Christianity lets you renew. And that’s unlike every other religion. Because we all need a second chance. A do over. A reboot.
Why?
Because we all mess up. What the Bible calls sin. Everyone that is, except Jesus. Scripture says he was perfect, and because of him, we can get a pass.
And that’s something else Christianity offers that no other religion does. Grace.
So you will never completely overcome sin. But you can stop it from completely overcoming you. Here are three ways Christianity lets you renew.
Christianity Lets You Renew Your Life
When talking with a religious leader of his day, Jesus told him something that sounded odd. He must be born again.
What did Jesus mean by this? Even the religious leader was confused. Did he mean a physical birth?
Jesus explained that he meant a spiritual rebirth through faith in him. By admitting sin. Asking for and accepting his forgiveness. And when you do, you are spiritually reborn in Christ.
Well, it doesn’t mean you are suddenly perfect. That you never sin again. Or the earthly consequence of sin goes away. But it does mean that in God’s eyes, the slate is wiped clean. And His Spirit takes residence in your life to give you a fresh start and guide you in a new life.
Christianity Lets You Renew Your Mind
We seldom commit sinful acts completely on impulse. Most of the time, we think about them before we actually do them.
Satan knows this.
Which is why he plants thoughts and images in your mind. So you can entertain them. Replay them. Let them flourish and grow so when the actual opportunity presents itself, going from the thought to the action is a smooth transition.
Of course. Many thoughts are sin themselves. No action is necessary. Which is why the mind is such a fertile ground for sin. Because you and I can actually commit all kinds of sin in our minds—without physically doing anything. But all sin has the same effect. To separate us from God.
And that is why the Bible encourages us to take our thoughts captive. To proactively direct our thoughts on things that please God. To understand that while we are subject to sin, and will still sin, it does not have to rule us. And by renewing our minds, it won’t.
And the best way to renew your mind is to bathe it in scripture. By focusing your thoughts on God’s Word.
Christianity Lets You Renew Your Heart
No one messed up worse than David. He was a hero when he defeated Goliath. But later he seduced another man’s wife and got her pregnant. Then had her husband killed to cover it up. A royal mess up. But when confronted, he confessed to God, repented of his sin, and cried out in despair, “Create in me a clean heart O God.”
And God did. Because of His grace and mercy. And He offers the same forgiveness to you and me.
Sin is rooted deeply in our human nature and in our world. So we will never be completely free of it in this life. But it doesn’t have to rule us. God’s mercy is unlimited. So even though I fail today, tomorrow offers a fresh start.
Therefore, I am always filled with hope. And that renews me too.
Chip Tudor is an author, blogger and professional writer. He publishes books, humorous Christian drama, and thought provoking blogs from a Christian worldview.This blog is originally published here.
There’s a dangerous, beautiful and life-giving capacity of laughter. It depends on circumstances. And how laughter is managed.
But I think we all agree that laughter itself is good.
Throughout history some people have attempted to subvert this life-giving capacity. The 1800s offered prescriptive dictionaries, alongside the descriptive dictionaries we have today. Prescriptive dictionaries attempted to tell you exactly what each word meant. Ambiguity was dead and vagueness was eliminated. All was clear; each meaning precise. Thankfully those dictionaries failed. Had they succeeded, art, literature, and humor would each have succumbed. Humans need the creative possibilities within language to foster life-giving laughter.
“Oh boy, where’s he going with this one?”
The Beautiful And Life-Giving Capacity Of Laughter Is Intentional
As leaders of teams and managers of individuals, you are fostering culture within your organization. That culture can be healthy or toxic, motivating or life-sucking, rewarding or exploitative, and so on. There should be a place for humor and laughter within your culture. But recognize that humor itself can be healthy or toxic, motivating or life-sucking, rewarding or exploitative.
Consider the intentionality of humor. Do you explicitly encourage humor and laughter or is it a nervous byproduct of team interactions? Is it considered a desirable part of your culture or something to be avoided?
