Paul Asay

1 week ago | pluggedin.com | Paul Asay

We’ve been on quite the trek, the last several weeks. Way back in mid-March, Plugged In compiled a list of 64 faith-based movies (based on Box Office Mojo), seeded them into a March Madness-style bracket and asked you, the Plugged In audience, to pick your favorites. Well, you probably know which one was ultimately selected as the best of the best. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe barely broke a sweat in its early-round competitions.

2 weeks ago | pluggedin.com | Paul Asay

I’m an English lit geek, and one of my all-time favorite authors is Charles Dickens. The Stephen King of his day, Dickens was the Victorian age’s most popular writer, cranking out bestsellers with alarming rapidity. And more than 150 years after his death, he’s still selling books. Most of his works have never been out of print. But one of his books, The Life of Our Lord, was never meant to be published at all.

4 weeks ago | pluggedin.com | Paul Asay

In 2017, Dallas Jenkins—fresh off the underwhelming release of The Resurrection of Gavin Stone—created a short, Christmas-themed film called “The Shepherd.” Jenkins hoped to screen it on Christmas Eve at his home church. But he also thought it might just serve as a springboard for a more audacious plan: A multi-season television series based on the life of Jesus. Well, the small seed that was “The Shepherd” grew into The Chosen, now in its fifth season.

1 month ago | pluggedin.com | Paul Asay

Don’t just watch a movie. Talk about it. We say that a lot on The Plugged In Show. But why is talking important? Well, for starters, talking through a movie’s themes and issues can help you navigate some of those problems and put them in their place. Was your child unexpectedly scared of a particular cinematic scene? Talking about it can help her process it. Was your teen drawn to a problematic message found in a film?

1 month ago | pluggedin.com | Paul Asay

Today marks the end of Plugged In’s Screen Fast 2025. If you joined us on this crazy little journey, you have successfully navigated a week of greatly curtailed screen use. And, if you’re like me, you both felt that absence keenly and ultimately relished in the extra time you gained. You can listen to my experience, and that of my colleague Bret Eckelberry, right here.