John Grooters

If there’s one thing John Grooters loves to do, it’s to tell stories. And not just any stories. His passion for Jesus and filmmaking have equipped him to write and direct compelling series like "i am n," "Tortured for Christ" and his most recent, "Sabina: Tortured for Christ, the Nazi Years."

As an award-winning filmmaker, John has partnered with some of the world’s leading playwrights, theologians and scientists to make powerful teachings and testimonies available to the general public. But today, we’re looking beyond John’s accomplishments and into the faith that drives him. What are his biggest everyday struggles? How does he cultivate divinely inspired creativity? And what spiritual practices help him know and love Jesus more? Learn all this and more in today’s interview.

QUESTION #1: ACQUAINT

There's much more to food than palate and preference. How does a go-to meal at your favorite hometown restaurant reveal the true you behind the web bio?

Holland, Michigan. It’s where we live and work. Our offices are right in the heart of our small-town downtown, and that means we can walk to things. We just leave the cars at the office and walk to dinner. Walk to our little movie theater. Walk for the sake of walking. There is a dangerous pizza place just a block or so from us — it’s called Fricanos. They claim to be Michigan’s best, and Michigan’s first. They don’t take credit cards, only cash. They don’t do refills on your beverage. And they have no menu. You get a thin, greasy, fairly small pizza — and you love it. My wife and I each order one — a cheese-only and an everything, extra sauce on both — and then we share it. I’ve learned that when it comes to food, I’m lowbrow. I’m the opposite of a foodie. Often, I’m a lot more interested in “when” than “what.”

But in other areas of life, I’m not like that at all. In fact, I’m so hungry for quality in everything else that I have to battle a negative energy that takes over my brain when something I’m experiencing doesn’t cut the mustard. I lead worship on Sundays at a small church in a town 40 miles away from my home. Right or wrong, I am desperately committed to making our little band sound great on Sundays. The same goes for directing talent. I am happy when great talent gives the scene a great performance. Anything less than that — no matter how sincere — I resent. I guess I’m a foodie in everything but food.

QUESTION #2: REVEAL

We’ve all got quirky proclivities and out-of-the-way interests. So, what are yours? What so-called "nonspiritual" activities do you love and help you find spiritual renewal?

My non-spiritual activities are quite spiritual for me. I love to walk 9 holes late in the day, late in the sun’s cycle, during the long shadows. I love a golf course that isn’t surrounded by houses or condos, too. It doesn’t have to be a fancy course for me. The act of walking is enough for me to consider it “working out.” “Hon, I’m going for a workout.” She knows what I’m doing, but it just sounds better to me.

The pace of the walk, the challenge of each shot and the distant hope that someday I might be good at the game are all enough to bring me back to my local muni golf course. But as forced as this might sound to some, it’s my summertime way of participating in nature. I don’t fish, don’t really like to hike, camp or hunt. But I see lots of animals and birds on the golf course. It is admittedly a “tamed” form of nature — but it is nature nonetheless.

In the wintertime, I like to ski. It is imperative if you live in Michigan to have a reason to look forward to winter. Since I grew up in the deserts of Arizona and thought that it was entirely too hot down there, I vowed to resist the temptation to complain about winter once I moved to Michigan. I’m a chicken skier — I never fall because I play everything safe. And yet the rhythm of skiing down a long slope, under control and at just the right speed, is a non-spiritual and yet spiritual activity for me.

QUESTION #3: CONFESS

Every superhero has a weakness. Every human too. We're just good at faking it. But who are we kidding? We’re broken and in this thing together. So, what’s your kryptonite and how do you hide it?

Superpower: Superman didn’t learn how to fly because he practiced it longer than other kids. A superpower is bestowed, and it sets you apart from and above the mere mortals. Your superpower gives you an advantage in the struggle of life. An unfair advantage, if we’re honest.

I recognized that my superpower, that thing that has given me an unfair advantage in the struggle of life, was that I had a good dad. A dad who blessed me. A dad who inspired me. A dad who demonstrated by his actions what it looked like to be a Christian. A dad who was faithful to his wife. A dad who could hit a turn-around jump shot. A dad who was as comfortable in khaki pants and a white t-shirt as he was in a suit and tie. A dad who confided in me when I was still a young boy and who shared with me his process of decision-making and discernment. A dad who prayed with and for me.

