Stay True with Madison Prewett Troutt
Episode: The Story Behind the Chosen with Dallas and Amanda Jenkins
Guests: Dallas Jenkins (creator of The Chosen), Amanda Jenkins (co-writer of The Chosen Bible Study & Dallas's wife)
Date: November 24, 2025
Episode Overview
In this heartfelt and candid episode, Madison Prewett Troutt welcomes Dallas and Amanda Jenkins, the husband-wife duo behind the hit television series The Chosen and its interactive Bible studies. The conversation explores the origins of The Chosen, the spiritual and personal journey behind its creation, the principle of surrendering to God’s plan, and what it means to stay true in seasons of both success and suffering. The episode is filled with behind-the-scenes stories, honest reflections on hardship, and real-life encouragement for anyone wrestling with calling, failure, or faith.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Origin Story: Out of Failure Comes Calling
- Dallas shares candidly about experiencing a career-defining failure with his film The Resurrection of Gavin Stone in 2017. This led him and Amanda to deep spiritual wrestling and ultimately, profound surrender.
- Dallas: “I wouldn't have done this if I hadn't had a massive career failure.” [05:46]
- The couple revisited the story of the feeding of the 5,000 (John 6), realizing “Jesus brings us to places of desperation on purpose,” which reframed their understanding of divine "failure." [06:12-09:19]
- A providential message at 4am solidified this new perspective:
- Dallas: “Remember, your job is not to feed the 5,000. It’s only to provide the loaves and fish.” [14:05-15:30]
- This became transformative, forming the backbone of their creative approach (even naming their company ‘Five and Two Studios’).
2. The Five and Two Principle
- Letting go of control and trusting God with outcomes:
- Amanda: “The pressure you feel is, ‘Lord, I know I did my part, but I want to control the outcome,’ and to literally release that and be like, ‘I was obedient. Now it's up to you.’” [01:43]
- Dallas: “If I can truly be okay with just providing my five loaves and two fish...and he deems it worthy of acceptance, the transaction’s over.” [16:07]
- Crowdfunding Miracle:
- After surrendering their ambitions, they created a short film about the birth of Christ for their church. This modest project unexpectedly led to a record-shattering crowdfunding success:
“16,000 people invested over $10 million... based on this little short film I did on my friend's farm in Illinois.” [26:31] - Amanda: “He’d been trained... the results aren’t yours.” [26:31]
- After surrendering their ambitions, they created a short film about the birth of Christ for their church. This modest project unexpectedly led to a record-shattering crowdfunding success:
3. The Chosen: Creative Choices & Impact
- Innovative Storytelling:
- Dallas explains why Jesus is not the main character: “Jesus doesn’t make for a great main character in a drama because he doesn’t grow... If we see Jesus through the eyes of those who were around him, it comes to life even more.” [22:21]
- Intention Behind the Show:
- Amanda: “The show isn’t a supplement to the Bible study. The show is a supplement to the Bible.” [28:06]
- Dallas: “The point... is we want to introduce you to Jesus in some way, whether you already know him or not. We want to bring black and white into color.” [27:12]
- Testimony of Fruitfulness:
- Dallas: “Bible sales are up 20%...church attendance is up, and objective...measurements are saying The Chosen has contributed significantly to that.” [28:24]
4. Suffering, Surrender, and Staying True
- The Ongoing Cost and Blessing of Faithfulness:
- Amanda: “We’ve had more medical crises in the last five years than we had in the previous 20... that's true for almost everyone who comes to work for us. We joke... it's the Chosen curse.” [64:50]
- Dallas: “Career-wise, this is great...on every other level, it’s been the most challenging and difficult and painful.” [40:49]
- Learning to View Suffering Differently:
- Amanda: "The struggles and failures...is the thing that keeps us seeking Him... in our desperation and in clinging to Him, that’s when you receive the most blessing.” [37:41]
- A Theology of Suffering:
- Dallas: “God is very much in it... Not just, ‘I know you’re suffering, nothing I can do about it’ but, ‘I want you to be here and I want you to find me in this.’” [40:47]
5. Behind the Scenes: Miracles and Ordinary Faithfulness
- Filming Season 6 and the Weight of the Crucifixion
- Dallas describes filming emotionally and physically exhausting scenes, especially in Italy during the Crucifixion, leading to an “emotional breakdown” but also a deep sense of offering their work to God. [50:10-53:38]
- Onset Spiritual Moments:
- Amanda: “The bigger the scene, the worse it goes...I feel like the Lord says, ‘You're not even capable. I need to move y’all out of this.’” [54:07]
- Dallas: “One of our cast members got baptized in our Sea of Galilee set...” [56:45]
- The Power of Weakness:
- Dallas: “When you get to the end of yourself and he steps in, that’s when the good stuff happens.” [63:21]
6. Family, Community & Staying Grounded
- Family Impact:
- Amanda: “It's definitely strengthened our tribe...trauma bonded...but it’s been really, really hard.” [64:15-65:56]
- Importance of Local Church & Humility:
- Dallas: “You need people in your lives who aren’t impressed with you. I want that.” [70:00]
7. Notable Scenes & Creative Process
- God's Guidance in Storytelling:
- Dallas shares a powerful story about crafting the scene where Jesus acknowledges Eden (Peter’s wife): “He just says, ‘I see you. And you’re as much a part of this calling as Peter is.’” [61:03]
- Most Impactful Moments for Viewers:
- Grant: "The first one for me was when Jesus called Mary…he put his hand on Mary's hand… that's so beautiful." [58:02]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
“Remember, your job is not to feed the 5,000. It’s only to provide the loaves and fish.”
