Good character is taught and caught and the new DVD series Samuel L. Collins and the Search for Biblical Truths, helps you do both. Imagine a DVD series combining the fun adventure of a Young Raiders of the Lost Ark, the high-tech gadgetry of Mission Impossible and the Scriptural conviction of Bibleman. All of those elements are masterfully interwoven throughout Samuel L. Collins and The Search for Biblical Truths, a product line designed to reach Christian children and tweens.
In each half-hour episode created by Linda Vista Pictures, 13-year-old Samuel pursues top-secret clues to solve encrypted cipher codes which reveal Biblical truths. Most intriguingly, the young viewer becomes actively engaged as he’s invited to solve clues alongside Samuel hidden throughout the show and in the special features section. In the process, he will “own” the same, just-revealed Biblical truth.
Whether Sam is struggling with issues of integrity, learning how the first and second commandments can affect a young teen, wondering about how dinosaurs fit into the Bible, or how easily it is to be led astray by bad influences. When Sam finds the truths, your children will discover the biblical response for each issue. “We created shows that allow children to see a young man struggle with the same exact things they are going to struggle with, and then use the Bible to reason his way to the Truth,” said John Collins, creator of the series.
“Not only do we take you to exotic places that you may never get a chance to visit on your own and treat your children to an entertaining story, but we also give you a starting point to begin critical conversations with your children about their own character and how they would respond in similar situations,” Collins added. “Children have to learn character from several different vantage points. When mom’s share stories about their children dressing up to go on adventure like Sam and then grab their Bibles and read them, it thrills our hearts.”
Sam’s character is designed to be a role model. “When children see Sam pray, or read his Bible, or memorize scripture, understand that we work hard to embed those elements in the stories so that your children will want to do them as well,” said Kristi Collins, scriptwriter and mother to Sam. “We felt like it was important to show not just the struggles that Sam faces, but time and again to show the Bible as the place to turn for your answers. In each episode, we feature three different Bible verses to show the consistency of scripture.”
One of the most profound questions in all of Scripture can be found in Psalm 119:9 which asks, “How can a young person stay on the path of purity?” The answer is found immediately following: “By living according to Your word.”
That’s a tall order! How do you motivate a child or tween to live according to God’s Word? It’s not enough for Christian parents [link: http://www.searchforbiblicaltruths.com/parents.html] to simply navigate around the negative cultural landmines that spotlight sexual explicitness and gratuitous violence. They need a positive tool in their parenting tool box which will reinforce their heart cry: that their children desire to please God on their own initiative.
But how do you change the first impulse of a 12-year-old boy, for example, from sinning through the merciless teasing of his kid sister or the defiant disobedience of his parents? Psalm 119:10-11 holds the key: “I seek You with all my heart; do not let me stray from Your commands. I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You.”
Samuel L. Collins and The Search for Biblical Truths combines the innate desire that young people have to unravel an enthralling mystery with the parent’s grandest prayer that they embrace the truths found in the Word of God as their own.
Whether the young viewer decodes the clue by learning how to use a “cipher” or participating in “geocaching” — a treasure-hunting game using the GPS, there’s nothing passive about this new line of DVDs. And when they’re actively engaged in learning, God will begin to transform them from the inside out.
Samuel L. Collins 