Movie
Hollywood Star Says Christians Can Bring the Holy Spirit to Film Sets: ‘We Co-Labor With Him’
ST. LOUIS, Mo. — The daughter of a Baptist minister in southeastern Georgia, Masey McLain isn’t a typical Hollywood star — and she isn’t afraid to bring her Christian convictions to the sets of her movies, either.
“God’s kingdom is absolutely everywhere,” McLain told CBN News at the red carpet premiere of her newest film, “Soul on Fire,” debuting in theaters nationwide Friday. “We house the Holy Spirit — bring that in a set, bring that to a film, bring that to a story.”
The new movie, a Sony Pictures project, is a biopic chronicling the miraculous life story of St. Louis native John O’Leary, who, at just 9 years old, sustained severe burns over 100% of his body from an accidental explosion in his childhood home. As a result, he was given a 1% chance of survival.
In the movie, the 31-year-old McLain plays O’Leary’s wife, Beth.
“One of my favorite things in Scripture is when it talks about co-laboring with God, and that it’s not like we ask God to do everything and then we just let Him do it or we do it all ourselves,” she said, referencing 1 Corinthians 3:9. “We co-labor with Him, and I feel that when I’m on set. I feel like I’m not doing it by myself, I’m not doing it through my own power.”
McLain, who came to faith in Jesus at a revival event when she was 7 years old, said she was first inspired to work in movies because God “lives in me and He empowers me and we’re doing it together.”
“That does something that no man can do on their own,” she said at the St. Louis premiere. “When you partner with the Holy Spirit, that is what has the power to transform lives — not people.”
O’Leary, for his part, told CBN News that his life story, which he spoke about in great detail on the “Faith in Culture” Podcast, is primarily one of Gospel transformation, not just a miraculous physical recovery.
Speaking about himself, O’Leary said the most difficult part of his transformation was not surviving a seemingly unsurvivable fire, but overcoming a sinking feeling of unworthiness.
“The only place worthiness came from was not my work or my effort or my success, but God’s grace,” he said. “You’re going to witness this all over this kid’s life as he progresses from being burned to dealing with scars, but you’re going to see God’s hands showing up in ordinary people, ordinary heroes. This is where the Gospel’s lived out.”
O’Leary, now a renowned author and motivational speaker, credits God for his stunning physical recovery, too.
“It’s not a matter of courage or tenacity or self-imposed will,” he said of how he miraculously recovered from what was a near-certain death sentence. “This is God’s hand. This is a miracle story.”
It was the prayers of so many across the country, he added, that carried him through.
Having a front-row seat to O’Leary’s powerful testimony has deepened McLain’s belief that “nothing is impossible with God” and reinforced her faith in “the power of prayer,” she told CBN News.
“I think sometimes … when I say I’m going to pray for somebody, or [say], ‘All I can do is pray,’ that makes it sound like it’s the least important thing I can do and [is] not significant,” she said. “But actually, it is the most significant and most important and most effective thing you can do, because God is a God of miracles. I think John’s life is a testament of that.”
McLain isn’t alone in speaking boldly about her faith, either. Her co-star, Joel Courtney, who plays O’Leary in the new movie, is also open about his Christian beliefs.
Courtney became a household name to many believers after starring in the hit movie, “Jesus Revolution,” a 2023 film telling the story of the Jesus movement of the 1970s.
The 29-year-old star described both “Jesus Revolution” and “Soul on Fire” as “two highlights of my lifetime.”
“As a Christian, I love telling my faith, I love telling [of] my Lord, my Savior,” he said. “These really hold a high and elevated position in my heart, these films specifically do, because they are faith-related.”
Sources:faithwire
Movie
‘I Was Empty Without Him’: Singer and TV Star Donnie Wahlberg Gets Deep About Finding Christ
This past year, award-winning singer and actor, Donnie Wahlberg publicly proclaimed Christ as his savior, and lately he’s been opening up more and more about his faith journey.
In early May of 2026, the 56-year-old went viral for collaborating online with Christian music artist Forrest Frank. They soon released an official remix track together called, “JESUS IS ALIVE (feat. Donnie Wahlberg).” Then in June, Wahlberg went viral again while acknowledging Christ during one of Frank’s concerts – MORE HERE.
As he was taking bold steps to put his faith in practice, Wahlberg also connected with the podcast host George Janko on the George Janko Show and shared some of what he has learned.
Being raised in an Irish-Catholic background as one of nine children, Wahlberg described himself as a “peacemaker” amid chaotic and strained family relations.
“I come from a very co-dependent family. When my parents broke up, I was around 11 and I immediately became like the peacekeeper and the peacemaker,” Wahlberg shared. “The struggle for me was discerning between – and at that age I wasn’t discerning – being a people pleaser and just trying to fix everyone else’s problems.”
The multi-talented star continuously poured into others as the pressure to fix others’ problems built up over time.
