As we look around at the world today and see (through the lens of the secular media) what seems to be an ever-increasing spiral into greater and greater sin and immorality all around us, please allow me to share some statistics with you that you won’t hear on the 10:00 TV news:
An estimated 45% of American adults tune into a Christian television program at least once a month. That’s over 109 million adults.*
An estimated 35% of American adults read a Christian magazine at least once per month. That’s almost 85 million adults.*
And who hasn’t noticed the recent wave of Christian movies?
In 2002, Sherwood Baptist Church of Albany, Georgia, began a movie production company called Sherwood Pictures with a donation of $20,000. Its first film, “Flywheel” was produced on a budget of that same $20,000, grossed $37,000 at the box office, and sold 600,000 copies on DVD. Subsequent films by the same company included Facing the Giants which made 102 times its budget, Fireproof which grossed 67 times its budget, and Courageous which made eight times its budget in the first ten days after its release.
The Passion of the Christ, The Chronicles of Narnia series, Heaven is for Real, God’s not Dead, and many others have all been huge at the box office.
Hollywood has even taken notice, terming the phenomenon, “The Bible Boom.”
And speaking of the Bible:
Even though Americans bought $572 million worth of Christian books last year, that figure does not include the Bible. No list of current best sellers includes sales figures for Bibles because its sales tower above all other books. Bible sales range between $425 million and $650 million per year.
The Guiness Book of World Records estimates that six billion Bibles were printed between 1815 and 1975 and The Economist reported that 100 million new Bibles are being printed each year. The Barna Group found that 92% of American households have at least one Bible and the average is three per household.
A decade ago, Christian websites weren’t even on the radar screen of most people, but today an estimated 17 million adults spend at least some time visiting a Christian website at least once per month—just like you are doing now.*
And, since I am writing this for a Christian radio ministry, let’s not forget the almost 112 million American adults who listen to Christian radio once per month and the 39 million American adults who listen to Christian radio every day.*
Christian radio reaches 17 million people per year who never attend church.*
While there is no contesting the increase in lawlessness and the decline of morality all around us, you are not alone in your faith, my brothers and sisters in Christ. Truly, the Good News of Jesus Christ is not dead and there are literally millions out there ready and willing to hear it.
Today’s Praise
“Incline your ear and come to Me. Listen, that you may live; And I will make an everlasting covenant with you, According to the faithful mercies shown to David. Isaiah 55:3 (NASB)
*All statistics marked with an asterisk were obtained from a 2005 study by the Barna Group.