Newsmakers

Singer Danny Gokey wants to be seen as a "truth and love teller," encouraging fellow believers to be as "wise as serpents and gentle as doves." It's a powerful and important quest in a divided and chaotic culture — one in which biblical truth is sometimes treated with disdain. Regardless, Gokey believes there's a responsibility to speak about what's right, true, and good. "We should never get away from speaking the truth," Gokey recently told CBN News. "Truth sets people free."

Ultimately, he said some people will try to skirt what's biblical, real, and true — but humanity can't escape the facts and realities surrounding God's will. "We can sit there and protest gravity," Gokey said. "We can make laws against gravity. You can cancel people over saying gravity is real, or that fire is hot. But, the thing is ... it is what it is, and we're not doing any favors playing around and mincing words to make people happy." He added, "We need to have the truth that sets people free. So, I do want to speak truth, but I want to do [it] in love, and I just don't want to hit people on the head with it."

Gokey is carrying these ideals over to his latest music. His new album, "Sound of Heaven," seeks to point people toward hope and Christ, with eclectic songs helping listeners dive deeper into the eternal. "I always pray before I go into an album, because God is the greatest songwriter of all time," Gokey said. "And, I'm like, 'Lord, give me some inspiration,' because I believe when we get to Heaven, we're going to see that the sounds of Heaven are so diverse."

The singer said this variety of sound is captured on the new album, which was released on July 26. 

A persecution watchdog is warning about the dire state of persecution in Pakistan, calling it "one of the most difficult countries to be a Christian." David Curry, CEO of Global Christian Relief, told CBN News Pakistan's blasphemy laws — regulations restricting slights against religion — can lead to mob violence and evils perpetuated against Christians.

"They have very strong blasphemy laws, which I describe as vigilante laws that give any extremist the ability to make an accusation against a Christian that they have offended in some way Mohammed," Curry said. "And then rile up a mob to attack them, and [in] many cases kill them." He said some rely on these blasphemy laws to imprison and dole out the death sentence to Christians, often relying on fraudulent claims to make their case.

"In all these years I've been doing this, I don't remember a case that seemed at all legitimate," Curry said. "It's just very common that there are false charges brought." Despite the chaos, Curry hopes Pakistan eventually curbs the misuse of these laws and the targeting of the Christian religious minority within its borders.

"I still have a sliver of hope that it has the possibility, as a democracy, as a country that ... has some systems that still work, of being a real light in that region," Curry said, expressing a semblance of hope. "But, for now, what we have is a group that has been moving towards ... the rule of Islamic extremism."

Curry shared the story surrounding a group of people who were placed on death row for purportedly sending "texts claiming that Muhammad wasn't God." He said one of the most remarkable facets of the case was that these messages were purportedly sent in English while the accused were "illiterate." "They didn't even have a cell phone," Curry said. "So, everything about the accusation was clearly and patently false."

Author and commentator Carrie Sheffield has long been a bold voice in the political news space. But she's now opening up in a much more personal way in her new memoir "Motorhome Prophecies," a candid journey exploring abuse, trauma — and spiritual healing. Sheffield says it's a book that comes at a time when culture is desperately reeling, citing alarming suicide statistics showing nearly 50,000 people took their own lives in 2022, alone.

"I wrote the memoir because I just felt ... we're at this time right now in America with record depression and suicide rates," she said. "We have the highest suicide rate since 1941, and we have the highest depression rate ever." Sheffield said she's no stranger to dealing with mental health struggles as a result of what she described as a tumultuous and chaotic upbringing. "I was born into a family where I've been struggling with these issues for decades now, and, to me, it seemed like God wanted me to be able to share the tools that I've been able to develop," she said, noting how her experience turning to God changed everything.

The book was an opportunity for Sheffield to deal with the difficult moments from her past she had tried to ignore or push to the side. As she worked on the project, she realized the common nature of her story — and saw how it could help others struggling to persist through their own challenging pasts. As a child, she said she, her parents, and her seven siblings faced fluctuating periods of stability and instability. "Sometimes, we were in a third-world existence, and then sometimes we were in a first-world existence," she said. "So it's hard to pinpoint any average day, because we did have houses. We were living in normal houses, like normal people, but then we would be back on the road in the motor home."