Dallas Jenkins, relaying the Facebook message that changed everything [14:05] -
“The show isn’t a supplement to the Bible study. The show is a supplement to the Bible.”
Amanda Jenkins [28:06] -
“God sometimes not only allows, but I would say even causes, struggles in our lives… to overcome them, we surrender.”
Dallas Jenkins [11:02] -
“When you get to the end of yourself and he steps in, that's when the good stuff happens.”
Dallas Jenkins [63:21] -
“I’d rather be a water-walking, sometimes-sinking disciple than a disciple in the boat.” Grant Trout [44:22]
-
"We called it... the manna program. Every day, somehow we were provided for... It's very quiet in its day to day." Amanda Jenkins [30:25]
-
“Not everything is going to turn into a TV show... sometimes the term 'good' is just for your soul.”
Dallas Jenkins [36:42] -
"God's never going to leave you in a place where he's not challenging you...he just loves us enough to make sure we're all suffering and dependent all the time." Amanda Jenkins [65:00]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Introducing Dallas & Amanda Jenkins / Opening accolades (02:39–04:56)
- The Career Failure and "Feeding the 5,000" Revelation (05:46–16:07)
- The Five-and-Two Principle & Short Film Origins (16:07–22:17)
- Why The Chosen Tells Its Story the Way It Does (22:17–26:31)
- Crowdfunding Miracle and Surrendering Results (26:31–29:26)
- Realities of Suffering & The Manna Program (30:25–33:21)
- Practical Surrender and Combatting Resource-Driven Mindset (33:21–36:42)
- Theology of Suffering & Perseverance (39:06–45:22)
- Behind the Scenes: Filming the Crucifixion & God’s Presence (50:10–53:38)
- On-Set Spiritual Impact & Cast Stories (55:35–57:34)
- Impact on Family, Marriage, and Community (64:15–66:56)
- Staying Grounded: Local Church & Humility (68:18–71:27)
- Creative Process: God's Guidance in Storytelling (59:07–63:03)
- Chosen Bible Study & Study Themes (74:27–75:40)
- Closing Reflections and Prayer (76:23–77:50)
Episode Tone and Atmosphere
The episode is warm, earnest, and deeply personal. Madison and Grant approach the Jenkins with gratitude and vulnerability, sharing how The Chosen has affected their lives. Dallas and Amanda respond with humility and transparency, offering encouragement and godly wisdom amid real-life hardship and spiritual warfare. Genuine laughter, heartfelt admissions, and moving testimonies fill the conversation, making the message accessible and real for all listeners.
For Newcomers
Even if you’ve never seen The Chosen, this conversation offers a compelling picture of creative surrender, perseverance in hardship, honest faith, and the way a surrendered “yes” to God can ripple out in ways you’d never imagine. The episode also foregrounds the practical ways failure can be formative, not final, and highlights God's desire for our daily dependence, not our perfect results.
Quick Access Links
“The point of the show, the why of it, is we want to introduce you to Jesus in some way, whether you already know him or not...We want to bring black and white into color.”
— Dallas Jenkins [27:12]