Crosswalk Talk: Celebrity Christian Interviews

The lead actor in the new Angel Studios/Daily Wire film Sound of Hope says he believes the movie can spark an adoption movement within the body of Christ where families rise up to take in vulnerable children who need homes. Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot (PG-13) tells the inspiring true story of families in a small East Texas town who adopt 77 of the most difficult-to-place children in the foster system thanks to the leadership of Rev. W.C. Martin and his wife, Donna Martin. It will hit theaters on July 4 and will be released by the same studio, Angel, that was behind the blockbuster movie Sound of Freedom exactly one year ago. This month, Angel and Daily Wire announced a partnership to release Sound of Hope. At the end of the film, viewers learn that there are some 400,000 children in the U.S. foster care system, with 100,000 waiting to be adopted. Marvel star Letitia Wright (Black Panther, Wakanda Forever) is an executive producer.  Actor Demetrius Grosse, who portrays Rev. Martin, said, “We’re all called as believers” to care for the less fortunate. Grosse cited James 1:27: “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” Want more? Head over to Crosswalk.com to read the accompanying article! Subscribe and Follow: Make sure to subscribe to Crosswalk Talk on your favorite podcast platform (Apple | Spotify) and follow us on Instagram and Facebook to stay updated with our latest episodes and behind-the-scenes content of your favorite celebrity Christian interviews! Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

