Facebook

8 posts

Social Networking & Your Time

Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. ESV Colossians 4:5 Jenny, one of our regular blog readers, raised the concept of “me time.” As Christians our lives are to be centered on bringing honor to the name of God in all that we do. (I Cor. 10:31; Col. 3:17, etc.) Our culture inundates us with the idea that our first need is to care for ourselves. Yes, our culture says, God is important, but only as he or she meets our need for whatever spiritual vacuum we have that needs filling. From a cultural standpoint the idea of spirituality is just another part caring for myself first. Culturally, we are challenged every day to see […]

It’s Just Facebook

There is a tendency to follow the world’s lead and see life as a mixture of the profound and the mundane – to contrast the exciting, meaningful, fun parts of life with the normal, dull, daily grind parts of life. For many this would be the contrast between chilling and hanging out and doing something that really matters. Facebook would fall into the hanging out category.  It’s no big deal, just something to do when there is nothing to do. With the advent of high speed phone networks, you can update your Facebook status anytime using your mobile phone. Tweeting can happen anywhere. So, while you are standing in line at the store, you can let the rest of civilization […]

Post Only What is Helpful

The apostle Paul does not make a suggestion for the specific type of communication that you employ in Ephesians 4:29. Rather, under the inspiration and authority of the Holy Spirit, he issues a direct and strong command. It is one that all of us too often ignore. Structuring our words to bring grace to our listeners is frequently the last thing on our minds. However, by failing to do so, our words become corrupt, unwholesome, and rotten. Paul is saying don’t talk this way (with corrupt words), but this way (with words that bring benefit, grace).  Here are three translations of Ephesians 4:29:

Honoring God in Cyberspace

Three years ago I did a series of posts about facebook and social networking. Because things have changed rapidly in cyberspace, I have updated the original posts and offer them again for your thoughts and consideration. Facebook, blogs , online communities, texting, tweeting – these are things that were virtually unknown a decade ago. Today our lives, as well as our children’s lives, are dominated by Internet-enabled communities. The use of language has changed as well. There is a cyber vocabulary that is unique to the electronic world. Letter groups such as lol,ttyl, and np, form a modern shorthand that allows for an almost instant transmission of moods, thoughts and plans across cities, states and continents. People write on electronic […]

Facebook & Your Time

Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. ESV Colossians 4:5   Due to an excellent observation in a comment from Jenny, this post will address another issue regarding Facebook. Your comments and thoughts are valuable. There have been a number of good suggestions for posts in the last couple of weeks and, Lord willing, we will get to them all. Jenny raised an important consideration in her comment. She raised the concept of “me time.” As Christians our lives are to be centered on bringing honor to the name of God in all that we do. (I Cor. 10:31; Col. 3:17, etc.) Our culture inundates us with the idea that our first need is to […]

It’s Just Facebook

We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. ESV  Romans 6:4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. NIV  Romans 6:4 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.  ESV Colossians 2:8 There is a tendency to follow the world’s lead and see […]

Post Only What is Helpful

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. ESV Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. NIV No rotten talk should come from your mouth, but only what is good for the building up of someone in need, in order to give grace to those who hear. HCSB    Ephesians 4:29 The apostle Paul does not make a suggestion for the specific type of communication that you employ in Ephesians 4:29. Rather, under the […]

Facebook and You

Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Philippians 2:3&4 Facebook began in a college dorm room at Harvard in February 2004. Since then, the Facebook community has grown to over 140 million active users. Facebook describes itself as a social utility that helps people communicate more efficiently with their friends, family and coworkers. Efficient communication indeed! The Facebook Factsheet reports that 2.6 billion minutes are spent on Facebook each day worldwide. These are impressive numbers, both in terms of people and in time spent. For Christians, it is important to categorize Facebook activity in […]