Consider the Stars is devoted to mentoring the Christian dramatist, but is by no means limited to writers, actors and producers. Contact John Lindsay, writer of Consider the Stars and Act of God. Read the rest of this entry »
I once heard a man say without any distinguishable doubt, “Judas is in Hell.” These words were unsettling to me for two reasons: firstly, because they were spoken by a highly respected preacher, and secondly because I couldn’t find any evidence in the Bible that agreed with that statement. Is there any good that comes from a proclamation of another man’s judgment? And why is it always Judas that’s singled out? I challenge you to bear the slight discomfort if you disagree with me and see the case through to the end, or at least open your Bible and attempt to prove me wrong. Read the rest of this entry »
Have you ever considered what holds the stars in place? And how can they burn so consistently millennium after millennium with so little distinguishable change? Or the planets? I have a difficult time guiding my knife cleanly around a grapefruit, yet our earth journeys around the sun without fail, varying so little from its course while rotating at 1,000 MPH and traveling at 66,500 MPH that it arrives back within inches of where it began the previous year. There have been countless debates on the topic of the how, who and when of creation, but no one ever talks about why. Read the rest of this entry »
You’re standing on railroad tracks that go straight as far as you can see in either direction. The two tracks run parallel to each other and meet at the horizon. If you stand between the two tracks, and look to the right and then turn to the left, each track looks to be slightly bent. If you move and stand directly on either of the two tracks and look side to side again, the track you’re standing on will appear to be perfectly straight while the track parallel to it will appear to be even more curved. Point being: Whatever path a man walks will appear to be straight while all others will appear to be askew.
How many people have been won over to an opposing way of thinking by telling them they’re wrong? Even if the statement is softened by saying “there’s a better way”, it still implies that every other line being walked is crooked which neither strengthens a relationship nor softens an opposing will. In the musical, The Fantastics, there’s a song called “Never Say No” that sheds some light on the age old psychological paradox of why people do the opposite of what they should. My favorite verse is, “Why did the kids put beans in their ears? No one can hear with beans in their ears. After a while the reason appears. They did it ‘cause we said no.” Read the rest of this entry »
A gardener that doesn’t pull a weed out by the root will be destined to deal with the same recurring problems over and over, season after season. Someone committed to a weed-free garden will remove all the weeds by the root. Someone who is relentless will burn the weeds to insure the seeds are destroyed as well. Read the rest of this entry »
Few individuals recognize the value of a relationship until it’s lost and sometimes not even then. The way people communicate determines the strength of the relationship. Because today’s communication is technologically more advanced than yesterday’s, we take for granted that our relationships are secure. Our cellular networks, now 4G, provide faster speed (not to be confused with service) than ever before. We have an ever increasing number of social networking options to keep us abreast of the topics, issues and players that influence our world. So why is it that at the pinnacle of the information age, with more resources at our fingertips than ever before, we find ourselves in the midst of an economic crisis where it’s becoming harder to trust one another than ever before? More importantly, is the economic crunch affecting our trust or the trust factor affecting the economic condition? Read the rest of this entry »
Last Sunday night, I was pleasantly surprised to tune in to catch a bit of hopeful folly at the end of a BBC update about Denver Broncos’ Tim Tebow. Julian Keane, co-host of BBC’s The World Today and sports journalist, Mike Carlson, were engaging in a lively volley on the subject of the fickle nature of fans as it pertained to Tim Tebow, whose professed belief in Jesus Christ has graced him and his team to victory seven out of eight of their last games. Read the rest of this entry »
“Wear and Tear” is a sketch written by John Lindsay. Wear and Tear was first performed at Destiny Worship Center in 2011. This church-friendly drama is a short two-part comedy requiring two characters. This Christian comedy is ideal for a church or Bible study considering incorporating drama into its service or youth program. Below is the first half of this two-part sketch. If you’d like the full script, make a request for a complementary complete copy of “Wear and Tear” via email to lindsay@actofgodbranson.com. Keep in mind that there are 15 sketches for all occasions complete with lesson plans and scripture references in the collection Consider the Stars.
The 2008 Olympic Commencement Ceremony in Beijing was a brilliant display of what unified people can achieve. Each performance told a story and was marvelously executed. The emphasis of each production effectively portrayed the theme of unity and harmony. Nowhere at any time did the Chinese tell the story of victory though they had a reputation that merited such a statement and a platform to do so. It was the entrance of the 600 individual athletes representing the United States that told that story. They paraded themselves arrogantly before the world, as if with every step they took they claimed ownership, as if already victorious, unaware they were guests in someone else’s home.
Before you object to my foregone conclusion, consider the following: Can you remember which athletes/countries won gold medals in the 2008 Olympics? Today, on what country is every financial analyst’s eye fixed upon? Read the rest of this entry »
There’s no arguing that people enjoy doing what they’re good at, but no one gets good at anything without practice. The same holds true for us as followers of Jesus. If we find walking with our Lord difficult, it’s probably because we haven’t been practicing. Does anyone honestly, deliberately rehearse going the speed limit or maintaining a calm demeanor or smiling without cause? We’ve all practiced merging into traffic, but are we experts at allowing others to merge in before us? If we’re not trained for the minor pressures of the day’s most common occurrences, how can we expect to be adequately prepared for the weight of loving our enemy when that opportunity arises?
The hardest thing about any kind of disciplined routine is getting started. The best thing about doing something for the first time is you only have to do it once. Why not start with a smile. Don’t wait. Do it now. Don’t miss the opportunity. Hold a smile through the next sentence or two. Read the rest of this entry »
In John 8:6-8, Jesus is recorded to have twice stooped down to write on the ground. The first time in response to those who were confronting him for defending the adulteress, and the second time to give the accusers time to think. In between the two times that he stooped down to write on the ground he stood and said those immortal words, “He that is without sin among you, let him cast a stone at her.” (KJV)
When we stand in the gap, our typical behavior is to intimidate the opposition physically, but Jesus didn’t even look them in the eye. He lowered himself. Even after he wrote on the ground the second time he didn’t lift his eyes to watch the accusers retreat. He didn’t gloat. He merely asked the woman where her accusers were and told her to go and sin no more. Read the rest of this entry »