This is so helpful! My son’s first birthday was a couple of weeks ago! We had close friends and family over and had the best time! We enjoyed each other and enjoyed celebrating our sweet son. When the party was over, I felt so grateful and this call to worship God for the gift of my son, family, and friends. This feeling was unfortunately overshadowed by guilt… feeling like we hadn’t used our time wisely. It felt strange to thank God for a good time. I am now able to see that God gives good things. What a tactic of the enemy to stop me from giving God my gratitude and worship! Thank you for using the Bible to give a frame work for play and enjoyment.
This was beautifully put. I actually preached "Fun Filled Worship" at VBS this year aiming to express that God created us to worship him in our play. But this was 1000x clearer than what I had communicated. Thankful for gifted brothers like Jeremy Vuolo. Thank for For The Gospel. This ministry is such a great resource to the church.
I have struggled with having fun my whole life, I used to get aggravated at my older brothers for laughing or tussling, I thought I was supposed to put my nose to the grindstone & not come up untill I had died. I have loosened up some as I have gotten older, but I still catch myself with even watching movies or playing phone games, turning it into a responsibility & a chore.
You remind me of Jim Elliot, the missionary Martyr. He had a very similar attitude but the Lord worked in him and he got to enjoy an amazing wife and child before his martyrdom. You should read about him I think you could connect with his story!
I found this very very helpful. I do have a hard time being "okay" spiritually with rest or play. I thought at first, "Oh Jeremy is not going to be able to answer this one!" but it was very helpful and insightful and I really appreciate that he went to the scripture to have as foundation for what he said. I would not have listened if he hadn't done that.
just at the start of this video, so appreciate listening to you both. Have had some rotten teachings paired with a disordered person ( I dont say that lightly, goofy rules), I have allowed this to impact my christian walk in a very bad way. I hope you both share more videos.
I love this! I grew up camping and camped when I had my own family. I remember thanking God for those fun, family times. And now that my parents are gone, I thank Him for the precious memories of those fun times. This summer marked the 60th anniversary of our first camping trip when I was seven. I thank Him that He wants us to enjoy His creation, each other, a movie, a good book, or any of the other things that bring us joy that don’t go against His Word. Great video!
This is helpful. I really don't know how to actually enjoy this, but it's a start. I was an oldest child, and the household was just dumped on me. I can't relax. I am always sick now, and I've been slowly learning that person who had childhood abuse have this problem. I got to be a child until I was about 8 (although, abuse started at 4). I tend to trauma dump, so I will try only to say what's relevant. I was my brothers' mother, the house maid, my mom's personal servant and therapist, and you can guess what my ex step dad did to me... An example of my mindset now is something that happened when I was around 8. My grandma was coming to visit (not a frequent occurrence as I grew up military). I saw my mom was all stressed so I tried to help by doing all the cleaning I normally did and then some. My mom got mad at me and told me to play outside.... But I hadn't been allowed outside for like a year, having turned in to the house slave. I was very confused and didn't know what I did to get in trouble. And I didn't know how to play outside anymore..... I feel like I have to look over my shoulder every time I'm "relaxing". I don't have enough strength not to rest, but I'm anxious anyway. Once I'm conscious I'm not doing anything productive, I start trying to do things, at least make a to do list. I am nervous if I ever go on vacation. I tend to just take walks and enjoy driving around. Aside from museums and maybe a restaurant, I just get overwhelmed and can't wait to go home so I can be nervous in a familiar setting. I just don't know how to live. In fact, I just can't wait to be off the planet. My existence feels very unnecessary, especially since all I do is get sick and occupy space. I don't want to feel like that, but it's my reality.
I listened to a Christian audio book titled On Getting Out of Bed and it encouraged me. Your life matters! God has you here and your story is important. I understand longing to go home to the Lord, I really do. You are traumatized. The Lord doesn't need you to do a thing, rest in the finished work of Christ. You are loved.