A new album by Grammy-nominated artist Danny Gokey includes his usual upbeat, hope-filled songs but also includes a track that warns about the deceptive nature of evil and urges the church to “wake up” to the lies society has embraced. “Evil is dressing up to fool the people,” Gokey told Crosswalk Headlines.  The 11-song LP, Sound of Heaven, releases July 26 and is Gokey’s fifth studio album with a mixture of worship, pop, and Latin sounds. One song from that album, I Got You, is currently on the Billboard Christian Airplay chart.  Listen to the entire interview here!  Want more? Head over to Crosswalk.com to read the accompanying article! Subscribe and Follow: Make sure to subscribe to Crosswalk Talk on your favorite podcast platform (Apple | Spotify) and follow us on Instagram and Facebook to stay updated with our latest episodes and behind-the-scenes content of your favorite celebrity Christian interviews! Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Grammy-nominated artist Crowder says the message on his latest album is simple yet necessary for Christians living in a dark culture: “Everything’s gonna be alright.” The cover of the album, The Exile, features a picture of a dry, desolate land. The 30-second intro to the album includes an eerie voice warning: “In the case of nuclear or radiological fallout, seek shelter.” The core of the album, though, includes hope-filled messages for Christians who feel like they are a “stranger in a strange land,” as one of the tracks says. “Here in the States it definitely, in my short lifetime, it feels more challenging than ever,” Crowder told Crosswalk Headlines when asked if it’s more challenging to be a Christian in today’s world than in past years. “If your head is facing a television or your phone, [then] it feels really, really challenging. [But] when you’re in your neighborhood with people that know you and love you and are trying to follow Jesus as well, it doesn’t feel very difficult. I can think of a lot of other places that probably are way more difficult. “But I do feel like what’s happening, though, is the church, I think, is feeling a robust need to respond in a way that maybe in the past we haven’t. It feels like there’s a tipping point that we’re about to hit, where the church’s voice gets a little more robust and responsive in light of how loud other antagonistic-toward-the-church voices can be. Because they’re pretty loud.” Read more here: https://www.crosswalk.com/headlines/contributors/michael-foust/crowders-inspiring-message-to-christians-in-a-dark-culture-everythings-gonna-be-alright.html Subscribe and Follow: Make sure to subscribe to Crosswalk Talk on your favorite podcast platform (Apple | Spotify) and follow us on Instagram and Facebook to stay updated with our latest episodes and behind-the-scenes content of your favorite celebrity Christian interviews! Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Singer and author Ellie Holcomb says motherhood has given her a fresh outlook on life and a deeper understanding of God’s unconditional love. Holcomb is the mother of three young children and the author of three children’s books, each with a companion EP of original music. Recently, she released two projects geared toward adults: a new Psalms-based album, All of My Days, and an expanded edition of her bestselling devotional, Fighting Words. Holcomb toured full-time with her husband’s band, Drew Holcomb and The Neighbors before her first child was born. “One of my favorite things about being a mom is that you get to see the world again -- through their eyes,” she told Crosswalk Headlines. “Everything feels new and fresh. It’s been so good for me as a grown-up.” She said motherhood has also given her a new perspective on God’s love and grace.  “We are, first and foremost, beloved sons and daughters of the most high God,” she said. “And so, being a mom has helped me remember that before I’m even a mom, I’m God’s daughter, and He’s going to take such good care of me, and He’s going to take such good care of my kids, too. Man, what a freedom to know: We’re all just God’s kids, trying to make our way back home again. I am grateful for the freedom to be a kid, to mess up.” Read more here! Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The artist who is behind the hit song Honestly, We Just Need Jesus says she is on a mission to help reclaim R&B for Christ and to “plant a seed” in the hearts of non-Christians. Terrian released her debut full-length album Give It Time this year, and a song off that chart -- Honestly, We Just Need Jesus -- quickly began climbing the Billboard charts. It’s been on the Billboard AC Airplay chart for 14 weeks and is up to No. 10. It is No. 13 on Billboard’s Hot Christian Songs list, where it’s been for 18 weeks.  Fans of the song say it was written for our modern society: “Have we all gone mad? Have we lost our minds? / what used to be wrong, we say that it's right / honestly, I think we just need Jesus.” The lyrics also critique society’s addiction to smartphones and social media.  TobyMac fans know Terrian as the female vocalist on the Hits Deep Tour and a member of his Diverse City band. With Give It Time -- a mix of pop, R&B and gospel -- she is making a name for herself. She believes her music -- and that of TobyMac and others in the Christian R&B realm -- can serve as a course correction to a genre that is often filled with language and sexually explicit lyrics.  “The thing that I always remember is that all of those artists grew up in the church,” she told Crosswalk Headlines while laughing.  “R&B comes from gospel music. So in a way, I think it's us trying our best to sanctify that sound a little bit more. And also recognizing that there are a lot of Christians who love those genres. … We have church music, but we also need to be able to take up space as believers and artists in these other realms, so that Christians can have something else to listen to, but also, unbelievers can hear it as well and go, ‘Oh, I didn’t know Christians can write songs like this and that they're doing that over there. “I’m just praying that the Lord would plant a seed in their heart and use it to lead them to the cross. I think it’s an outreach.” This video is brought to you by Crosswalk (https://crosswalk.com)   Subscribe and Follow: Make sure to subscribe to Crosswalk Talk on your favorite podcast platform (Apple | Spotify) and follow us on Instagram and Facebook to stay updated with our latest episodes and behind-the-scenes content of your favorite celebrity Christian interviews! Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Actress Emily Rose has made a name for herself with her roles in such popular series as Haven and ER, but for the first few years of her life, her eyes were not set on Hollywood but on the farm. “I wanted to be a horse vet,” she told Crosswalk Headlines. Rose shadowed a real-life veterinarian for a day and went home that night, loving the experience. Eventually, though, she realized she didn’t want to be responsible for animals in pain. She also realized she was -- in her words -- not all that great at science.  In hindsight, she says, God had other plans for her life. A product of a Christian high school, Rose pulled out a copy of Campus Life magazine as a senior and chose a career path in the arts -- specifically, as a theater student at Vanguard University, a Christian school in California. (Her professors told her: “If this is what God's called you to do [then] He's going to completely open doors where you need to go.”) She then earned her master’s degree at UCLA.   “I have just been working at integrating my faith in my art the entire time, and just asking the Lord, ‘Okay, where would you have me? And where would you send me?’ -- just like a mission field,” Rose told Crosswalk Headlines. This video is brought to you by Crosswalk (https://crosswalk.com)  Subscribe and Follow: Make sure to subscribe to Crosswalk Talk on your favorite podcast platform (Apple | Spotify) and follow us on Instagram and Facebook to stay updated with our latest episodes and behind-the-scenes content of your favorite celebrity Christian interviews! Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

The frontman for the legendary rock band Stryper says Christians almost alienated him and his bandmates from the church some three decades ago and that the church still hasn't overcome its judgmental tendencies. Lead singer Michael Sweet and his brother Robert became Christians by watching TV preacher Jimmy Swaggart and then, years later, gained worldwide fame for their metal songs, their Bible-infused lyrics, their big hair and their yellow and black attire. They tossed Bibles to their fans. They attracted teens with edgy lyrics (To Hell with the Devil). They received a Grammy nomination.  Listen to his interview with Christian Headlines writer Michael Foust to hear how Sweet balances the sound of metal with the themes of faith. Subscribe and Follow: Make sure to subscribe to Crosswalk Talk on your favorite podcast platform (Apple | Spotify) and follow us on Instagram and Facebook to stay updated with our latest episodes and behind-the-scenes content of your favorite celebrity Christian interviews! Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

