Adventures in Odyssey

Jules: Everything alright, Renee? With all his wonderful creations and inventions that let you experience so much of the Christian life so vividly, I'm surprised Mr. Whittaker never made a program to let you experience what's supposed to be the greatest part of it.

Renee: What? What comes next? Wait, I think he did. He must've kept a record of it somewhere. I can load these into the portable Imagination Station in my lab in the morning. Life after death, here I come.

Leonit Cepinov: Allow me to introduce myself. I am Leonit Cepinov. I can guide you to it, if you like.

Renee: To what?

Leonit Cepinov: Your greatest desire, of course.

Renee: How is this possibly heaven?

Leonit Cepinov: Who said anything about heaven? Your perfect future isn't heaven. It's knowledge.

Renee: That's not fair.

Leonit Cepinov: Beg to differ. You're getting exactly what's fair. Exactly what you deserve.

Renee: No! End program! End program! End program! I need to get out of here.

Connie: Jules, still no word from Renee?

Jules: I tried calling her, but she didn't answer. Where could she be?

Connie: I have no idea. You were the last one to talk to her yesterday. Was everything okay?

Jules: Well, she was a little stiff with Mr. Whittaker, so I asked her about it, and she said she was. And then we had a great talk when we were cleaning up.

Connie: What did you talk about?

Jules: Heaven.

Connie: Really?

Jules: I know. She wanted to know why I became a Christian, and I said so I could be saved. And she said saved for what? And I said eternal life. And that's when I told her about the heaven program.

Connie: Heaven program? What heaven program?

Jules: The one that Mr. Whittaker created for the Imagination Station.

Connie: Jules, that wasn't a heaven program. That was a life-after-death program.

Jules: Is there a difference?

Connie: There is if you're not a Christian.

Jules: Oh. Yeah. Well, she said she's never seen it in Mabel's database.

Connie: That's good.

Jules: But she did go looking for it in the secret room files.

Connie: So she could've found something.

Jules: I don't know.

Connie: She might have figured out how to try the program. Did you check and see if she was in the Imagination Station?

Jules: She's not. I looked everywhere.

Connie: We have to find her.

Jules: Is it really that big of a deal even if she actually went on this adventure?

Connie: Jules, the life-after-death program is nothing to mess around with. It terrified both Tom Riley and Eugene when they experienced it, and it nearly killed Whit when he used it.

Jules: Killed him?

Connie: He was in the hospital in a coma.

Jules: Connie, I didn't know it was dangerous. I promise.

Connie: It's not your fault, Jules. It's more my fault. I noticed she was acting strangely, but I never asked her about it.

Jules: Okay, so what are we going to do?

Connie: Can you hold down the fort by yourself? I have to find Renee.

Jules: Of course. Now that the rush is over, yeah. Is there anything else I can do?

Connie: Pray.

Focus on the Family: Hey, parents. For almost 40 years, Adventures in Odyssey has been helping kids like yours form relationships with Christ. Now, the animated Adventures in Odyssey film Journey into the Impossible will reach a new generation of families.

But we need your help to finish the film and launch it in theaters. Your gift will be matched dollar for dollar before May 1st. See the trailer and donate today at focusonthefamily.com/impossible. That's focusonthefamily.com/impossible.

Jules: Hello?

Horace: Hey, Jules. Did Renee show up?

Jules: No. I was going to ask if you found her.

Horace: No. I'm at the college. I did find something at her lab, though. Something not good.

Jules: The life-after-death program?

Horace: Yeah, on a bunch of minidisks.

Jules: What are minidisks?

Horace: For computers. You know, you put them in a disk drive and store your work on them.

Jules: Wait, what's a disk drive?

Horace: That's not important. The important thing is she used them to load the life-after-death program into the portable Imagination Station, which she then experienced.

Jules: Yeah, probably. No one's seen Renee since this morning. I just got to her dorm room. Hold on. Renee! Renee, are you—oh.

Horace: What? What's going on?

Jules: Her door's not closed. I'm going to go in. Renee?

