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.
Writing a church comedy drama can be fun and rewarding. They may be amateur productions, but don’t have to be amateurish. You have many talented church members to call on. Maybe not professional comedians, but they can still be funny. Other professionals in your church can also provide needed resources.
In one of our church productions, a church member who was a commercial, graphic designer created a set design that far surpassed what a local professional scene designer accomplished. He also produced all the visual marketing material. And another church member who owned a local manufacturing company made a fake display of elevators that supported the event.
They were so real looking that during the night of the production, guests that didn’t attend the church tried to use them. Now that was funny!
Use these tips to guide your efforts for church productions that make a spiritual impact.
Decide on a Theme for Your Church Comedy Drama
Whether it’s a 4-5 minute skit or a full play, start with the theme. Write it down in one or two sentences. If you start writing your script without nailing down the theme, you may write funny jokes just to get a laugh. It’s a common trap for those who enjoy writing comedy.
Humor is extremely effective when writing church comedy skits and drama. But in a church context, it should always focus on making a spiritual point. So be clear at the start what that spiritual point is and keep that target always before you.
For example, in my one-act, church comedy drama, What’s In a Promise? the theme is… God made a promise to us that He kept, so we should keep the promises we make. The entire church comedy script is written to support that theme and the resolution supports it too.
Create Characters For Your Church Comedy Drama
Professional actors are skilled at changing their persona to match a variety of different funny characters. Their professional career depends on the ability to be versatile. You give them a funny character and that’s who they become.
In church comedy, you’re mostly working with amateur actors. Although, there are many people in your congregation with natural comedy acting abilities too. It’s just not what they do all the time, so they’re not as versatile in portraying humorous characters as a professional actor. They tend to have a few, funny personas where they excel, but as they move away from characters that are natural for them, they become more stilted.
So rather than create funny characters and then ask your actors to portray them, create humor that is tailored to the natural strengths of your actors. In other words, think of the natural abilities and personalities of the people you want to use as actors, and then create comedy characters and humor that feature their strengths.
Does someone have a funny, foreign accent? Can they impersonate someone famous? Do they have a natural tendency you can exaggerate to create humor? The more you capitalize on their natural, humorous abilities, the more natural and funnier they will be.
Use Popular People in Your Congregation For Your Church Comedy Drama
Is there a favorite church usher that everyone adores? And he has a funny habit you can exploit? A church youth pastor with a well-known quirk? Impersonate these people and exaggerate their particular traits and quirks to make your church comedy skit funny. Of course, be sure they possess a sense of humor and don’t mind getting picked on a little. People can be a little funny about laughing when the joke is on them.
Things that might not be that funny generally, will be hilarious to your congregation. And can be used effectively to make a spiritual point in a church comedy skit used to enhance a sermon.
What about the time someone slipped in the church baptistery and splashed water into the choir loft? Something funny that happened on a church retreat or mission trip that everyone knows about? They make great material for church comedy skits and your congregation will laugh harder because they’re all in the joke.
Keep these three tips in mind as you write your scripts and you’ll produce church comedy skits and dramas that are both funny and spiritually effective.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.
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What does an Easter Pivot have in common with March Madness Road to the Final Four? Both present unexpected surprises. And both involve changes in direction. In the case of Easter, however, those pivots have eternal significance. Here are four pivots that explain the Easter Story.
The First Easter Pivot Is When Mankind Broke The Relationship With God
Some people claim God is an Almighty, ill-tempered Being. Like a petty child, looking to zap us all with thunderbolts. And you can build a sour image of God if you collect enough Old Testament passages taken out of context. Although, you have to completely ignore all the ones that speak of God’s love and care for His creation.
But here’s the point. Early on in the book of Genesis, Adam and Eve were good with God. The Garden of Eden was an environmentally friendly place to live. Adam, Eve and God hung out together. Only one restriction. Don’t eat fruit from the tree in the middle of the garden. Which they did. In disobedience to God.
It did not change God or his heart for mankind. He was and is the same. But it did change the relationship. Because now, sin messed it up. And rather than walk with God, they pivoted and walked away from God. And today, walking away from God is our natural tendency.
The Second Easter Pivot Is When God Sent His Son To Mend The Relationship
If God was the ill-tempered Being people claim, He would have walked away too. But He didn’t. He didn’t shrug and let us all die in our sin. Or completely wiped us out and start over. Instead, God pivoted and sent His son Jesus Christ as a perfect sacrifice. Because only a perfect sacrifice payed the penalty for sin. And only Jesus qualified as perfect.
Jesus was a game changer. He amazed everyone with his miracles. Taught with a level of spiritual insight and wisdom unlike anyone before or since. And created a global following that has flourished for 2,000 years.
The Third Easter Pivot Is When Jesus Was Resurrected
Jesus willingly died the horrible death of Roman crucifixion. Not a humanly rational decision by most standards. But humanly possible.
The resurrection, however, is something only God can do. You know, the Almighty Being that some accuse of being petty and ill-tempered?
The resurrection was an Easter pivot away from certain death. It gives you and me an opportunity to renew a relationship with God.
The Fourth Pivot Is Up To You And Me
Although my natural tendency is to reject God, I can choose instead, an Easter pivot. To change directions. And move towards God in a new relationship. God forgives my sin. But I have to ask for it. And receive the gift Jesus sacrificed himself to give me. But I must choose to follow him.
And when I do, it puts me on a new road. With a final outcome full of joy and hope. And represents the Easter Story.
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