only home he\u2019s ever known. But as a man of faith, he soon faces extreme opposition to his coaching methods from the school superintendent.\u201d<\/p>\n

Varvel\u2019s love of film started early, with the first film he created at 18 winning an award and bringing someone to Christ. Varvel told Christian Headlines<\/em><\/a> it was a defining moment. \u201cIt was in that moment [where] God was saying, \u2018Imagine what I could do through you,\u2019\u201d he said. From that moment on, he realized just how short life is and the urgency behind reaching others with the Gospel. \u201cI’m going to stand before a holy and righteous God, and He\u2019s going to ask, \u2018What did you do with these talents and abilities I gave you?\u2019 And so for me, just personally, I see no greater urgency than to use what I\u2019ve got … to just proclaim Jesus. That\u2019s my conviction. It\u2019s not everybody\u2019s conviction. But that\u2019s\u2019 what gets me out of bed in the morning,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Varvel\u2019s character in \u201cRunning Bases\u201d, Luke Brooks, confronts a choice that many Christians find themselves facing- what to do when their faith and career are at odds? Varvel summed up the decision as \u201cAm I gonna take a couple on the chin and stay obedient to Christ, or am I going to stay comfortable and give in to the way that the world works?\u201d It\u2019s an all-too familiar situation when Christians like Jack Phillips<\/a> are sued for refusing to make a gay wedding cake or a football coach like Joseph Kennedy<\/a> loses his job for praying on the field after hours. Varvel stated he is encouraged by the way acting has opened the doors to sharing his faith in the film industry. \u201cIt\u2019s really just Christ working in me. And so that\u2019s been really cool to see how God can work in this industry,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Varvel\u2019s faith comes with having seen God work personally through hard times. In 2012, he was working on the film \u201cThe War Within\u201d with his dad and soon found himself replacing his family with work. \u201cI had replaced my ministry for [my wife] with my job. I was never home, and we were fighting a lot and blaming each other,\u201d he told Pure Flix Insider<\/a>. They soon found themselves facing financial hardship as money ran out for the movie. \u201cI became very, very burdened for my family. I became angry with myself. I started questioning God at times. God was literally stripping my job away from me to shake me and make me realize that He\u2019s the provider. I finally just said \u2018Lord, I\u2019m done trying. You\u2019re gonna have to take over.\u2019 And He did.\u201d God saw his family through the financial struggles and a needed medical procedure on his son, Damon, after he was born. \u201cI was experiencing my own war within. And now I will boldly be able to say for the rest of my life that God truly is enough,\u201d said Varvel of the experience. He went on to be in several other films, including a role in the Zachary Levi-led Kurt Warner biopic, \u201cAmerican Underdog.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With the growing availability of Christian shows like \u201cThe Chosen\u201d and \u201cThe Wingfeather Saga\u201d along with movies like \u201cThe Jesus Revolution\u201d and \u201cBig George Foreman,\u201d Christian actors are being given more and more opportunities to share their faith with the world. One such actor, Brett Varvel, is getting to do so as he promotes the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":664,"featured_media":24057,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24015","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-television"],"yoast_head":"\n\u201c\u2026God can work in this industry.\u201d Actor Brett Varvel Describes His Passion to Use Film for Christ<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Brett Varvel discusses his faith and how he chooses to use it throughout his career.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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