Soul Surfer Bethany Hamilton and Husband Place Third in The Amazing Race

After being in first place for much of the season, Bethany Hamilton and her husband ended in third place.

She speaks about her future plans including a Kickstarter-funded "Surfs Like a Girl" film.

Hillsong UNITED's "Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)" Goes Platinum

Hillsong UNITED continues to make an impact with their No. 1 single "Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)" as the song has received RIAA Platinum status. As the group wraps up an incredible 2014 with awards and sales recognition, UNITED looks forward to 2015 as they will release new music with a full-length studio album. In addition in April 2015, Warner Bros. and Alcon Entertainment will release nationwide the film LET HOPE RISE - the HILLSONG Movie.

"The last couple of years have been an expectation-busting-juggernaut of pure grace and madness," shares Joel Houston, Hillsong Creative Director and Worship Leader. "It's been beyond what any of us could have thought, and we've chosen to not take a moment of it for granted. The last 12 months have been spent throwing ourselves into this next project and season like it's all we've got, and we're simply trusting that the same mysterious breathe that got us this far will take us deeper all over again."

Since the release of UNITED's 2013 album, ZION, which was their most successful and fastest selling album to date, the band has continued to grow their international reach. ZION produced UNITED's No. 1 hit, the Platinum-selling and multiple-Dove winning single, "Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)." This was the group's first No.1 radio single, cracking the longest reign on Billboard's airplay/sales/streaming-based Hot Christian Songs chart. The lyric video for "Oceans" has a staggering 22.4 million views.

UNITED is a worship band that originally rose out of the youth ministry of Hillsong Church in Sydney, Australia.

Mark Schultz’s “Different Kind of Christmas” Single Goes Viral

Mark Schultz's new Christmas single - "Different Kind of Christmas" - has reached viral status on Facebook. The live music video has received nearly 4.5 million views, 142,000 shares, and 18,000 likes, all within less than a week. "Different Kind of Christmas" also shot up to the No. 1 spot on the iTunes Christian & Gospel Songs chart. The song was originally inspired by the life of Schultz's father-in-law and his recent passing.

"We tried to write the lyrics that would reflect the honesty of the emotions we were feeling - that Christmas was still hard, even though we have faith that Kate's dad is with Jesus," said Schultz in a message to his fans. "We had no idea how many lives this song would touch, but it only makes sense because there are very few people that haven't experienced a loss that makes life a lot different. There are few times in the year when that difference is felt more powerfully than around the holidays." Tomorrow, CBN's The 700 Club will be airing the live performance.

Thousand Foot Krutch Joins Alice Cooper to Benefit Teen Center

Top-selling rock band Thousand Foot Krutch jump starts its holiday season, performing during Alice Cooper's annual Christmas Pudding benefit event Dec. 13 in Phoenix, AZ at Comerica Theatre. The event benefited Alice Cooper's Solid Rock's teen center in Phoenix, a non-profit charity that provides free music and free dance lessons to teenagers (alicecoopersolidrock.com). The event also featured Alice Cooper, Nils Lofgren, P.O.D., Jonny Lang, Night Ranger and more.

Touring in support of its second consecutive No. 1 selling Billboard Hard Rock album, OXYGEN:INHALE, released Aug. 26, the event with Cooper followed tour dates in Russia that saw capacity crowds in every venue.

While on tour, TFK is playing fan favorites and hits from OXYGEN:INHALE like "Born This Way," which is Top 10 at Under The Radar, No. 22 at Active Rock, No. 23 at Mainstream Rock and continues to climb all three charts.

Pharrell Says ‘To God Be The Glory’ after Craig Wayne Boyd’s ‘Old Rugged Cross’ Performance on 'The Voice'

Craig Wayne Boyd won over fans and judges on last week's semi-final episode of The Voice with a hymn that not only showed off his amazing vocal ability, but pointed his audience to the cross of Jesus Christ.

Boyd gave a stirring rendition of the beloved song "The Old Rugged Cross" last Monday before a live audience.  The hymn was originally written in 1913 and is based off the biblical passage Galatians 6:14. The speaker in the hymn sings of of Christ's sacrifice through crucifixion, and his own dedication to the cross.

Judge Blake Shelton called Boyd's emotional rendition "one of the most passionate, epic vocal performances."

Producer and judge Pharrell Williams added,"Going through everything that you've gone through to get yourself here, what does it feel like to be at the top of your game and to surrender it to God in front of the whole entire world?"

"I feel so blessed right now, it's mind blowing," Boyd answered, adding that singing the hymn accompanied by a full orchestra was "a dream come true."

"I get it, man. To God be the glory," said Pharrell.



According to Mesquite News, Boyd grew up in the church and was actively involved in the church's music ministry and even helped direct the youth's praise band and choir for a time.

"He was never one of those teenagers that hid his faith," Mark Ellis, a minister at Peace Church for 21 years, told the Associated Press. "He was very involved with the youth group at church, very faithful and a good young man."

"He wasn't so wrapped up in life outside of church that he didn't have time to get involved," the pastor added.

Michael W. Smith & Friends: The Spirit of Christmas Surges in Album Sales Following CMA Country Christmas Performance

Michael W. Smith knew something special had happened following his performance with Carrie Underwood on the CMA Country Christmas special. "What a moment - it made my hair stand up a little bit!" he said to PEOPLE Magazine backstage at the taping of the show in Nashville. The performance, along with a showering of media praise, led to nearly a 150% increase in album sales this week for his new Christmas project - Michael W. Smith & Friends: The Spirit of Christmas.

Smith's live performances with Carrie Underwood and Little Big Town helped solidify a Top 4 position on the Billboard Holiday Albums chart. The Spirit of Christmas will remain there this week in the peak of Christmas shopping season amongst Michael Buble, Idina Menzel and Pentatonix. The Christmas project - which also features Vince Gill, Lady Antebellum, Martina McBride, Amy Grant, Jennifer Nettles, Bono and Michael McDonald - broke into the Top 10 Overall Albums on iTunes, helping secure a No. 16 spot on the Billboard 200 and a No. 1 spot on the Billboard Christian/Gospel Albums charts this week.

Newsboys’ 'God's Not Dead' Album Certified Gold

Newsboys' God’s Not Dead has been certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), it was recently announced.

The band’s sixth career Gold album, God’s Not Dead was produced by Seth Mosley and features the blockbuster title-cut. The song garnered an RIAA Gold single certification earlier this year; topped the CHR chart for seven consecutive weeks; and inspired the Pure Flix hit film, God’s Not Dead.

"Britain's Got Talent" Winner Paul Potts To Release Christmas Single In Support of Syrian Refugees

What began as a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the famous Christmas truce of World War I, has become a global campaign resulting in an album (Silent Night Carols), soccer stadiums filled with hundreds of thousands of carolers and now a new single from "Britain's Got Talent" winner Paul Potts with sales from the single supporting Syrian refugees.

Commemorating the Christmas truce and remarkable period of peace, Integrity Music released the album Silent Night Carols, which features "Silent Night (Christ The Savior Is Born)," a new version of the classic carol penned by Franz Gruber in 1818, that prompted the 1914 event. It was hearing this familiar carol sung in English and German - - - "Silent Night" / "Stille Nacht" - - that induced the soldiers to leave their trenches and meet their adversaries in peace amidst the chaos and ruin of the Western Front. During this brief truce, the soldiers celebrated Christmas together, exchanged gifts, played football (soccer) and buried their dead before returning to the horrors of war.

Integrity's UK office has been working with Sports Chaplaincy UK and HOPE Together, coordinating national caroling events to commemorate the truce and the anniversary of "The Great War," which devastated Europe. Most recently, the label partnered with platinum-selling tenor Paul Potts to record the new version of the song as a single in support of Syrian refugees. Profits from the sale of "Silent Night (Christ The Savior Is Born"), available globally through iTunes, support TearFund.org's efforts to aid women and children fleeing the war-torn nation.

"It's fantastic to be invited to record such an iconic Christmas carol for such a worthwhile cause," says Potts. "I hope that people will enjoy it as much as I do and it becomes part of their Christmas."

The Most Reverend and Right Honorable Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury adds: "On Christmas Day 1914, the guns fell silent on the Western Front as German and British soldiers laid down their weapons… this Christmas 2014, we are invited to leave our defended positions and meet those we might consider to be our enemies, exchange greetings, make peace and sing carols. We do this not because of the actions of those soldiers 100 years ago but because of the actions of God over 2,000 years ago, as He came to us, at great cost, to bring reconciliation and peace, joy and hope, life and light. And he came to us not just to bring change for one day, but for the whole of our lives."

For more information on Silent Night Carols, the "Sing Silent Night" caroling events in the UK, and the Paul Potts "Silent Night (Christ The Savior Is Born)" single, visit http://singsilentnight.com.

Lecrae To Battle Eminem and Drake for Best Rap Grammy

Three Grammy nominations cap a break-out year for critically-acclaimed rapper Lecrae. He joins his contemporaries Drake, Childish Gambino, Kendrick Lamar and Eminem as a nominee in the hip-hop category Best Rap Performance ("All I Need Is You"). He's also nominated for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song ("Messengers") and as a featured artist on Erica Campbell's hit record "Help" for Best Gospel Performance/Song.

On Sept. 9th, Grammy-award winning Lecrae released his seventh studio album, Anomaly to critical praise. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart as well as several other Billboard charts.

The album features guest artists Andy Mineo, Kari Jobe, for King and Country and Crystal Nicole.

Lecrae, known for his music message that is often at odds with his hip-hop peers, speaks of monogamy, contentment, and faith. While remaining true to his beliefs, Lecrae has previously managed to garner critical media buzz, release chart-topping albums and mixtapes, headline the highest ticketed tour in the country, draw a Grammy nomination and win a Grammy award for Best Gospel Album. These additional three nominations now gives Lecrae the distinction of four total Grammy nominations spanning his career.