As can be imagined, 12 people living in a motor home was quite difficult. Other times, though, the housing situation was even less accommodating. Despite the inconsistency, she said there were some common and expected practices. Each morning, Sheffield said the family would pray — but not in the way one might think. "We would wake up and we would be told by my dad how evil we were, how wonderful he was, how he had a prophetic call to save America," she said, claiming her dad was later excommunicated from the Mormon church. Years later, Sheffield spent 12 years as an agnostic after experiencing such spiritual chaos. It's a time in her life she calls her "walk in darkness."

Amid America's foster care and adoption crisis, a heartwarming new movie tells the powerful story of how one pastor and his wife inspired their church and town to help the "least of these" in the most profound and impactful of ways. "Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot," which hit theaters July 4, came from the mind and heart of writer and producer Rebekah Weigel and her husband, Joshua, who directed the feature.

Rebekah Weigel told CBN News that the film's roots were set in 2013, when the couple adopted two children and she subsequently learned what happened in Possum Trot, Texas — how a church adopted 77 children in the deepest of need. "I came across this story and it just really impacted me deeply, because we were in the trenches with our own kids, and to just hear about a whole church stepping in and doing it together was just really inspiring."

As time when on, Weigel and Joshua felt compelled to tell that story through film — a process that took eight years before this month's theatrical release. She believes "Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot" has the power to transform hearts and minds when it comes to foster care and adoption. "Twenty-two families from a little church stepped into the foster crisis, adopted 77 children," Weigel said. "They were the most difficult-to-place children in the Texas child welfare system."

The film focuses on a number of stories, but the central characters are Bishop W.C. Martin and his wife, Donna Martin (portrayed by actors Demetrius Grosse and Nika King), who spearheaded the adoptions and helped inspire their church along the way. Of course, that process was anything but easy, with the kids' trauma, difficulties — and the adoptive families' struggles — on full display in the film.

Weigel explained that the foster care issue is a "crisis across the country." There are so many kids in need that some youths are placed in hotels or hospital wards as they await foster care placement or adoption. "There's 400,000 kids in the foster system right now," she said. "There's 100,000 that are eligible to be adopted right now that need a permanent, stable, loving home." Weigel is hopeful the "Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot" will help motivate the church to do more to meet these kids' needs.

"We have 400,000 churches in America and 100,000 kids just languishing in the system waiting to be adopted," she said. "So, if one church focused on one child, we could wipe out this entire crisis. And we would have more than enough homes, more than enough help and resources." 

In a world full of lies, David Hoffman is on a mission to deliver truth. Hoffman, author of the book "

Relationships Over Rules: 7 Principles to Lead Gracefully and Love Generously - Harnessing the Power of Relationships to Overcome Your Past and Embrace Your Future," is a successful business leader and family man today, but his journey didn't start out that way.

"The world tells us all these rules of what you can't do," he told CBN News. "I grew up Jewish, so I can't be a believer ... I was raised in a broken household without a lot of love, and so I can't be married with kids and show them unconditional love." But while many people might buy into lies like these, Hoffman said there's another path — one centered on the Lord. "With God in the center, I just want to encourage people that, with Him in the center — with the gifts He gives you — with the relationships He places in your life, you can reach your true potential," he said.

Hoffman said his own upbringing led to complex feelings and emotions in his life. Overall, he felt a lack of love and this missing puzzle piece left him with a great deal of pain. "My father left when I was 11," he said. "I grew up with like a lot of neglect and I felt like I was alone a lot." Hoffman continued, "I would ask God why He would let all these bad things happen to good people."

It's understandable why he felt so conflicted. Hoffman described a childhood filled with abuse. The challenges were profound. Over time, though, he came to understand God's nature and character, realizing the Lord isn't the author of any of the evil we might face in life. As time went on, rather than living in lament, he came to appreciate those sentiments. "I just want to encourage people ... that your past does not define your purpose," he said. "And your past doesn't dictate your potential. And, so, for me, not having ... many loved ones in my life, not feeling a lot of love, not having a lot of opportunity ... it made me crave those and appreciate those."

The actors behind a powerful new movie that imagines a dystopian America where Bibles are banned, Christianity is vanquished, and believers are forced into underground churches are sharing the miracles that helped make the movie possible and the powerful messages they hope audiences take away. "Disciples in the Moonlight" stars Drew Varvel, Brett Varvel, and Josh Strychalski joined CBN News to explain the ins and outs of the movie.

