Glimpses of God with Dan and Peggy Rupple

Show notes

About This Episode When Dan Rupple tells a studio executive he has been married 48 years, the reply is usually, "To the same woman?" Dan and Peggy have spent nearly five decades inside the entertainment industry and came out with their marriage, faith, and family intact. Aaron sits down with them to hear how. Dan was being considered for the original Saturday Night Live cast when he opened a Bible to the Beatitudes and gave his life to Christ; within days his whole sketch group followed, and Christian comedy was born. Peggy shares her 35-year battle with cancer and why she says God writes epics when you hand Him the pen. From there the conversation turns to why Hollywood is in crisis, why Christian film is getting better, how to be a Daniel in any workplace, how parents can navigate movies and AI with their kids, and the non-negotiables that kept the Rupples' marriage strong, including a $300,000 job Dan turned down to coach Little League.

About Dan & Peggy Rupple Dan and Peggy Rupple are the founders of Master Media International, a ministry serving as a Christian presence and voice of faith inside the mainstream entertainment industry. Dan has spent over 50 years in Hollywood, from the pioneering Christian comedy group Isaac Air Freight and nearly being cast in SNL's original lineup, to supervising producer roles on The Price Is Right and Late Show with David Letterman, to nine years in Biola University's film program. He co-founded the WindRider Film Forum at Sundance and has served on four pastoral staffs. Peggy has walked alongside him through every chapter, learning the industry on the road and at CBS, and has outlived a five-year cancer prognosis by decades. Married 48 years, they have three married children and seven grandchildren. Dan's new book, Glimpses: Viewing the Media Through the Lens of Faith, is available at mastermedia.com.

In This Episode 00:00 — Intro — Getting cameras and framing set before the conversation begins 01:58 — Welcome Dan and Peggy Rupple — Aaron introduces a couple serving God inside the media industry 02:43 — Meeting at Knott's Berry Farm — A Christian night 49 years ago led to marriage within a year, three kids, and seven grandkids 05:11 — Nearly Cast on Saturday Night Live — Dan's sketch group was opening for Lily Tomlin when God met him in the Beatitudes 06:25 — The Birth of Christian Comedy — All three partners came to Christ the same week in 1977 and Chuck Smith opened the church doors 07:21 — Peggy's 35-Year Battle with Cancer — Six bouts of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and a five-year prognosis God has far outlived 08:43 — Shared Southern California Roots — Aaron was born in Dan's hometown and grew up in the same Calvary Chapel world 10:36 — Fifteen Years on the Road — Touring, eight albums, and a first record that sold half a million copies 15:26 — Why Hollywood Is in Crisis — Studios stopped listening to audiences and Disney's film division fell $1.4 billion in the red 16:45 — What the Top 25 Films Have in Common — Nearly every box office hit is built on justice, mercy, forgiveness, and love 17:13 — Christian Film Is Getting Better — The Chosen, House of David, and a generation with a film studio in their pocket 19:54 — An Army of Storytellers — Master Media's role preparing filmmakers and the thousands of believers now inside the industry 20:41 — Salt of the Earth — Being in the world but not of it, and filtering every story through the Word of God 23:13 — How Do Parents Navigate Media? — Aaron asks how to guide kids without demonizing everything 24:06 — Age-Appropriate, Screened, and Discussed — Dan and Peggy's principles for movies with kids and a warning about unlimited phone access 25:59 — Preparing Students for Hollywood — Nine years in Biola's film program and calming nervous parents 27:38 — Be a Daniel — Excellence, no compromise, an ambassador mindset, and the story your life tells 29:41 — Your Workplace Is a Mission Field — Aaron applies the mandate to every believer, from bank teller to trash truck driver 30:43 — Students Only Asked About Marriage — When Peggy joined Dan on campus, every question turned to family and faithfulness 32:27 — Including Your Spouse in the Calling — Peggy learned the industry alongside Dan, from touring to CBS 34:16 — Turning Down $300,000 to Coach Little League — Dan's family-first absolutes while supervising The Price Is Right 35:25 — Non-Negotiables That Protect a Marriage — Divorce never in the vocabulary, never calling each other stupid, and filtering every shiny opportunity 37:02 — Critical Thinking, Not Just Rules — Aaron on raising a teenager who loves movies in a media-saturated world 39:41 — God Wired Us for Story — Most of the Bible is narrative, so screen wisely and stay a safe place for your kids 41:45 — AI and the Loss of Imagination — Deepfakes, discernment, and a professor who said to go sit under a tree and think 44:29 — WindRider at Sundance — 23 years of taking students into the festival with devotions, and the most thoughtful Q&A there 49:28 — Christian Films Should Start in Act Four — Ordinary people doing extraordinary things because of their faith, plus WindRider Studios' free film library 51:29 — Faith Is the Invisible Pathway — Aaron's Indiana Jones illustration and asking what longing drives a story 55:22 — God Brought Purpose — From comedy dreams to chaplains for the entertainment industry and Christian media communities nationwide 60:09 — Glimpses: Viewing the Media Through the Lens of Faith — Dan's new book of 52 storyboard essays, available at mastermedia.com

Scripture Referenced Matthew 5:3, Matthew 5:13–16, Matthew 10:16, Genesis 1:1, Daniel 6:3, Acts 1:8, Acts 8:1–4

Resources from This Episode Glimpses: Viewing the Media Through the Lens of Faith by Dan Rupple Master Media International WindRider Film Forum Act One Masters Class in screenwriting and producing Plugged In (movie reviews for parents) Full show notes and blog post

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