I’ll never forget a Pastor-friend once telling me, “the most serious issue my people are struggling with is digital addiction.” It reminded me of the time I heard Pastor John Mark Comer from Portland once say that he believed the iphone was one of the greatest threats to Christianity.
The global Church is struggling in this digital age. We are struggling to understand the implications and opportunities of the modern digital transformation. The Church is meant to be a counter-cultural movement yet the allure of the modern digital-cultural movement is extraordinarily powerful, slowly pulling us closer with every click. Is that movement leading us closer to Jesus or further from Jesus? Do we reject, receive or redeem this movement? What is our Gospel-centered response?
One of the core methods of helping our people live in this complicated digital age is to equip them with language, call them to wrestle with that language, and then give the hope and example to translate that language into a lifestyle.
The following basic sermon series outline is my attempt to provide our FaithTech community a tool to send to their Pastors to encourage them to teach and educate their people on the vital topic of faith and technology.
If you find this useful, we hope you can pass it on to your Pastor if you think it can help them. If you want to connect more with us, send us a fax…just kidding. Email us and let us know how we can help.
Week 1: Is Google The New God? Understanding How Technology is Changing Us
Week Objectives:
- Know tech is not neutral and know the influence tech has in this cultural moment.
- Feel the personal implications technology is having on everyday life.
- Do an audit of the role of technology in one’s life, family, and work.
This week is a great opportunity for the Pastor to tell their story of the personal relationship/struggle they have with technology. Define what is going on in culture and set up the cultural context using these points below…
- Data on how tech is changing us, for good & bad.
- Three Views towards Technology: Tech as Neutral (“I don’t care”), Tech as a Saviour (“We die without it”), and Tech as Evil (“We die with it”).
FaithTech Resources for This Week:
- How is Technology Changing Us?
- Is Google the New God?
- Screens & Storytellers: “I feel like my screens are CHANGING Me!”
- Does Social Media Connect Us or Disconnect Us?
Media Ecology & Theology:
- 12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You by Tony Reinke
- iGods by Craig Detweiler
- Technopoly by Neil Postman
- Faith for Exiles: 5 Ways for a New Generation to Follow Jesus in Digital Babylon
Week 2: For God so loved the iPad? Building a Proper Theological Framework for Technology
Week Objectives:
- Know that God cares about what we create, how we create it and how we use it.
- Feel that God has a purpose for technology.
- Do a deeper study on particular bible verses on technology.
A Biblical Theology of Technology:
- Creation – Our identity as Image-Bearers
- Rebellion – Our identity as Builders
- Redemption – Our identity as Redeemed Servants
- Restoration – Our identity as New Creations
FaithTech Resources for This Week:
- Where Does Technology Fit in the Story of God? (Part 1)
- Where Does Technology Fit in the Story of God? (Part 2)
- Theology of Technology Book List
Week 3: A Digital Rule of Life: Five Habits of Purpose in this Busy Age
Week Objectives:
- Know that God has designed you for habit and it is essential we form healthy habits to live in this digital age.
- Feel the sense of hope knowing these practices will give life, not bondage.
- Do a rule of life builder for yourself – Sign up for this tool by Practicing The Way and read this article to understand what a rule of life is.
Five Daily Habits to Try:
- Start Your Day in Quietness – Antidote to distraction and exhaustion
- Build a Rhythm of Rest – Antidote to exhaustion and always connected
- Automatically Turn Off Your Internet at Night – Antidote to anxiety and FOMO
- Take a Slow Walk Weekly with Someone – Antidote to keeping secrets and lying
- Have a Focal Practice – Antidote to busyness and entertainment
FaithTech Resources for This Week:
- 5 Practices For This Wild Digital Life | James Kelly | 07.25.21
- Discussion Guide for Above Sermon Made by People’s Church
- My Social Dilemma: Should I Delete My Social Media Apps?
- Should I Take A Digital Sabbath?
Books About Healthy Practices & Habits in a Digital Age:
- The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer
- The Common Rule: Habits of Purpose for an Age of Distraction by Justin Whitmel Earley
- Tech-Wise Family by Andy Crouch
Week 4: Redeeming Technology: The Incredible Opportunity to Leverage Technology & Our Work
Week Objectives:
- Know that God will make all things new and has a purpose for technology in this world.
- Feel hopeful for how God is redeeming technology all around the world.
- Do something life giving with technology. Ie: ask everyone to get out their phone during the sermon and text a friend a word of encouragement.
Recommendation: Interview a developer or tech leader from your church to ask for their perspective.
Emphasis our identity as Redeemed Servants:
- Keep in mind our responsibility to be servants verses what tech can do for us.
- Consider the truth that the way of Redeemed Servants is a sacrificial way of living.
FaithTech Resources for This Week:
- A Documentary of the story of FaithTech
- From Calling to Community: A Inspiring Story of Ministry & Technology
- Three Reasons we Need Tech Missionaries
- Can Technology Save Lives?
- Disruptive v. Redemptive Innovation
Books, Article, and Videos on Redemptive Technology:
For more articles and videos related to these weeks, click here.
James Kelly is Founder and CEO of FaithTech, a global tech community for Jesus. James holds a Business degree, a Masters of Divinity and loves his local church he helped plant 10 years ago.