Consider the subject of humor.
Are you able to laugh at yourself or do you prefer to laugh at others? What topics will you suggest or allow?
Consider the risk vs. benefit of humor. What does your culture gain from laughter? What might it lose?
Increasingly, leaders seek to foster organizations comprised of diverse people. As we diversify, we increase the likelihood that senses of humor will diverge and that what one person finds laughable, another finds cringeworthy.
What are you to do? Encourage laughter focusing on the natural limitations of people (remembering to laugh at yourself). Take advantage of the ambiguity and vagueness of language without elevating the pun to a status to which it should never aspire. Topics should be general ones that most will find amusing (“all” is a bar that is set too high).
Humor Can Be Dangerous And Destructive
Avoid humor focusing on people’s values, physical appearance, intellect, politics, or religion. Of course, if your intellect fails you at some point and you are able to laugh at yourself, then do so.
Recognize that a team member’s level of professional and personal security will impact her ability to laugh at herself and to appreciate being the subject of others’ laughter.
Recognize that sarcasm may be witty, but it is too confusing to be productive in the workplace. Were you speaking seriously or making a joke? We can’t tell.
Recognize that people aren’t always going to let you know when they’ve been hurt or are uncomfortable, so don’t assume that someone laughing along with you means they are comfortable with the joke. If you are in a position of power or authority, remember you can laugh more easily and freely than others who must read the wind to know whether to join in.
The Beautiful And Life-Giving Capacity Of Laughter Is Culturally Fostered
With all of this in mind, however, do not avoid humor. Foster a culture that risks the beautiful danger of laughter. Just because it can be cruel, divisive, and harmful doesn’t mean you shouldn’t embrace its life-giving qualities. You’re not going to quit using a knife to prepare food just because you could cut off your finger. It’s quite likely you will continue to use knives even if you have cut off one finger.
If you risk a culture of humor you will offend. That offense needn’t be intentional and it can provide opportunity for another life-affirming practice – apology and forgiveness. Please don’t neglect the beautiful danger of laughter. It’s an essential part of your humanity. Just tailor it to the setting, making sure it is reflective of the culture you seek to foster.
About Julian Consulting
Dr. Stephen Julian is President of Julian Consulting, a firm specializing in team health, effective communication, and leadership development. He has worked with leaders and their teams for nearly 30 years in a variety of settings – including Africa, South and Central America.
The Biblical answer to deep yearnings of the heart asks questions like: Who Am I? Does my life have value? Meaning? And how do I live a purposeful life? And maintain a sense of balance?
Science can’t answer these questions. Searching within yourself doesn’t either. Because you inherently know there is something wrong in the human experience. An essential flaw in every human. And if we are flawed, answers from within are flawed too.
The Bible however, claims to be the word of an absolute God. The creator and sustainer of life. And if this is true then it provides a source of reliable answers. Here are three Biblical answers to deep yearnings in the human heart.
The Biblical Answer to Deep Yearnings Of The Heart. Human Identity Is Divinely Determined
Who am I? What’s my purpose. Where do I find my value?
The Bible clears the confusion with a simple proclamation. Your identity is not FOUND. God GIVES it to you. Nor do you have to achieve anything to feel a sense of worth. You have value because God values you. He created you, loves you and has your best interest in mind.
The Bible teaches that every person is uniquely made by a God that loves you unconditionally.
So you don’t need to search within, accomplish or accumulate anything. These are all things YOU DO. The Bible says simply, it is already DONE. And you don’t need to be anything other than yourself. God says that alone is enough.
By accepting and embracing your individual worth as determined by a God who loves and values you takes the pressure off.
You can be yourself. Exactly as you are. Because you can’t do anything to make God love you more or or anything that makes him love you less. You need only respond to and return His love.
As you live in relationship with an absolute, yet personal God, you understand the truth, and experience freedom.
