Sam Sorbo on Raising Godly Children

MEETING HERCULES
Sam grew up in Pittsburgh, PA and studied biomedical engineering at Duke University after high school.  She moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in modeling and acting and landed roles in several films and TV shows. Sam was cast as the guest star in the hit TV series, Hercules, in 1997, opposite Kevin Sorbo.  It was love at first sight. They married in 1998.

Both Kevin and Sam have been successful in Hollywood.  Kevin has acted in more than 40 movies and TV shows. Sam pursued her career in acting and modeling. After having 3 kids, Sam realized she did not want to leave her children.  When her oldest started public school, Sam realized he was not learning the same values as they taught in their home.  “Your kids are a gift from God,” says Sam. “Why are you putting him or her in an institution for 8 hours?”  Sam believes children are here to teach parents.  She has since become a huge proponent for homeschooling.  “We do not ask schools to teach anything related to God,” says Sam.  “So how will godly values enter the classroom?”  Sam believes all education starts at home.  It dawned on her that there should be a training handbook for teaching biblical values to our children on a daily basis.  “Obviously, the Bible is the best resource on that topic, but sometimes, for busy families, it’s shrewder to have something broken down and organized into little nuggets to chew on each day,” she says.

72 CHARACTER QUALITIES
As she taught 7^th grade to homeschoolers, Sam put a godly characteristic on the board to discuss it and asked the students to find ways to put the word into action.  They discussed synonyms and antonyms.  Sam took all the answers from the students and encouraged them to blurt out their ideas.  “I call this workshopping the concept,” she says.  Sam asked them what the word looked like in action and how life appears when this characteristic is absent.  “It’s one thing to read it, but it makes more of an impact by acting it out.”  She came up with 36 lessons about different godly characteristics, like humility and graciousness.  Each lesson is broken down into 5 daily readings, 180 in total, one for every day of the school year.

Sam chose 72 character qualities that any Christian should strive to exhibit and organized them into groups of two.  By using two words, Sam encourages intense comparison and more profound discussion with your child.  “Challenge your children to contribute to the exploration of these terms and why God honors them,” she says.  Select 15 minutes every day; early norning, peaceful evening or quiet bedtime.  “If we want a closer connection to God, and to act more Christian in everyday life, it isn’t enough to simply desire it.  We need training – a plan to follow.”

LET THERE BE LIGHT
Sam got the idea for a movie and asked a Hollywood writer she knew to help.  He said no.  Then he offered to have lunch with Sam and asked what the movie was about.  When Sam told him the story line, he said yes.  Soon after, Sean Hannity of Fox News called Kevin and told him he wanted to finance a movie since Kevin was involved in faith-based movies.  “Within a year of the idea, I had a movie,” says Sam.  “That doesn’t happen in Hollywood. It’s all Him,” she says.  “It’s not me.  I just do what I’m called to do.”

Let There Be Light is a movie about an atheist, Sol Harkins, played by Kevin, who experiences a near-fatal experience.  As a result, he converts to Christianity.  Sam also stars in the movie which releases October 27, 2017.  For more information, please visit www.LetThereBeLightTheMovie.com.