Lecrae has been praised by mainstream and hip-hop press alike with features in Time Magazine, The Atlantic, Entertainment Weekly, XXL, Essence Magazine, Billboard and Vibe Magazine, among others. Radio personality and MTV News Executive Producer Sway Calloway recently proclaimed Lecrae's music as the "Evolution of Hip-Hop."

Lecrae recently completed the U.S. portion of his self-titled "Anomaly" tour, performed with The Roots on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and appeared live on ESPN's nationally televised program SportsNation. He will be releasing his next music video for the fan favorite song "Say I Won't," featuring Andy Mineo, this Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2014 in a one-of-a-kind fan event during halftime of the Brooklyn Nets/Miami Heat game at the Barclay's Arena in Brooklyn, N.Y. Lecrae and featured guest artist Andy Mineo will be on hand at the game to deliver the premiere. T-shirts and free song download cards will be distributed to fans. One lucky contest winner will join Lecrae and Andy Mineo in the Sony Suite to enjoy the game and the video premiere. This event is sponsored by Sony Action Cam.

Pastor Has 8 minutes to Convince Prostitutes to Quit in New Reality Show

A&E has greenlit a provocative new reality series in which a man tries to convince prostitutes to quit their jobs. EW has learned that the network has ordered eight episodes of 8 Minutes (working title), a series featuring cop-turned-pastor Kevin Brown surprising escorts in hotel rooms and offering to rescue them from a life of trading sex for cash. In each episode, Brown has eight minutes to make his case.

Executive producer Tom Forman (Extreme Makeover: Home Edition) says the show was inspired by a 2013 LA Times article about Brown, an Orange County vice cop turned pastor who teamed with his church to create an undercover prostitute intervention operation.

“This is one of those great shows that was actually happening whether anybody was shooting it or not,” Forman said. “Brown told his congregation that for 20 years he’s had to arrest these women when what he’s really wanted to do is help them. It launched a drive within his church to run these undercover operations. We read that and thought somebody should put a camera on this, it’s the most incredible thing I've ever heard.”

Entertainment Weekly: So Brown is out there doing this in real life. This isn’t just for the show.
He’s a cop in Orange County who retired a couple years ago, then devoted himself full time to his church. So he was a full-time cop turned full-time pastor. As a cop, he worked vice. He saw girls who had no place else to go, who had been abused by their pimps, girls who really needed a helping hand, and what he had to do as a cop is arrest them. Now that he’s running a church, he can offer them that help. That’s what he was doing well before we called him. I like a little reality in my reality shows.

Entertainment Weekly: What’s the reaction when the women are presented with this surprise?
It has varied. Women have burst into tears and said, “I've been waiting for someone to offer me a path out.” And you have women who say, “I’m doing what I’m doing and I’m not doing anything else,” and they decline. No one has been angry. No one has resented him for being offered an opportunity to leave a life that’s so hard, and so violent and so dangerous.

Entertainment Weekly: Why set an eight-minute time limit?
Kevin has got a lot of safety protocols. He’s a cop and knows just how dangerous these rescues can be. Before he goes in and does one of these operations, he surveys the scene, he puts his church members in prime locations so they can observe, they have cops on speed dial. And one of his other rules is they would only have eight minutes to talk to any individual girl. In his experience, she’s got eight minutes in which she could return to her pimp and say, “I got a bad feeling about that guy, he backed out, I thought he was a cop,” without having the pimp come looking for her, which could create a dangerous situation for Kevin and his team. So for her safety and theirs, it’s a self-imposed hard deadline. They've got eight minutes to talk her out of prostitution. If she says yes, that’s great. If after eight minutes she hasn't, they give her a phone number and tell her they’ll always be there, but they cut off the intervention.

Entertainment Weekly: What’s his success rate?
It’s about 50-50. But the ones where he succeeds, we follow them out of the rescue and see the girls subsequently get back on their feet and see the good he’s doing. Sometimes they turn and leave, but that’s the case when trying to save prostitutes. If she says yes, they’re sneaking her out the back of that hotel into to a van and off to a safe house. If an angry pimp is coming to look for her, they want to make sure he can’t find her. They’re also getting her out of the city, if not out of the state. They’re putting her first in a rehab program if she needs one, and then a halfway house teaching her life skills, helping her get a job and rebuilding her life. It’s a pretty big decision and a fairly intensive program if you choose to take him up on his offer.

Read full article on Entertainment Weekly

Bringing Up Bates Parents Appear on 700 Club

“Bringing Up Bates” is a new reality series that will premiere on UP at 9 PM/ET on New Year’s Day. The series will focus on the supersized, everyday life of this close knit, hard-working, ever-expanding Tennessee family with 19 children and their new grandchild. Gil and Kelly Jo appeared on the 700 Club to talk about the show.

Needtobreathe to Perform During Macy's Thanksgiving Parade

Needtobreathe will perform in the 88th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, which takes place tomorrow and is seen by more than 3.5 million spectators in New York City and more than 50 million television viewers nationwide.

The band will debut their new single, "Brother," on board South Dakota Department of Tourism's Mount Rushmore's American Pride float which depicts the natural landscapes and iconic landmarks of that Midwestern state.

"Brother," from the band's 2014 chart-topping fifth studio album Rivers In the Wasteland, will be released as a single in January. The band's previous single, "Multiplied," spent 29 weeks on the chart at NCA, peaked at #5 and remained in the top 5 for 4 weeks straight.

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is broadcast nationally on NBC, from 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM.

Sadie Robertson Earns 2nd on Dancing with the Stars

Alfonso Ribeiro took the Mirrorball Trophy on a wildly close Nov. 25 season finale of "Dancing With The Stars," leaving Sadie Robertson in second place.

This season has been one of the most competitive, which judges noted during finals yesterday and tonight.

The finale began with "Road to the Finals," a special, one-hour presentation of all that led to tonight's big announcement. Each of the couples heading into the finale had their time to shine, with packages on their favorite performances, turning points, judges' commentary, answers to viewer questions and fun facts.

During Robertson's portion, country stars Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean gave her thumbs-ups. Her family -- celebrities in their own rights thanks to "Duck Dynasty" -- also chimed in.

"She's getting up in front of literally millions and risking falling down or not being very good, and that speaks well for her," said her Uncle Si Robertson. "She's turned into a very well-rounded and extraordinary woman."

The judges offered comments on her innocence and lightness, which they said is so refreshing for the show.

"She is the youngest of our competitors, and she has held her own from the beginning," said judge Bruno Tonioli.

Robertson has impressed fans around the country throughout the season with her loyalty to her standards and to God. Her “light” has even caught the attention of the show’s judges.

“There is a light that you have that just shines so much,” Julianne Hough said after Robertson’s performance last week. “People take that light. ... It’s just so infectious.”

Robertson posted the comment on her Instagram account and called it “the most rewarding comment of the season,” and added “all glory to God for everything.” Robertson also included her own take on Hough's observation: “We know what that light is: ‘You will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the message that gives life’ (Philippians 2:15-16)."

Hough is not the only judge who has recognized Robertson’s light.

“You’re just a bright light,” Carrie Ann Inaba told Robertson following her freestyle dance during part one of the finale Monday night. “And you’re a brighter light now because you dance so much better.”

Before her dance last week, a video package was shown of a young Sadie Robertson delivering a sermon. Robertson later posted an extended cut of the video on Twitter. It includes what could be considered foreshadowing.

“If I was famous ... I would still love the Lord,” young Robertson tells the camera. “I would not just remember about myself. I would love the Lord.”

Tenth Avenue North's Cathedrals

With more than one million career albums sold, Tenth Avenue North continues to establish itself as one of Christian music's top acts, with the #1 charting of its fourth studio project, Cathedrals. The album debuted at #1 this week on both iTunes (#14 overall) and Billboard's Top Christian Albums Charts and landed at #32 on the Billboard Top 200.

Produced by John Fields, known for his work with Switchfoot, Jonas Brothers, Demi Lovato and Pink, Cathedrals is a collection of well-crafted songs that inspires community, encourages accountability, and celebrates the fact we are not alone.

Sadie Robertson: It's an 'honor' to be compared to the Duggar family

The Robertsons of "Duck Dynasty" are known for their faith and family values so it's not surprise they often get compared to "19 Kids & Counting's" Duggar family.

The comparison is welcome, Sadie Robertson told E! News.

"It doesn't bother me at all," the 17-year-old told E! "I've actually met the Duggars once and they're great people. So to be compared to them is actually an honor, not anything bad."

Like the Duggar girls, the "Dancing With the Stars" finalist has also pledged to remain a virgin until she is married. However, if you're part of the Robertson clan, kissing is allowed pre-wedding.

"I actually wish I could hang out with them more because we actually do have a lot of the same values," she continued.

Like the Duggars, the Robertsons use their fame as a platform to spread their message of faith. Neither families are ones not to speak their minds.

"When we began 'Duck Dynasty,' we weren't starting it for fame," Robertson told Fox News in March. "We started it to get the message of God out there...I think people use fame as an excuse to lose their faith. Faith is obviously my number one priority and I think you need to put God at the top of everything you do."

Hollywood Museum Celebrates Amy Grant and other Christmas Icons

Amy Grant will be honored at Lights, Cameras...Stars! Holidays Hollywood Style, a holiday exhibition at The Hollywood Museum honoring iconic celebrities who have made Christmas a significant part of their careers.

The exhibit opens on Thursday, November 13, with a special ceremony. Amy Grant's 'Christmas Career' will be one of the highlights. She has recorded four Christmas albums, hosted two christmas television specials and toured with the Nashville Symphony on several holiday tours.

Other stars to be showcased at this year's holiday extravaganza include Karen Carpenter, Bing Crosby, Judy Garland, Perry Como, Nat King Cole, Vera Ellen and Mel Torme, all of whom have become synonymous with Christmas.

Bob Pranga, better known as ‘Dr. Christmas...Tree Stylist to the Stars’ is decorating for both the museum and this event said, “because all of these stars have been at the very heart of our Christmas experience, this provides a great opportunity for families to come and experience the magic of Christmas with a little Hollywood glitter, because everyone loves the holidays, and everyone loves Hollywood, it’s a perfect combination.”

