Kenny and Mike discuss The Substance and spot faith issues reflected in the body horror genre film starring Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley. Written and directed by Coralie Fargeat who won the Best Screenplay Award at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, The Substance challenges agism and society's unrealistic, double standards of beauty and capability for women as presented through Academy Award winning actress Elizabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore) who is fired from her successful workout program on her 50th birthday.

Following her firing , Sparkle takes The Substance, a black market drug that offers an opportunity to experience life via a better and younger version of yourself with whom you must share life, 7 days on and 7 days off in a Substance induced coma. For Sparkle, her better self is Sue (Margaret Qualley.) While Elizabeth and Sue "are one" they are anything but on the same page of the life arrangement required by The Substance. The Substance is Rated R for nudity, language, and strong violence.

Faith Issues:

Accepting and even embracing the reality of differing seaons of life as taught in Ecclesiastes 3.

Resisting the temptation to live for and by earthly standards and treasures. Matthew 6

Living faithfully in and for the future rather than fearfully in and for the past. Jeremiah 29,

Hebrews 11 discusses the substance or confidence of faith in the life and promises of a fuller and better life God desires for and offers us.

Psalm 130, a Song of Ascents offers opportunity to express fear and grief when one goes through seasons of loss and change while maintaining faith in God's redemption.

Psalm 42 and 43 speak of longing for better days from the past and lifting up laments to God yet also putting faith and trust in God's righteousness and vendication.

Quoted by Christ on the cross, Psalm 22 voices the lament of one enduring great suffering and almost losing hope, but ends in faith in God's faithfullness.

Faithspotting Hosts Mike Hatch and Kenny Dickson discuss and spot faith reflected in the AppleTV+ series starring Oscar winners Cate Blanchett and Kevin Kline. Disclaimer is the first television series directed by four time Oscar winning director Alphonso Cuaron and is based on the psychlogical thrilling novel by Renee Knight.

Faith Notes:

Disclaimer depicts the impact impact of unresolved grief and anger that grows into hate, as well as the destructive power of hate fueled revenge. Disclaimer demonstrates the impact of not effectively working through grief and anger. While people process grief in different ways and times, intervention is necessary when one becomes supresses or gets stuck in the mourning and grief process. In a similar way, holding on to anger can lead to destructive consequences to health and relationships. Discalaimer is rated -R- for Language, Sexuality, and depictions of Sexual Violence, and Drug use.

For Christians, faith in the new life assured now and eternally through the resurrection assists persons in the midst of loss and grief. The destructive power of unresolved and unforgiven anger often leads to thoughts or acts of revenge which impacts not only the people directly involved but family, friends, and others who suffer collateral wounds. Forgiveness is commanded by Christ. Forgiveness helps protect and preserve the physicial, psychological, and spiritual health and well-being of individuals directively involved as well as others. Forgiveness ifsoften very difficult, but even when it seems God can work within one to bring them to a state of forgiveness and peace.

Mike and Kenny discuss the wonderful film and spot faith elements reflected in Titus Kaphar's feature length directorial and screenwriting debut. Included in the episode is an indepth conversation with Titus Kaphar. Based on Kaphar's life, Exhibing Forgiveness examines the need and difficulty many face in offering forgiveness. Titus Kaphar is a well known artist whose paintings and sculptures are highly sought after by private collectors and galleries. The forgiving process mirrors Kaphars understanding of art as a way to disrupt past narratives which breaks the power of past events in the present and future.

Faith Issues:

The true nature, difficulty, and process of offering forgiveness.

When one withholds forgiveness, one allows the other to keep power over oneself.

The healing that can come through replacing anger and resentfullness with forgiveness changes the narrative and arc of one's emotions, spirit, and life.