Jake Colsen Goes to Hollywood

No the break isn't over, but I couldn't resist the urge to share this with all of you. "So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore" has been one of my flagship books that helps people wrestle with the reality of living loved in the religious environment of the 21st century. Almost a year ago, he was contacted by Kevin Waller about the possibility of converting this story into a theatrical film and they've been in discussions ever since. Wayne has the sense that Kevin is the right guy to interpret this movie for a spiritually hungry generation of people who are turned off to religion. He has enlisted Angela Eby to take first pass on the screen play and a few weeks ago they met for two days at Wayne's house to block out the script. After their time together they recorded a conversation with Wayne to introduce you to them and this project and in doing so they share some of their journeys about coming through their disillusionment with religion to embrace a larger reality.

Podcast Links:
Kevin Waller's current film in pre-production, Mission Blacklist
So You Don't Want to Go to Church Anymore
Help With Kenya

17 Comments

  1. I’m glad this project is going forward. But I was wondering why you thought a movie about conversations wouldn’t work. One of my favorite films is “My Dinner with Andre” which is nothing but a conversation.

  2. SAUL IS OF THE FLESH BUT DAVID WILL DO MY WILL. SAUL REPRESENTS THE INSTITUTIONAL CHURCH , DAVID REPRESENTS CHRIST AS THE LIVING HEAD OF THE CHURCH. SAUL IN HIS SELF AGENDA IS SUFFERING DEFEAT AND IS CURRENTLY FALLING ON HIS SWORD, DAVID IS COMING INTO HIS RIGHTFUL POSITION . I DO NOT LIKE MOVIES THAT PORTRAY JESUS WHILE ON EARTH BECAUSE WE CAN NOT POSSIBLY PERCIEVE HIM (HIS CONNECTION WITH HIS FATHER) . BUT THIS MOVIE HAS GREAT POSSIBILITIES IN THAT WE AS BELIEVERS KNOW VERY WELL (WITH ALL OF CHURCH HISTORY) THE EFFECTS OF UNDO DOMINATION AND TAXATION AND SELFISH AGENDAS. I BELIEVE THAT A PRODUCTION LIKE THIS COULD BE A SWORD OF TRUTH IN THE HAND OF GODS SPIRIT IN THESE LAST DAY’S GOD BLESS YOUR EFFORTS. I WOULD LIKE TO CONTRIBUTE $$$$.

  3. Listening to this made me smile… What a beautiful thing to be able to sit back and watch God’s plans unfold. It never ceases to amaze me just how capable God is!! The fact is, for much of my life I have thought that God really isn’t capable without my help! Doesn’t that sound so demented?! I am so happy to see how wrong I have been!

  4. I agree Paula and completely relate, Paula. I was taught that too. I feel I was “duped” into putting my faith into a religion-Christianity. Most christian churches will even say they are nondenominational but they still teach and practice religious routines of going to church on Sundays, taking communion on Sundays, praying, confessions, repentance etc on Sundays. I got to the point where it all lost its meaning because it was such a routine. People at the bulding I was attending about a year ago before I left, even place so much emphasis on going to church on Sunday that there was a real fear of going to hell for not attending church regularily. I feel the religious practices were an unspoken lie that everyone believes that if you perform well enough and you are a good enough christian, then you will go to heaven. If not, your with the rest of the world on its way to hell. I am so glad this movie is coming. I think it could give a voice to the lie that so many of us have fallen for that religion gives life instead of Jesus, a person. Religion reminds me of the word legion which is what the group of demons called themselves before Jesus cast them into a herd of pigs.?.? If there is any way any of us can help with the movie, Wayne, please let us know.

  5. After reading my last post it sounds like I’m bashing religion and I am. I am very angry at religion because I feel it lied to me by saying if I tithed every Sunday, if I went to church every Sunday, if I didn’t live a life of sin, if I served others even when I didn’t want to or it didn’t seem right, etc. I could go on and on but bottom line was if I did enough, served enough, worried about others enough, etc I was going to heaven. The only problem was it was all about what I had to do, not what Jesus already did. I am angry that I spent so much of my life in real fear of not doing enough to “get in,” when that’s not what its even about. The Jake Book and The Shack, and He Loves Me helped the Spirit open my blind eyes to what religion was doing to me. I hope the movie will be even more far reaching than the book. My apologies if I am religion bashing, I am just at a real place of anger for the lie of religion and how much its affected me personally.

  6. Thank you Wayne. I’m glad you couldn’t resist. 🙂 Hope all is well with you and your family.

  7. Tricia, I feel for you. The Jake book has set so many people free from a manipulation of which they were not aware…I guess we were all just trusting in the leaders of our respective institutions but now we are trusting in our Great Shepherd. The anger is there, but just think of all the people still hog-tied to the institution and not aware of their enslavement! We all got sucked into the backwater and these books have opened our eyes to start swimming and get back into the fresh water. I think in one way we are angry at ourselves for being so unaware…but I know some ‘pastors’ who are more than angry with the book…they are furious! When the dust clears and their churches are empty, perhaps they will be free, too, to stop manipulating and to become real in Christ. Like Wayne, before the books, there are probably many in leadership who don’t realize they are dancing to the devil’s tune and we must hope they are also set free. I know people who already saw the manipulation and left without needing to read such a book…we are the ones who naively remained until our ‘eyes were opened’ by “Jake Colsen”…THANKS WAYNE!

