Religion- Human Heart Questions
What happens when people die?
Jesus answered this question. As soon as people die they are destined for eternal friendship with God in heaven
Questions teenagers ask that show they are growing into adults
How can I understand my feelings? How can I live a happy life? How can I be a better person?
Relationship Questions
Human heart relationship questions are those concerned with how a person can relate with others in ways that lead to happiness
Personal Questions
Personal questions are questions that people need to understand about themselves in order to find true happiness
Questions about God Examples
The more people become aware of God, the more they wonder at religious questions such as: 1. Who is God 2. What is God like? 3. What does God expect of me? 4. How can I live the way God wants? 5. What will happen after I die? 6. Why does God allow suffering? 7. Why should I concern myself with religion? 8. How do I know that what I have learned about God is true? 9. How can I really know if God exists?
The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit and What They Relate Too
The seven gifts of the Holy Spirit relate either to: - Guide people to discover answers to their human heart questions - Strengthen them to live the answers
The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Wisdom Understanding Right Judgement Courage Knowledge Reverence Wonder and Awe
The Search of Truth leads to God
- Human heart questions frequently recur and are not satisfied with short term or simplistic answers - People who are in touch with their human heart questions discover two things: 1. They discover that they will never find lasting happiness or find complete answers to their basic questions on their own 2. They realise to find happiness they need to look beyond the universe to the One who created it, God. - Those who remain open to asking and learning answers to the human heart questions discover the source of complete human happiness is only found in God
Baptism and Confirmation
- Jesus gave his Church the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation so his followers could be filled with the Holy Spirit - From Pentecost onwards, followers of Jesus would be guided by the Holy Spirit
Jesus Came to Complete the Teachings of the Father
- Jesus pleaded with people to repent and to believe in the good news he came to teach - Cried at the thought of those who would not accept the way of God - Jesus promised that the HOLY SPIRIT will continue to deepen people's understanding of all Jesus revealed until the end of the world.
Jesus Revealed the Trinity
- Jesus revealed that this one God is a Trinity- The father, the son and the Holy Spirit/Ghost
The Four Basic Questions of the Human Heart
- Personal Questions - Relationship Questions - Questions about the Future - Questions about God
The Church
- The Church is a gathering of people who worship God. It is also a building and place of worship
Jesus Answers Our Human Heart Questions
- To be able to answer human heart questions, Jesus had to be FULLY human and FULLY divine. - The belief that God became fully human is called the 'MYSTERY of the INCARNATION' - Incarnation means that Jesus, was born of human flesh and blood - Called mystery because the truth of this event is beyond human understanding
Questions about the Future Examples
- What is my future in a world that sometimes seems really complicated and even threatening? - How can we improve the way people treat the environment? - What can be done to make earth a cleaner, safer place for people and other living things? - Can we find a fairer way of sharing the world's resources to reduce poverty and hunger? - What difference can I make to the future of the earth?
Personal Questions Example
- What's life all about? - How can I become more independent? - Why do I have so many feelings?
Relationship Questions Example
- Who will always love and accept me, no matter what? - How can I make good friends?
The Holy Spirit Guides Jesus' followers to answer the questions of their hearts - When do Jesus' followers get filled with the Holy Spirit?
-Followers of Jesus would be filled with the Holy Spirit through the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation - In the sacrament of Confirmation Jesus gave his Church the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit to guide and strengthen Christians to discover and live answers to human heart questions
Questions about God- How people can experience creation and sense the presence of God
-Many people sense the presence of God as they experience creation - People can experience creation and sense the presence of God when they: - Watch the sunset - Sitting at the beach watching the sunset - Gazing at the night sky - Studying a new-born baby - Seeing someone performing a random act of goodness
Jesus sent the holy spirit to guide his followers
Jesus had promised his followers that he would send the Holy Spirit. This was fulfilled at Pentecost
What are Human Heart Questions?
Questions that stir within people's hearts.