Opportunities to use technology in our Christian lives

We’re familiar with technology and use it regularly to help us in our daily lives. Here’s five examples:

1. to help us navigate (e.g. GPS)
2. to organise us (e.g. calendars)
3. to help us communicate (e.g. phone, email, SMS)
4. to remind us (e.g. to set alarms to wake up or check the muffins)
5. to entertain us (e.g. YouTube)

Isn’t it worth considering how we can use technology to love God and spur one another on to love and good deeds?

Blogs and Websites
I regularly subscribe to numerous Christian blogs and websites that provide great encouragement, with the ocassional challenge and rebuke! These include: Desiring God, The Gospel Coalition, 9Marks, Tim Challies, Sovereign Grace Ministries and Apologetics 315. By using a feed reader I don’t need to visit every site every day to check for new content – all updates arrive at a single location, waiting for me to check them when I have time.

Podcasts
Not only are there great sermons in Australia and around the world, but (as we all know) there is great Bible teaching right here on Broughton Street! Whichever service you regularly attend, there’s at least one other sermon preached here each weekend that you will probably have missed. Subscribe to the podcast and follow Mark’s new series on Zechariah, and Paul’s continuing series on Revelation.

SMS
Most of us have mobile phones. Why not send a message to the preacher, thanking them for the hours they put in to the sermon and explaining one way you were challenged to love Jesus more? Send a message to your Connect Group leader, thanking them for their care for you. Share with a friend how you are seeing God at work in their life. Of course, SMS shouldn’t be used instead of face-to-face encouragement, but it can certainly be used in addition to this.

Skype
Each Connect Group has ‘adopted’ a mission partner. Your Connect Group could organise a Skype hook-up with its mission partner one evening and speak with them – encouraging them, sharing news and praying for each other. Speaking of mission partners, why not encourage them and by them an audio book, or give them a gift voucher to iTunes to buy some music (or even rent a movie!) And – no postage required!

Facebook and Twitter
Church by the Bridge has a page on Facebook, as well as a social group with news on the latest social happenings. We also post regular Twitter updates – with details on what’s happening at church, links to new website content, prayer points, and news and encouragement from the Bible and from around the world.

How do you use technology to love God and others?

Steve Kryger
Media and Communications Pastor