October 10

Tech Wise Sermon Series

Download Printable pdf of Discussion Questions

WEEK 1 | GIVE THANKS FOR TECH!

Throughout the series we will have handouts that you are encouraged to use for discussion with those in your household or with others you are close with. Today’s message focuses on gratitude for technology.

“The Tech-wise life is not just about limits – it about flourishing, what we really want.” — Andy Crouch 

“Let heaven celebrate! Let the earth rejoice! Let the sea and everything in it roar! Let the countryside and everything in it celebrate! Then all the trees of the forest too will shout out joyfully.” Psalm 96:11-12 CEB 

  • DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

    1. If you could change one thing about your relationship with those in your household or those closest to you, what would you change?

    2. Do you discuss technology and its affects with family members? How can we make sure our conversations do not start and end with ‘limits’?

    3. Make a list of technology that helps us in our homes (From furnaces, to dishwashers, to computers… technology is more than just our phones!)

    • Looking at the list you’ve created, are there ways that that technology limits us or prevents us from living life to the fullest?
    • Discuss the ways that these pieces of technology remove burdens and toil. Take turns sharing our gratitude for the varied ways technology helps us to be healthy, or helps us to connect with others, or helps us to enjoy the world around us.
    • Encouragement throughout the week: take time to be in awe of how God’s great creation was designed with latent potential. Praise God for how creative minds have unfolded this potential in creation. Pray for wisdom in how to do this responsibly.

  • DIGGING DEEPER

    1. What difference does it make to come to the conversation on Technology from a distinctly Christian standpoint?  Consider this in reference to this definition put forward by a Christian author in her book, Responsible Technology: 

    “Technology is a distinct cultural activity in which human being exercise freedom and responsibility in response to God by forming and transforming the natural creation, with the aid of tools and procedures, for practical ends or purposes.”

    2. When we see the latent potential within creation and unfold it – transforming it to serve a new purpose – we don’t just use the world for our selfish purposes but we do this as people responding to God and living into our image bearing creativity. Knowing that much of our modern technology comes at a cost ecologically, and can come at the expenses of our global neighbours; knowing the technology we use can also be harmful to ourselves and our relationships with those we are closest with. What does it look like to be responsible with technology?

  • POINT TO PONDER

    1. According to a Barna survey 78% of parents with children believe that raising children is more complicated today than it was for the previous generation. The most common reason for this was technology. Do you agree with their assessments?

    2. Even if you don’t agree with them – nearly 8 in 10 parents feel the weight of navigating technological change. How can we be supporting families in the midst of the many pressures surrounding us?

    Watch the first two minutes of the video below to see how Andy Crouch, author of The Tech Wise Family understands this stat: