Christian Celebrities

Actress Alexa PenaVega, in an interview, discussed her faith and navigating grief, pain and loss. Additionally, she talked about motherhood and how that influences and impacts the roles she selects. Watch the clip to hear Alexa’s heartbreaking and inspiring journey as she and her husband have dealt with the painful loss of a child.

Unfortunately, there will be times of great pain and sadness in life. It does not matter how much fame or money one has; those devastating and gut-wrenching circumstances have a way of finding us at one time or another. It’s impossible to go through life without experiencing immense heartache and sorrow.

However, there is still hope even during the heartache, pain and sadness. Jesus Christ offers comfort and healing to those who have been hurt. He also provides rest for those who are weary and tired. He is the calm amid the storm and the peace that surpasses all understanding.

In a clip posted on YouTube, Alexa and her husband, Carlos, experienced a stillbirth. The “Spy Kids” star said it was an unexpected loss because there was a heartbeat two minutes before their daughter was born. It was a devastating and heartbreaking loss. But even during the pain and the hurt, Alexa said there was an unexplainable peace.

“There was a lot of pain, but it was pain with purpose,” she said. “And for people who haven’t had to walk through something heavy like this, it’s, it’s really hard to understand. Like, how can you find joy after that? How can you experience this crazy peace? It was supernatural peace right away. Like, it was painful. Like, we would just, we would cry, and we hurt and we grieved.”

She added that going through that experience caused her to hold and hug her other children a little tighter. Alexa knows precisely where her late daughter is at this very moment.

“But I still feel so connected to Indy,” she said. “I know she’s up in heaven. I know she’s dancing with Jesus and having the best time ever. And you know, while I wish she was here, I always tell people, like, ‘That girl changed the world without even taking a breath.’ And I’m like, ‘That’s powerful.’”

Earlier in the clip, Alexa said that being a mother and a Christian has impacted her project decisions.

“Not that I wouldn’t be this way anyway,” she said. “Ever since I found my faith, just the roles I was taking in general were just, I was just way more aware of the content I was putting out.”

She said she does not want the movies and television shows she appears in to contradict what she is teaching and telling her children. 

Revelation 21:4 “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”

Russell Brand marked 22 years of sobriety by declaring, “God is Real.” The actor, author and podcast host celebrated more than two decades of sobriety by recognizing God's help getting and staying clean. Check out the video to hear Russell’s powerful and inspiring words about the important milestone in his life and sobriety.

The world is a lost and fallen place filled with hurting and struggling people. As the Bible says, all have sinned and fallen short of God's glory. We’re all sinners who have willingly turned our backs on Him. None of us deserves or will ever deserve the love, forgiveness and mercy that He so freely offers all.

He has the ability and power to forgive and cleanse even the most wretched, lost sinner of them all. He can mend hearts, lives and relationships. He even has the power to break addictions that have consumed and taken control of someone’s life for years.

In a clip posted on YouTube, Russell celebrates being sober for more than 20 years. He mentions that one of the most important things he’s learned in that time has been the importance of his spiritual life.

“What the great gift of recovery is is the ability to know and practice that the spiritual life has to come first, and the most important thing in your life is the way that you serve other people,” he said.

Near the end of the clip, Russell offers those who are struggling and who might be amid an addiction some advice.

“If you’re struggling, there’s a way out of that struggle,” he said. “God is real. And the things in your life that feel like punishments are lessons and opportunities to move closer to God. And the closer to God you get, the more beautiful life can be.”

2 Timothy 1:7 “For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of self-control.”

Denzel Washington has found his purpose in God and will continue to thank Him daily. The Academy Award-winning actor understands that his role and purpose on Earth is not to act but to be an instrument of God. Watch the short clip to hear Denzel’s powerful words about God and his desire and need to praise and thank Him.

Hollywood is not known for being friendly or welcoming to those of faith and people who believe in and trust God. Many of the movies and television programs produced by Hollywood mock and ridicule people of faith, often making them the butt of jokes. Sadly, this seems to be a growing trend in popular media.

