What to Watch When Nothing Satisfies

You sit down after a long day, open up Netflix, and begin the scroll.

Ten minutes go by. Then twenty.

You bounce to another app. Still nothing grabs you.

You're not just bored. You’re craving something deeper—something meaningful, something that will make you feel something. You want to be pulled into a story that actually matters.

So you type it in:
“What should I watch?”

It’s one of the most searched questions on the internet. And behind it is a deeper question you may not even realize you’re asking:

Why do we long for stories in the first place?

Why Stories Matter So Much to Us

It’s not just you. All across the world, people are drawn to stories like moths to a flame.

We go to movies, we binge series, we lose hours in books, podcasts, and video games. Why? Because we’re wired for narrative. We’re drawn to tales of love and sacrifice, struggle and redemption, good and evil, brokenness and hope.

Think about your favorite movie or show. Odds are, it follows a familiar pattern:

• Things start off good—or at least normal.
• Something goes wrong. A crisis. A betrayal. A loss.
• A hero steps in—or rises up. There’s a cost. A fight. A sacrifice.
• In the end, evil is defeated. Wounds are healed. Things are made right again.

That arc is everywhere, from superhero films to rom-coms to historical dramas. And there’s a reason for that.

The Pattern Points to Something Deeper

What if the reason stories speak to us so deeply is because we were made for one?

What if this longing we have—for beauty, justice, healing, love—is not just psychological or cultural… but spiritual?

The Christian faith teaches that we live inside a true story—not a myth or a metaphor, but reality. A story written by a God who is not distant, not silent, and not absent. A God who is good.

It’s a story that spans the entire universe, but also includes your life.

Here’s the basic shape:

The Big Story (In Plain Language)

1. The world was made good.
Everything had purpose. Beauty. Order. We were made to love and be loved—to reflect the goodness of the One who made us.

2. Something broke.
We chose independence over trust. We pushed God away. And like pulling the plug on a lamp, everything went dark. The world as we know it—war, injustice, loneliness, disease, death—is the fallout.

3. But that wasn’t the end.
Into the brokenness, God stepped in—not with judgment first, but with mercy. Christians believe that Jesus wasn’t just a good teacher or moral guide. He was—and is—the Son of God. He came into our world to repair what we had broken. Not with force, but by giving His life in our place.

4. That’s not the end either.
Jesus didn’t stay dead. His resurrection wasn’t just a spiritual symbol—it was the beginning of a new creation. And it means that you can be made new too. You’re not stuck in your past. The shame, the regret, the fear—it’s not the final chapter.

5. The story ends with restoration.
One day, all wrongs will be made right. Death will die. Every tear will be wiped away. Evil will be undone. Those who belong to Jesus will live with Him forever—not floating on clouds, but in a real, renewed world where joy, peace, and beauty never end.

You’re Not the Main Character—And That’s Good News

This may sound different from what you’re used to hearing.

We live in a culture that tells you you are the star of the show. Be the hero. Chase your dream. Write your story.

But deep down, you probably know: that’s exhausting.

What if you weren’t made to carry the story of the world on your back?
What if your life makes the most sense not when you try to be the hero, but when you find your place in the story God is telling?

You’re not the main character.

But you are seen, known, and invited in—not as a background extra, but as someone Jesus came to rescue.

So… What Should You Watch?

Watch something that moves you. That reminds you of love, or sacrifice, or hope. Watch stories that stir your heart.

But don’t stop there.

Ask why those stories move you.
Ask what they’re pointing to.

Because maybe—just maybe—the reason you love those stories… is because they’re echoes of a bigger, truer story that you were made for all along.

And maybe it’s time to stop just watching and start living it.

Curious? Skeptical? Searching?

You don’t need to pretend. You don’t need to clean yourself up. And you don’t need to know everything about the Bible. Jesus meets people where they are—and invites them into something better.

If you're in Central Orange County, we’d love for you to join us at Central Presbyterian Church. No pressure. No pretense. Just an honest group of people trying to live in light of the greatest story ever told.

We gather every week to remember where we are in the story…
and to remember who the story is really about.

“Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
—Jesus (Matthew 11:28)