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Something big is happening at Fresh Road Media. Something that's been two years in the making — two years of conviction, of restlessness, of what Chris calls "rumbling, bumbling, stumbling" — and it's finally moving.
Production has officially begun on a new documentary film: The Secret Meaning of Life.
How We Got Here: Bible Idiots and $800
Back in 2014 and 2015, there was a problem with Bible apologetics content. The documentaries defending Scripture were, frankly, boring. So we decided to do something filmmakers told us couldn't be done: merge standup comedy with serious Bible apologetics.
The film was called Bible Idiots. The question it asked:
Are we idiots for believing the Bible — or would we be idiots not to?
The goal was 70% comedy and 30% teaching — covering the Bible's authenticity, its inspiration, its archaeological evidence — wrapped in something people would actually want to watch. We started with $800 and didn't own a camera. That's what we call bootstrapping a movie. We bootstrapped the whole thing.
It was very, very taxing. When it was done, the promise was clear: never again.
Bible Idiots has now been in the marketplace for eleven years.
Yet here we are.
The New Film: The Secret Meaning of Life
God's been prompting us to make a quasi-followup — but not just a defense of Scripture. This one answers a more pressing, immediate question: how do you actually live in the times we're facing right now?
The film is built around a single equation. It came at 2:00 in the morning — one of those moments where you just get up and write it down because it's not going to leave you alone:
Contentment + Godliness = Great Gain∞
1 Timothy 6:6
The original version had a lowercase "G" after the equals sign. The team pushed for the infinity symbol above it for "great gain." They were right.
That equation is the film. And that equation is what's missing everywhere you look right now.
Where things stand:
- Pre-production has begun
- Fully funded to make the base film
- Distribution secured with one of the top distributors out of Nashville — the golden ticket for any independent filmmaker
- An experienced crew with major Christian film credits
- World premiere planned for this summer in Harlan, Iowa
Gramster Rant: The Fake Christianity Problem
There's fake Christianity everywhere. And this film is going to combat it directly.
Here's a stat people throw around constantly: "50% of Christian marriages end in divorce." It gets repeated like settled fact — like there's no daylight between someone who checks the Christian box and someone who actually lives it out. But that's not the real number, and the difference matters enormously.
That 50% figure applies to people who claim to be Christians.
Authentic, true biblical Christianity — people who are walking out their faith the way the Bible actually describes, who are fully surrendered to God and to Christ, who genuinely want to be disciples — that divorce percentage lands somewhere around 7 to 8%. Research over the last 10 to 15 years backs that up.
What's the difference? Sin still exists in the authentic Christian's life, and sin does splatter. That's where the 7 to 8% comes from. But there is a commitment level. There is a unity. There is a foundation that holds when the pressure comes — because the foundation is real.
Consumer Christianity doesn't produce that. The charismatic bent doesn't produce it. And neither does the version we saw firsthand during years of large-market syndicated morning radio — where you're told: say "God is love," use the word Jesus, but not too much, because we need to sell tickets, we need ratings, we need revenue. Keep it generic. Middle of the road. Only positive.
And whatever you do — sheath the word of God. Don't pull out that sword. Don't use it to convict people of sin. Heavens, no.
Where does that leave people? Without contentment. Without the equation. They don't understand that contentment with godliness is great gain — because nobody will actually tell them the truth long enough to let it take root.
And now we are watching the apostate church rise up in real time. Selling lies in an effort to make people feel good. Changing the message under the assumption that softening it will finally attract more people and keep them happy. The effect is the opposite. The body of Christ is battling this feeling of being defeated and deflated — and the response from too many corners of the church is to keep softening, keep accommodating, keep sheathing. Thinking this time the compromise will work.
It never works. And deep down, people know it.
Now more than ever, we need content that builds up the body without changing the message. Not in spite of the times — because of them. That is what this film is going to do.
Salvaged by God Deep Dive: Contentment + Godliness = Great Gain∞
1 Timothy 6:6
This equation isn't complicated. But it cuts against almost everything the culture — and frankly, a lot of the church — is selling right now.
