Star Trek: Into Darkness

Jul 17, 2022    Russ Smith

What makes a good movie?⁠ Is it special effects? Great car chases? CGI that blurs the line between reality and make believe?⁠ A good movie makes you lose yourself in the story as you escape from the daily grind if only for a while.⁠ But a great movie? ⁠A great movie is one that you and your friends end up talking about, debating the meaning of different scenes. A great movie is one that raises questions, makes you wonder, that sits in the back of your mind long after the credits roll.⁠

For the next few weeks we’re going to look at some movies and try to grasp what it is about their stories that touch us at such a deep level. ⁠And more than that, we’re going to learn that the stories in these films touch us because they touch on the larger story that God has written and called each of us to be a part of in this world.⁠

Here are some questions to help you process this message and apply it to your life:

1. Which one would you choose: Star Trek, Star Wars, or neither?

2. Admiral Pike gave Kirk a second chance (“It’s gonna be ok, son.”). Can you think of some situations in your life when you were given a second chance? What happened?

3. The big line of the film is when Kirk said to Spock “I have no idea what I’m supposed to do. I only know what I can do.”. Have you ever felt like that?

4. So what can you do? What can you do to love people the same way Jesus has loved you? What can you do to lay down your life for others? (Even if you have no idea what you’re supposed to do, what can you do?)

5. The phrase “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few” reminded Russ of what Jesus said in John 15:13. Go ahead and read that verse to remember.