Horace: What is it?

Jules: It's empty. There's nothing here, except the school's computer. No clothes in the closet or in the dresser. No personal possessions. Nothing. She's packed it all up and left. She's gone.

Horace: She didn't leave a note or anything?

Jules: No. But the computer's still on. I need a password.

Horace: Renee's a computer expert. You know her password's going to be complicated.

Jules: Probably. Wait, wait, wait. She told me the password she uses for her work computer once. Maybe it's the same one.

Horace: Do you remember it?

Jules: Yeah, it was her dog's name, Cogito. Right, plus the date it was born. May 6th. I think it was the 6th. 05-06. Yes, it worked. Oh. Oh. Nothing here but study prompts.

Horace: Check her browser history.

Jules: Right. Uh-oh.

Horace: What is it?

Jules: It's a website to get bus tickets.

Horace: Where would she go and take all of her stuff?

Jules: So it's like a permanent move? Think about it. Where did both of us go when we were faced with something we didn't want to deal with?

Horace: We went back to California.

Jules: Exactly. To the place that made sense to us.

Horace: So you think she's going back to Scotland?

Jules: It looks that way.

Horace: You can't take a bus to Scotland.

Jules: No, but there's a bus from Odyssey to a place that has an international airport. She's on her way to Chicago. I need to make a call.

Renee: Mr. Whittaker, I'm writing to inform you of my official and formal resignation from Whit's End. Too stiff. My dearest Mr. Whittaker. No, too familiar.

Dear Mr. Whittaker, I've decided I cannot work for you any longer. No, no, no, that sounds like I'm blaming him. I'll do it later. I've got to get that Imagination Station program out of my head. Stop, Renee. Don't drive yourself batty if you keep on this way. Breathe in and out. Good. That's it. In and out. In.

God, I don't know if you're up there, which is why I'm in this situation. But if you are there, then I'm asking you to help me calm down. Or better yet, help me forget. Please.

Horace: Renee!

Renee: Horace? How did you get on the bus?

Horace: You were asleep when I got on at the last stop.

Guest (Male): Hey, pal. Can't find a seat? There's an empty one in the back.

Horace: Oh, no thanks. I need to help my friend. I'll stand.

Renee: What are you doing here?

Horace: I heard you might be having an emotional meltdown, so I decided to come and cheer you up.

Renee: Who told you? Where are you headed?

Horace: Chicago.

Renee: Oh, I mean your ultimate destination.

Horace: Scotland.

Renee: No, I mean your ultimate destination. You heard about the heaven program.

Renee: Horace, are you okay?

Horace: Perfectly fine, thanks.

Renee: Let me help you up.

Horace: No, I can do it. So, what was heaven like?

Renee: I don't think what I witnessed was heaven. At least, it didn't seem that way.

Horace: It wasn't nice?

Renee: Well, it gave me the goal I've always wanted.

Horace: That's good, right?

Renee: Sure. But there was nothing beyond it. Nothing better. It was empty.

Guest (Male): Sorry, everyone. Just hit some stop-and-go traffic.

Renee: Are you okay?

Horace: I'm fine. I'm already on an analgesic because I hit my head on a turtle yesterday.

Renee: Maybe you need to take a seat.

Horace: Nonsense. You need me, and I'm here. I just need to recalculate my stance.

Renee: Fine, but be careful.

Horace: Okay, let's see. One foot in front, bend that hip a little in the knees. Okay. So, why did you take that Imagination Station adventure anyway?

Renee: Part curiosity, and well, part something that Jules said.

Horace: And what was that?

Renee: That I'm a sinner in need of a savior.

Horace: Don't you think you are?

Renee: No.

Horace: So you've never sinned?

Renee: Depends on what you mean by sin. I'm not saying I don't do bad things, but I don't need a savior to tell me that murder and stealing and lying and cheating are bad and wrong.

Horace: Okay, but are you open to the possibility that you've already chosen a savior? It just doesn't happen to be the one Jules chose.

Renee: What are you talking about?

Horace: You've always relied on math.

