Lecture Notes: Overcoming Failure and Embracing God's Role

Introduction

Speaker shares an anecdote about receiving an unexpected message, setting the tone for the theme of the talk.
Emphasizes humor and a personable approach to engage the audience.
Recalls a personal annual meeting with the "Quorum of the Twelve" to illustrate a point about collaboration and scriptwriting.

Speaker has a career in filmmaking, beginning with independent films outside the Hollywood system.
Early career aspirations were driven by a desire for legitimacy and success in the Hollywood framework.
Personal motivation included both kingdom work and a desire for recognition (e.g., Academy Awards).
Despite 15 years in the industry, success as defined by Hollywood remained elusive.

Returned to Illinois to work on films with a large church, encountering challenges in actual film production initially.
Created a successful short film for the church's Christmas Eve service, which led to interest from significant Hollywood producers.
Film "The Resurrection of Gavin Stone" was produced in collaboration with Jason Blum (horror film producer) and WWE.
Despite initial optimism, the film was a box office failure, leading to personal doubt and reassessment of God's role in his work.

After the film's failure, the speaker and his wife turned to prayer, seeking understanding.
A message from a Facebook friend reinforced a biblical story—the feeding of the 5,000—focusing on the idea that it's only necessary to provide the loaves and fish, not to feed the 5,000.
This message emphasized the importance of surrendering control and trusting God's plan.

The speaker experienced a profound change, recognizing the importance of letting go of personal control and ambitions.
Shared an honest reflection on Facebook about the failure, resonating with many people.

Inspiration to create "The Chosen" arose from a short film about the birth of Christ.
Initial skepticism about funding, given the previous failure and industry norms.
Partnered with Angel Studios for crowdfunding, leading to unprecedented success.
Recognized this as a "miracle"—impossible math facilitated by God.

Achieved unexpected success with "The Chosen," emphasizing God's role in the journey.
Maintains the perspective that it's not his job to ensure success but to provide what he can (loaves and fish).

Encourages students to learn from his experiences of surrender and reliance on God.
Stresses the importance of participation in God's work but leaving the outcome to God.
Urges the audience to find peace and purpose in surrendering their ambitions to God's will.

Reiterates the key lesson: "It is not your job to feed the 5,000. It is only to provide the loaves and fish."
Ends with a heartfelt message of love and encouragement for the audience.