Crosswalk Talk: Celebrity Christian Interviews

The lead singer of the rock band Skillet says he wants the group's music to give hope to an angst-filled younger generation that is bombarded daily with unbiblical messages and desperately needs the "hope we found in Christ." Frontman John Cooper and his bandmates on Nov. 1 will release their next album, Revolution, a 10-track high-octane project that includes counter-cultural messages that have defined the group's music. The single Unpopular encourages fans to oppose the world's insanity. The title track, Revolution, bemoans the world's hopelessness but declares: "I believe that there's time to save us." Another track, Not Afraid, urges fans to "keep the faith" and "never back down." The album, Cooper said, is calling for a revolution "against the sadness, depression, angst, demonic stuff that we are experiencing in our culture every day." "The amount of people suffering from depression and suicidal thoughts and who think that they don't matter is so overwhelming to me. It just breaks my heart," Cooper told Crosswalk Headlines, referencing what he reads on social media and on Skillet's feeds. "That's one of the things I really, really care deeply about, is people that are struggling with suicidal thoughts and mental health -- those kinds of things."  "I believe it's a result of a society who has just thrown God away [and] who has said, 'We don't believe in God. There's nothing but the material world. There's nothing but the way I feel.' And if there is no God, they really find it hard to find a reason to live." Listen to the entire interivew here!   Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Jason Sobel was a hard-working young Jewish man living in New York City who believed he knew the intricacies of his faith. But as he acknowledges now, he didn't. At the time, Sobel was an employee at a large recording studio in the Big Apple, surrounded by rock stars and rappers. "I looked at their life, and I said, 'There has to be something more than this,'" Sobel told Crosswalk Headlines. "And I began a spiritual journey. I was going to the synagogue and studying with my traditional rabbi. And I started studying martial arts and Eastern philosophy." Eventually, he found Christianity. Or, as he says, Jesus found him.  "One day, I was meditating and had this crazy spiritual experience. My soul began to leave my body. Next thing I know, I was up in Heaven and standing before this King," Sobel said.  Sobel remembers a "glorious light."  "I felt the power of God pulsate through every part of my body. And I didn't know anything, but I knew that that was Jesus …seated there on that throne, and He told me I was called to serve Him. Next thing I knew, I was back in my body, shaking under the power of Heaven, running around, going, 'I'm called to serve Him.' My mom's like, 'You're called to serve who? We're Jewish, for goodness sake.'" Listen to the whole conversation here! Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The award-winning CCM band renowned for their matching outfits and signature harmonies has channeled their talents into a children's book aimed at teaching kids timeless, eternal truths. CAIN's new book, I'm So Blessed, is a lyrical picture book based on their hit song that reminds children that God loves them in the midst of trials. It climbed to No. 1 on Amazon's list of children's Christian early readers fiction and follows three characters -- Tay-Tay Tangerine, Logo Lemon, and Maddie Melon -- that are based on the group's real-world siblings: Taylor Cain Matz, Logan Cain, and Madison Cain Johnson.  "The concept of trying to teach your kid godly things feels daunting sometimes," Logan Cain told Crosswalk Headlines.  "And so this is an arrow that a parent can put in their bag" to teach "their kids in the way they should go." Listen to their whole conversation here!  Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The pioneering Christian band who helped popularize modern worship and high-energy praise music is still singing about the love of God as it celebrates its 25th anniversary. Sonicflood, which launched in 1999 and won a Dove Award the following year for Praise and Worship Album of the Year, will embark on its "One Nation Under God" tour this fall. The band will perform well-known hits alongside newer songs in multiple cities. The band performed and popularized some of the most well-known songs within contemporary Christian music, including I Want to Know You, I Could Sing of Your Love, Open the Eyes of My Heart, Cry Holy, and Here I Am to Worship. Lead singer Rick Heil joined the band after leaving another CCM group, Big Tent Revival. Originally formed as a touring band to open for DC Talk, Sonicflood quickly distinguished itself and became a prominent name in the contemporary Christian music scene. "I joined Big Tent, went on the road, and God expanded my understanding of who He was in these different denominations," Heil said. "... I didn't see denominations. I just saw the church as a whole worldwide -- the church. And I had a paradigm shift." Heil learned that he could "put my two loves of music and worship together." "And God uses that to glorify Himself and to change people's hearts. And music is quite an amazing gift as a tool. …Music takes the message right to the heart, you know, right past the brain. …Any way that we can get the message out that God is hope, God is love, needs to be broadcast." Read the full story here!  Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Legendary actor Dennis Quaid says America can learn a lot from Ronald Reagan's friendship with politicians from across the aisle, including the Gipper's close relationship with then-Speaker of the House Tip O'Neill, a member of the opposite party. Quaid portrays the former president in the upcoming biopic Reagan (PG-13), which chronicles the journey of the 40th president from his days as a Hollywood actor to his two terms in office and his battle with Alzheimer's. Listen in to Michael and Dennis' conversation, and find the accompanying article here! Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Actor Dean Cain (Lois & Clark) discusses the new movie God's Not Dead: In God We Trust, which opens in theaters September 12th, and follows the story of a pastor who runs for Congress. The pastor desires to run a Christ-honoring campaign but faces pressure to go negative. Cain also talks about the importance of Christians voting. He even tells us about the time he played on a team that beat Michael Jordan's team! Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Brett Varvel discusses his latest movie 'Disciples in the Moonlight,' a futuristic thriller in which the Bible has been banned in the United States. Varvel's previous projects include American Underdog, Running the Bases and Vindication.  Listen here to the whole conversation!  Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The filmmakers behind Overcomer and War Room are back with a new movie, The Forge, aiming to spark a discipleship movement within the body of Christ. Directed by Alex Kendrick and produced by Stephen Kendrick, the film hits theaters on August 23. The award-winning filmmakers behind War Room and Overcomer are back with a new film and a bold goal of sparking a discipleship movement within the body of Christ. The Forge, the latest film from Alex and Stephen Kendrick, follows the story of an irresponsible young man named Isaiah who learns about life and faith under the guidance of a wise older gentleman. It stars Cameron Arnett, Priscilla C. Shirer, Karen Abercrombie, T.C. Stallings, Benjamin Watson, and newcomer Aspen Kennedy as Isaiah.  Listen to their conversation with our Crosswalk Talk host Michael Foust right here! Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The director behind some of Hollywood’s most beloved family films says he wants to help “bring back” movies that everyone can watch together, inspiring both parents and kids alike. Filmmaker Sean McNamara is the director behind such films as Soul Surfer (2011), Hoovey (2015), The Miracle Season (2018), and On a Wing and a Prayer (2023). His latest project, the Great American Pure Flix series Shadrach, follows the story of a family whose lives are changed when they encounter a mysterious horse.   “I like something that the whole family can watch together,” McNamara told Crosswalk Headlines. “And the things that I grew up on, like the Waltons or Brady Bunch -- those are the sorts of things that I want to bring back to the new generation.” Shadrach, he said, still has “some edge to it” but is “done in a way that the whole family” can watch. If “you are faith-adjacent or faith-based, you will enjoy it even more,” he added.  McNamara has directed more than 70 projects but is perhaps best known for Soul Surfer, which recounted the true story of surfer Bethany Hamilton, who lost her arm in a shark attack. It starred Anna Sophia Robb, Dennis Quaid, Helen Hunt, and Carrie Underwood.  “If I had lost my arm to a shark attack, I think I would never get back in the ocean,” McNamara said. She goes, ‘Not only am I gonna get back in the ocean—I’m going to compete at the highest level’—and she does it. So I like making stories that show people going up against incredible odds, fighting back, and being able to move on with that.’  Listen to Michael's interview with Sean to hear everything they talked about! Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Jackie Hill Perry has always had a passion for words. As a young girl, she would lie in bed writing songs. In high school, she tried her hand at rapping. In college, she wrote poems, and as a young adult, she began writing books and giving speeches.  “Even if it’s Scrabble -- I’ll play Scrabble all day long. Because it’s got words in it,” she said, laughing. In June, Perry’s unique gift for words led her to sign a record deal with Reach Records, which was founded by and is home to Grammy-winning artist Lecrae.  It’s a return to Christian Hip-Hop for Perry, who released albums on a different label in 2014 (The Art of Joy) and 2018 (Crescendo) before taking a lengthy break from music.  “After I did Crescendo, I kind of had a conversation with God just about my future, my life, what to do with my gifts,” Perry told Crosswalk Headlines. “And I kind of got this sense from God that I needed to decide what to put my time into -- that’s because my margin was limited [and] my family was growing.”  After her 2018 album, she said she chose to put most of her energy into teaching “because I just feel that’s the thing that makes me happy and gives me joy to be able to open up the Bible and teach it to people.” “So I just put music on the back burner,” she said. Then, last year, Perry decided to pause her writing for two years, and “that started to turn my wheels like, ‘Hmm, maybe I do have space, and maybe I do have margin to get back into music again.’” Listen to the whole conversation here and be sure to subscribe to Crosswalk Talk so you never miss an episode! Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.