The Hollywood Museum, the official museum of Hollywood, has the most extensive collection of Hollywood memorabilia in the world. The museum, featuring four floors of breathtaking exhibits, is home to more than 10,000 authentic show biz treasures– one of a kind costumes, props, photographs, scripts, stars’ car collections and personal artifacts, posters, and vintage memorabilia from favorite films and TV shows. The museum also showcases the history of Hollywood and the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Jaci Velasquez and Nic Gonzales Featured on November 15 Episode of DIY Network's Renovation Realities

Recording artists and husband and wife duo Jaci Velasquez and Nic Gonzales are featured on the November 15 episode of DIY Network's Renovation Realities where they put their home renovation skills to the test. With a huge task to demolish the front deck on their home and rebuild it from the ground up, Renovation Realities tags along to capture the ups and downs of the project as Jaci and Nic put in a little sweat equity to get their dream remodel done.

"I had an incredible and a less than incredible experience at the same time. Is that even possible?," Jaci explained laughing. "I got to know things about my husband Nic that I never knew before doing the show. We bonded over so much, and I had no idea that so many things could go wrong - all at the same time. The best part about the show was working with my husband. The worst part? The heat, working with my husband, the bugs, working with my husband, and the sweating-oh my gosh the sweating....! Would I do this again? Let's just say I haven't gone outside for an extended period of time since the renovations. But what I learned is priceless!"

Catch Jaci and Nic on their Renovation Realities episode, airing on November 15, then go behind the scenes with Jaci after the show as she shares pictures and her own Renovation Realities from the show on Facebook.

Michael W. Smith to Perform with Carrie Underwood and Little Big Town on CMA Country Christmas special

Three-time GRAMMY® winner Michael W. Smith will perform on the CMA Country Christmas special to air on ABC on Monday, December 1 at 8/7c. Smith will perform two tracks off of his top-selling Christmas album - Michael W. Smith & Friends: The Spirit of Christmas - and joining him on stage will be CMA Awards host Carrie Underwood and the newly inducted Grand Ole Opry members Little Big Town. Smith made his CMA Country Christmas debut in 2013, performing with host Jennifer Nettles. Smith will perform his original song "All Is Well" with Underwood and the beloved Christmas classic "Silent Night" with Little Big Town. The 2014 CMA Country Christmas special will also feature performances by Leann Rimes, Idina Menzel, Alan Jackson, Brad Paisley, Steven Tyler and more.

Michael W. Smith & Friends: The Spirit of Christmas released only a few short weeks ago, quickly hitting No. 1 on the Billboard Holiday Albums chart. The album features a plethora of A-list guests - including the aforementioned Carrie Underwood and Little Big Town, as well as Vince Gill, Lady Antebellum, Martina McBride, Amy Grant, Jennifer Nettles, Bono and Michael McDonald. Huffington Post led the critical praise, calling the album an early "favorite Yuletide effort" and an instant "Christmas classic."

Everfound's "Take This City" to be featured on ESPN'S Monday Night Football

ESPN's Monday Night Football is set to feature Everfound's "Take This City (feat. Joel of for KING & COUNTRY)" tonight during the matchup between the Indianapolis Colts and the New York Giants. Game time is 8:30 PM ET on ESPN.

"We are very honored and excited to have our song featured during one of the most watched nights of television! We can't wait for our family, friends and fans to tune in and experience this with us," says lead singer, Nikita Odnoralov.

The placement and video release adds to what has already been a big year for the band, which has included being featured on WinterJam, and a Dove Award nomination for Rock/Contemporary Album of the Year alongside label mates Switchfoot and NEEDTOBREATHE. Everfound is currently wrapping up their headline "Take This City Tour" which hit over 30 markets nationwide and is set to appear on the West Coast run of WinterJam 2014 this November.

Matthew West Trends On Facebook

It's a rare when a Christian singer is actually a trending topic. Lecrae managed it a few weeks ago with the release of Anomaly. Now it's Matthew West's turn. In honor of the Kansas City Royals (of whom West is a big fan) earning a berth to the World Series this year, West recorded a cover of number one pop hit "Royals" by Lorde. In order to make the song a little bit more appropriate to the situation, West re-wrote the lyrics about the championship-seeking team.

The song was debuted on Kansas City Christian radio station Life 88.5 yesterday and since then it has gone viral across the nation. It is sure to be the battle cry for the Kansas City Royals as they face the San Francisco Giants in the World Series which begins Tuesday night at 8:07 Eastern on FOX.

Listen to the song.

‘Guardians Of The Galaxy’ Hits More Box Office Milestones

Guardians of the Galaxy opened at the beginning of August, a traditionally less lucrative month for tentpole films. The lack of blockbuster competitors in the month actually worked in Marvel’s favor and Guardians launched to the largest August opening weekend of all-time. The real story is how long it held strong, dropping to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles the following weekend but jumping back to the top slot for several consecutive weeks after.

It held onto that momentum in large part to positive reviews and word-of-mouth to become the third biggest Marvel movie ever in the U.S. (and biggest of the year) and the most successful Marvel franchise starter. Two months later and Guardians of the Galaxy finally opened in China last week to become the country’s largest October opening of all-time and in the U.S., 11 weeks in, the film is still outperforming The Avengers and The Dark Knight, along with all of the Spider-Man and X-Men movies.

With all of that in mind, it’s not really surprising at this point to see the film cross the $700 million mark at the worldwide box office. Captain America: The Winter Soldier also hit that milestone with an equally impressive success story earlier this year where it also set records opening in early April.

Kelsey Grammer to Star in 'Killing Jesus' Movie

National Geographic Channel has announced many of the cast members for its upcoming TV movie, Killing Jesus, based on the 2013 best-selling book by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard.

The film will chronicle the life of Jesus of Nazareth through the retelling of the political, social and historical conflicts during the Roman Empire that ultimately led to his death.

Kelsey Grammer takes the role of King Herod, the Roman King of Judea who attempted to kill Jesus at his birth.

Stephen Moyer will portray Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor who ordered Jesus' crucifixion.

John Rhys Davies is Annas, a high priest in Jerusalem who first questioned Jesus and his teachings.

The project films this fall under the guidance of U.K.-based director Chris Menaul, with a teleplay from Oscar- and Emmy Award-winning screenwriter Walon Green.

"The film Killing Jesus will break new ground in chronicling the life of the most famous human being who ever lived," said O'Reilly, who also serves as an executive producer.

Killing Jesus is expected to premiere on National Geographic Channel in 2015.

Owl City to Collaborate with Britt Nicole

Adam Young (Owl City) has announced via his YouTube channel that he will be releasing two brand new songs from his upcoming full-length album on October 7th. These songs are "Tokyo" featuring the Tokyo-based group SEKAI NO OWARI, and "You're Not Alone" featuring the Christian pop artist (and one of Young's favorite artists) Britt Nicole.

Young shared that "You're Not Alone" is "a bit more weighty" than his traditionally light-hearted and sometimes goofy synth pop.

"It's very much based on my own personal faith and my own personal relationship with God", says Young. His faith is something listeners have gotten glimpses of in the past ("Meteor Shower" and "Galaxies").

Young also hinted that "Tokyo" was written as a result of spending late, jet-lagged nights in the busy city. He is thrilled to share the track with his "new, but very good friends from Japan". Owl City's synth-y tracks mixed with the energy from SEKAI NO OWARI is definitely something to look forward to.

This will be the second release of new music this year from Owl City. His EP Ultraviolet released this summer and featured dance hits like "Beautiful Times" featuring pop/dubstep violinist Lindsey Stirling. Fans will have to wait for more details on the exciting upcoming release of Owl City's fifth full-length album.

Colton Dixon Drops Anchor at #23

Anchor is the second studio album from eleventh season American Idol contestant, Colton Dixon. The album debuted at No. 23 on the Billboard 200.

The song "More of You" was the last song recorded for the album, and it was released as the lead single on June 24, 2014.

According to Dixon, the title of the song "Anchor" came from a need for anchor as the foundation of life because at times he felt he was drifting. The idea behind the song then turned into this theme-based record.

For King & Country Debut at #13 on Billboard

The sophomore album from For King & Country, Run Wild. Live Free. Love Strong., released Sept. 16 and immediately soared to No. 1 on the Christian/Gospel and top 5 on the overall iTunes Albums charts. This week the album from Australian brothers Joel and Luke becomes the duo's first top 15 on the Billboard Top 200, landing at No. 13. Reflecting the duo's mission to stand and fight for something bigger than oneself, "to live a life that is for others - a life that is others-focused, God-focused," says Joel, the recording also beats by nearly five times the first week sales of their debut album, Crave, which became the highest-selling debut from a new artist when it released in 2012.

In addition to the success of the new album, the recording's lead single, "Fix My Eyes," was featured this week on NBC's TODAY show. The song, slated to be heard during the show over the next few weeks, has also sold well over 112,000 downloads, hit No. 1 on the Billboard Christian Songs Chart and continues to hold the No.1 position for the seventh consecutive week at CHR radio.

Remarkably, "Fix My Eyes" is not the only song featuring For King & Country to land at No. 1 this week. The duo's collaboration with Lecrae, "Messengers (feat. For King & Country)," lands on top of Billboard's Gospel Digital Songs chart. The song is featured on LeCrae's Anomaly, which was the No. 1-seller on Billboard's Top 200 last week, and has now sold over 120,000 copies. For King & Country and Lecrae kept close company this week on iTunes' Albums chart, sitting side-by-side in the top 10.

Christian Artist Andy Cherry Appears on The Voice

Andy Cherry appeared on Tuesday, Sept. 23, during the "blind auditions" segment of Season 7 of NBC's vocal competition The Voice.

Before his performance, Cherry shared on the show about his career in Christian music, his being dropped from his record label, and his wife that stayed close by his side. Cherry's audition song choice was the 1985 hit "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Tears for Fears.

