The Impact of Technology on Christianity: A Blessing or a Curse? (Part 2)
technology

The Impact of Technology on Christianity: A Blessing or a Curse? (Part 2)

Last time I started by sharing something personal and I’d like to do it again. A few years ago, my college classmates and I built up an innovative project for a science competition. One day, I got a call from the school and they said that the project had disappeared – they looked everywhere but found nothing; they believed it was stolen. On my way, I was very anxious and I couldn’t even pray. Suddenly, I got a notification on my phone; it was the new sermon of Pastor Joel Osteen. When I listened to it, I was instantly lifted up. And, guess what? In the end, I found the project at the same place it disappeared.

This is to testify that, first, God is great and second, technology doesn’t always have to be negative in a Christian’s life.

Too often, the impact of technology on the Christian faith is seen as negative. Most of the time, we see headlines reinforcing that perception, like: “The internet is driving people away from their faith,” or “Church-goers prefer surfing on social media than attending church services.” It’s true but to some extent.

As a journalist student, I like to compare modern technology to the Guttenberg press. It’s just a matter of seeing and holding on to the opportunities offered by the internet, social media and smartphones. With the right technology, you can grow closer to God. Don’t believe me? Have a look at part 1!

Online Sermons 

Online Sermons Back in 2020, when the first round of lockdown was announced, in many countries, churches were ordered to close. There was nothing about God or religion; it was all about large gatherings. A bunch of people in the same place for a period of time could easily spread the COVID-19 virus. At that time, people had no choice but to rely on online sermons.

As a Christian myself, I know and understand the need to go to church and bond with other members. However, there are times when you can’t go to church (just like during the pandemic), but you can still grow in faith by listening to online pastoral messages. During the pandemic, online church sermons have had an encouraging and uplifting effect on the masses and I guess technology played a crucial role.

If you want to find an online church sermon, here are some of my favorites:

  • Lakewood Church, led by Pastor Joel Osteen and his wife, Victoria Osteen
  • New Creation Church, led by Pastor Joseph Prince
  • Philadelphia Christian Church, led by Pastor Omar Thibeaux
  • EMCI TV, Jérémy Sourdril (this is French-based)

Now, we’ll take a look at some of the most common online church sermons:

  • Life Church, led by Pastor Craig Groeschel
  • Harvest Christian Fellowship, with Greg Laurie
  • North Point Community Church, led by Pastor Andy Stanley,
  • Saddleback Church, led by Pastor Rick Warren
  • Elevation Church, led by Pastor Steven Furtick
  • Liquid Church, led by Pastor Tim Lucas
  • Sermon.net

Internet as Your Quick Reference Dictionary

Internet as Your Quick Reference DictionaryI’ll be honest, on many occasions that I’ve read the Bible, I couldn’t understand a lot of things.

The Bible was initially written in Hebrew and Greek and English translations have varied over the last centuries. However, for me, some biblical texts are still complex and have many layers. But, I guess the most difficult part for me was the grammar and vocabulary section. Honestly, there were times I couldn’t understand certain words (especially multi-syllable words) or their meaning in the passages. So, I opted for the King James Version, which is considered as the easiest Bible to read. However, most of the time, I will surf the net and try to find the “theological” meaning of certain words.

Today, there are all kinds of bible glossaries available on the internet, with all the biblical terms explained along with references.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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