Here are the completed notes from the Sunday Morning Service November 15, 2015:
Introduction:
@ The world at our finger tips
@ Instant communication with people around
@ Incredible access to information
@ Generations: Generation Z (1995 – 2009) Today’s Students (1 in 4 Americans are younger than 18)
Never known a world without digital technology
- Tech Savvy
- Community is not everyone in their presence
- Social media connected
- Does not prefer face to face interaction
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:31
1. Sites
- Excellent and helpful
- Dangerous and damning
- Huge source of temptation
- The porn industry generates $13 billion each year in the United States
- Pornography and sexual imagery are rampant on the internet
- Pornography searches since the start of 2015: Over 1,936,319,913
- 1 in 8 online searches is for pornography
- 1 in 5 mobile searches are for pornography
- 24% of smartphone owners admit to having pornographic material on their mobile handset
- 68% of divorce cases involved one party meeting a new lover over the internet
2. Postings
- Either glorify Christ or dishonor Him
@ Place to take a public stand for what is right and what is wrong
@ Place to share prayer needs with one another
@ You say things you would never say in person
@ Not a place for the Christian to turn to air their frustrations, get something off their chest, or air their dirty laundry
@ Give false impressions – Through online profiles people project an image of themselves that may not be real
@ The Heart of the person is not easily discernable in written online Communication
@ One moment of indiscreation online can destroy your testimony
@ When you post on the internet it is out there forever – information is archived indefinitely - Alarming Statistics:
- 71% of teens hide online behavior from their parents
- Sext/Sexting: Sexually explicit text message
- 20% of 16-year olds and 30% of 17-year olds have received a sext
- 1 in 5 of 18-24 year olds have sent a sext (19%)
3. Believers Response
- Be consistent with who you are in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17)
@ Not a substitute for handling conflict scripturally (Matthew 18; Galatians 6:1)
@ Guard against addiction (1 Corinthians 6:19, 20; 9:27)
@ Guard against the wasting of God given time (stewardship of time) (Ephesians 5:16)
@ Guard that social media can become the “other man” or the “other woman” (your time and attention)
@ Guard against rudeness (1 Corinthians 13:5)
@ Abstain from fleshly lusts (1 Peter 2:11)
Internet expands your area of influence:
@ Allow your light to shine (Matthew 5:14-16)
@ An avenue for fulfilling the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20)