Throughout the performance, the judges' expressions stayed focused and thoughtful, but none of them pressed their "I Want You" buttons, which would have placed Cherry on one of four teams (Team Adam Levine, Team Gwen Stefani, Team Pharrell Williams or Team Blake Shelton).

He finished the song with evidence of disappointment on his face, but seemed positive through the next few moments on screen. In the end, none of the judges turned for Cherry, but left him with critique and advice for his music-related future.

There's no doubt that remembering the names of every artist you hear on the radio is a difficult task, but remembering the uniqueness in their voice and lyrics is another story.

Cherry's most successful single, "Our God's Alive," hit the airwaves in Spring of 2012 and seemed to charm listeners' ears with its heavy, guitar-lead intro, and Cherry's one-of-a-kind tone. The song was in the top ten of two big-named Christian radio networks and became a favorite of many. The single was a follow up to his March 2012 album Nothing Left to Fear, which snagged him shows alongside artists such as Tenth Avenue North, Laura Story, Jimmy Needham, Matt Maher, and Trip Lee.

The album didn't have quite the success that was anticipated and Cherry was dropped from his record label, leaving "Our God's Alive" standing alone on national radio stations and fans disappointed. Since then, Cherry released an independent EP, City of Light, earlier this year, but it remains to be seen what the South Carolina native's next move will be.

"Thank so much for all the support!" Cherry posted to social media after the episode aired. "It was disappointing not to get a chair to turn, but I'm not done yet. God Bless you all."

Lecrae First Christian Rapper on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

On The Tonight Show Thursday, Jimmy Fallon congratulated Lecrae for his No. 1 album, Anomaly, and invited him to return for another performance.

For the night, Lecrae joined Fallon’s house band, The Roots, for musical interludes between segments. He rapped portions of songs from his new album, including “Nuthin,” “Fear,” “All I Need is You,” “Say I Won’t,” and “Welcome to America.”

James Poyser and Frank Knuckles, both members of the band, posted pictures with Lecrae, as fans and friends tweeted along. #LecraeOnFallon trended nationwide.

“I'm really excited for Lecrae,” tweeted fellow Christian rapper Sho Baraka. “I pray for wisdom for that brother. This can't be easy navigating new waters. ‪#116Circa03.”

The rapper caught the eye of NBC as fans began to hashtag #lecraeonfallon.

“Remember when y'all had #lecraeonfallon trending?,” Lecrae tweeted, “Well guess who is a guest on the show this week?! Tune-in to @FallonTonight on 9/18.”

His new album Anomaly reached No. 1 on albums sold with 88,000 copies.

To celebrate, Reach Records put on a new track by Lecrae called "Non-Fiction."

"We want to celebrate this milestone with 116 everywhere across the world," Reach announced, "You have been a part of the journey God has taken all of us on from the early days until now. Thank you for all the support."

They continued, "Below is a song called 'Non-Fiction' where Lecrae reflects on his journey. It's our gift to you. We are excited about the days ahead and glad to share this moment with you."

The prolific hip hop-soul band The Roots joined Jimmy Fallon when he took over Late Night in 2009, and they’ve invited several legendary artists to sit in with them, including Aerosmith’s Brad Whitford, Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley, and John Oats.

Lecrae's Tonight Show gig follows recent features on MTV.com, the Billboard site, and the front page of the Washington Times.

Previous Christian acts who have made late-night appearances (under Fallon’s predecessor, Jay Leno) include Third Day, Switchfoot, and For King & Country.

Lecrae Earns First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200

Rapper Lecrae collects his first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 as his new Anomaly opens atop the list. It sold 88,000 copies in the week ending Sept. 14. It's also the first chart-topper for Lecrae's label, Reach Records.

Anomaly's launch is Lecrae's best sales week, trumping the 72,000-unit start of 2012's Gravity, which debuted and peaked at No. 3. (Gravity was also Lecrae's highest-charting album — and only top 10 — until Anomaly's arrival.)

Anomaly is the Grammy winner's sixth No. 1 on the Gospel Albums chart and his fifth leader on Christian Albums. (Most Christian hip-hop releases are eligible to appear on both sales charts.)

Thus, Anomaly is the first title to crown both Gospel Albums and the Billboard 200, and just the fifth set to lead both Christian Albums and the Billboard 200. In terms of the latter achievement, it follows Chris Tomlin's Burning Lights (in 2013), TobyMac's Eye on It (2012), LeAnn Rimes' You Light Up My Life — Inspirational Songs (1997) and Bob Carlisle's Butterfly Kisses (Shades of Grace) (1997).

While Lecrae, 34, might not quite be a household name — he's yet to chart a single on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 — he has sold 1.4 million albums and 2.9 million track downloads. He has released seven studio albums, and made his chart debut in 2005 with Real Talk (No. 39, Gospel Albums). He reached the all-genre Billboard 200 for the first time in 2008 with Rebel, which peaked at No. 88.

Lecrae leads a parade of new entries in the top 10 of the Billboard 200, where six more titles arrive. The seven debuts are the most the top 10 has seen since Oct. 26, 2013, when seven titles also stepped in (led by Miley Cyrus' Bangerz).

Will Lecrae Nab His First Number 1 Album on Billboard?

Lecrae's new 'Anomaly' album could be one of eight debuts in the Billboard 200's top 10 tomorrow.

Rapper Lecrae is not only aiming to nab his first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 with Anomaly, but his album could be one of up to eight debuts in the top 10.

Industry sources forecast his album to sell around 80,000 copies by the end of the tracking week on Sept. 14. He could finish just ahead of Jhene Aiko's new Souled Out (perhaps 70,000) and Maroon 5's current No. 1, V, with maybe 70,000 as well. Earlier, Aiko's forecasted sales were slightly closer to Lecrae's, giving the appearance of a possible race to No. 1. The gap between the two has since widened.

The Billboard 200's new top 10 will be revealed on Wednesday, Sept. 18.

On SoundScan's Building chart (below), Lecrae, Aiko and Maroon 5 are Nos. 1-3, respectively. The Building tally is a precursor to the final Billboard 200 ranking -- reflecting the first four days (Monday through Thursday) of SoundScan's tracking week as reported by six major merchants.

Duck Dynasty's Sadie Robertson Stuns ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Judges

“Dancing With the Stars” kicked off the show’s latest season last night with “Duck Dynasty” star Sadie Robertson taking to the dance floor and stunning the judges.

The 17-year-old danced the cha cha, with parents Willie and Korie Robertson watching from the crowd. And the response to her first performance with partner Mark Ballas was incredible.

“Duckling no more! Here we have a bird of paradise,” proclaimed judge Bruno Tonioli.

Judge Carrie Ann Inaba added, ”You’re a star, honey. You don’t even know it yet.”

Watch Sadie’s dance below:


The “Duck Dynasty” family has become known for their overt Christian faith in recent years including the family praying at the dinner table at the conclusion of each episode of the show.

And it seems Robertson isn't planning to stop talking about and showing her faith. In footage that aired on “Dancing With the Stars” before her performance, she was seen praying with her family.

Thousand Foot Krutch's "Oxygen: Inhale" Is a Breath of Fresh Air in Top 10

Thousand Foot Krutch's latest release "Oxygen: Inhale" debuts at #7 on the Billboard Top 200 chart.  Simultaneously, it lodges in at #2  on the Top Current Rock Albums chart (just behind the Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack at No. 1), No. 6 on the Top Internet and No. 1 on the Top Christian/Gospel Albums charts. The recording also spent most of last week at No. 1 on the iTunes Rock chart and hit No. 5 on the iTunes overall Albums chart. The fan funded album gives TFK their highest ever position on the Billboard charts.

 Driving the successful debut in part is the recording's lead single, "Born This Way," which hits No. 34 at Active Rock this week. NASCAR and SEC colleges also crank up the song's volume on ESPN through mid-December as the single continues to roar up the radio charts. The song further picks up well-over a quarter-of-a-million views and 4,000+ likes on YouTube pushing TFK's YouTube channel views to over 1,100,000 last month alone, a record for the band.

Lead singer Trevor McNevan has this to say about the new record:  "We wanted to make a raw rock record. We decided to strip away all the background sounds and popular over-production, so that what you hear are just the instruments and the voice."

"To me, the words are as important as the melody," McNevan says. "The song has to say something important, to connect with the audience on a deeper level. I had this image of prostitutes, addicts, business men/women, people from all walks of life, holding up a sign that reads 'Breathe Through Me.' Love includes everyone. We were called to love one another, help and support one another, and to walk through life together."

'Dancing with the Stars' Cast Revealed And Includes Famous Christian and Family Friendly Stars

Sadie Robertson of "Duck Dynasty" will appear on the upcoming season of "Dancing with the Stars," as revealed this morning.

The full cast of season 19 of "DWTS" was announced on "Good Morning America" Thursday, when Robertson was announced. The 17-year-old is paired with professional Mark Ballas, and she joins a cast that includes Olympian Lolo Jones and Lea Thompson.  Lolo Jones is an outspoken Christian and Lea Thompson has starred in several family friendly movies on UP.

Reese Witherspoon's 'The Good Lie' Tackles Civil War in Sudan, Persecution and Christian Faith

"The Good Lie" is an upcoming movie that tells the story of 'the Lost Boys' of Sudan orphaned by a brutal civil war then traveled as many as a thousand miles on foot in search of safety. A humanitarian effort largely led by churches would bring 3,600 lost boys and girls to America.

The film stars Academy Award Winning Actress Reese Witherspoon and "House of Cards" actor Corey Stoll and focuses on the journey of Christian Sudanese refugees from their homeland to America. It portrays their plight when fleeing from persecution and displays the difficulty when they attempt to blend in with American culture.

Witherspoon's character is based a real woman who took in four Sudanese boys during the conflict.  The new trailer is geared towards a faith-based audience and highlights some of the Christian elements in the film.

"The Good Lie" is produced by Alcon, the same studio that brought "The Blind Side" and "Dolphin Tale" to theaters. Filming for the movie took place in Atlanta, Georgia.

It is scheduled to hit theaters on October 3.