Contentment. Not happiness. Not comfort. Not the absence of hard things. Contentment is something God gives you in all things, not for all things. Joni Eareckson Tada put it this way in Bible Idiots: "I don't have thankfulness for all things, but I have thankfulness in all things." While you're going through it — whatever it is — you can still have this. God gives it to you.
Godliness. This is the narrow road. Not a list of rules. Not a performance for an audience. Not the version you present on Sunday morning. It's full surrender. It's wanting to be a genuine disciple. It's walking out your faith the way the Bible actually describes — not the consumer version that asks nothing of you and delivers a felt-good-for-a-minute in return.
Great Gain. Not a prosperity gospel promise. Not health and wealth. Great gain in the eternal sense — the kind that makes momentary troubles actually feel momentary, because your eyes are fixed on something that doesn't end. That eternal hope is what releases the burden. That's the secret meaning of life. That's what this film is about.
Walking the narrow road isn't easy, and it isn't popular. But people who actually walk it — really walk it — live differently. Their marriages hold. Their faith holds. Their peace holds. Not because life is easier for them, but because they know what they have, and they know it doesn't go away.
The film will make that case in about 80 minutes — clear, direct, and without sheathing the sword to do it.
How to Be Part of It
We don't need a dime to make the movie. What we're looking for is contingency funding — primarily to secure a couple of additional interviews that will add significant credibility and depth to the final cut.
Here's how to get involved:
Stay in the Loop — Free
Follow along as this film comes together. Sign up below for free — you’ll be added to the email list and invited into focus group Zoom calls over the next 60 days, previewing scenes, weighing in on storytelling decisions, and seeing the rough cut before we go to picture lock.
There's a phrase worth remembering: when you're in the bottle, you can't read the label. That's exactly what a focus group is for — outside eyes on something the filmmakers are too close to see clearly. Even the title of this film changed because of it. "Fools for Christ" became "The Secret Meaning of Life" partly because when someone heard "meaning of life," the first thing that came to mind was Monty Python and spiritual flesh wounds. Outside voices catch what creators miss. We want you in the room.
Already on our list? You’re all set — updates will keep coming as production moves forward. Feel free to forward this page to anyone who’d want to follow along.
Join the Film Crew — Support the Film Directly
Want to go further than following along? The Film Crew is how you get behind the film itself.
Every gift is fully tax-deductible through Fresh Road Media, a 501(c)(3) — and because Fresh Road Media will own a piece of the film, any return on investment continues to fund gospel work well beyond the production.
$50 — Film Crew Member
- T-shirt with the equation (1 Timothy 6:6)
- Wristband with the equation
- One ticket to the world premiere
$100 — Film Crew Member
- Two t-shirts + two wristbands
- Two tickets to the world premiere
- Your name in the credits
$500 — Executive Film Crew
- Everything at the $100 level
- Invitation to the catered gala afterparty at the world premiere
Deadline: April 6th — the day after Easter. Don’t wait.
www.freshroadmedia.com/filmcrew
Final Thoughts
This has been sitting in a pocket for two years. Two years of conviction, of knowing this film needs to be made, of finding every reason to put it off — until God made it plain enough: you have the margin, you have the team, you have the elderboard support. Quit whining. Get off the couch. Go write the script.
So that's what's happening.
If you feel like God is laying something on your heart right now — like you want to be part of something that actually makes a difference — maybe this is it. Head to www.freshroadmedia.com/filmcrew and join the journey. Even $50 or $100 makes a real difference for the contingency plan and helps Fresh Road Media keep sharing the gospel even after the film wraps.
And if giving isn't where you are right now — pray. It's easy to default to the almighty dollar as the measure of whether something is going to work, because that's what we can see. But prayer is the most powerful tool we have. Come alongside and pray for this project. That would mean more than anything else.
We'll be back on Wednesday, March 26th with a regular show. Until then — join us on the journey. We're glad you're along.