"I would describe it primarily as an action suspense thriller," Brett said. "This [is a] movie that was based off of a question that Josh came to me with over 10 years ago, which was, 'What if the Bible was illegal?'" With that in mind, "Disciples in the Moonlight" focuses on seven characters who are trying to smuggle the Bible to underground churches across the U.S. at a time when the Scriptures are illegal and a new, "less-offensive" and watered-down version of the Bible is available.

Brett's real-life brother, Drew, who co-stars in "Disciples in the Moonlight," said the most exciting part of the project is that "there's nothing else like this." While the movie imagines a terrifying America — one in which the government cracks down on faith — Brett said this situation exists in other countries today. "We have freedom here in America, and what I've seen happen over my lifetime is a continual growth of apathy in the church of America," Brett said. "And, so, all of a sudden, this desire started building in my heart."

And that desire is to wake up the church and prepare people to stand if and when more intensive persecution does strike. "It really centers around the question of: 'How much do we treasure the Word of God?'" Brett said. "Is it absolute truth? Is it absolute authority in our lives? Josh has had a great quote in some of our interviews where he says, 'Am I a practicing atheist in my faith?'" He continued, "I really desire to see the church wake up here in America."

Strychalski said there were "challenges and setbacks" along the way to getting the movie made. But those issues led the team to lean into God. "All of the challenges and setbacks that we encountered in every phase of the project was really an opportunity for us to press into ... prayer," he said. "The release of this movie [can] only be explainable because God did it. And it wasn't something that we were able to muster up our strength to do on our own willpower." 

A Tennessee politician is on a passionate mission to urge fellow citizens to turn back to the Lord. State Rep. Monty Fritts (R) took the historic step of spearheading a resolution calling Tennesseans to coalesce for 30 days of prayer, fasting, and seeking God on behalf of the state. Fritts told CBN News it's a near-miracle that legislators in both the Tennessee House and Senate approved House Joint Resolution 803 (HJR 803) and that the governor then signed it — a difficult feat, particularly in an era when people routinely battle about views on the separation of church and state.

HJR 803 calls for "prayer and fasting in Tennessee" to unfold from July 1-July 31, citing everything from human trafficking to violence and drug abuse — evils plaguing the state, nation, and world. "We recognize that God, as Creator and King of all Glory, has both the authority to judge and to bless nations or states," the resolution reads, in part. "Be it further resolved that we, as public servants in the Tennessee General Assembly, seek God's Mercy upon our land and beseech Him to not withdraw His Hand of blessing from us."

The lawmaker was motivated by frustration with the state of affairs in Tennessee and in America more broadly, citing the "vitriol and the division in the nation." "I think God just opened my eyes," Fritts said, noting he fears "God may be removing his hand of blessing from Tennessee and maybe even applying his hand of judgment." Far from a mere proclamation, the effort, titled, "A Resolution to Seek God's Hand of Mercy Healing on Tennessee," sparked associated events and gatherings all over Tennessee. Already, Fritts and others have been to 60 counties where prayer and worship events have unfolded. He said they plan to go to all 95 counties before the month is over.

As for anyone who tries to challenge Fritts over the separation of church and state, he said he believes many simply misunderstand the issue and have been "taught...a lie" about the role of faith in society. "I think it's a lie from hell," he said. "The America we see today, the Tennessee we see today [is] a result of the church recoiling from her position to be a light into the world." The elected official said people started separating decades ago from this concept and that we have seen, as a result, "brokenness in our homes" and other issues, including the Fentanyl crisis, border chaos, and more. "I think when you reflect back on God's nature, Hebrews 13 says, 'Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore,'" he said. "I think that's true." Rather than allowing Tennessee to be further denigrated, he hopes to inspire revival in the hearts and minds of residents, reminding them to turn back to the Lord. Already, he's seeing transformed lives.

When celebrated actor Dennis Quaid examines today's political landscape, he sees a situation reminiscent of the one America faced in the late 1970s and early 1980s. "The times are very much like they were back in the late 70s, before [Ronald] Reagan came to office in 1980," he told CBN News. "[With] Iran, we had the hostages, the Soviet Union ... to buy a house, interest rates were 20%." He continued, "There was this feeling of malaise in the country, like we were a declining nation, that ... we had a weak president."

