An important remark was made during the presentation by the VP of Facebook:

“Technology does not need to estrange us from one another…”

Basically, Facebook’s intention with Places is to allow users to connect with each other in the real world when they’re away from their home or workplace. Interestingly, this was one of the issues many Christians have with social media; that it deforms and replaces real-world relationships. Facebook Places may help, and after watching the LIVE stream, here are 3 ways I think Facebook Places could assist Christians as they seek to be “salt and light” in the world around them.

1. Reconnect with old friends for real.

Facebook has allowed people to connect with old friends from high school, an old job, or those you’ve lost contact with after moving house. The problem with Facebook in its present form, is this “reconnection” is normally limited to the online world via messages, chats, and wall posts.

Now with Facebook Places, if you walk past a coffee shop, restaurant, or any public place where one of your “old friends” has “checked-in”, you’ll be notified. You can then walk up to them, face-to-face, have a coffee, and connect for real.

Aside from a re-kindled friendship, you now have a genuine opportunity to be salt and light, speaking of Christ and what He has done.

2. Share your church experience with your un-churched friends.

Un-churched? I’m referring to those who have not grown up in the church, or not had exposure to the church. That was me when I grew up, and is the case for many of my generation (at least in Australia).

Sadly, Christians can find it hard to say they were at church on Sunday when asked by a friend or co-worker, “How was your weekend?” This shouldn’t be the case, especially as the fear associated with talking about your life in Christ is often unfounded. In our weakness, Facebook Places could offer a way to help (but by no means be a replacement).

As you and other Christians “check-in” to church on a Sunday, or a Wednesday night study, all your friends will get a glimpse into your church experience. They’ll see where you spend your time, and that every Sunday, morning and night, you’re at church. It may open the door for further discussion, especially if you’ve just walked into the coffee shop they’re in (see point one). You’ll be surprised how many of the un-churched are happy to speak about Christianity and “church stuff”, even if they have to bring it up.

3. Encourage those walking by to visit your church.

You may have experienced a friend rejecting your invitation to church. Maybe they said yes, visited once, and then never returned. For many, the idea of going to church on a Sunday morning and forsaking a sleep-in is next to crazy. That said, there are those out and about on a Sunday morning, and especially the afternoon / evening, going for a jog, walking the dog, playing in the park. If your church meets in a more urban location, it is even more likely some of your friends are out and about near you at those times.

Imagine if when one of your friends happened to be in the area when you “checked-in” at church, they were notified. They might then decide to take you up on the offer you made previously, or return for a second visit.

This raises the question; would your church be happy for someone who was out for a jog, sweating and in jogging gear, to come in and hear the goods news of the gospel proclaimed?

To be continued…

There is much more that needs to be considered. There will no doubt be many ways this technology will be abused and concerns regarding user privacy. If you’re interested, here are some essential tips to adjust your privacy settings. I’ll likely visit this subject again once I’ve used it and it has been tested more fully.

Social media and online relationships should never replace or be a substitute for real-world relationships. Being “salt and light” cannot be restricted to pixels. However, Facebook Places may be a way to assist you being “salt and light” in a lost and dying world that desperately needs to hear about Jesus Christ.

Don’t forget to join the discussion on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, or add your thoughts in the comments below.

Update:

Here is the video demo Facebook streamed during their live announcement.

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Please, let me know your thoughts.

If you can’t see the poll, then click here to view it and cast your vote.

Don’t forget to join the discussion on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, or add your thoughts in the comments below.

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As part of this recalibration things on this blog will change slightly. After a long break from writing new content, Lord willing, in the coming weeks I will return with weekly content. You’ll have to stay tuned for more details. If you haven’t claimed your free subscription via RSS or Email Updates, be sure to claim it today.

Is this a break for me? No. I will still be as active as ever online, just not here on the blog while I’m preparing new content.

Where can you connect with me? Be sure to “Like” the new Facebook page to stay up-to-date, and follow me on Twitter for even more daily content. In fact, announcements regarding what’s coming up on the blog will be made on Facebook and Twitter before I post anything here.

If you’re presently friends with me on Facebook, I will be transitioning to my new Facebook page and reserving my Facebook profile for friends and family that I know in the offline world. Please don’t be upset if I “un-friend” you in the coming weeks, simply “Like” the new Facebook page so we can stay connected online.

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5. Banner of Truth: Biblical Christianity Through What?

