BodEquip Ministries - Equipping the Body of Christ to Live Abundantly.

Movie Review: Beware of Christians

Quick Plot Summary: A look at four real college students as they go on a trip to learn more about what it means to follow Jesus.

Rating: Great
Suggested Ages: 12+ (12 to 25 ideal)

This is a very modern, "real" look at what it means to follow Jesus as a young person in this culture we live in. Basically you follow the real adventures of a group of 4 Christian college guys that went on a trip across Europe to discover more about what it means to follow Jesus. It's filmed by them as a sort of modern reality documentary.

The result is very engaging and fascinating. I would say this is pretty much a "must see" for any Christian young person aged 12 to 25 or so. Subjects like materialism/greed, entertainment choices, sex, even church itself, are covered in a way where you see both the guys themselves, and by extension, you the viewer, having to come to grips with what it means to live as a Christ follower in a way that the world sees you are different from them.

Not every thing the guys say or do is spot on theologically - you are after all watching a bunch of college-age guys trying to come to grips with how to live out their faith. I didn't agree with everything said, but it's all portrayed more as a "dialogue" - a "discussion" - and it is certainly great to promote discussion. This is something that I would say most every church youth group should consider showing their youth and then dialoguing with them about. In fact, I would think a great way to do it in this context would be to split up the different subjects that are covered and show each part that covers one subject - and then break for discussion. This could be done over a series of several weeks with each week being a different part of the film.

The title "Beware of Christians" is based on the premise that one of the most dangerous things in our world is Christians - or people who call themselves Christians anyway - living just like the world so that there is no distinction. The net purpose of this movie is to try to stir young people to examine themselves and make a commitment to live different as a follower of Christ.

As aluded to, the ideal age range for this film is in the jr. high/high/college age-crowd. Adults can certainly watch and get something out of it, but you will definitely not be confused that you are watching a bunch of college guys with their level of maturity (or lack thereof). Yet, the underlying themes and issues discussed are worthwhile for all ages. I personally don't care for the "fake cussing" which occurs throughout this movie where the guys say things like "gosh darnit", but this isn't a major issue with me and certainly I did a lot of that when I was in their age range as a Christian also (I still occasionally do, so I'm not trying to condemn!)

Again, as a real-life examination of what it means to follow Jesus as a young person, this is a very helpful film and I know of no other one really like it out there.

Reviewed by Christopher Long,
BodEquip Ministries

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