In Mr. Manhattan, Carlos portrays a businessman whose life is turned upside down when he learns his brother and sister-in-law have been tragically killed – and he’s been placed in charge of raising their two children. It is the 10th time or so, Carlos said, that he and his wife have portrayed an on-screen couple. Alexa may be best known for her roles in the Spy Kids movies, while Carlos became a well-known name for his role in the Nickelodeon series Big Time Rush (which is also the name of his music group). All total, they have more than 150 project titles to their names.  They have a passion for family-focused content. “Something that is becoming harder and harder that we're really trying to get a handle on, is keeping things safe for the family and keeping things pure for the family, including content for children,” said Alexa. “I think it is getting harder and harder for parents to navigate. Like: Is this going to be okay for my kid? Because the standards are changing so much to what is considered family-friendly now and what isn't." This video is brought to you by Crosswalk (https://crosswalk.com)  Read more here: https://www.crosswalk.com/headlines/contributors/michael-foust/carlos-and-alexa-penavega-declare-god-is-their-foundation-our-faith-is-everything.html  Subscribe and Follow: Make sure to subscribe to Crosswalk Talk on your favorite podcast platform (Apple | Spotify) and follow us on Instagram and Facebook to stay updated with our latest episodes and behind-the-scenes content of your favorite celebrity Christian interviews! Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

“Whatever trauma, whatever darkness, whatever hard things you've gone through -- God's molded something beautiful out of that and that's allowing you to be who you are today, whether that's a husband, a father, a mother, a wife. … I'm not saying that we're asking for dark things or trauma in our life, but it happens." The same director who was behind the 2023 hit movie The Blind and the 2018 biblical film Paul, Apostle of Christ says his newest project, Angel Studios’ Sight, will inspire audiences to trust God through the trials of life. Sight (PG-13) tells the true-life story of a young Chinese boy who grows up with a dream to be a doctor but faces severe challenges and persecution when schools close during the Cultural Revolution of the 60s and 70s. That boy, Ming Wang, overcomes the odds during a move to America to become one of the world’s top eye doctors whose innovations restore sight to the blind. He also becomes a Christian.  It hits theaters May 24 and is being released by Angel Studios, the same studio that released Sound of Freedom. Director Andrew Hyatt said the film urges believers to ask: How does God work through the trials of life? “We may not all have Ming's past and the trials and tribulations that he went through, but we all have something that … we grow from, we learn from,” Hyatt told Crosswalk Headlines. “You get to this place in life where you look back, and all those trials have made you who God wanted you to be today.”  Want more? Head over to Crosswalk.com to read the accompanying article! Subscribe and Follow: Make sure to subscribe to Crosswalk Talk on your favorite podcast platform (Apple | Spotify) and follow us on Instagram and Facebook to stay updated with our latest episodes and behind-the-scenes content of your favorite celebrity Christian interviews! Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Author and speaker Amanda Jenkins acknowledges that a Bible study on suffering isn’t likely a popular topic, but she adds that it can be life-changing. Jenkins, the lead creator of additional content for the hit series The Chosen and the wife of the series creator, Dallas Jenkins, is the co-author of the new Bible study God’s Goodness for The Chosen, which is a companion to Season 4 and explores how God uses suffering to bring about good in the lives of those He loves. Season 4 of The Chosen spotlights suffering more so than previous seasons when a character suffers a tragic death, and Jesus’ followers are left wondering why He didn’t intervene. Jenkins said that the Bible study’s eight lessons tackle that issue.  “We're dealing with some of the harder questions,” she said. The topic of suffering is personal for Jenkins.  “We have a daughter who's chronically ill,” she told Crosswalk Headlines. “And so it's really a double whammy of suffering. Because it's hard for me that I'm watching her suffer, and I can't stop it. And [God’s] not stopping it. And so what seems loving to me as her mom is not the thing He's choosing, but He is love. So, how do you work that out? So those are the kinds of things that we talk all through the study about — what we want from God versus what we get from God."  Listen to the entire interview here! Subscribe and Follow: Make sure to subscribe to Crosswalk Talk on your favorite podcast platform (Apple | Spotify) and follow us on Instagram and Facebook to stay updated with our latest episodes and behind-the-scenes content of your favorite celebrity Christian interviews! Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.