Dying To Self(ies)

Smartphones. Social media. Online living. It’s ubiquitous. It’s the new norm. And, at an alarming rate, it’s harming us. We need to examine the power of presence, shaping our space and managing our time for real encounters over unhealthy habits.

The sermon today is titled "Dying To Self(ies)." It is the second installment in our series "Jesus At Home: Parenting In His Presence." The Scripture reading is from Romans 13:14 (NLT). Originally preached at the West Side Church of Christ (Searcy, AR) on Sunday, May 19, 2024. All lessons fit under one of 5 broad categories: Begin, Discover, Grow, Learn, and Serve. This sermon is filed under GROW: Families & Relationships.

Click here if you would like to watch the sermon or read a transcript.

Sources of Inspiration for the Lesson Used in Today's Podcast:

•  Jonathan Haidt, The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness (New York: Penguin Press, 2024).
• Andy Crouch, The Tech-Wise Family: Everyday Steps for Putting Technology in Its Proper Place (Baker Books, 2017).
• Edward Tronick, et.al., “The Infant’s Response to Entrapment Between Contradictory Messages in Face-To-Face Interaction,” Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry 17, no. 1 (Winter 1978): 1-13.
• Andy Crouch, The Life We’re Looking For: Reclaiming Relationship in a Technological World (Convergent, 2022).
• Heather Cadenhead, “Why I Quit Social Media for Good,” Rabbit Room (May 3, 2024).
• Greg Jackson, “Within the Pretense of No Pretense,” The Point Magazine, Issue 31 (Dec 17, 2023).
• Isabel Fattal, “How Being Busy Became A Status Symbol,” The Atlantic (April 19, 2024).
• Grayson P. Walker, “Rooted Lives or Activist Lifestyles?” Front Porch Republic (Feb 23, 2024).
• Jon D. Schaff, “Public Enemy #1: Smartphones and a Generation at Risk,” Front Porch Republic (April 3, 2024).
• Emily Brown, “Sixty Percent of Gen Z Says They’re Lonely,” Relevant (April 1, 2024).
• "Are Smart Phones Ruining Our Culture?" Current Magazine.
• "How Technology Works on Us." Current Magazine.
• “Parents have a problem with screentime too, teens say,” Washington Post.
• “The Good Failures of Unplugging.” Current Magazine.
• Brad East, “All together now: Social media is bad for reading,” BradEast.com (March 16, 2024).

Chapters

• 0:00 Series Intro
• 1:21 Introducing The Lesson
• 4:46 All Or Nothing?
• 7:16 Technology Pro
• 9:33 Technology Con: The Chilling Effects (Jonathan Haidt)
• 19:23 Three Passages
• 23:47 Real Presence
• 29:04 Busyness Vs. Rest
• 31:43 Being Intentional
• 33:23 Three Key Decisions (Andy Crouch)
• 37:36 Conclusion: What We Need Is Presence