Quaid portrays Reagan in the new feature film, "Reagan," which releases nationwide August 30, 2024. "I was offered this movie six years ago ... and I did not say, 'Yes' at first, because, tell you the truth, it kind of scared me to death," Quaid said. "Reagan is ... like Muhammad Ali, one of the most recognizable people in the world. ... He was my favorite president. I voted for him."

The complexity of playing such a known individual — someone with whom the public has both memory and reverence — is tough. But Quaid eventually capitulated and took the role. "This fear went down my spine, and usually that fear is a sign that I should ... get out of my comfort zone," he said. "I had two years to really prepare for the role." With the film coming out during the 2024 election cycle — one that could be historic in more ways than one – Quaid encouraged Americans to come together, even amid so much divisiveness.

"We've got to get to a place in this country where we could talk to each other across the aisle ... because we need each other," he said. "Republicans, Democrats, we need each other. We keep each other from going out too far this way or that, and we're all Americans." Quaid, a lifelong Independent, has voted "both ways" throughout his life based on what he believes America truly needs. This time around, the "Reagan" star said he'll vote for Trump.

"For me, this election [is] beyond personality and all that," he said. "The election is really about the Constitution and when I see the weaponization of the justice system."

Actress Nika King, who plays a pastor's wife in "Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot," is helping bring to light the movie's powerful, real-life story about adoption and foster care. But King's real-life connection to the issue and her role in portraying Donna Martin, wife of Bishop W.C. Martin, is a story only God could write. See, King's character, Martin, is a preacher's wife who inspired 22 families in her church to adopt 77 of the most difficult-to-place children.

As it turns out, King's own mother's story is strikingly similar to the events depicted in "Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot." "It's my mom's story," King told CBN News of the movie. "She was fostered by a pastor and his wife. And I knew I had to be in this film some kind of way." The actress said her maternal grandma was murdered and that her mom never knew her.

"It's still a cold case," King said. "We don't know who did it."

Her mom ended up in foster care with her three brothers. All four were adopted by the pastor and his wife, a similar dynamic to what happened in Possum Trot. "It kind of unfolded just like this movie ... the ups and downs of being traumatized, being left alone, kind of to fend for yourself," King said. 

Decades later, King said she was fascinated by the opportunity to appear in "Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot." At first, King had a different role, but, as it came time to film, the cast shifted and she was thrown into the leading role — one she was overjoyed to play. "I was just so happy," King said. "I said, 'Yes' ... all the way through." 

Rebecca St. James, who has long dominated Christian music, believes there's a powerful "momentum in the arts" right now when it comes to transformational Christian content. "[There is a] kind of ground that's being regained, I would say, when it comes to faith ... leading in culture," St. James told CBN News, going on to reference the success of films like "Jesus Revolution," "I Can Only Imagine," and "Unsung Hero," a movie in theaters now that tells her family's story.

More specifically, "Unsung Hero" recounts the rags-to-riches story surrounding St. James and her family, the Smallbones, (brothers Joel and Luke Smallbone are members of KING & COUNTRY), showcasing the tough, overcomer events in their lives preceding the artists' meteoric rise to fame. "Unsung Hero" pays homage to the incredible ways God worked in the family's life after they came to America with nothing, worked hard cleaning homes and doing yard work, and eventually landed record deals. The film has thus far been widely well-received.

St. James believes faith-based movies like "Unsung Hero" are attracting big audiences for a reason. "People are hungry for these messages," the singer said. "And when we show up in the theater, we say to Hollywood, 'We need more of this. We need more family content. We need more clean content. We need more God-honoring content.'" St. James said she's proud of the impact "Unsung Hero" is having, and reiterated her belief Christians need to show up and support projects like it.

"Where there's a call to action with us is, we have to vote, go on these weekends to the theater, bring your family, celebrate your moms," she said. "It's this moment in time where we can kind of say to Hollywood with our vote, with our movie ticket, 'We want more of this.'" The performer believes this is just the beginning of faith surging in Hollywood. "I feel this sense of anticipation of what God's doing and about to do, because I think there's this wave that we're going to ride," she said. "And that's very exciting to me."