IS THE INTERNET GOOD OR BAD?

Submitted by Jim Minton

The answer is…yes!!

I am sure many of you have sat down on a Saturday morning for a quick glimpse of Facebook, only to find your day completely getting away from you. I know how much you love those political posts from that friend (maybe even me) who has a different opinion or challenges your thoughts. I won’t even get into the fact that there are millions of pages on the internet devoted to pornography. Never before has it been so easy to get into some bad habits.

But there is also an incredible amount of good information that is available to us. I am not much of a handyman, but when I can ‘Google’ something and watch a video on how to do it, it improves my chances of success. How about that great recipe you found on Pinterest?

Most of us are proud of our kids, and I am no different. Emily and Kurtis were both Illinois State Scholars and now are doing well in college. One of the things that I think was part of their recipe for success was the fact that I embraced the Internet. Instead of just lecturing them, I now had a tool that I could use to show them right and wrong. The wrong seems to have a way of finding you; it was up to me to show them the way to the right.

Starting Wednesday, September 14th, please join me for an F3 class at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church titled Contemporary Christian Issues and People. Over the course of 10 weeks, I will show you some of the amazing videos I have found of famous people from all walks of life, who are willing to boldly say they are Christian. We will also view some excellent videos that discuss some of the toughest Christian questions.

Each week, we will take a look at some of the big questions that dog the Christian religion. In the first week, we will examine the question “Is God real?” I will also introduce you to a dog that has no front legs. Why would God make a dog with no front legs?

In week 2, we will discuss such topics as “Did Jesus have a sense of humor?” and “Do Christians have to be boring?” I will even show you some secrets on how to improve your delivery of a punchline!

If you have doubts about your faith or doubts about your abilities to be a Christian parent or role model, you owe it to yourself to try this class. It is appropriate for high school kids all the way to retired seniors. All you need to participate is a sense of humor and a willingness to laugh, think, and shed an occasional tear.

C.S. Lewis said, “Christianity, if false, is of NO importance, and if true, of INFINITE importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.” If you are someone that is not sure whether Christianity is true or false, this class will be a fun and informative way to see what a relationship with Jesus Christ offers, so you can make a decision. If you already call yourself a Christ follower, it is time for us to quit treating our faith as moderately important. All of us are terminally ill; the odds of death are 100%. It is our job to make sure that they are in Heaven with us when that time arrives. This class will provide you with some tools to share to make that happen.

To learn more or register, go to spldecatur.org or call or text me at 217-433-0614. If you just can’t fit the class into your schedule, you can contact Andrea Gerhard at andrea@spldecatur.org, and we can send you some of the material.

Let’s get the conversation started!

Jim Minton