Kryptonite: Any time I’m in an unresolved conflict with my wife, I’m useless. If we’re at odds over something, I’m brooding. It’s so immature. I’m a 5-year-old. I’m not making excuses here — just confessing. I’m so dependent on her support — or at least the illusion of it, which is good enough for me — that when we leave conflict floating in the air between us, I’m not creative, I’m not confident, I’m not inspiring. I’m not anything. Marriage counselors — have at it!

QUESTION #4: FIRE UP

Tell us about your toil. How are you investing your professional time right now? What’s your obsession? And why should it be ours?

Well, on November 8 is the worldwide release of “Sabina: Tortured for Christ, The Nazi Years.” I’m the writer/director of this film, and I’m the editor, too. I’m so thrilled to be a part of this project, done for The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM).

Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand were the founders of VOM, and three years ago, I directed the film “Tortured for Christ,” which was released 50 years after the book of the same name. It’s an incredible story of faith and courage in the face of horrific abuses by the communists who had taken over Romania in the late 1940s. After that movie was released, I began working on the prequel, the story before the communists. For Romanians, that means the Nazis. Hitler’s New World Order swept through the Axis countries, and Romania was infected with its sickness.

Our film tells the incredible story of how one woman, Sabina, could receive the forgiveness of God with such intensity that she was truly committed to forgiving others for the rest of her life — no matter how gruesome their actions were. She says to some German soldiers that she gave quarter to, “I’ll protect you from the Russians — I can’t protect you from the wrath of God.”

Working with the content from the autobiographies of Richard and Sabina gave me some of the richest material any writer could hope for. Working with the immensely talented cast and crew from Romania was as much as any director could ever hope for. And delivering a film to a ministry as vital as The Voice of the Martyrs is as much as any producer could hope for. I hope you all get the chance to see it.

QUESTION #5: BOOST

Cashiers, CEOs, contractors or customer service reps, we all need grace flowing into us and back out into the world. How does the Holy Spirit invigorate your work? And how do you know it's God when it happens?

When I start writing, I put on classical music. I don’t know a lot about classical music — I’m a rock-n-roll holdout. But if I play the music, I know I’ll get distracted. Classical music makes me feel smarter, and, I don’t pay that much attention to it. I put on the music, organize my thoughts and begin filling the page. Is it inspired? Is it holy? Is it “the very words of God?” No. Definitely not. But I like to think of it this way: I get in the stream of God’s living water and see where it takes me. Who knows what’s around the next bend of a stream you’ve not been down before? And who knows where ideas that make you laugh out loud come from? Sometimes my wife walks in when I’m writing and finds me cracking up. My characters are making me laugh. It’s kind of weird.

For me, the same thing might be said of songwriting. I can’t say, “The Lord gave me this song,” because that would be insulting to the Lord’s depth of musicianship. But I can say I sometimes wade into the stream, hop on a raft and see where we end up. Sometimes it’s a song. Sometimes I just climb out of the river and go do something else.

QUESTION #6: inspire

Scripture and tradition beckon us into the rich and varied actions that open our hearts to the presence of God. So, spill it, which spiritual practice is workin' best for you right now?

I like to lead Bible studies because they take no preparation. Zero. At our worship band rehearsals, we’ll often do a Bible study. Here’s what I do. I take my Bible, a fairly recently purchased large-type NKJV and I toss it to someone on my left. They know the drill.

“Okay, you’ve got the Torah. Let it fall open, drop your eyes and read.”

They don’t skim until they find something interesting, they don’t alight at a section that might be highlighted or underlined. They just read for a bit until it seems a good time to stop. Then they hand the Bible to the person on your left.

“Okay, you’ve got the historical literature — something from Kings or Chronicles would be nice.”

Out loud comes a passage. I can almost guarantee you’ve never heard it before. Next person gets Psalms or Proverbs. Then a major prophet. Next, a minor prophet. Now we’re in the New Testament, and we drop in on one of the Gospels. We get a Pauline letter. And then we always end with something from Revelation.

You can do more books; you can do less. It depends on how much time you have or how many people you want to read. Every time we do this, God speaks. It’s guaranteed. Our job is to listen. To participate. To notice what he is saying. To share our insights, connect the threads, be corrected and instructed. This is what’s working for me.

