Welcome to the Christian and Social Media: a conversational series brought to you through the brand new Philly Young Adults Podcast. We invite you to take a 6 week journey with us as we take a deep look at the Bible's wisdom for how we, as Christians, should be using social media. We pray this is an edifying journey for you.

Visit phillyyoungadults.com for information on our weekly gatherings and yearly conference.

Truth is the topic of our episode today. We want to set this entire discussion up with a foundation of Biblical truth for the Christian and Social Media. In this pilot episode we take the time to divide truth from opinion and discuss how someone can properly place themselves in a position to receive Biblical instruction about Social Media.

Scriptures

Leviticus 19v32
'You shall rise before the gray headed and honor the presence of an old man, and fear your God: I am the LORD.

Proverbs 16v31
The silver-haired head is a crown of glory, [If] it is found in the way of righteousness.

Proverbs 20v29
The glory of young men is their strength, And the splendor of old men is their gray head.

See Job 32v6-22

1 Peter 5v5
Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble."

1 Timothy 5v1-2
Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort [him] as a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, with all purity.

Psalm 119v99
I have more understanding than all my teachers, For Your testimonies are my meditation.

Links

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As a piece of technology, social media is forming us into people we weren't before we started using it. In this episode we take a hard look at the ways social media forms us specifically when we make posting a daily rhythm.

What Happens When I Post?

Curating our Lives 6:40

Pride 10:45

Concentration on the Externals 18:09

Insensitivity to Others 21:42

Social Media becomes the Mediator 28:50

Scriptures

1 Peter 3v3-4
Do not let your adornment be merely outward--arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel-- rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.

1 Corinthians 13v4-7
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Isaiah 53v2
For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him.

1 Corinthians 10v31-33
Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God, just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.

Links

For all things Philly Young Adults visit phillyyoungadults.com

As a piece of technology, social media is forming us into people we weren't before we started using it. In this episode we take a hard look at the ways social media forms us specifically when we make scrolling a daily rhythm.

What Happens When I View?

Wasted Time 1:30

Envy 17:21

Lust 22:15

Depression and Dissatisfaction 30:09

Reducing People Down to Images 31:20

Scriptures

Psalm 119v148
My eyes are awake through the night watches, That I may meditate on Your word.

Psalm 90v12
So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Ephesians 5v15-16
See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Romans 6v16
Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?

1 Corinthians 13v11
When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

Proverbs 14v30
A sound heart is life to the body, But envy is rottenness to the bones.

1 Corinthians 13v4
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;

See Matthew 5v27-30

Books

John Phillips Exploring Psalms Volume 2



For all things Philly Young Adults visit phillyyoungadults.com

It's one thing to experience all the good in life, it's another thing to broadcast that experience. When we post on social media, something that could be a purely positive experience becomes something else. In this episode, we talk about how the events of our lives are changed when they are displayed.

What Happens When They View?

Envy 16:53

Anger 23:47

Lust 25:29

Meaningless and Godlessness 29:03

Scriptures

See Romans 14v15-23

See 1 Corinthians 8v9-13

1 Corinthians 10v31-33
Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the church of God, just as I also please all men in all thing, not seeking my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.

1 Corinthians 13v4
Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up

Ephesians 4v31-32
Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

Proverbs 10v12
Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins.

Proverbs 15v18
A wrathful man stirs up strife, But he who is slow to anger allays contention.

Proverbs 28v25
He who is of a proud heart stirs up strife, But he who trusts in the LORD will be prospered.

Proverbs 29v22
An angry man stirs up strife, And a furious man abounds in transgression.

Hebrews 10v24
And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works

See Galatians 5v13-26

1 Corinthians 3v3
for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?

See James 3v13-18

Links

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We hope and pray that meditating on this Psalm today will bring peace to you amidst a season of chaos. We encourage you to meditate on scripture today and spend time in prayer, alone or with friends, as we trust God with the future.

There is no denying that social media has officially been interwoven into social action over the years. Some say they're officially inseparable. But is that true? Today we talk about what really happens, according to the Bible, when social media is integrated with social issues.

Positive Aspects

Speed of Information 6:01

Stirring up Strong Feelings 8:37

Make Many Voices One 10:05

Give a Voice to People Typically Shut Out 10:50

Negative Aspects

Privileging the Image Over the Word 17:17

Tendency to Eliminate Careful Discussion, Thinking, or Reasoning 21:01

Completely Overrun by Sin 25:26

Tendency Toward Mob Mentality 31:33

Privileging the Most Fired Up Voices 35:12

Portraying Power and Money as a Grassroots Movement 47:35

Scriptures

Psalm 1v1-2
Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night.

See Acts 19

Acts 19v32
Some therefore cried one thing and some another, for the assembly was confused, and most of them did not know why they had come together.

See Matthew 12v14-21

Mark 3v5
And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And he stretched [it] out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.

See Isaiah 42v1-4

2 Corinthians 11v28
besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.

See Isaiah 53

1 Corinthians 1v18-20
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent." Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

Links

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Our modern life is filled with questions about how to live at an optimal level. What are our best practices for our environment? Our planet? What about our own bodies? How do we achieve mental health, physical strength, and longevity? Social media needs to be part of this line of questioning. How should it be used? Can we find ways to utilize the platform to serve actual good?

Things to Consider

All of life: a contest 5:22

The right question to ask 7:58

Social media conforms to scripture 9:14

Principles

Social media usage can be rewarded by Christ 9:45

Social media usage should have a tight focus 16:38

Social media usage should promote unity amongst God's people 23:25

Social media usage should edify God's people 26:50

Social Media usage should share the gospel 28:25

Practices

Make posts that invite people to real human interaction 11:24

Make posts that support real gospel work happening around the world 14:00

Make posts that promote scripture and spiritual growth resources 17:47

Consider Jesus and His specific purposes before posting 21:32

Take ten minutes to meditate on whatever you're about to post 22:24

Survey your last ten posts 30:35

Best practices for viewing 31:45

Scriptures

See 1 Corinthians 9v23-27

2 Timothy 4v7-8
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

1 Corinthians 3v12-13
Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is.

See John 17

James 3v18
Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Hebrews 12v14
Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord

Romans 14v19
Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.

1 Thessalonians 5v11
Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.

1 Corinthians 10v23
All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify.

Romans 15v2
Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification.

Ephesians 5v15-16
See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Psalm 90v12
So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Matthew 5v30
And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.

Links

For all things Philly Young Adults visit phillyyoungadults.com