    Wayne, if more people are set free by this film then it is worth it. Very exciting! But David William Edwards has a point about dialogue in a film. Perhaps there could eventually be two films, with different titles to reach more people. One, for those of us who would love lots of relational dialogue with complex thought processes and a quiet pensive atmosphere and beautiful scenery, and one for the kind of folk who need activity and shorter sound bytes with upbeat communications …both telling the same story with different titles and different approaches. Usually the people who relate one way are less touched by the other way but both kinds of people are children of the Kingdom. Anyway, the Jake book/story is a rescue mission from Heaven for lovely innocent people who are being ‘had’…by ‘Institutionitis’.

    Great to see you in Canada Wayne!…Will be sharing “the Jesus Lens” DVD with a friend in the north who has no access to the internet…enjoying ‘Glorious Liberty’ in Jesus.

  8. Kinda cool, today I figured I would load up on my podcast since the taking a break one came out and there is only this current one after it. I felt like the Lord wished me to take a break from the God Journey podcast as well. He doesn’t want us to become dependent on any man/podcast/teacher/etc.

    He wishes to unfold our journeys threw multiple avenues. It was funny too because right after the podcast break I had the most unlikely person give me something to listen to and I DO RECOMMEND, called “The Secret of the Ages” by Robert Collier. What really astounded me also was this guy was born 1885- 1950. When you put that in perspective with listening to him or reading S o Ages. Well if you choose to pick it up you will understand.

    I am happy So ya don’t…. SYDWGTCA for short will become a movie with Gods hand. I am still in hope that The Shack will become one also human humility and God’s leading. I just had a instance where Father told me to burn this employees at my wife’s work the Cd’s. And out of the blue yesterday she told my wife that in the back of this prayer journal she had found on the ground in the very back it was written books to read ‘The Shack”. And anyhow burning the cd’s for her now.

    Peace out brothers and sisters. Big things are on the horizon for all of us. Enjoy everyday life. 😉

  9. I am really appreciating hearing the stories of brothers and sisters seeking to follow Jesus.
    Good to meet Kevin and Angela.
    Thanks to all of you

  10. Hello everybody,

    My name is Phil Atkins and Wow i love hearing all of this great stuff that god has been showing us throughout our puny lives …..compared to what we really have ahead of us :P…… i have been listening on and off of Wayne’s pod casts and i must say god is really talking to me through every little bit of my life just hearing back on what wayne talks about. I have recently been strugglin with a few things but had come to pass in the last few days. speaking in revelation god had shown me that in times of discomfort, discomfort means that there must be COMFORT!! he has never fallin short to tell me that there is always a WAY OUT <<< how do i do this<<<<< you dont he replied, there is no way in my power i can walk or release myself out of pain and discomfort. i pictured jesus sittin next to me saying….how are you brother ? then i knew that he knew that i was not okay but really i was okay because the whole time i had been striving and carrying on with self pitty and dissrupting thoughts there he was sitting next to me asking how i was or really hes hinting to ask him for help …… the only problem we have in this day and age is confidence in christ that he has done what he can to save the people who dont know god….. i was never able to have a heart for these people unless i got to know god but not only to get to know god but to understand the life we live now is temporary ….. so i said to god <<< lord i will live my life temporary as it is, lord i will live my life loved as it is, lord i will live my life as a gift from you as it is lord i will live in obedience and know your love i will willfully sacrifice my only treasure for you as you sacrificed your only son but to know that he willfully gave his life not only for his people but his father !!! any who i could go on and on with this it might crack you up to know that i was only putting a word out to see if any one would like to chat and touch base with our lives as brothers and sisters but got extremely carried away i do that alot people i may have a lil adhd cos i do this in general life to haha any way if anyone is in for that my email is phil.live.life.loved@gmail.com thnx guys

    phil 🙂

  11. if there is anything that you dont quite understand in comment pls do ask me about it coz im not very good at writing out things … i was one of thos ppl who would rather make jokes in class than to listen any way cheers

  12. I just wanted to take a moment and assure everyone who has been intimately moved by this story that we fully intend on retaining the conversation element of this story. There is a lot of action that is alluded to throughout this book and in movie form we will have to opportunity to show it more. This story would be lost, however, if we neglected to keep those moments that propel Jake forward as he grows through his relationship and conversations with John. Take heart! We are fully committed to the entire spirit of this story!

  13. I think this is a dynamic platform for a story of this nature. Jake’s walk has been our walk. His struggle has been our struggle. There are those in the church’s institutional system that need to see his story unfold and receive a new measure of relationship with Father. I champion your efforts and would love to support you in any capacity.

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