I SO relate to you. And now I too, am sick all the time. I have had to get "busy" to keep from going crazy with it. Yet I feel that guilt ALL the time. Now God has sent me a woman to help in Christianity who's "tapes" are similar to mine: and guess what? I'm having to teach her what I need to learn: God saved me AFTER I got sick, so He must be okay with the fact that I cannot DO what I think I should for Him. Just think about that for a minute. (Sometimes seeing it in someone else is what opens our eyes to what is inside us.)
17:16 I feel like that's a wobble. How can it be a 'theology of' when it's not? Or in other words, it seems as if we're to play and not to play - yet, play will be the result. So if play is the result then not-play is the result of sin. But that doesn't mean not to play, right? So yes it's a struggle. And is play the result of joy as the result of faith? E.g. Acts 4:32 Jesus said to beware of the leaven; I'm not saying anyone is a pharisee or leavened, but I just want to remind us of this because it's a warning straight from God. Thank you guys so much for this video :)
7:00 The beauty of creation isn't the equivalent of violent video games, rock and roll, a trip to Vegas, and Game of Thrones. Drinking a glass of wine is also NOT an extensive bourbon or craft beer collection, smoking pipes and cigars etc. Just clarifying whether we're talking indulgence, excess, and general hedonism which are accepted and practiced and encouraged in the Western church.
Jeremy - you didn’t say the number of the psalm? Then half way through you said Psalm 104. Explain what the Leviathan is? I’m struggling to understand the connections to joy. Thank you
Interesting to see how legalistic one can become when there is no grace message. Guilty, judgement, condemnation ... all these ought not to be ... comparison, etc
I think one of the things that keeps people from becoming Christian is the idea that following Jesus means never, ever, having any fun. OR only getting to have some kind of "church approved" knockoff pseudo-fun.
@@benjamincurran9477 I think that some people outside the church have different ideas about "fun" than people in the church, and they think that what Christians do for fun won't be as enjoyable .
It should be noted that the word fun appears nowhere in scripture ( just to keep things in perspective), whereas it is a central tenant of Western civilization today. Jesus spending time alone with the Father ir observing the Sabbath is not the same as ski weekends in Aspen, a yacht trip to Greece posted on instagram, or a cruise in the Bahamas.
I agree. It seems like this is great and sound advice but the half baked because they didn't explain what kind of things are able to be enjoyed and which are not. Because God wants us to enjoy things of HIS creation, not things of man's creation... wine and nature and conversation and free time are things to be enjoyed. But hedonistic things to ENHANCE play seem borderline and worldly.
@@조이-h7v I was raising my millennial children in the early 2000s. I was so frustrated having to be the bad guy and say no to violent video games, no to Twilight, no to MySpace, no to Guitar Hero with gogo dancers, etc. But I can't say yes to evil even if we are all getting no, no, no, no, no fatigue.
Ok, but the word surrender does not appear in the New Testament and yet we talk about that all the time and it’s sound. There is a right way to have fun and a wrong way to have fun. We have to remember that God blessed us with gifts and imagination, it’s on us how we use them. I can enjoy a football game and praise God because he gave us the minds the come up with a sport and that it has a way of brining people together, and brotherhood is demonstrated in these teams, if the fan next to me curses that’s on the fan not the game itself. And yes there are things of the lord and things of the world, but just like Paul Washer says “A holy man is not someone who just prays and reads their Bible.” Take it from someone who was a legalist an actual one. I became a pain in everybody’s life and not to glory of God, but to my own convictions.
@@I.I.Finished I get all that. And the word legalistic is way over used and abused today. If you suggest holiness or obedience or modesty or just about any scriptural principle you will be called legalistic. Bur the point remains. God emphasizes sobriety, vigilance, being on task, on guard, focus. It is significant that FUN is not just de-emphasized. It's completely absent. No synonyms. Nada. It's a lowwww priority. Americans make it pretty much the point of life. Branson, Vegas, Disney, travel, pleasure, pleasure, pleasure, fun, fun, fun.
It is interesting to note that the words fun, entertainment, etc are nowhere in scripture. There are joy and gratitude and enjoying family etc. But modern Christians spend a lot of time making sure everyone knows that Christians and church are fun....and we compromise and become worldly often in the process.