With such an obviously hostile environment toward people of faith, many Christians working in Hollywood are likely to remain quiet about their beliefs. However, one of the biggest names in Hollywood, Denzel Washington, has spoken out about God and religion on multiple occasions. 

A clip posted on YouTube shows the “Training Day” actor saying that he understands that acting and being on the big screen is not his purpose. He knows that God has a much bigger role for him.

“I wasn’t put on this earth to act,” Denzel said. “I was put on this earth to share and to be an example of the power and wisdom and grace and mercy of God in my life.”

Later in the clip, Denzel adds that he is grateful for every single day the Lord gives him. He understands that every day is a gift because we are not promised tomorrow.

“And I appreciate every day that I wake up,” he said. “And I will give thanks to the Lord every day for the rest of my days.”

Hebrews 13:15 “Let us then make offerings of praise to God at all times through him, that is to say, the fruit of lips giving witness to his name.”

Actress, author and podcast host Candace Cameron Bure’s husband helped change her approach to lending money. She said her husband’s stance on lending money to others changed her life. Check out the short video to hear exactly what her husband, Val, told her that dramatically changed her outlook on lending money.

Money can be a tricky and sensitive topic. Whenever the subject of money comes up in conversation, it can cause people to become tense and feel ill at ease. That is especially true when someone asks a friend or family member if they could lend them money. That request can strain relationships considerably and possibly even destroy them.

In a clip posted on YouTube, Candace mentions a time when a friend of hers and her husband asked if they would mind lending him some money. Candace admits that she was uneasy at first and did not necessarily want to lend this person money.

“And I was the person who went, ‘Yeah, we could give it to him, but I don’t think he’s going to pay us back,’” she said. “He says he’s going to pay us back. I don’t think he’s going to pay us back.”

Candace says that she and her husband prayed over the matter. Then, according to Candace, her husband made a statement that changed her entire life.

“And then my husband was like, ‘I don’t want it back, and if we ever give anything to anyone, even if they ask us for it, I want to give with no expectation,’” she recalled. “’ We’re never going to lend money to anyone; if we decide, we’re going to give money to someone.’” And that, that’s changed my life. It’s a very different thing to give without expectation.”

Luke 6:38 “Give and it shall be given to you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that you mete with, it shall be measured to you again.”

Actress, author and podcast host Candace Cameron Bure made a powerful request to help her husband see God and His love. She mentions how she approached the Lord and asked Him to help her show her husband God. Check out the clip to hear how Candace dealt with this situation.

Marriage is, at times, challenging. It’s a relationship involving two flawed people who have agreed and committed to remaining with one another through thick and thin. No matter what life throws at them, they have vowed to stick it out together in front of God, family and friends.

However, despite commitment, that marriage relationship will still be difficult to maneuver and navigate at times. For instance, issues will arise if one person is a believer and follower of Jesus Christ and the other is not or refuses to hear anything about God and His love. Candace admits that she was in that situation with her husband at one point in their marriage.

“I was so enthusiastic to tell Val (her husband) about God,” she said. “He was, like, ‘Don’t talk to me about Him. It’s making me take two steps back.’”

In a clip posted on YouTube, Candace describes how she navigated that situation. She adds what verse in the Bible she used to help her.

“There had to be a verse in the Bible, and I found the verse,” Candace said. “1 Peter 3:1 “Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husband so that even if they do not obey the Word, they without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wife.’”

Later in the clip, Candace said she prayed to God, asking Him for help and guidance.

“Then, I started praying, ‘God, mold me into the woman that you’ve called me to be to show Val who you are by how I treat him, how I care for him as a wife.’ I prayed those every day, but I was focusing on ‘Lord, mold me and change me into the woman you want me to be so I can show him who you are through my actions.’”

1 Peter 3:1 “Likewise, you wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of their wives;”