“Everybody, people that I used to look up to, grown-ups, be like, ‘Hey how do I fix this?’ I’m like, ‘What do I know? I’m in a boy band’,” the New Kids on the Block star recalled. “But then, I am also a people pleaser. I want to fix everyone’s problems inherently. So, now I’m like, ‘Well I got to have all the answers’, and I literally have walked around for the last 30-something, 38 years thinking I have all the answers.”
After his boy band music success with NKOTB, he then shifted to an acting career, starring in Band of Brothers, Blue Bloods, Boston Blue, and more.
But as he struggled through the years, trying to figure it out on his own, Wahlberg finally admitted that something was missing and surrendered to God’s helping hand.
“It’s been so difficult in the last year to realize I don’t… I don’t have them all. I can try and I know God’s doing all the work, but I finally got to a point where I was like, I can’t do it anymore without Him. I’m missing something in my life.”
For Wahlberg, this powerful admission did not come out of a place of lack or despair, but out of a deep realization that, regardless of all he had achieved, he was empty without God.
“And I have a wonderful wife, wonderful kids. I have everything. So, as I am testifying right now, I don’t have a story of having everything and losing it. I don’t have a story of being a drug addict and recovery. God bless all those people who find their way,” Wahlberg told Janko. “Everything to the outside, to everyone, looks perfect and I was empty. I was empty without Him.”
Along with emptiness, Wahlberg struggled with loneliness and shared how Jesus Christ was the only remedy.
Despite the challenges he faced, Wahlberg recognizes God’s hand and plan through it all. He acknowledges his past as the preparation to properly pour into others today.
“I look back now and I know without a doubt, He built me into that life to do what I am doing now. I literally spent my childhood in that house trying to make nine kids, my grandma, our dog, our cat, and everyone happy and bring us together and everyone unified as we were fracturing and falling apart,” Wahlberg explained. “And that’s what I do for a living. I get on stage in front of 20,000 people and their suffering, their struggling and they’re going through all these things.”
As he continues to live out his faith, he celebrated his birthday today, August 17, with another post about Jesus, declaring, “Looking back over the past year of my life, the Lord has been renewing my mind, rebuilding my spirit, rearranging my priorities, recentering my focus, recharging my energy, reshaping my heart, refining my faith, restoring my joy and redeeming my life! I don’t know where I would be without Jesus, but I know where I will be with Him! All the glory is His! Thank you again and God bless you all!”
Sources:CBN News
Movie
‘No Limbs, No Limits: The NickV Story’ Coming to Theaters Next Month
“No Limbs, No Limits” captures the powerful story of inspirational speaker Nick Vujicic’s early life, revealing how Christ trades beauty for ashes.
As a top three speaker worldwide, Vujicic inspires billions of people, declaring Christ’s ability to use any willing heart no matter the circumstances.
Coming to theaters September 25, 2026, “No Limbs, No Limits: The NickV Story” will follow how Vujicic’s life became one of extraordinary resilience, hope, and Kingdom influence despite being born with no arms or legs.
The film features deeply personal home videos revealing intimate moments Vujicic and his family experienced. However, all of them proclaim one final message of hope.
“It was humbling. Revisiting some of the darkest seasons of my life hasn’t been easy, but neither was watching my family relive it with me. At the same time, we celebrate the lives that have been changed and the people who have come to Christ along the way,” Vujicic told CBN News’ Studio 5. “It’s amazing to have footage my mom had the foresight to capture when I was little, and I’m so grateful she did. Every frame of this film points back to one thing—what God can do with your broken pieces when you place them in His hands.”
While the film takes the viewers through Vujicic’s “real” and “raw” life, it is not meant to glorify him or his accomplishments but rather acknowledge the God who spoke a better word when his physical condition declared defeat.
“People can expect the real deal. It’s raw. The highs, the lows, and stuff I’ve never shared publicly before. This film isn’t about what “Nick” has done. It’s about what God has done with a guy born without arms and legs,” Vujicic shared.
“I want folks to walk away inspired and knowing they’re not too broken, too forgotten, or too far gone; everyone’s life has purpose,” Vujicic told CBN News’ Studio 5.
For Vujicic, the film’s overall success is not measured in ticket sales or reviews, but on the millions of people who may leave the theater inspired and transformed by the name of Jesus Christ.
“I want people to walk away knowing their limitations don’t define their potential when they’re in God’s hands. If He can use a man with no arms and no legs to reach the nations, He can absolutely use you. You just have to say yes. My hope is that folks leave inspired to trust Him and live boldly for Him. At the end of the day, the real win isn’t ticket sales or reviews; it’s about a million people watching ‘No Limbs, No Limits’ and walking out changed forever in Jesus’ name,” Vujicic concluded.
Sources:CBN News
Movie
‘Candace Cameron Bure’s Son Reveals Answering God’s Call to Preach
Lev Bure, the son of “Full House” actress Candace Cameron Bure, has been on a powerful and unexpected journey toward preaching the Gospel.