The Biblical Answer To Deep Yearnings Of The Heart. Purpose is Found In The Kingdom Of God
The Kingdom of God is partly in this world and partly in the next. It begins in this world through a personal faith relationship with Jesus Christ. This is what uniquely distinguishes Christ followers. Who are citizens of the spiritual Kingdom of God. Although the Bible teaches a final, physical Kingdom is still ahead.
That’s why followers of Jesus are told to be “in” this world, but not “of” this world. In others words, our purpose is to live as kingdom residents in this world. To serve and make this world a better place. To feed the poor, tend the sick and love our neighbors as ourselves. But to keep in mind it’s not the end game. To realize our purpose is to represent God’s Kingdom on earth, to the best of our ability, but with the knowledge that ultimately, God will establish a permanent Kingdom.
People that don’t claim Jesus can participate in serving and bettering humanity too. And therefore, share in this sense of purpose. Christ-followers do so specifically in the name of Jesus and for the glory of God.
The Biblical Answer To Deep Yearnings of the heart. Establish Priorities Rather Than Manage Your Time
Aren’t they one and the same? No. Not really. Most discussions on balance involve time management. Ordering your time will not always order your priorities. But ordering your priorities will always manage your time. If you prioritize spending time with family, you will automatically manage your time to create that margin in your life. And while time management is important in achieving balance, it should not be the main driver.
Want a great template for maintaining a balanced life? Consider this.
Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and favor with God and man (Luke 2:52)
In other words, Jesus developed intellectually, physically, spiritually and socially. He studied the law thoroughly, enjoyed relating to people in social settings, spent time alone in prayer and worked as a carpenter. Oh, and he also walked everywhere he went.
People that live out of balance usually need to address one or two of these areas. I know people that are superbly physical fit, but completely lack a spiritual life. And people that are very spiritual but their physical body is a wreck. And others that invest nothing in their minds outside of work.
I doubt anyone is completely balanced in all four areas. I’m not. But evaluating and adjusting the attention you give to these four areas will head you in the right direction.
There’s one more component not found in that verse, but very much demonstrated in the life of Christ.
What Are You Doing For Others?
Jesus focused on others rather than himself. A life and death of sacrifice. When you live a self-centered life that pursues only self-satisfaction. Your deepest yearnings will never be satisfied. Purpose and meaning will elude you. And so will the Kingdom of God. It’s the key to purpose, meaning, value. And something you can’t buy with all the money in the world. Joy.
Parenting adult children is different than parenting young children. At the only graduation party we attended this season, I was talking with a friend, saying that I’m learning to release with our three young adult children. “You should write about that in your next newsletter,” she said.
So here are some principles I’ve learned for parenting adult children.
Our three children are 24, 22, and 21. My days of commanding are over. I’ve moved from a position of authority to influence. Many times over the past few years I’ve said something like this to one of our children: “You’re an adult. I can’t tell you what to do and I trust you to make a wise decision. For what it’s worth, here’s what I think about this situation.”
When Parenting Adult Children You Can Remind them Them “This is what you said you wanted”
When our oldest was married this month we celebrated the birth of a new family comprised of him and his wife. We knew we were raising a complete human who would have his own beliefs, values, and would make his own decisions. We weren’t looking to keep that cute kid a child forever. So, here we are. We said we wanted a functional adult and we celebrate his emergence.
When Parenting Adult Children Keep In Mind They Still Care About What You Think
It’s amazing how the words of a parent carry extra weight throughout life. When my dad tells me he’s proud of me, it matters. Your young adult children care what you think about them and their decisions even if they go to great lengths to hide that fact. Keep sharing your insights when invited and pray for other adults to speak into their lives when you’re not invited to share your wisdom.
When Parenting Adult Children Remember Releasing Isn’t Giving Up
No one is perfect. We can all mature more fully and become better versions of ourselves – right up to our last breath. By releasing, you aren’t giving up on your children, you are simply acknowledging what is true. You are no longer the one who should be making their decisions. This isn’t an on/off switch but a dimmer that has been growing brighter for years.
