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Christlife Posture: Loving Like Jesus

Topic: Mature Relating Over Electronic Mediums

Suggested Approach: Choose 1 thing from each of the three boxes

OR Choose 1 from Media or Reflection + 1 from Scripture 

Media Excursions (Watch/read/listen and be ready to discuss Q's)

Photographs

  • Un-named (@jmnathanson) How does today’s technology affect our perception of privacy?  How should privacy be thought about (yours and others) in the context of social media?

  • Street Art (IHeart) Social Media can help or hurt.  This street art depicts the pain of being unseen.  How does Social Media add a layer of emotional engagement (or disengagement) not experienced by other generations?

Video 

  • Short Film: Vessel (Shane Lim) Read the description below the film before you watch it.  What do you think of her response to his sharing of emotion?  How does relating over an electronic medium facilitate connection for them? How does it mislead?

  • Plug Into Silence (The High Calling Video) "Connection is good." But how can unplugging help you re-connect with more wisdom? 

Articles ​

  • God Glorifying Social Media (Joey Cochran) Perhaps you or others you know have already used these methods of using social media to glorify God.  How do you respond to these methods? Do these ideas get to the heart of the matter? If not, how would you use Social Media to glorify God?

  • Social Media and Christianity (Rachael Smith) Do you agree with the author that the benefits of Social Media outweigh the risks?  How have you seen the internet used effectively for ministry or evangelism?

  • One Voice on Christian Social Media (Philip Holmes) How was this woman's journey affected by her interactions on Social Media?  Do you think the internet is a good place, bad place, or necessary place for conversations about sexual identity?  How might it help or hurt?

  • 5 Things Christians Should Stop Doing on Social Media (David Quaod) Do you agree or disagree with any of these? Are any of them convicting for you?

Reflection Options  

Journal  (Reflect on one or more of these questions)

  • Journal your answers to these questions to do a self-examination. 15 Questions to help Christians Follow Jesus on Social Media (Kevin Halloran)

  • If Jesus lived in today’s culture, how do you think he would have used social media, YouTube or a smartphone in his relationships with his disciples? With larger groups of people he ministered to? Have fun pondering and journal your answers.

Quote Interaction  (Agree, disagree or otherwise engage with the quote/quotes)

  • Technology gives us power, but it does not and cannot tell us how to use that power. Thanks to technology, we can instantly communicate across the world, but it still doesn't help us know what to say. (Jonathan Sacks)

  • Satan knows that if he can get us to laugh at things we believe we would never do, our defenses will fall. (Kent Hughes)

  • Because we understand our worth as image-bearers and our identity as children of God, we will not look to the Internet to prove that we are important, valuable, and loved. And because we accept the presence of indwelling sin, we will not be blind to the potential idolatries and temptations we can succumb to online. And because we know ourselves to be fallen creatures, we will accept the limits of our human condition. We cannot have meaningful relationships with thousands of people. We cannot really know what is going on in the world. We cannot be truly here and there at the same time. The biggest deception of our digital age may be the lie that says we can be omni-competent, omni-informed, and omni-present. We cannot be any of these things. We must choose our absence, our inability, and our ignorance – and choose wisely. The sooner we embrace this finitude, the sooner we can be free.  (Kevin DeYoung)

Reading and reflection on Shaping The Journey of Emerging Adults: 

  • Read “Seek God through fasting” (p. 141).  Fasting can help us not only seek God but also seek His perspective on various areas of our lives.  Consider doing a fast to help you step back and gain perspective? What kinds of media could you fast? What aspects of relating to others over electronic mediums would you want to ask the Lord about? Formulate a few questions to attend to as you fast.

  • Read “Teach specific skills for healthy relating” (pp. 158-160).  How has growing up with (or for mentors, growing into) Social Media use affected your ability to relate? What skills do you need to attend to in the midst of (or as a result of) using Social Media/texting etc?

Explore Scripture

Meditate on one or more of the following passages. Always look them up in context.  Take some time to really explore the verse in relation to this topic.  Look for insight on how to relate to others over Social Media or how you currently relate to your devices.  Make a note of what you discover to share later.  See "Learn More About Ways to Study Scripture" below for help in getting the most out of the verse.

  • Proverbs 11:22

  • Proverbs 18:2

  • Matthew 5:16

  • Mark 8:36

  • Romans 12:1-2

  • 1 Corinthians 6:12

  • 1 Corinthians 10:31

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