In a recent interview with CBN News, Bure shared how God called him to share Scripture, and why he believes revival is happening among young people today.
Bure, 26, said the roots of his interest in preaching came from the church where he grew up attending.
“I grew up with going to church in Shepherd of the Hills Church in Los Angeles … [with] Pastor Dudley Rutherford,” he said. “And they kind of curated this really cool weekend where he had the idea on a Sunday service to gather three, four, five young preachers, young individuals and kind of split up this Sunday sermon.”
At the time, he was 19 and ended up throwing his hat in the ring. While Bure said he’s not one to take “crazy chances” on his own, he said he has no problem jumping into the mix if he’s invited.
“So that was my first opportunity to kind of be in the pulpit with four other young communicators and … preach at a church and for a few services,” he said. “And that was kind of the start of it.”
Bure said he has since been fortunate to have other opportunities to preach and share the Gospel. He believes it’s a “great privilege” to share God’s Word and always seeks to do so with diligence and truth.
“We all … get to be part of God’s mission to glorify Him and make Him known to the world,” he said. “And we all get to do that, and millions of different ways, and I’m thankful that … this is a way that God’s allowed me to kind of be part of His mission, and I really enjoy it.”
Bure said he’s not trying to forecast a vision for the future, but that he has enjoyed the opportunity to preach the Gospel from the pulpit — and he’s excited for what’s next.
“If it’s something that He would grace me with and continue to in the future, absolutely,” Bure said of preaching. “It’s something I would love to pursue, I love to do, and I have a heart for it.”
Like many preachers, Bure relies on prayer and fasting before preparing and delivering a message. Ultimately, through many tools, he seeks God’s heart for each sermon.
“I kind of put myself in a place to be intimate with Him and really just try and receive what He would have,” he said. “And … He speaks to me in a lot of different ways through the timing of things, through just the conviction that’s put on my heart, through what I hear the congregation is learning about or interested in.”
In addition to Bure’s home church, his faith was deeply shaped by his parents, Candace Cameron Bure and her husband, Valeri Bure — two figures whose love for Jesus shone brightly in his life.
“I always think about … if I didn’t grow up in a home where my parents loved Jesus, like what would my life look like?” Bure said. “How would I be introduced to Christ? And it’s something I contemplate, but at the same time, something I sit in just so much gratitude that, again, I’ve been blessed enough to be born into a family where two parents love Jesus.”
Bure said his parents’ faith allowed him to be introduced to Christ at an early age, learning powerful lessons along the way.
“I think the biggest lessons that I learned from my parents personally growing up were really, I would say, just an intimacy for Christ is the biggest thing,” he said. “I’ve been so blessed to learn from them in a lot of different ways, but when you break it down, it comes to an abiding and intimate relationship with Jesus, and as long as that foundation is there, all else fails flows from it, and so to see that modeled from a young age is probably the most influential thing that my parents gave to myself and my siblings.”
Bure’s interest in preaching comes as his generation shows increased curiosity about Christianity and the Bible. Reflecting on the many headlines about young people flocking to baptism and faith, Bure called the developments “absolutely remarkable.”
“First of all, praise God for it all,” he said, noting that the younger generation is realizing that instant gratification simply won’t satisfy the human heart and mind. “I think, slowly … the younger generation is starting to feel the reality of this God-sized hole that’s in their lives, where everything that we think will gratify our desires, our greatest wishes, whether that’s through… you know social media, or money, or career, whatever you want to call it —I think slowly you’re finding that, at the end of the day, we still feel empty inside.”
He believes the truth of Christ then becomes increasingly evident to many people facing this scenario. And Bure wants to be a conduit to helping people discover that eternal truth.
“I’m passionate about people knowing Jesus, and I’m passionate about being part of that mission,” he said. “I think it’s why we as believers, we’re here … to glorify God and make Him known,” Bure said. “And so, realistically, I think I’ve gotten to be part of that a little bit and through communicating His word, and so I’d love to see that grow.”
Sources:faithwire
-
us news11 months agoSan Diego pastor fatally shot in his home; congregation left in disbelief
-
Movie12 months ago‘Light of the World’: Animated Movie About Jesus Hits Theaters Sept. 5
-
Sports12 months agoNBA Star’s Stirring Message on Dangers of Ignoring God, Clinging to ‘Valueless’ Things: ‘Only What You Do For Christ Will Last’
-
us news11 months agoErika Kirk vows to carry on Charlie’s mission: ‘The movement my husband built will not die’
-
Movie11 months agoForrest Frank Posts Blunt Response After Losing 30,000 Followers Over Charlie Kirk Post
-
us news12 months agoChristian Comedian John Crist Gets Engaged in Nashville: ‘God’s Redemptive Plan’
-
us news12 months ago‘He Sat on Jesus’s Lap’: The Time God Miraculously Raised Courtney Smallbone’s Son from the Dead
-
world news11 months ago6 Christians Killed in Latest Fulani Militia Attack in Nigeria