SERIOUSLY?!!! WHAT'S HAPPENED to CHRIST'S CHURCH? TALKING FUN, "THEOLOGY OF PLAY"....CHRISTIANS WORRIED THEY FEEL GUILTY WHEN HAPPY (FUN)? SOMEBODY HAS LOST HIS/ HER COMPASS. 1 Corinthians 13:11 "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things." WE ARE CALLED TO GROW AND GO AFTER THE SOULS OF THE LOST. I CAN IMAGINE PETER OR PAUL WORRIED ABOUT FUN AND PLAY, OR HOW ABOUT THE CHURCH IN AFRICA AND ASIA? GETTING KILLED FOR THE GOSPEL. 😢 MAYBE YOU SHOULD TEACH THAT THEOLOGY TO THEM 🤷🏼♀️
Comment by @CassieAllen-c2b was blessed!! Last night on 9/5/24 was embarassed to thank the Lord in prayer for something good myself. Didnt know i could tell anyone. Glad you shared your story.
This is so helpful! My son’s first birthday was a couple of weeks ago! We had close friends and family over and had the best time! We enjoyed each other and enjoyed celebrating our sweet son. When the party was over, I felt so grateful and this call to worship God for the gift of my son, family, and friends. This feeling was unfortunately overshadowed by guilt… feeling like we hadn’t used our time wisely. It felt strange to thank God for a good time. I am now able to see that God gives good things. What a tactic of the enemy to stop me from giving God my gratitude and worship! Thank you for using the Bible to give a frame work for play and enjoyment.
I also came out of the prosperity gospel and have struggled with fun and possessions::: thank you
What a blessing this season has been
Yeah, for me too! Praise God!
This was beautifully put. I actually preached "Fun Filled Worship" at VBS this year aiming to express that God created us to worship him in our play. But this was 1000x clearer than what I had communicated. Thankful for gifted brothers like Jeremy Vuolo. Thank for For The Gospel. This ministry is such a great resource to the church.
I have struggled with having fun my whole life, I used to get aggravated at my older brothers for laughing or tussling, I thought I was supposed to put my nose to the grindstone & not come up untill I had died. I have loosened up some as I have gotten older, but I still catch myself with even watching movies or playing phone games, turning it into a responsibility & a chore.
You remind me of Jim Elliot, the missionary Martyr. He had a very similar attitude but the Lord worked in him and he got to enjoy an amazing wife and child before his martyrdom. You should read about him I think you could connect with his story!
@@Bearthowlemew I read that book many years ago & did enjoy it.
Such a great series and so helpful. Thank you!!
Glad it was helpful!
I found this very very helpful. I do have a hard time being "okay" spiritually with rest or play. I thought at first, "Oh Jeremy is not going to be able to answer this one!" but it was very helpful and insightful and I really appreciate that he went to the scripture to have as foundation for what he said. I would not have listened if he hadn't done that.
Great video, so much insightful wisdom from Jeremy. Thanks for this message
Costi and Jeremy , please keep the videos coming ❤
just at the start of this video, so appreciate listening to you both. Have had some rotten teachings paired with a disordered person ( I dont say that lightly, goofy rules), I have allowed this to impact my christian walk in a very bad way. I hope you both share more videos.
If you look back at our recent videos, you’ll see the other conversations between Costi and Jeremy.
@@forthegospelmin thank you
This was a fun episode to watch!
Another great video, thank you. I really enjoy your channel. Greetings from Finland! 😄🇫🇮
anticipating the coming Kingdom of play! Wow! 😊
I love this! I grew up camping and camped when I had my own family. I remember thanking God for those fun, family times. And now that my parents are gone, I thank Him for the precious memories of those fun times. This summer marked the 60th anniversary of our first camping trip when I was seven. I thank Him that He wants us to enjoy His creation, each other, a movie, a good book, or any of the other things that bring us joy that don’t go against His Word. Great video!