QUESTION #7: FOCUS

Our email subscribers get free ebooks featuring our favorite resources — lots of things that have truly impacted our faith lives. But you know about some really great stuff, too. What are some resources that have impacted you?

I’ve had a couple of chances this past year to speak — a college commencement, a Christian film conference, at my church — and I’ve pondered the question myself. What are the three books that shaped me most, that moved me from “sand” to “rock” in my faith? I don’t want a faith built on sand in so far as the first real storm life sends my way will likely destroy that faith, that house.

Rock. That’s where I want my faith house. Built on something more than feelings or the inspiration of a moment. I’ve boiled it down to three books that made a difference for me.

1. “Mere Christianity” by C.S. Lewis. I read it when I was in grade school. I was convinced that C.S. Lewis was considerably smarter and more well-read than I, and if he decided to become a Christian, so would I.

2. “The Case for Christ” by Lee Strobel. I read it in my early 20s. It was so logical and honest and readable. Lee didn’t pretend to be some high-minded theologian — just an average guy on a quest for truth. Loved it.

3. “The Answers Book” by Ken Ham (now rebranded as “The New Answers Book Series” by Ken Ham and other authors). I read it in my 40s. Until I came upon Answers in Genesis, I had never come across the vast depth of research and science that supports the Bible’s account of Creation. I wasn’t taught it in school, I wasn’t taught it at my supposedly “Christian” college, and I sure wasn’t taught it in church. When I came across Ken Ham and his ministry team, all that changed. The Bible became alive for me and trustworthy from Genesis 1 on. It’s a big topic — there is so much to read and experience. And of course, lots of controversy. I’m so glad I found this great resource.

We all have things we cling to to survive (or thrive) in tough times. Name one resource you’ve found indispensable in this current season — and tell us what it's done for you.

The YouVersion app on my phone is the one Christian resource that I touch every day. Well, almost every day. I love its “verse of the day,” and I love the easy cross-referencing between translations. My favorites to use for cross-referencing are the NET, the NKJV, the ESV, the NIV and Young’s Literal Translation 1898 (YLT98).

The other thing I literally cling to is my wife’s hand. We hold hands when we pray or when someone else is praying. Holding hands was a big deal back when I was in grade school. It was a tangible way for me to think, She likes me. Thirty-four years into this marriage, it still means the same thing.

QUESTION #8: dream

God is continually stirring new things in each of us. So, give us the scoop! What’s beginning to stir in you but not yet fully awakened? What can we expect from you in the future?

I love to make great movies, and I hope to keep on doing that till I’m older than Clint Eastwood. He had a big head start on me, so I have a lot of time to make up for. I love to make films that reveal the beauty of Jesus in some clever, unexpected, honest, real-as-dirt way. If we’re given the privilege of someone’s attention, I want to treat that with the utmost respect. I will fight hard not to bore an audience or to waste their time with clichés or predictability.

There are so many inspiring stories that come from the great cloud of witnesses (see Hebrews 12:1). I would love to have continued opportunities to guide the production ship and bring them to our myriad of screens. “Sabina: Tortured for Christ, the Nazi Years” has been exactly that kind of project, and God willing, we will encounter many more.

I have written comedies, American history, Christmas specials, youth adventures, true stories and fictional screenplays. They are all sitting on a shelf in my office. Each one was born of sweat and passion, and I’d love nothing more than to breathe life into them. With someone else’s money, of course.

Following Jesus’ command to forgive is easy when the offense is small. But what about when the offense feels too painful? How do we forgive when someone has wounded us too deeply?

We could ask Sabina. (Remember John’s story about her earlier?) Or we could ask Jesus himself.

On the cross, Jesus pushed his feet deeper into the nails to relieve the pressure on his lungs and gasp out a prayer of forgiveness for his killers. “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34, ESV).

It would be easy to brush this prayer off as simply the result of Jesus’ divine, pure nature. But as God, Jesus had — and still has — the authority to forgive sin (see Mark 2:10). So why ask the Father to forgive these murderers? Could it be that this prayer was an act of his humanity? A decision to personally forgive and even bless the ones who hurt him the most?

As those redeemed and restored by Jesus’ own blood, we have the privilege of walking in his footsteps — to forgive even our worst offenders.

“Be … quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love” (Colossians 3:13,14, MSG).