When Parenting Adult Children Remember You Thought You Were A Fully Grown Adult When You Were Their Age
At 23, I had a master’s degree and was teaching undergraduates whose parents were sacrificing a lot of money for me to teach their children. I thought I was a complete adult, capable of mixing it up with other adults who were past their prime but, unfortunately, unaware of their condition. Your children are no different. They think they’re grown up and will respond better if you treat them as the adults they are, rather than waiting for them to be the adults you think they should be.
When Parenting Adult Children Two Of The Most Powerful Words – “Mature” & “Trust”
For years, I’ve been telling our kids that I see them maturing and pointing to examples that support that claim. When they have an important decision to make, I tell them I trust them. Why? Because I see them maturing and I trust them, but also because it is amazing how humans try to live up to the expectations of others, particularly the expectations of their parents. I might as well use words that encourage wise decisions.
If They Are Xing (i.e., some undesired behavior)? They Have To Live With The Consequences
We’ve taught our children that we do not support sex outside of marriage and we have made abstinence an expectation within our home. Now that our children are adults we still hold these same core values. Should they choose to engage in premarital sexual activity, that decision is theirs, as are the consequences.
So, I release.
They know what we believe and why. Now it is up to them to act in support of their beliefs and values. I may feel pain in response to decisions they make, but I cannot control those decisions. So, I release. The point? Days of control, if they ever existed, are past. Days of influence can be here forever if we choose to cultivate relationships that foster influence. You want a simple first step? Turn off the tracking software on your phone. Then take the next right step. You’ll sleep better and your kids may think you’re the wisest older adults they know.
About Julian Consulting
Dr. Stephen Julian is President of Julian Consulting, a firm specializing in team health, effective communication, and leadership development. He has worked with leaders and their teams for nearly 30 years in a variety of settings – including Africa, South and Central America.
There are good reasons for writing comedy skits for church. They can be used to support a sermon theme in church worship services or provide entertainment for other church programs.
You may think writing comedy skits for church is about inspiration… the creative muse.
Not to downplay creativity, but writing comedy church skits also involves work. You’ll find this is true of humor writing in general.
The Advantage of Writing Comedy Skits For Church
But there’s a spiritual payoff in writing comedy. Because people in the congregation often raise a protective guard around their heart.
Get people laughing, however and they will lower that guard. And in that brief moment, you can slip in a spiritual message. So I always strive for humor that communicates a clear, spiritual point. Because you don’t want to squander that spiritual opportunity.
It’s easy to become preoccupied with writing funny one liners. And I admit. It’s a rush when the congregation breaks up in laughter over a funny line I’ve written.
The most effective way to write impactful comedy church skits, however, is by creating funny characters in funny situations so the comedy flows naturally.
Still, when writing comedy church skits for church worship services, I hammer out a number of one line jokes because creating laughter from a funny line in a skit is a powerful elixir.
The process I use for writing jokes and funny lines is actually painstaking and tedious. It involves creating lists using a standard dictionary, Thesaurus and homonym dictionary as tools.
Let’s work through the joke writing process in writing comedy skits for church
Since we’re writing for a church worship service, let’s take a common spiritual subject-eternal life. Keep in mind these lists are for illustration. Your actual lists should be much, much longer and possibly broken into sub-categories.
Topical List of words
Heaven hell eternal grave death fire hymns atheist
Next write clichés and common phrases related to eternal life
Clichés & Phrases
Do some soul searching Passed away A match made in heaven
Now identify synonyms, antonyms and homonyms to the list of words you’ve written.
Synonyms
Fire = flame death = expire
Antonyms
Heaven – hell death – life hymns-choruses
Homonyms
Hymns = him’s
Now mix, match and combine phrases and words to create funny lines. Here are some possibilities.