Renee: Aye.

Horace: But maybe the point of the afterlife program was to show you just how far math can take you and no further. Sorry, madam. Excuse me.

Guest (Female): Get away from me!

Horace: Yes, ma'am. By the way, you really shouldn't be using knitting needles on a moving bus.

Guest (Female): Well, you shouldn't be standing on a moving bus next to active knitting needles.

Horace: Point taken. Literally.

Renee: Horace, sit down. You're going to get hurt or hurt somebody else.

Horace: Nonsense. It's all about the math. Taking the angles and allowing for force, F equals mass times acceleration, labeling my right leg as segment L...

Renee: I don't think that's going to help.

Horace: So, you're saying math can't save you from everything?

Renee: Very clever.

Horace: In mathematics, the answer to a problem always depends on the variables you plug into the equation. If...

Renee: Wait. Wait. You're actually onto something there. I didn't plug any wrong variables into the Imagination Station because I didn't plug in any variables at all.

No. No. I didn't write the program. Mr. Whittaker did. It was programmed with the wrong variable. Well, the wrong one for me, anyway.

Horace: And just what was this wrong variable?

Renee: What Jules said about me needing a savior. That must have been echoing in my mind and it skewed my experience. But she was wrong. I don't need one.

Guest (Male): This stop is for anyone needing to go back to Odyssey.

Horace: Sounds like you got it figured out. I'm going to get off here.

Renee: You're leaving?

Horace: Yep. Have a good time in Scotland. I hope you get some answers.

Renee: Wait. You just helped me find the answers. Maybe I don't need Scotland after all.

Horace: Oh, great. We can split the cost of a ride home then. Let's go. Oh, my seatbelt's stuck.

Renee: Oh, that's not good.

Horace: I'll see you later.

Renee: Wait, Horace! Horace, you're just leaving me?

Horace: Yep. Bye.

Renee: No! Wait! Horace! Horace! Driver! Can you help me? I can't get my seatbelt off.

Guest (Male): Pesky things, aren't they?

Renee: What? Leonit? Leonit Cepinov?

Leonit Cepinov: It's good to see you again, Renee.

Renee: Well, I wish I could say the same.

Leonit Cepinov: Oh, you're not holding a grudge against me, are you?

Renee: No, no grudge, though I have good reason to. You not only tried to steal my Wittonia program, but the Imagination Station technology as well.

Leonit Cepinov: I didn't succeed, though, thanks to you. Quite clever, by the way, sacrificing yourself like you did. You saved your program and the technology. You've always been so sharp.

Renee: Thank you.

Leonit Cepinov: And independent.

Renee: It's the way I was raised.

Leonit Cepinov: Yes, you're quite capable on your own. Why would anyone think that you needed a savior?

Renee: I don't.

Leonit Cepinov: Of course not. You're not like other people.

Renee: Exactly. The man who hit Darcy with his car, that's a sinner in need of a savior. But that's not me.

Leonit Cepinov: People who need a savior don't have anything else going for them in life. But you, you know what you have?

Renee: What do I have?

Leonit Cepinov: A desire for knowledge.

Renee: Well, that's always driven me, aye.

Leonit Cepinov: In fact, that's why you ran the life-after-death program, to know. To stop being an agnostic and an ignoramus, right?

Renee: And what if it was?

Leonit Cepinov: The more you know, the more you realize there is so much more you want to know but don't. You'll always, in fact, be an ignoramus.

Renee: Well, alright then. How much knowledge is enough?

Leonit Cepinov: A little bit more than you have.

Renee: Well, that's frustrating.

Leonit Cepinov: It's the price of being an agnostic.

Renee: And what are you saying? I should just keep studying?

Leonit Cepinov: It's the only thing you can do. Next stop. Ah, this is me. Why don't you join me?

Renee: I will, but my seatbelt's still stuck. Can you help me with this thing?

Leonit Cepinov: You don't need anyone's help. You can do it on your own.

Renee: No, I can't. It's really stuck.