45th Annual GMA Dove Awards Announced Today

The GMA announced today the nominees in 42 categories for the 45th Annual GMA Dove Awards. The awards show will take place on Tuesday, October 7 at Allen Arena in Nashville, TN at 6:30pm CT. TBN will air the awards show.

Artists Hillsong United, Lecrae, Mandisa and Matt Maher have 5 nominations apiece.  The full list of nominees can be found here.

The nominees in 20 categories were revealed today during the press conference and below are two of the top categories announced today.

Song of the Year
“Fix My Eyes” - for KING & COUNTRY
“Hello My Name Is” – Matthew West
“Hurricane” – Natalie Grant
“I Can Trust Him” – The Perrys
“Lord I Need You” – Matt Maher
“Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)” – Hillsong UNITED
“Overcomer” – Mandisa
“Revival” – Karen Peck and New River
“Say Amen” – Brian Free & Assurance
“That’s Why” – Ernie Haase and Signature Sound

Artist of the Year
Casting Crowns
Hillsong UNITED
Lecrae
Mandisa
NEEDTOBREATHE
Switchfoot

Bono and Other A-List Stars Join Michael W. Smith on New Christmas Record

Three-time Grammy winner Michael W. Smith announced the September 30 release of Michael W. Smith & Friends: The Spirit of Christmas, featuring an all-star lineup of guests - Vince Gill, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Martina McBride, Amy Grant, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Nettles, Bono and Michael McDonald.

Michael W. Smith & Friends: The Spirit of Christmas is Smith's fourth Christmas project, following the successful releases of Michael W. Smith Christmas (1989), Christmastime (1998) and It's A Wonderful Christmas (2007).

"This is the most unique and unusual record I've ever done in my 31-year career. The entire record was sequenced together before we recorded one song," recalls Smith. "Sonically you're hearing me in a way that you've probably never heard me before. At one point it's like Smitty meets Bublé. There's my granddaughter's voice singing the song from 'Home Alone,' plus the whole orchestral and symphonic feeling of Christmas, mixed together with all these amazing voices and guests - yet it all fits together in a remarkable way."

Eager to create a one-of-a-kind project to be played at Christmastime for years to come, Smith and co-producer Robert Deaton were inspired by the original Carpenters Christmas album, wanting nostalgia to hit listeners right at the top of the record. Thematically, the album is uniquely divided into three sections, creating an overall arc to the recording. Beginning with the childlike and wintry aspects of the start of the Christmas season, the collection evolves with songs and instrumentation reflecting the true meaning of Christmas with the celebration of family and faith, concluding with what Christmas brought to the world, the birth of Jesus.

Lecrae Knocks Nicki Minaj from No.1 iTunes Slot

Lecrae recently thanked fans on Twitter after his new song "All I Need is You" reached number 1 on the iTunes chart early Tuesday.

The Grammy award-winning artist is gearing up for the September release of his seventh studio album "Anomaly."

"All I Need is You," which is the third single off the album, recently peaked at number one on iTunes, surpassing Nicki Minaj's "Anaconda" and Jessie J's "Bang Bang." Lecrae was sure to thank fans via Twitter.

"Y'all's support is crazy!! Number 1 song on ITunes tho?! God bless y'all!," he tweeted to his 876,000 followers.

‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ Astounds With $160.4 Mil Debut

“The Guardians of the Galaxy” touched down with a dazzling $94 million this weekend.

That set a new record for an August domestic debut, easily trumping the $69.3 million bow of 2007’s “The Bourne Ultimatum,” and scoring the third biggest stateside opening of the year. Overseas, the film netted an impressive $66.4 million in 42 territories, including Russia, Brazil, Mexico and the United Kingdom. It has brought in $160.4 million worldwide and still has many major markets left to open such as China, Australia, France and Spain.

The Walt Disney release blew past tracking that initially suggested a U.S. debut in the $65 million to $70 million range.

“It’s a testament to the momentum of the brand overall and all of the pieces just coming together in the right way,” said Dave Hollis, Walt Disney Studios’ executive vice president of theatrical distribution.

The distribution chief argued that part of the reason tracking was so off was that Disney saved 40% of its marketing for the final week before the film opened, allowing them to drive awareness for the picture at a critical point.

“Guardians of the Galaxy” represented a roll of the dice for the studio and its corporate parent, Walt Disney. It arrived with a production budget of $170 million (plus whatever it cost to market the interstellar heroes from one end of the planet to the other), but without the brand recognition of a Captain America or a Thor. It also debuted in August, traditionally a slower time for popcorn films.

Tapping James Gunn, a tongue-in-cheek auteur best known for low-budget enterprises such as “Slither” and “Super,” and Chris Pratt, the “Parks & Recreation” funny man, were offbeat choices that reaped dividends. The picture was hailed for its sense of humor, with critics rewarding it with a 96% “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

“The movie is irreverent, the movie is rebellious and the movie is not a slick Hollywood-produced wrap everything up in bow kind of film,” said Greg Foster, chairman and president of Imax Entertainment.

Blasting off at the tail-end of summer was also a deft move. This summer has been a dreadful one for the movie business, with receipts down nearly 20% from last year’s record-breaker. But that meant that movie-goers were hungry for a broad, exciting, special effects-driven adventure after three months of blockbusters that weren’t.

Chris Pratt and Anna Faris drew closer to God as they prayed for their premature son

"Guardians of the Galaxy" star Chris Pratt said that he and wife, actress Anna Faris, drew closer to God after their son was born nine weeks premature.

The couple, who were married in July 2009, celebrated the birth of their first child in August 2012. Pratt said that although their son, Jack, is now healthy, his early delivery was frightening.


"We were scared for a long time," Pratt, 35, told PEOPLE on Wednesday. "We prayed a lot."

Jack spent one month in a neonatal intensive care unit while his parents and other family members prayed for him.

"It restored my faith in God, not that it needed to be restored, but it really redefined it," Pratt said. "The baby was so beautiful to us, and I look back at the photos of him and it must have been jarring for other people to come in and see him, but to us he was so beautiful and perfect."

Four months after the birth, Pratt reported that Jack was hitting his milestones and doing great.

Comedian Bone Hampton to Appear on The View this Thursday

Award-winning comedian Bone Hampton will appear on ABC's The View this Thursday, July 24. Hampton will perform his stand-up routine during the show's Sherri's Comedy Corner segment. The appearance marks Hampton's fourth appearance on The View - twice as a host on "Guy Day Friday," Co-Host during "Male Best Friend" Day, and once during Joy's Comedy Corner.

Hampton can also be heard in Nashville every Monday and Tuesday morning on "Mighty Good Day" on 760AM The Gospel and is part of the comedy tour "The Heavy Hitters". For tour dates visit bonehampton.com. This fall he will be headlining the GMA Dove Award comedy show during GMA Dove Week 2014.

Switchfoot Performing Tonight on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson

Tonight, Switchfoot will be playing the Late Late show with Craig Ferguson on CBS (12:35am ET).

The band also announced that their movie Fading West will be airing on Netflix starting August 1st!

Lecrae and Flame Sue Katy Perry For Ripping Off Their Song

Four Christian rap and urban artists, including Lecrae and  FLAME, have filed a lawsuit in Federal Court alleging that Katy Perry stole elements from their song in her chart-topping hit, “Dark Horse.”

According to the lawsuit—which was filed Tuesday—Perry used FLAME’s 2007 song “Joyful Noise” without permission. The plaintiffs are seeking damages and profits gained by Perry, Capitol Records, and others from the unauthorized use of the song.

They also want the court to prevent Perry from using any form of their music through an injunction, as previously reported by TMZ, MTV, Rapzilla, Fox News, St. Louis Post-Dispatch and CourthouseNews.com.

Besides the alleged copyright infringement, the lawsuit states, “the devoutly religious message of 'Joyful Noise' has been irreparably tarnished by its association with the witchcraft, paganism, black magic, and Illuminati imagery evoked by the same music in 'Dark Horse,’” and noted that the music video spurred an online petition signed by more than 60,000 demanding removal of an “offensive religious image.”

Making Flame aware of this tarnishing were his fans. Driving from a concert, Flame’s DJ, Cho’zyn Boy, noticed an “influx" of tweets to Flame and Lecrae asking them about the new Katy Perry song. Flame doesn’t listen to Katy Perry, so he had no idea why his opinion of her music mattered.

Cho’zyn Boy searched for and listened to the song out of curiosity, which turned into shock.

“Wow,” Cho’zyn Boy said, telling Flame, “You got to hear this. It sounds like ‘Joyful Noise.’”

Cho’zyn Boy then turned on the djay 2 app on his computer and made a side-by-side comparison of the tracks. Here’s the audio he created to show Flame how similar “Joyful Noise” and "Dark Horse” are and a breakdown of how he did it.

“Joyful Noise” received a 2008 Dove Award nomination for Best Rap/Hip-Hop Recorded Song of the Year, and appeared on FLAME’s album Our World: Redeemed, which received a GRAMMY nomination for Best Rock or Rap Gospel Album.

By comparison, Perry’s “Dark Horse” hit No. 1 for several weeks on the Billboard charts. It has sold millions of copies and YouTube viewers have watched its music video more than 435 million times. Hundreds of artists have covered the song on YouTube and other formats, and Perry herself has performed “Dark Horse” in front of sold-out concerts.

Lionel Richie Was Told Singing 'Jesus Is Love' Would Ruin His Career

It started out as a tribute to singer Lionel Richie at the BET Awards show on Sunday but by the time Yolanda Adams finished singing the Commodores hit "Jesus Is Love," many who watched the performance which drew a standing ovation, felt like they were brought to church.

"My GOD @Yolandalive just brought the Holy Ghost to the @BET Awards! #JESUS #BETawards2014," tweeted Grammy-nominated recording artist James Fortune.

"#BETAwards tribute to Lionel Ritchie just went next level. Yolanda Adams had church!" tweeted managing editor of The Grio, Joy-Ann Reid.

