@stickyJesus - Chapter 1

Welcome to the Land of Shiny Things.  It’s the first sentence in the first chapter of an incredible journey Tami Heim and Toni Birdsong will take us on. As I began reading the first few paragraphs in this chapter, I realized this message was going to make me uncomfortable.  It was going to sting a little (ok…a lot!). I was one that was living in the Land of Shiny Things yet never saw how I could use it as a tool for God’s kingdom. Think about it.  What an incredible opportunity we have to share the gospel with the masses. In Chapter One Tami and Toni talk about the multiple media, such as literature, art, tv, film, and radio and the reach it has had over time.  But nothing will compare to the reach the internet has and will have in a shorter amount of time.  I want to be part of that!

I was blown away by the statistic that it took radio 35 years to reach 50 million users where it took the internet 4 years.  That Facebook added 100 million users in a 9-month period!!  Incredible!

Tami and Toni challenge us to think, what does this all mean?  We have an amazing opportunity to communicate online with so many all over the world.  This is the new mission field.  Churches are left in a place of how to connect online with the masses of people.  As of yet, there is no how-to-manual on growing a church online. Yes, most of your larger churches have live-streaming where the message given can be quickly heard from someone sitting on their couch in their pajamas.  But what are we doing for the people online?  How are we comforting those that are hurting online?  We can Tweet and Facebook all day long but I know somehow the purpose in it all is bigger because I know God’s purpose in all things are bigger than we ever thought or imagined.

So, this week I’m going to not just put on Facebook or Twitter, “Today is going to be a good day!”; I will say “Today is going to be a good day because God is in it!”.  This status opens up the door for unsaved loved one’s to ask questions or those just having a really bad day to be reminded that God will make it all better because He is in it!

Thank you Lord for showing us to step back from the Land of Shiny Things and begin to use them for Your kingdom.  May each status update, tweet, blog post, word that we write glorify you.

1.  What do you think this new mission field will look like in the next 2 years?

2.  Jesus said, "Follow Me."  How are some ways you plan to lead others using Social Media?

So, go ahead and link to your awesome posts about Chapter 1. (And don’t forget to include a link to this post in your own post, so your readers can read what others have written, if they’re so inclined.) In the YOUR NAME box you can put an interesting Title to your post instead of your name, ex. This makes me uncomfortable!