Leonit Cepinov: Come, Renee. This is your chance to prove you are your own savior. Exit now if you're getting off. Use your wits, your intellect.

Renee: It's just not budging.

Leonit Cepinov: Too bad. Farewell.

Renee: No, no, no, wait! Wait! Help me!

Leonit Cepinov: See you soon. Or not.

Focus on the Family: The stories we hear help shape who we are. The right stories teach us to be brave, to be kind to others, to be godly people. These are the kinds of stories your children hear with each episode of Adventures in Odyssey audio dramas.

And your kids can hear as many great stories as they want with an Adventures in Odyssey Club membership. When you join the club, you'll get access to over 1,000 faith-building episodes, including episodes you can only hear as a member.

Focus on the Family: You'll get access to devotionals, games, comics, and other fun activities. Keep giving them stories that will live in their hearts forever. Teach them to be wise like Whit, to be compassionate like Connie, to hold on to the biblical values they learn, even when you're not there to remind them. Try a membership for 14 days to see if it's right for your family. Go to adventuresinodyssey.com to start your free trial. That's adventuresinodyssey.com.

Focus on the Family: Hey, you over there. I have a special invitation just for you. It's an invitation to this super cool secret club. Well, it's not really a secret. Actually, I'm trying to tell everybody about it because it's so amazing. What is it? The Adventures in Odyssey Club, of course.

When you join, you'll get access to over 1,000 episodes. Some of them are even club exclusives. You'll get behind-the-scenes content and devotionals and games and a free subscription to Focus on the Family's Clubhouse magazine.

Focus on the Family: Sorry, I'll slow down now. I just get so excited talking about Adventures in Odyssey Club. Well, if you want to see what it's all about, head over to adventuresinodyssey.com. Don't be shy. That's adventuresinodyssey.com.

Want to contact us about the episode you're hearing? Visit our website at adventuresinodyssey.com or talk to someone at Focus on the Family. Call 1-800-A-FAMILY with a parent's permission, of course. We always love hearing from you.

Renee: What is with this wretched seatbelt?

Darcy: Hi, Renee.

Renee: Darcy? I don't believe it.

Darcy: You don't believe what?

Renee: Where did you come from? Are you alone?

Darcy: I got on at the last stop.

Renee: That doesn't make any sense. This must be some kind of subconscious hallucination.

Darcy: I've never been called one of those before.

Renee: Why are you here then?

Darcy: I want to ask you a question.

Renee: What question?

Darcy: Why did I forgive the man who hit me with his car?

Renee: Well, I, because you're an incredibly sweet girl.

Darcy: Do you understand it, though? Why anyone, sweet or not, would do that?

Renee: No, I don't. It was unconscionable what that man did, and I don't understand how you could ever forgive him for it.

Darcy: And that's what really bothers you, isn't it? That you don't understand? That it's something you don't know?

Renee: Aye.

Darcy: You care a lot about knowledge, don't you?

Renee: I think that's been clearly established.

Whit: And yet you seem to be running away from it.

Renee: Mr. Whittaker? Perfect. Who's going to show up next? William Wallace and Robert the Bruce?

Whit: Well, you got what you wanted in the Imagination Station. Knowledge.

Renee: It wasn't the knowledge I was looking for.

Darcy: But it was the knowledge you needed.

Renee: You think I needed that?

Whit: I think you've been riding the fence between belief and unbelief for so long that it's wearing on you. You're starting to wonder who you even are.

Renee: Pish posh.

Darcy: If it helps, the same thing happens to lots of people.

Renee: And why would that help, Lamb?

Darcy: Because we all believe something deep down in our hearts. We may fight it, but it always comes back.

Renee: And just what is it that we all believe?

Whit: That there are things in life that are eternal, and they point to an eternal God. It's how we know there is right and wrong in the world, and that it's worth protecting the right and fighting the wrong.

It's what inspired Galileo and Kepler and so many of the founders of higher learning institutions. It fosters true beauty, joy, and unconditional hope.

Darcy: It's what made me forgive a drunken man for hurting me.