Adams' tribute was so moving, Richie was moved to respond to her performance as he accepted BET's Lifetime Achievement award.
     "After listening to 'Jesus Is Love,' I'm glad I sang the song first. Otherwise, I would not be up here. That was absolutely amazing," said Richie, according to Billboard.

As part of the tribute, singer John Legend sang a medley of Richie's "Hello," and "Still" while Ledisi performed "Brick House."

Richie explained that before singing the songs he was told that they would have ended his career.
     "These are all the songs that they told me would ruin my career," said Richie before continuing, "Soul is a feeling, not a color. Talent is a God-given gift and not a category. And out of the box, out of the box is that magical place where talent – true talent – goes to live and thrive and breathe. And may you never give that up as long as you're in this business."

Clint Eastwood's Son To Star in New Christian Film 'The Perfect Wave'

Scott Eastwood, the son of famed Hollywood actor and director Clint Eastwood, is set to star in a new Christian film "The Perfect Wave," set for a July 11 release in select theaters.

Director Bruce Macdonald has described the movie as "a 'love story with four pillars:' a mother's love, a young man's love for surfing, first love, and most importantly, God's love."

He added, "This film shares the amazing story of God's plan for Ian's life and reminds viewers that no matter how far you run, you can never outrun God's love."

The plot follows Ian McCormack, who grew up surfing the waters of New Zealand, and journeys looking for adventure to challenging destinations throughout Australia, Southeast Asia and Africa. During one evening swim, he is stung multiple times by the deadly box jellyfish and pronounced dead shortly after his arrival at the hospital. Ian "miraculously awakens" following a divine post-mortem encounter, however, and is transformed with a new understanding of life.

Eastwood is a rising star in Hollywood and has already played roles in critically acclaimed films such as "Gran Torino" and "Flags of Our Fathers," and has been cast as the lead of the film adaptation of Nicholas Sparks best-selling novel The Longest Ride for summer 2015.

"The Perfect Wave" also stars Rachel Hendrix ("October Baby") and Cheryl Ladd ("Charlie's Angels").

Christian and faith-based films have performed well at the box office this year, with Darren Aronofsky's "Noah" taking in over $350 million worldwide, while "God's Not Dead," "Heaven Is for Real" and the Roma Downey and Mark Burnett-produced "Son of God" all staying in the top 10 at the box office for several weeks.

Lee Brice to Record Gospel CD

According to Christian Post, country music artist Lee Brice is planning to record a Gospel album with his mother as a way to pay homage to his original musical influences.

Brice, having earned Grammy nominations and other notable accolades despite his short time in the country music scene, grew up playing Gospel tunes on his aunt's piano and now wants to make the new project a family affair.

"My mom and all her sisters sang gospel music my whole life, and they're amazing. They made a record in Nashville," said Brice, reports Rolling Stone. "I'm going to send a tour bus to pick them all up in South Carolina in July and bring them here to my house, and I'm going to make a new record on them. We're going to sing classic gospel songs and have them sing in the background."

Although his third studio album I Don't Dance, which is set to release in early September, is a priority for the country singer, he says he "cannot wait" to begin the faith-inspired project. However, Brice did not reveal whether the album will be released to the masses.

Despite delving into secular music once his career took off, Brice still acknowledges his Christian upbringing and Gospel influence that led him to pursue his artistic dream.

Despite his fame and success, Brice strives to uphold his faith-based roots and morals.

"I try to be a good man and try to be a Christian man. I want to be remembered as a writer and a singer. That's what I've been doing my whole life – writing songs," Brice said in a statement on his website. "I want people to hopefully one day say, 'he gave his all to it.' Hopefully, that's how they will remember me."

Inspiration of Possession Film 'Deliver Us From Evil' Says Everyone Born Into Spiritual Battle

Deliver Us From Evil, the latest in a string of Hollywood projects inspired by belief in the demonic, is based on the experiences of a former police officer-turned-demonologist who says everyone born automatically becomes involved in a spiritual battle, whether or not they believe in God. Former New York Police Department Sergeant Ralph Sarchie argues in a behind-the-scenes video on how his work inspired Deliver Us From Evil.

Deliver Us From Evil, starring Eric Bana as Sarchie, and co-starring Olivia Mann, is based on a 2001 book the former NYPD officer wrote with Lisa Collier Cool titled Beware the Night. In Beware the Night, Sarchie "discloses for the first time his investigation into incredible true crimes (and) inhuman evil that were never explained, solved, or understood except by Sarchie and his partner," according to the publisher.

Sarchie, a Roman Catholic, insists that his spiritual work is not to entertain people, but to help people. He says in the video, however, that Deliver Us From Evil might scare some people but that "it should be enjoyed."

"There are messages inside this movie," he says.

Near the end of the 15-minute video featurette, Sarchie insists, "It does not matter if you believe or not. You don't have to believe in God. You don't have to believe in the devil. It doesn't withdraw you from this battle. You're involved in it. You were born into this world. No, you probably didn't ask to be born, but you're here. You need to make a choice. You need to pick a side."

The former cop suggests that the devil would be upset if any moviegoers who watch Deliver Us From Evil become convinced of his Christian beliefs and "turn back to God."

"The devil hates that s***," he says.

According to movie review website Rotten Tomatoes, audiences are highly anticipating Deliver Us From Evil's July 2 release, which is not surprising considering Hollywood's recent successes in its exploration of the demonic. Deliver Us From Evil comes on the heels of films like  Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones and The Conjuring, two of the top-grossing horror films of all time, and precedes titles like Paranormal Activity 5 and Jessabelle. A 2013 YouGov survey revealed that at least half of all Americans believe in demonic possession, with that number climbing dramatically among born-again Christians, at 72 percent.

The film is rated R for bloody violence, grisly images, terror throughout, and adult language, according the MPAA.

Imprisoned As I Lay Dying Singer Claims Other Christian Bands Fake Faith

Take this one with a grain of salt considering its source, but I'm sure there's some truth to the following.

'Shock' doesn't even begin to describe the collective feeling of confusion and bewilderment that reverberated throughout the music community when Tim Lambesis was arrested May 7, 2013. Lambesis, the As I Lay Dying frontman who was sentenced to six years in prison for conspiring to kill his estranged wife in May, now claims that his band eventually faked their faith in order to continue to appeal to Christian fans.

Speaking at length to Alternative Press in the days ahead of his sentencing, Lambesis described his obsession with the gym and steroids, as well as his views on philosophy and relationship with religion. Although often touring with a circle of Christian bands, the singer said:

We toured with more “Christian bands” who actually aren't Christians than bands that are. In 12 years of touring with As I Lay Dying, I would say maybe one in 10 Christian bands we toured with were actually Christian bands. I actually wasn't the first guy in As I Lay Dying to stop being a Christian. In fact, I think I was the third. The two who remained kind of stopped talking about it, and then I’m pretty sure they dropped it, too. We talked about whether to keep taking money from the “Christian market.” We had this bizarrely “noble” thing, like, “Well, we’re not passing along any bad ideas. We’re just singing about real life stuff. Those kids need to hear about real life, because they live in a bubble.”

As I Lay Dying have released six studio albums. Although originally stating the band were Christians, it has been noted that Lambesis showed growing scepticism in interviews regarding faith in recent years. Before he was sentenced, Lambesis announced a side project, Pyrithion. Many fans believed the lyrics featured on the project's debut EP were satanic, however he was quick to address the accusations: "I wanted it to represent a point of views that aren't necessarily my own, a way to get people thinking and to be more philosophical," Lambesis said in a YouTube video.

He seems to be coming back to his faith, based on several quotes.  This quote in particular is revealing:

Q: There’s the saying, “God answers all prayers, but sometimes the answer is no.” But there’s also, “Be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it.”
A: I did fall flat on my face. I hit rock bottom. I lost everything. The trauma, the solitude: It made me the person I think they hoped I would eventually become. I know I have a long road ahead of me. I know that making amends will be a difficult process. But if they are open for it, this story of tragedy turning into redemption, it’s a story that’s just as much in their hands at this point as it is mine. They wanted to see me go through whatever it took to make me a good father. Now I have, and I’m not allowed to be a father.

Christian Film The Song Defies Categorization

Faith-based films tend to wear their Christianity heavily on their sleeves. "Son of God" centered on the life, death and resurrection of Christ. In "Heaven Is for Real" a four-year-old claimed he met Jesus. "God's Not Dead" depicted a Christian college student challenging atheism.

"The Song," the latest faith-based film to hit theaters and set to open this September is taking a different approach. With  a protagonist who struggles with greed, fame and staying faithful to his wife, "The Song" may challenge audience notions of a stereotypical Christian film.

That's part of the plan, Tony Young, the movie's producer, told The Christian Post.

"Our film is a redemptive tale inspired by the life and writings of Solomon, on his quest for fame, fortune, love, acceptance and ultimate satisfaction and certainly our film is made by people of faith, but I think the term 'faith-based' film means different things to different people," explained Young. "I believe when most people hear that term today, they think of films that are more 'conversional' in nature as opposed to 'conversational,' which is what we are trying to create in our films."

The inspiration for the film's story comes from the life of Solomon. The film follows the music career of aspiring singer songwriter Jed King as he rises to fame following the release of a hit song, which he writes, inspired by his love for his wife. As he finds his stock rising, King, who has long struggled in the shadow of his father, the musically successful and ethically troubled David King, soon finds himself and his own career at a crossroads.

The moral complexities in the life of Solomon are part of what made the content of the film interesting for Ramsey.

"One of the things that intrigues me about the Wisdom Literature section of the Bible, specifically the works by Solomon, is just that he deals with really gritty, rough, not sugar-coated issues. Song of Solomon, Ecclesiastes-- it's very unlikely you're going to see any verses lifted out and made into a cross-stitch to hang on your mom's wall," he said. "I think he's really intriguing that way."

"The way I look at it as a believer myself, I feel like reality and Christianity are not separate spheres and that includes sex, that includes self-destructive things we engage in to find meaning and satisfaction," he added.

When adapting Solomon's story to a 21st context, Ramsey said he and his team considered "how these issues worked themselves out in a modern context."