When it comes to death, we’re all in grave danger
Our funeral services are gender neutral… we quit singing hymns
Hell is an eternal flame from a match made in heaven
An atheist is someone who tried soul searching and came up empty
Writing jokes and funny lines for comedy skits takes time, effort and patience. But it pays off when an actor delivers a funny line and the congregation roars with laughter. Or even better, someone is impacted by the message presented.
Hopefully though, no one will actually die laughing in the middle of your church worship service.
About Chip Tudor:
Chip Tudor is an author, blogger and professional writer. He publishes books, humorous Christian drama, and thought provoking blogs from a Christian worldview.This blog is originally published here.
Looking for an original comedy church drama?
There are a number of comedy church dramas I’ve written for church events and programs over the years. You’ll find them on the drama page of my website. And you can download them for a modest, one time fee. You can read a portion of the script in advance to get an idea on what it is about before you purchase the whole script.
A lesson from the AFL. Actually, here are four that will help improve your business.
I’ve fallen in love with the Australian Football League (AFL). “Aussie rules” isn’t rugby or new (the first game was in 1858). Here’s my truth – when you first watch Australian rules football it looks silly. The opening bounce, the short shorts and sleeveless tops, the waving of flags following a score, and the sideline throw-ins. They all create a sense it’s more spectacle than sport. But when you understand the objectives and strategies, you realize these are superb athletes suited to this particular contest. Players run between seven and 12 miles per game. Miles. A half-marathon while 18 opponents seek to tackle or otherwise harass them.
A lesson from the AFL. Your business makes sense to you because you are immersed in it every day.
New team members need to understand the objective and strategies of your business. Understand why its silliness has significant historical or cultural roots. And don’t assume it makes sense to the casual observer or your first-year intern. Like any sport, players in the AFL are slotted into particular roles based on different factors – kicking or handballing ability, speed, and size.
Mason Cox is an anomaly. A marginal D1 basketball player, he is an AFL star. His size and acumen for the game have made the Texan a celebrity in his adopted country. Even so, there are far more Australians in American football than Americans in the AFL.
A lesson from the AFL. You should look for talent without succumbing to presumptions about personality types, education, or previous experience.
Each of these may contribute to a team member’s success, but shouldn’t be determinative when hiring. After onboarding, develop strategies for slotting talent into the right seats. And evaluate whether this was done successfully. The team member you think is the wrong person may just be in the wrong seat.
When a player in the AFL scores a goal, team members run to rub the scorer’s head, hug him, high-five, or express another form of affirmation. Older players encourage young players and teams celebrate professional debuts (“day-boos”).
Perhaps it is cultural, but athletes in American sports are less expressive in their support of one another. Especially at the professional level where the emphasis is often on individual performance and compensation. Despite well-rehearsed answers written by PR experts about the importance of team.
A lesson from the AFL. You should develop HR-approved ways of expressing affirmation
You should honor the different preferences people have for receiving praise. But don’t miss the opportunity to celebrate as a team. Encourage seasoned team members to mentor newer team members. And recognize the excitement of a professional “day-boo.”
The AFL is evolving. I’ve seen rule changes the brief time I’ve watched it and COVID impacted the 2020 season in significant ways. This year the “man on the mark rule” was changed, which enraged purists. Just Google “change to the man on the mark rule in Australian Rules Football.” And you’ll see many were not happy. But when the season began, most commentators agreed the game was faster and the scoring higher. Two keys to growing the sport’s audience.
A lesson to remember iw that change is never-ceasing
Try to anticipate consequences from proposed changes (laws usually suffer from unintended consequences). And train team members on the why’s and how’s of new processes. Don’t refuse to evolve. And never lose sight of your customer or let purists prevent you from thriving as your industry changes. I don’t know that you’ll love “footy” like I do. But I hope you’ll gain insight from the lesson from the AFL that I’ve learned by watching it.
About Julian Consulting
Dr. Stephen Julian is President of Julian Consulting, a firm specializing in team health, effective communication, and leadership development. He has worked with leaders and their teams for nearly 30 years in a variety of settings – including Africa, South and Central America.
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