Video of the Day: Trailer from the 2010 film “The 5th Quarter”
Bible Verse of the Day:
On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 18 Now Bethany was less than two miles[b] from Jerusalem, 19 and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. 21 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask,” John 11:17-22.
Biblical Connection:
When I’m not able to find a scene reflective of a film, I’ll provide the entire trailer to give readers a broader perspective. As a former high school teacher, one thing is certain during the course of any year, one or more students will die in a car accident at your school or one nearby. This is the plot based upon the true story of Luke Abbate who dies days before his 16th birthday. When bad things happen to God people, families can be torn apart, always second guessing themselves and God. Older brother Jon, a member of the Wake Forest University football team, changes his number to Luke’s #5. After taking a leave of absence from the team following his brother’s death, Jon leads Wake to one of their most successful seasons ever, moving fans to refer to the 4th as the 5th quarter.
One of the scenes in the 5th Quarter has a coach talking about the two knowns in life: birth and death. Unfortunately, coping with the loss of one loved one is nothing new. After her own brother dies, Martha blames Jesus for Lazarus’ death. Despite her emotional anguish, Martha believed that Jesus could somehow bring Lazarus back from the dead. While the Lazarus effect does occur today, people who have been pronounced dead and do wake up, why bad things happen to good people remains a mystery. King Solomon writes about a time for everything in Ecclesiastes 3. Peter talks about faith being tested by trials in 1 Peter 1:6-7. The younger brother of Jesus points to unexpected events as things that build character, maturity and perseverance. When bad things do happen to you, you may never receive a direct answer from God, but these situations will challenge you to grow in your faith.
Closing Song:
Like the Abbate family who founded The Luke Abbate 5th Quarter Foundation, as you go through your first trial of 2025, may the Lord bring something positive out of this negative experience.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 