I love listening to you two. Your ideas are simple and freeing❗️Thank you both 🙏❤️
This is helpful. I really don't know how to actually enjoy this, but it's a start. I was an oldest child, and the household was just dumped on me. I can't relax. I am always sick now, and I've been slowly learning that person who had childhood abuse have this problem. I got to be a child until I was about 8 (although, abuse started at 4).
I tend to trauma dump, so I will try only to say what's relevant. I was my brothers' mother, the house maid, my mom's personal servant and therapist, and you can guess what my ex step dad did to me... An example of my mindset now is something that happened when I was around 8. My grandma was coming to visit (not a frequent occurrence as I grew up military). I saw my mom was all stressed so I tried to help by doing all the cleaning I normally did and then some. My mom got mad at me and told me to play outside.... But I hadn't been allowed outside for like a year, having turned in to the house slave. I was very confused and didn't know what I did to get in trouble. And I didn't know how to play outside anymore..... I feel like I have to look over my shoulder every time I'm "relaxing". I don't have enough strength not to rest, but I'm anxious anyway. Once I'm conscious I'm not doing anything productive, I start trying to do things, at least make a to do list. I am nervous if I ever go on vacation. I tend to just take walks and enjoy driving around. Aside from museums and maybe a restaurant, I just get overwhelmed and can't wait to go home so I can be nervous in a familiar setting. I just don't know how to live. In fact, I just can't wait to be off the planet. My existence feels very unnecessary, especially since all I do is get sick and occupy space. I don't want to feel like that, but it's my reality.
I listened to a Christian audio book titled On Getting Out of Bed and it encouraged me. Your life matters! God has you here and your story is important. I understand longing to go home to the Lord, I really do. You are traumatized. The Lord doesn't need you to do a thing, rest in the finished work of Christ. You are loved.
I SO relate to you. And now I too, am sick all the time. I have had to get "busy" to keep from going crazy with it. Yet I feel that guilt ALL the time. Now God has sent me a woman to help in Christianity who's "tapes" are similar to mine: and guess what? I'm having to teach her what I need to learn: God saved me AFTER I got sick, so He must be okay with the fact that I cannot DO what I think I should for Him. Just think about that for a minute. (Sometimes seeing it in someone else is what opens our eyes to what is inside us.)
Thank you both❤️ I will try to remember to check out that book😊
Love you, brethren ❤ as does the Lord
This is so good!
The Randy Alcorn influence is strong here. Love it!
17:16 I feel like that's a wobble. How can it be a 'theology of' when it's not? Or in other words, it seems as if we're to play and not to play - yet, play will be the result. So if play is the result then not-play is the result of sin. But that doesn't mean not to play, right? So yes it's a struggle. And is play the result of joy as the result of faith? E.g. Acts 4:32
Jesus said to beware of the leaven; I'm not saying anyone is a pharisee or leavened, but I just want to remind us of this because it's a warning straight from God.
Thank you guys so much for this video :)
Are these ones in podcast form on any platform? I can’t find it.
What was the psalm they referred to @10:40
I wondered the same thing - I found it! It is Psalm 104 :)
@@cactusbutterfly2939 thanks
random question, but were all episodes recorded the same day? I noticed you wear the same clothes every time
Yes! We typically sit down with our guests for a few hours and record in one sitting.
What Psalm were you reading from?
Ps. 104
7:00 The beauty of creation isn't the equivalent of violent video games, rock and roll, a trip to Vegas, and Game of Thrones. Drinking a glass of wine is also NOT an extensive bourbon or craft beer collection, smoking pipes and cigars etc. Just clarifying whether we're talking indulgence, excess, and general hedonism which are accepted and practiced and encouraged in the Western church.
This is true, pursuit of the Lord by the Holy Spirit should bring conviction about these things
Jeremy - you didn’t say the number of the psalm? Then half way through you said Psalm 104. Explain what the Leviathan is? I’m struggling to understand the connections to joy.
Thank you
I hope John Piper watched this 😂
Interesting to see how legalistic one can become when there is no grace message. Guilty, judgement, condemnation ... all these ought not to be ... comparison, etc
I think one of the things that keeps people from becoming Christian is the idea that following Jesus means never, ever, having any fun. OR only getting to have some kind of "church approved" knockoff pseudo-fun.
