Christian Growth via the Internet

 These days people are spending huge amounts of their time online, and this is especially true of young people. On the one hand, we could lament this and wish it were not so. On the other hand, we could realize that whether we like it or not, this is the reality of our current world, and we should make the best of it. The truth is that a tremendous amount of spiritual growth is possible online, and we should harness the internet to facilitate Christian growth in ourselves and others. This does not replace the physical gatherings of God's people at the local church, but even for those who attend church faithfully, a social media component can help them stay connected with one another throughout the week. 

Spiritual Growth Online

For almost two millennia, Christians have gathered together in a congregation to hear the word of God preached. In modern America, this typically takes place 1-3 times per week. However, today it is possible to listen to the preaching of God's word anytime anywhere. In the early days of the internet, I used to use dial-up internet to download low quality audio files of sermons, and each hour-long sermon took at least 45 minutes to download. It would then take another hour to transfer the sermon to an audio cassette that I could listen to the next day on my Walkman while I was at work. I would prepare as many sermon tapes as I could this way, so I could have several hours of preaching to listen to each day at work. Now, things are much easier, and Christians are able to supplement the preaching they hear in person with the sermons they hear online. 

This is the exact Walkman I had when I was younger.

In my own life, listening to preaching on my headphones throughout the week really accelerated my Christian growth and allowed me to learn a lot of Bible while doing other things. In addition to helping me learn a lot, listening to preaching also helped me to keep my mind on spiritual things and stay fired up about the things of God. I ran out of preaching tapes pretty fast, which is why I needed the internet to keep supplying me with more preaching. Today, the vast majority of churches put their content online, so there is no shortage of quality preaching that can be downloaded. Listening to preaching can help people grow tremendously.

Connectedness Online

People strongly desire meaningful connections with other people. God created us to have this desire, and ultimately it reflects the relationship that he has always desired to have with us.  In the garden of Eden, God said that it was not good for the man to be alone (Gen. 2:18), and most of us thrive when we enjoy meaningful connections with others. The original social life that God created for man was within the family. God created a wife for Adam, and over time, they had children. Beyond the family, God has also given us the local church as place for our inherent social needs to be met. 

Attending church three times a week is a great way to create and maintain meaningful connections with other Christians. However, for some people, this is not enough. Especially in our modern world, where more and more people are living alone or are estranged from their families, a way to stay in touch with their Christian friends daily is helpful. Modern technology has made this easier than ever with group chats, social media platforms, and even video conferencing software like Zoom. Christians can now supplement the fellowship they enjoy at their local church with an online component throughout the week.