Tech Wisdom for Parents (and everyone else too)

by Andrew Cromwell

If you’re anything like me, there are days when you feel like the world is moving faster than you are. From what I hear on the news, it feels like I should be tweeting on Twitter, posting clever photos on Instagram, making funny short videos on Vine, and posting reviews on Yelp. Oh, and I probably should be sending inappropriate photos of myself on Snapchat and looking for “no strings attached” hookups on Tinder.

And while I’m definitely not doing most any of these things, I also get the sense that my kids either are doing it right now or they will be soon. And that’s a little scary because I’ve read some of the statistics:

• 22% of teen girls and 18% of teen boys have sent/posted nude or seminude photos of themselves.
• 1 in 3 teens have experienced online harassment.
• 44% of tweens have watched something online that their parents wouldn’t approve of.
• At least 25% of 10-17 year olds were exposed to porn they weren’t looking for last year.

As a parent, I can either throw up my hands and just give up or I can boldly enter into the fray. My wife and I have picked the second strategy. We have decided we are not going to allow the media and our culture to determine what our kids are exposed to. Our goal is not to control and restrict but rather to proactively protect and teach our kids how to deal with this amazing tool called the Internet.

Our philosophy is that we know better than our kids. Sure our kids can fix the computer, set up the TV and generally run circles around us with technology, but we KNOW better about what is good for them. We have experience. We have more experience and have a better perspective on what they should see and when.

This is why we make our kids eat their vegetables. It is why we don’t let our kids—who are all under 13—watch scary movies before bed (or at all). It is why we don’t let our kids go on the Internet unsupervised. It is why we have talked to our kids about the types of things that are on the Internet and discussed what they should do when they see something they know is not right. BECAUSE THEY’RE KIDS.

So let me encourage you parents out there who care about protecting your kids’ innocence and preserving their ability to communicate with other human beings in person, to put restrictions on your kids’ electronic devices. This is a tough thing to do, but it is worth it.

God gave you your kids and He knows best how to help you raise them. 

If It's Broken, Fix It!

Pastor Tim Howard
February 7, 2009

There are many different kinds of hurts in life but a broken heart stemming from a broken relationship is among the most painful. Talk to a young man who has just been told by his girlfriend that she doesn’t want to date him any longer and you will hear the pain in his voice. Visit a mother of two toddlers who has just been told by her husband that he wants a divorce. You will quickly see the devastating effects of this soon to be broken relationship.

You and I live in a world of brokenness. Marriages are breaking up at an unprecedented pace. Broken families are everywhere and our society is experiencing long lasting ramifications as a result – much like the aftershocks of an earthquake.

Jesus came to mend broken relationships and because of His life and death we can now have peace with God and experience His grace each and every day. His grace extends to our relationships with each other as well. You might be in a situation right now where you can identify a broken relationship. Maybe it’s a brother, sister, co-worker or a former friend. In Matthew 5, Jesus tells us to stop procrastinating and reach out to that person for the purpose of reconciliation. If you follow His advice, reconciliation becomes a very real possibility. But if that first step isn’t taken, you may never experience the tremendous joy of seeing a broken relationship repaired.

If you are hesitant to initiate the healing process, maybe these guidelines will help you take that first step.

1. Go in humility. 1 Peter 5:5 says to clothe yourselves with humility toward one another because God will assist the humble but opposes the proud. If you go in humility, God goes with you and can prepare the way for a positive response.

2. Go to the person in private and meet face to face whenever possible. Making a phone call, sending a text message or an e-mail may seem easier but it will not produce the same results. Matthew 18 confirms the importance of this approach by saying: “If a fellow believer hurts you, go and tell him—work it out between the two of you. If he listens, you've made a friend.”

3. Don’t focus on what they have done to you, but keep your comments focused on your part in the broken relationship. The process of reconciliation will often be aborted if you stop repenting and start blaming them.

4. Ask for their forgiveness and don’t be surprised if they ask for forgiveness as well.

5. Let your words be few. The more you talk, the more chance you have to sin. Check out Proverbs 10:19, When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.

6. Last but not least you need to leave the results in God’s hands. Romans 12:18 makes it clear that everyone does not want to be reconciled. If you follow His wisdom, however, you can rest assured that you will no longer a part of the problem but have offered a possible solution.

There are many churches in Kings County that would love to assist you with the ministry of reconciliation. Why not visit this weekend and let God begin to fix what is broken?