"In our culture that kind of polygamy isn't chic and that kind of idolatry isn't chic and fashionable, but there are certain approaches and beliefs about sex that are chic and fashionable and there are different worldviews that are chic and fashionable that are in their own way idolatrous, so what does that look like in the modern era? How can you bring them into the story in a way that reveals new insights into a timeless and old story?" commented Ramsey.

Young believes that the movie's message and music will give "The Song" far-reaching appeal.

"We think this film will appeal to a broad range of audiences…particularly anyone who enjoys movies with great music, an engaging love story, and an overall message of what truly satisfies in life," said Young. "We feel like these things are equally appealing to both Christians and non-Christians alike and will play well with both audiences because the acting, production values and storytelling are what the audience of a film are most focused on when they come to see it and all are great in this film."

The movie stars Alan Powell, who himself grew up as a pastor's son, as Jed King, Ali Faulkner as his wife Rose, and Caitlin Nicol-Thomas as King's fellow performer, Rose.

Grits' Golden Ooh Ahh

Grits’ “Ooh Ahh” featuring TobyMac recently received RIAA Gold certification for surpassing the 500,000 thresholds with downloads and on-demand streams. Grits is the only Christian hip-hop/rap artist to earn Gold single certification.

Jamie Grace Holds Gold

Jamie Grace’s “Hold Me” featuring TobyMac recently received RIAA Gold certification for surpassing the 500,000 thresholds with downloads and on-demand streams.  She becomes one of four female Christian artists to receive this status.

 Gotee has fostered over the last 20 years five RIAA Gold certified albums and launched numerous successful artist careers in R&B, rap, reggae and rock such as Out of Eden, GRITS, Jennifer Knapp, Relient K, Jamie Grace, Capital Kings, Finding Favour and more.

'American Bible Challenge' Up, 'It Takes a Church' Down

American Bible Challenge from Thursday night (6/12)  had 536,000 total viewers, up four percent from last week's 512,000 viewers.

It Takes a Church from Thursday night (6/12) had 385,000 total viewers, down eight percent from its series premiere which had 417,000 viewers.

‘Duck Dynasty’ Season 6 Premiere Ratings Off Significantly

Season 6 of the A&E reality hit premiered Wednesday night, drawing significantly fewer viewers than the Season 5 premiere in January.However, the show still remains the number one cable show on Wednesday night.

Wednesday's “Duck Dynasty” premiere drew 4.6 million total viewers — nearly 4 million less than the 8.5 million who tuned in for the Season 5 premiere.

The slide continues a sharp downward trajectory for the show. The 8.5 million who tuned in for the Season 5 premiere was itself a dramatic drop from the 11.8 million total viewers who tuned in for the Season 4 premiere in August 2013. Granted, the Season 4 premiere set a record for the series, but still — those are pretty big back-to-back declines.

Wednesday night's numbers are also a drop from the Season 5 finale in March, which had 6 million total viewers.

Wednesday night's premiere featured a special guest appearance by Louisiana Gov .Bobby Jindal, who awarded Willie Robertson the inaugural Governor's Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence for his success in making the Duck Commander family business a multi-million dollar company.

"It was really neat to have the governor on our show," Willie Robertson told The Daily Advertiser. "His family loves watching the show, and they all came up to West Monroe to participate."

Jindal's guest appearance evidently did not do much to help the show salvage its declining ratings. Although many media outlets are blaming the drop in ratings over controversial statements Phil Robertson made to GQ Magazine last December, others argue that "Duck Dynasty" is simply following the usual, short lifespan of docusoaps.

"Critics and ratings-gazers will be quick to attribute Duck Dynasty's fall from grace to any number of factors -- one of them obviously being star Phil Robertson's controversial persona in the wake of anti-gay comments made in a GQ profile -- but the fact of the matter remains that docusoaps have a short lifespan. And A&E has already milked more out of Duck Dynasty than anybody could have imagined," wrote Michael O'Connor for The Hollywood Reporter.

Tamela and David Mann To Star in New Reality Series on BET

You've met the Browns, now meet the Manns. Grammy-Award Nominated Tamela Mann and husband David Mann will be the focus on "Meet The Manns" to launch on BET in 2015. Currently in production, "Meet The Manns" follows the lives of the Texas-based power couple and their family as they juggle their successful entertainment careers, marriage and adventures with the family.

Tamela and David shared "We'll take America behind the scenes of our day-to-day life, living out all our dreams as a family, at home and on the road. Of course, with 5 Mann kids, 8 grandkids, and extended relatives nearby, even the most ordinary family activities bring unexpected, outrageous results. There'll also be some news and reveals we're saving to share on the show - you'll have to tune in to find out what's in store."

Hitmakers Behind Courageous and Fireproof Go Independent

The production team behind the hit movies, Courageous, Fireproof and Facing the Giants have launched a new production company.

With the support and blessing of their pastor, Alex and Stephen have expanded their movie making endeavors beyond Sherwood Baptist Church's walls.  Kendrick Brothers Productions has launched an independent movie production company designed to partner with believers across the nation and help train the next generation of Christian filmmakers. The Kendrick brothers plan to make their next movie under this new paradigm.

Pastor Catt said, “Jim and I are blessed to call Alex and Stephen our friends and co-laborers for the Gospel. They will continue to live in Albany and be an active part of the ministry of Sherwood Baptist Church. We love these guys and are grateful for God sending them to our staff over a decade ago. It will be exciting for us to take the steps of faith required to see where God will take us. No matter what lies ahead, this has been an incredible ride for all of us. Our prayers are with them as they pursue future endeavors.”

In a recent update on their site, Stephen posted that filming will begin next week:

Over the last five months we set up a production office, conducted online and live casting sessions, locked in our crew, and scouted the needed locations for the story. Every location is visually rich and completely fresh to us. God has provided an amazing cast of strong believers. Some are new faces to us, others you will recognize from our previous films, and there are a few surprises that many will recognize from the Christian ministry world. The Lord has also provided an excellent crew of Christian filmmakers and film-school interns. Many of them have been praying for God to open the door for them to work on a movie project that honors Him. Our production office is humming along. Lots of buzz. Tons of progress every day. We are very grateful that multiple pastors and churches are working together and surrounding this effort in prayer.

Audio Adrenaline Announces New Lead Vocalist as Kevin Max Goes Solo Again

fter nearly two years and over 150 shows, Audio Adrenaline has announced that Kevin Max is stepping down as lead singer of the band. Josh Engler, formerly of the band Abandon, will replace Max as the group's new lead vocalist.

Kevin Max spent the last two years utilizing his unique vocal and writing talents along with bass player Will McGinniss, drummer Jared Byers, and guitarist Dwayne Larring, who joined the group in August of 2013. Together their efforts continued to share Audio A's foundation, which was started by the band's original lead singer Mark Stuart, as well as McGinniss and former band mate Bob Herdman, which is caring for "the least of these" in Haiti and providing support and care for the orphaned and abandoned children residing at the Hands & Feet Project in Jacmel and Grand Goave.

Audio Adrenaline's musical direction will remain focused on vertical-based songs complemented with their signature energetic rock sound. The band has also recently partnered with Teen Mania's Acquire The Fire to provide a renewed worship experience for future Acquire The Fire events, and will join its founder Ron Luce in expanding the organization's worship programming.

This is a mutual decision between Kevin Max and the band. The transition will allow Max to further pursue solo and creative opportunities through song and word, one of his biggest passions.

"It has been an honor and a great privilege to be a part of the work Audio Adrenaline has done these last two years," Max shares. "Mark Stuart and Will McGinniss have always been close friends of mine, and this chapter of our lives in service together has been beautiful. I look forward to continually being involved in the Hands and Feet Project and also as a creative ally in anything Audio Adrenaline does in the future." Josh Engler previously was Abandon's lead singer for eight years (2004-2012), leaving that role in 2012 to focus on his family and his church. In 2013, he became the worship arts pastor of Bethel Church in Evansville, IN. Now, with the full support of his church leadership he is excited to continue the role that Stuart so passionately created before permanently losing his vocal abilities more than seven years ago.

Audio Adrenaline co-founding member Will McGinniss shares, "I love Kevin and it has been nothing but an honor and a joy to get to journey life with him these last two years. During every show I would look across the stage and smile and think 'God, you are a Creative and Redemptive God.' AudioA and the Hands and Feet Project will be forever grateful to Kevin. I pray that God will continue to use Kevin in a powerful way through music. He is and always will be a dear brother to us all."

Audio Adrenaline - McGinniss, Engler, Byers and Larring - has been hard at work writing songs and are currently in the studio working on their follow-up to the band's 2012 critically-acclaimed release, Kings & Queens. The new album is slated for release in 2015 by their record label and ministry partner, Fair Trade Services. Connect with Audio Adrenaline by visiting AudioA.com.

A Letter From Kevin Max Announcing His Solo Career and New Single 

Tedashii Debuts in Top 20 on Billboard 200

Below Paradise, the latest project from hip-hop artist Tedashii, has debuted at No. 17 on the Top 200 Billboard Album chart while also grabbing the No. 2 positions on the Rap, Independent and Christian charts. This is the highest debut for Tedashii since his first album dropped in 2006.

Below Paradise, Tedashii's fourth career studio release, features such artists as Lecrae, Trip Lee, Crowder, Andy Mineo, Kam Parker, Christon Gray and Britt Nicole.  The deluxe version is available exclusively through iTunes, which includes three bonus tracks that features KB, Dimitri McDowell, and Derek Minor.

Crowder Shines in Top 10 on Billboard 200 with Solo Debut Neon Steeple

Crowder is celebrating a Top 10 entry on the Billboard 200 with his solo album debut, Neon Steeple, hitting No. 9. The album released last week to critical acclaim, with outlets praising his innovative sound and new musical direction.