Whit: It's what makes me love you despite our disagreements. It's what gives life meaning and purpose, and all the knowledge and intellect in the world can't hold a candle to it.

Renee: But why? Why can't I give my life meaning and purpose through knowledge and intellect?

Darcy: Because life is about more than that. It's about faith. And faith is hard because it makes you trust someone else when you only want to trust yourself. It makes you believe things that you can't touch or see.

Whit: It takes away your control.

Renee: You're saying I have a problem with control?

Whit: Well, you do if you think that you're in charge of your life. But you're not. None of us are. And the sooner we realize that we're not in control and surrender to the one who is, the better our lives will get. Even if they don't get any better on this earth.

Darcy: Even if they get worse.

Renee: Surrender?

Whit: To the one, and you already know who that is.

Renee: Jesus.

Guest (Male): Folks, it appears we're having some mechanical issues. The engine's on fire.

Renee: What?

Guest (Male): Please file out of the bus in an orderly fashion. There's no cause for panic, I just need everyone off the bus.

Whit: Now we'd better go, Darcy.

Renee: My seatbelt isn't working.

Darcy: You can't get out?

Renee: No!

Guest (Male): Please exit the bus.

Renee: I can't. I'm trapped.

Darcy: It's a metaphor, Renee.

Renee: Yeah, I figured that out. But it's still upsetting. I need help.

Whit: There's only one person that can set you free.

Guest (Male): Folks, you have to get off the bus.

Renee: I can't!

Darcy: Stop trying to do it yourself, Renee.

Guest (Male): You are in danger. You must exit now.

Whit: Renee, the struggle is over. Let him save you.

Renee: Save me? Aye.

Guest (Male): Miss? Miss?

Renee: Huh?

Guest (Male): The time has come.

Renee: What?

Guest (Male): We've arrived in Chicago.

Renee: Oh. Right.

Guest (Male): Those seatbelts are kind of tricky sometimes. You need help?

Renee: No. I've already got some.

Whit: Renee!

Renee: Mr. Whittaker?

Whit: Connie called me. She told me what happened with the life-after-death program. Are you alright?

Renee: Are you real?

Whit: Yes, as last time I checked.

Renee: Can I hug you just to make sure?

Whit: Absolutely.

Renee: I feel like I just finished a wrestling match.

Whit: With who?

Renee: Myself, I suppose. Or maybe with something more.

Whit: Did you win or lose?

Renee: Both, I think.

Whit: Don't you know?

Renee: No, I don't know. And that's okay.

Whit: Renee, you're not making much sense.

Renee: Aye, because none of it makes sense. All I truly know is when I got on the bus, I didn't think I needed a savior. And now that I'm off it, I know I do.

Whit: Really?

Renee: Dear, dear Mr. Whittaker, will you please tell me what must I do to be saved?

Whit: Are you sure?

Renee: I am.

Whit: Oh, Renee. Of course I will.

Chris: What a great question Renee asked: "What must I do to be saved?" The answer is in the Bible. Romans 10:9 says, "If you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."

That's the path to salvation that Renee just decided to take. It's a decision that will change her life. It will give her a new attitude, a new focus, and a hope for the future. She has given her life to Jesus and finally realizes that He can be the Lord of her life in ways that math, knowledge, or Renee herself could never do.

How about you? Have you made that decision? If not, there's never been a better time to become a Christian. Don't wait. Talk to someone you know like your parents, a pastor, someone at church, or you can always contact us at Adventures in Odyssey.

Nothing would give us more joy than to help guide someone on the path that leads to life, truth, and an eternity with Jesus. Adventures in Odyssey is a presentation of Focus on the Family. Face the Truth was written and directed by Phil Lollar, with sound design by Luke Gagne and Zach Schneider, and music by John Campbell.

Our executive producer was Dave Arnold. Our cast included Mia Lynn Bangunan, Katie Leigh, Adam McCarthy, Jameson Price, Shona Rodman, Andre Stojka, and Caitlin Thorburn. And I'm Chris, hoping you'll join us again next time for more Adventures in Odyssey.