Introduction

• Matthew 22:37-39 – The two greatest commands. Love God and love your neighbor.

• How do we harness the incredibly powerful tool that social media is for good?

• Social media is like a car. By itself, it is not moral or immoral.

Ways to use social media for good:

• Be holy (different)

  • I Peter 1:13-16 – We should stand out and be different from the world.

  • I Peter 2:12 – We should be pure and holy online just as we should be in the physical world.

  • Ephesians 5:3-12 – With social media, we have the ability to show what we like and support.

• Extend your influence

  • Matthew 5:16

  • Acts 28:30-31

  • Matthew 25:31-36

  • Social media is a force multiplier. We should use it to influence others for good!

  • Social media can have a negative effect if everyone is glued to their phones and we don’t talk to each other.

  • Romans 12:13; James 1:27 – We have a charge to be aware of other’s needs and help them!

  • Use social media as a tool, not as a replacement or distraction.

  • Sherry Turkle – Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age

    • We are losing the skill of empathizing with each other.

    • Matthew 7:12; Titus 3:2; Galatians 5:13 – Show consideration for each other and serve each other.

    • Just the presence of a phone on the table changes the conversation and level of interaction.

• Speak with grace

  • Colossians 4:3-6

  • James 3:5-6

  • I Peter 3:9 – Don’t return evil for evil.

  • Proverbs 12:18

  • Words of kindness can stop one from spiraling into depression.

  • Proverbs 16:24

• Seek out spiritual food

  • I Peter 2:2

  • Proverbs 13:20 – Walk with the wise.

  • Proverbs 15:14 – The mind of the intelligent seeks knowledge.

Introduction

• Ecclesiastes 11:9

• II Timothy 4:3-4

• James 1:21-25

Implant God’s word on your heart

• Marriage is permanent!

  • Matthew 19:1-9

  • Malachi 2:16 – “I hate divorce.”

  • I Corinthians 6:9-10 – Adulterers will not inherit the kingdom of God.

• It all starts in your heart!

  • Matthew 5:27-29

  • Matthew 15:19

  • Ephesians 5:25-33

  • Dave Carder – Anatomy of an Affair

Develop companionship with your spouse.

• Genesis 1:27, 31 – Eve made the difference between “not good” and “very good” for Adam.

• Genesis 2:18-24 – The purpose of marriage is companionship.

• Malachi 2:14

• Ephesians 5:25-33 – “Husbands, love your wives.” Be careful that outside friendships don’t interfere with the companionship in marriage.

• I Corinthians 7:3-5

• Song of Solomon

• Proverbs 5:18 – “rejoice in the wife of your youth”

Don’t be naïve – avoid close calls!

• Genesis 39:6-12

• I Corinthians 6:18 – “flee sexual immorality”

• II Samuel 11:2-4

• Proverbs 5:3, 8

• Proverbs 6:24-25

• Proverbs 7:4-8, 19-27 – Don’t mentally or physically go that way!

• Romans 13:13-14 – “make no provision for the flesh”

If we do these things, we’re telling our spouse:

• “I’m here for you forever!”

• “I’m going to share my life with you!”

• “I’m going to destroy any threats to US!”

Matthew 22:36-39 – The two greatest commandments: love the Lord your God and love your neighbor.

Luke 6:46

James 1:26 – If we love God, we must bridle our tongues.

I John 1:6-7; 2:3-6; 4:7-8, 20-21; 5:1-3 – Loving God means keeping His commandments. It’s more than just saying we love God.

Read the Bible!

• II Timothy 3:16-17 – The Bible is from God!

• Read daily. Start today!

Oneida Community (1848-1879)

• They believed that Jesus returned in 70 AD and that heavenly laws should be followed on earth.

• No traditional marriage. All women married to all men. Children were raised by the community.

• This is an example of wrong idea about the family.

Squash selfishness!

• Matthew 20:20-28

• II Corinthians 5:14-15

• I Corinthians 13:5 – Love does not seek its own.

• Luke 9:23

• Luke 14:11

• Luke 17:10

• Survey: The New Moral Code

• Studies show that students today have higher intellectual confidence than in 1962, but are actually less capable.

• Philippians 2:3-8 – Regard others above yourself.

Take action as a parent!

• Deuteronomy 6:1-13

• Talk about God with your children!

• Proverbs 1:8-9

• Ephesians 6:1-4 – Children, obey your parents! Fathers, bring up your children in the Lord!

• Colossians 3:20-21

• Titus 2:4 – Women, love your husbands and children.

• Hebrews 12:7-11

• Baumrind’s Parenting Styles

  • Warm love vs. disciplinary love

  • Neglectful (little warm love, little discipline) – Proverbs 13:24

  • Permissive (much warm love, little discipline) – Proverbs 29:13

  • Authoritarian (little warm love, much discipline) – Colossians 3:21

  • Authoritative (much warm love, much discipline) – Ephesians 6:4

  • Children from authoritative parents did the best across the board. Authoritative parents demand a lot, but also give a lot of warm love.

  • These are the same parenting styles God talks about in the Bible!

• If we trust what God has told us, our families will thrive.

Acts 17:30-31

Walking according to God’s will

• Philippians 1:27

• John 14:15; 15:14; 12:48

• Ephesians 5:15; Colossians 4:5

• I Thessalonians 4:1; 2:12

• II Corinthians 5:7; Romans 10:17

• Psalms 119:105

• Galatians 5:16

• Romans 8:1-4

• Ephesians 2:10; 4:1; 5:8

• Philippians 3:16

Some did not walk in God’s way

• II Thessalonians 3:11

• II Corinthians 5:7

• “To behave in an unauthorized manner.”

• Luke 6:46

• The Lord demands self-denial. We must seek God first.

  • Luke 14:26-27

  • Matthew 6:33

  • Colossians 3:17

  • Colossians 1:18

  • Matthew 28:18

  • Romans 12:1-2

  • Matthew 5:16

  • I Peter 2:12

  • Revelation 2:5

  • James 1:21-25

“I keep a close watch on this heart of mine.”

• Proverbs 4:23; 23:7

• Matthew 5:8; 12:34-35

• Mark 7:21-23

• Colossians 3:1

• Ephesians 1:7

• I Peter 3:7

• Is Christ our life? Is He our focus?

  • Matthew 6:33

  • Psalms 1:1-2

  • Psalms 40:1, 8; 66:18; 119:10-11, 36

  • Proverbs 23:17

  • Matthew 6:19

• We must be careful!

  • I Peter 5:8

  • I Corinthians 10:12

  • James 4:7

  • II Corinthians 11:3, 14-15

“I keep my eyes wide open all the time.”

• Matthew 13:15-16

• Proverbs 3:7

• Psalms 119:105

• John 8:12; 9:5

• Luke 1:79

• I John 1:6

• II Timothy 4:10

• II Peter 1:5-11

“I keep the ends out for the ties that bind.”

• Romans 8:16-17

• Acts 2:37-38, 41

• The tie that binds is love!

• Psalms 119:63

• Hebrews 10:24-26

• Psalms 119:111, 15-16, 97, 103-105

• I Timothy 4:16

• II Timothy 2:15

• II Peter 3:18

• I John 5:3

• II John 1:6

• Matthew 16:25

• Revelation 12:1

• Jude 1:21

“… because I’m thine, I walk the line.”

• Ephesians 6:6

• Romans 1:1

• I Corinthians 6:19-20

• I Thessalonians 4:1

• Revelation 2:10

• I Corinthians 15:58

• Revelation 3:21

Romans 10:16

Romans 6:17-18, 1