What’s knock-off pseudo fun versus the fun you’re talking about?
@@benjamincurran9477 I think that some people outside the church have different ideas about "fun" than people in the church, and they think that what Christians do for fun won't be as enjoyable .
It should be noted that the word fun appears nowhere in scripture ( just to keep things in perspective), whereas it is a central tenant of Western civilization today.
Jesus spending time alone with the Father ir observing the Sabbath is not the same as ski weekends in Aspen, a yacht trip to Greece posted on instagram, or a cruise in the Bahamas.
I agree. It seems like this is great and sound advice but the half baked because they didn't explain what kind of things are able to be enjoyed and which are not. Because God wants us to enjoy things of HIS creation, not things of man's creation... wine and nature and conversation and free time are things to be enjoyed. But hedonistic things to ENHANCE play seem borderline and worldly.
@@조이-h7v I was raising my millennial children in the early 2000s. I was so frustrated having to be the bad guy and say no to violent video games, no to Twilight, no to MySpace, no to Guitar Hero with gogo dancers, etc. But I can't say yes to evil even if we are all getting no, no, no, no, no fatigue.
Ok, but the word surrender does not appear in the New Testament and yet we talk about that all the time and it’s sound. There is a right way to have fun and a wrong way to have fun. We have to remember that God blessed us with gifts and imagination, it’s on us how we use them. I can enjoy a football game and praise God because he gave us the minds the come up with a sport and that it has a way of brining people together, and brotherhood is demonstrated in these teams, if the fan next to me curses that’s on the fan not the game itself. And yes there are things of the lord and things of the world, but just like Paul Washer says “A holy man is not someone who just prays and reads their Bible.” Take it from someone who was a legalist an actual one. I became a pain in everybody’s life and not to glory of God, but to my own convictions.
@@I.I.Finished I get all that. And the word legalistic is way over used and abused today. If you suggest holiness or obedience or modesty or just about any scriptural principle you will be called legalistic.
Bur the point remains. God emphasizes sobriety, vigilance, being on task, on guard, focus. It is significant that FUN is not just de-emphasized. It's completely absent. No synonyms. Nada. It's a lowwww priority. Americans make it pretty much the point of life. Branson, Vegas, Disney, travel, pleasure, pleasure, pleasure, fun, fun, fun.
@@RCGWho no I’m talking an actual legalist who looked down and thought himself holier and more righteous than everyone else
Another self serving way to do Christianity so that it appeals more to us than to Christ or comes form the Bible. Where is this again in scripture?
It is interesting to note that the words fun, entertainment, etc are nowhere in scripture. There are joy and gratitude and enjoying family etc. But modern Christians spend a lot of time making sure everyone knows that Christians and church are fun....and we compromise and become worldly often in the process.
If you think these guys are promoting self-serving you’re totally missing the point
SERIOUSLY?!!!
WHAT'S HAPPENED to CHRIST'S CHURCH?
TALKING FUN, "THEOLOGY OF PLAY"....CHRISTIANS WORRIED THEY FEEL GUILTY WHEN HAPPY (FUN)? SOMEBODY HAS LOST HIS/ HER COMPASS.
1 Corinthians 13:11
"When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things."
WE ARE CALLED TO GROW AND GO AFTER THE SOULS OF THE LOST.
I CAN IMAGINE PETER OR PAUL WORRIED ABOUT FUN AND PLAY, OR HOW ABOUT THE CHURCH IN AFRICA AND ASIA? GETTING KILLED FOR THE GOSPEL. 😢
MAYBE YOU SHOULD TEACH THAT THEOLOGY TO THEM 🤷🏼♀️
Comment by @CassieAllen-c2b was blessed!! Last night on 9/5/24 was embarassed to thank the Lord in prayer for something good myself. Didnt know i could tell anyone. Glad you shared your story.
I hope that you guys can step back and see how truly shallow this presentation is.
Explain
Hi @baektix 😊. Excited to see this video!
Thanks😢