Last Saturday, Crowder fulfilled a lifelong dream in making his Grand Ole Opry debut. Performing a tribute to Hank Williams Sr. with "I Saw The Light," Crowder was a fan favorite in a night of Opry performances that included Deana Carter and country music legend Ricky Skaggs. Following the performance of his original track "Come As You Are," which Rhapsody referenced as evidence of Crowder as a "creative wordsmith," an emotional Ricky Skaggs in a rare moment championed Crowder as an "international harvester," declaring his music as joy filled and something that he envisions will free people from "addictions, drugs and alcohol, and most importantly, religion, things that bind us and hold us down and make us think that we have to do it a certain way."

Soul Surfer Bethany Hamilton and Husband To Join The Amazing Race

The Amazing Race’s Season 25 cast will have two familiar names –Bethany Hamilton and her husband Adam Dirks. Hamilton, a professional surfer and author whose story of surviving a shark attack was the subject of a hit 2011 movie.

She and Dirks, a youth minister, married last summer and now are among the 11 teams racing around the world for a million dollars. The teams kicked off the race in New York City's Times Square Saturday. Photos featured on CBS.com show Hamiliton and Dirks wearing blue shirts. Hamilton appears to be wearing floral surfing shorts.

Other famous faces in the race include actress and celebrity trainer Kym Perfetto and Survivor Season 23 stars Whitney Duncan and Keith Tollefson.

The 25th edition of The Amazing Race will premiere this fall on a new day and time, Fridays (8:00 PM), on  CBS.

Last month Hamilton released a new book entitled "Body and Soul" encouraging girls to live physically and spiritually healthy lives.

SEAL Team Six Book 'Fearless' Will Become a Movie; Will It Keep Christian Themes?

Relativity Media has acquired the rights to turn Eric Blehm’s best-selling book “Fearless” into a movie, Fox News is reporting.

In the same vein as Navy SEAL books “Lone Survivor” and “Act of Valor,” “Fearless” tells the personal story of Team Six operator Adam Brown, who died in combat in 2010.

But beyond Brown’s heroism on the battlefield in Afghanistan –  the story delves into his battle with personal demons and a drug addiction that at one point land him behind bars. Yet ultimately, it was Brown’s faith in God that pulled him through – and we’re told that making sure the Christian element remains strong in the film version was a must.

“These guys (the Relativity team) are committed to honoring Adam, and telling the story like it is,” said a source with knowledge of the deal. “Maybe even set a new trend in Hollywood, where they don’t have to put their artistic license into a story to make it good, the power is truth and accuracy of the portrayal.”

As initially reported by Fox News earlier this year, the best-selling book was in the process of being shopped around with a number of offers on the table, but the book team and the Brown family took time in choosing the best outfit to take on such a poignant story of courage and sacrifice.

“A film version could impact others in ways that are unimaginable,” Adam’s wife Kelley Brown said. “It brings us great joy to witness the path this has all taken, and we trust when it happens, it will be done right to honor Adam, his memory and what he and his fellow SEALs stand for.”

Is Louisiana the New Hollywood?

The latest batch of big-budget films set to be shot in Louisiana over the summer speaks to the state's success with its tax credit program.

Among planned shoots are "Fantastic Four," ''Terminator 5," ''Pitch Perfect 2" and "Jurassic World," the fourth film in the "Jurassic Park" series. The television series "NCIS: New Orleans" and "American Horror Story: Freak Show" are also being shot this summer.

The flurry of activity is encouraging entrepreneurs who provide services for production companies, in turn creating jobs. Louisiana ranked ahead of California — and anywhere else — in the number of live-action movie shoots in a study of 2013 releases from Hollywood's largest studios.

Louisiana offers tax credits of up to 40 percent of the money spent to buy, build and use movie production facilities.

Since the tax credit program began in 2002, services that have grown in the state include studios, sound stages, special effects, casting, costume rental, post-production and editing.

Louisiana's progress was demonstrated in a recent report by the permitting agency Film L.A. that examined the locations for shoots by the six major movie studios and five of the biggest independent studios. The agency said that 18 of the studios' 108 motion pictures released last year were shot in Louisiana, including "G.I. Joe: Retaliation," ''Dallas Buyers Club" and "Grudge Match."

California and Canada had 15 projects each, followed by Britain with 12 and the state of Georgia with nine.

"Now we represent about 14,000 jobs, up from roughly zero 10 years ago, and that's a pretty important thing for us to do," said Will French, president of the Louisiana Film and Entertainment Association.

French said TV production is also thriving in Louisiana. Among the newest is a pilot now filming in Shreveport called "Salem," based on the colonial-era witch trials.

Kirk Franklin Expresses Disappointment in 'Preachers of LA' Amid Suggestion Reality Show Turned People Away From God

Gospel singer Kirk Franklin, who declared months ago that fans would never see him on "Preachers of L.A.," stated during a recent radio interview that he was disappointed in the reality show, while a radio host D.L. Hughley suggested the Oxygen program has turned people away from God.

Franklin, asked during an appearance on "The D.L. Hughley Show" this week if he would appear on "Preachers of L.A.," revealed that he was not a fan of the show which gives an inside look at the ministries and personal lives of its leading men.

In a trivia segment of his radio program called "This or That," actor/comedian D.L. Hughley asked Franklin if he would "rather star in the next season of ("Preachers of L.A.") or have your beautiful wife, Tammy (Collins), star in the 'Real Housewives of Atlanta?'"

After Franklin declined to choose either one of the reality show options, Hughley went on to give his take of "Preachers of L.A.," which was renewed earlier this year for a second season.

"I lived in L.A. my whole life, and to me, I thought the purpose of that show was to drag nonbelievers, people who don't have access to God and don't have relationship with Him, that it would be so attractive that it would draw them to Him," said Hughley. "I think it's done the opposite."

Franklin responded by stating that there were people on "Preachers of L.A." whom he considers friends and whom he respects, but rejected the program. "I'm very disappointed in that show," he told Hughley.

The award-winning gospel artist and "American Bible Challenge" co-host previously had hinted at his feelings toward the faith-based reality show during a December 2013 concert in Detroit, Mich., when he told fans, "You'll never see your boy on real 'Preachers of L.A.'"

The Oxygen network reality show was controversial even before it aired, with some Christians debating whether the program would harm or help the faith community, while others called for a boycott. One of the major points of consternation for critics was the portrayal of the apparent flashy lifestyles of the ministers involved in the program.

Despite the controversy, "Preachers of L.A." was a major hit for Oxygen, averaging more than one million total viewers during its eight-episode run that started in Oct. 2013. In addition to being renewed by Oxygen Media for a second season, "Preachers of L.A." could have potential spin-off series for major cities like New York, Dallas, Atlanta and Detroit.

We Don't Have to Take Our Clothes Off... To Be an Actor

For many child stars, the road to 'adulthood' often includes sexuality. Although Miley Cyrus may be the most extreme example of this, many Disney Channel alumni such as Zac Efron,Vanessa Hudgens, and Selena Gomez have also followed this path.

David Henrie, who played Justin Russo alongside Gomez on "Wizards of Waverly Place" and made his name as Larry on That’s So Raven, among other roles, is bucking the trend.

Recently the filmmaker of the new short "Catch," Henrie told The Christian Post last week that maturing in Hollywood did not imply that child and teen actors hoping to reshape their careers had to go to extreme lengths to alienate former fans.

"I think everyone as they transition out of a younger show wants to transition into a career of acting unless you didn't like acting and you don't want to do that anymore," explained Henrie. "You have to transition out of it and that comes with doing older, more mature roles, but that doesn't mean doing crazy things that just insult your audience. Your audience has to grow with you."

Henrie, 24, said that he had chosen to advance his career through selecting "good roles" and is currently filming a sequel to Mallcop and will be starring alongside Emily Watson and Kevin James in the World War II-themed movie Little Boy, which will be released in October. It was during the latter through which Henrie discovered his latest passion — working behind the camera.

"[While working on Little Boy] I became very good friends with this filmmaker named Alonso Alvarez Barreda and he did a beautiful short film that I loved called Crescendo and I really admired it," said Henrie. "I sort of hounded him and said, 'You know, man, I really want to make a short film. I've wanted to do this since I was little.'"

Henrie, raised Catholic, also spoke about his faith.  He described his childhood faith as 'lukewarm' and said that he and his family attended church roughly once a year growing up.

"Now that I'm older, I take it more seriously," he explained, adding that a primary motivation behind the growth of his faith was "his family in the future."

"I always knew that a man was someone who would stand by something and live by something and as I got older I wanted to figure out what that was," said Henrie.

Unlike many of his more reluctant peers, Henrie said that he actively looks forward to getting married and having children.

"I think our generation especially has a weird stigma towards families, like people aren't wanting to have families and aren't wanting to have kids," he said.

The actor/filmmaker said that he realized that pursuing a Hollywood career can at times be in conflict with one's ability to prioritize their family.

"I get bummed out a lot of times with my peers because a lot of actors are running away from their families to come out here and act. They don't have the support of their families with comes with its own set of problems. If you're running away from something to pursue something else you better be a really tough cookie. You really better have a good head on your shoulders and strong moral fiber otherwise you're leaving structure to pursue something that's not structure and you're just letting your emotions take you wherever you want and if you're just living life by your emotions, you're going to blow with the wind," said Henrie.

Henrie critiqued his fellow Millennials as "the YOLO generation."

"'You only live once.' 'Do whatever you want.' 'Let your feelings guide you.' That's the worst advice ever! Let your feelings guide you - that's terrible. My feelings make me want to do crazy things all the time but no, you do what's right," he concluded.

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Crowder To Perform at Grand Ole Opry, Album Features Duet with Emmylou Harris

Crowder makes his worldwide solo-debut today with the release of Neon Steeple. Paying tribute to the folk/country influences on the new record, Crowder will make his Grand Ole Opry debut this Saturday, May 31 in Nashville.

Featuring 14 tracks and 3 bonus tracks, Neon Steeple includes a moving duet with music icon Emmylou Harris on "My Sweet Lord." The track was featured on USA Today's weekly playlist.

Critics are acknowledging the risky, innovative musical direction on Neon Steeple, and yet are praising Crowder's solo debut as a "musical tour de force."