Here’s today’s dispatch from the crossroads of faith, media and culture.

Hot preview: Due out next April 16th (just in time for Easter), Heaven is for Real, based on a true story which became a mega-bestselling book, is one of the most highly-anticipated faith-based films of 2014. Test screenings are reportedly scoring off the charts. The trailer has just been released.

The film tells the story of Colton Burpo, a small town pastor’s child whose near-death experience during an emergency appendectomy involved an apparent encounter with the afterlife. The book, written by Colton’s father Todd Burpo and Lynn Vincent, has been translated into more than 30 languages.

Heaven is for Real stars Greg Kinnear as Todd Burpo, Kelly Reilly as Colton’s mom Sonja (Colton’s mom) and young Connor Corum as Colton.  Randall Wallace (Secretariat) directs Chris Parker‘s screenplay. The film is produced Joe Roth (Oz the Great and Powerful) and Potter’s House Pastor T.D. Jakes (Jumping the Broom) for Sony’s TriStar division.

Personally, I’m really looking forward to seeing this one.

Encourage one another and build each other up – 1 Thessalonians 5:11