If you haven’t seen the original commercial, then watch this video, then this one, and then maybe this one too, before watching this parody.

HT: Will Adair

Update: I’ve just been told this parody was produced by a Mormon university. I was unaware when I published it. As a disclaimer, please, enjoy their parody, probably don’t visit their university (not entirely sure what a “Mormon” university is), and definitely don’t believe Mormon theology. For information discussing the errors of Mormon theology and why it isn’t Biblical Christianity, see these resources from Alpha & Omega Ministries.

No related posts.

What Christian doctrine do you believe but struggle the most to believe and why?

There were many interesting responses to that question. Topics included:

• election
• predestination
• the problem of evil
• Hell
• Christ returning as both fully God and fully man
• the Trinity.

Despite the validity of the above doctrines and others, there’s a sense, for example, where I can understand why a holy God would send rebellious and wicked creatures to a place of eternal conscious punishment. Furthermore, there’s also a sense where I expect nothing else from God than that He be totally sovereign, after all, He is God. The doctrine I most struggle to believe isn’t amongst those listed nor is it amongst the minutiae of theology. The doctrine I struggle the most to believe is the good news…the Gospel!

How could a Holy God ever set His love upon wicked sinners? Nothing compelled Him. He was self-sufficient in and of Himself. We all deserve Hell and He is just when He sends us there.

By the grace of God and the enabling of His Spirit I do believe that the God-man suffered in the place of wicked men, died and then rose again, ascended to the right-hand of the Father, and now intercedes on behalf of sinners as their Great High Priest. Yet, every fibre of my sinful being wants to deny my need for that Great Saviour, at every turn whispering that there is power in my “good” works, and in the words of Frank Sinatra, that I can do it “my way”. It’s a lie. I do need Him. My “good” works are nothing but filthy rags. Hell is the destination at the end of “my way”.

I thank God that He did indeed die for sinners and that I do believe it. I’m freely justified on account of Christ.

“’Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life…’” – John 6:68b

Do you believe the good news of what God has done in the person of Jesus Christ? If not, repent and believe it today. Then find a church where you’ll hear this good news proclaimed from the Word of God each and every week.

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“…salvation by faith does not mean that we are saved because we keep ourselves at every moment in an ideally perfect attitude of confidence in Christ. No, we are saved because having once been united to Christ by faith, we are his forever. Calvinism is a very comforting doctrine indeed. Without its comfort, I think I should have perished long ago in the castle of Giant Despair.”

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For even though the law requires perfect righteousness from believers, they refer the demanding law to Christ, in whom they have become the righteousness of God; that is, a righteousness that is acceptable to God (Col. 1:14). If the law demands that believers shall pay for their sins, they refer the law again to Christ who has completely fulfilled all the demands of the law that He also blotted out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, nailing it to His cross (Col. 2:14). That is, He canceled them so that the law can no longer condemn us, no more than it can condemn Christ unto whom we are united, seeing that Christ has delivered us from the curse of the law (Gal. 3:13). Paul is therefore correct when he says, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 15: 55-57). This proves that in Christ we are not only set free from the strength of the law and of sin, but also from the power and dominion of death and hell.

From this proceeds the spiritual glorying and confidence of Paul, when he exclaims, “Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth?” (Rom. 8:33-34).

HT: Heidelblog

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James Earl Jones, the voice of Darth Vader, did recite the alphabet way back when for Sesame Street. After a bizarre minute and a half of not being able to look away, I had to blog it.

Enjoy! Or simply carry on with your day.

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Over the past several years my wife and I have been blessed through Ligonier Ministries, the teaching fellowship of Dr. R. C. Sproul. I’m therefore humbled and extremely thankful that the LORD recently opened the doors for me to do some work with Ligonier. My duties with them are varied, but I trust my involvement will serve to increase awareness of their great resources especially to my fellow Aussies!

For a great summary of Ligonier’s history be sure to read The Ligonier Valley Study Center Early Years.

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As regular readers will know, extemporaneous preaching is just one of a number of areas related to preaching that has been on my mind over the past months.

Well, with that as a little bit of background, extemporaneous preaching has come up again. This time David Murray has re-posted an article originally written by his friend Jerrold Lewis, Pastor of Lacombe Free Reformed Church. You can read the article in its entirety here; however, here’s a short snippet:

I have found out recently that whenever you mention extemporaneous preaching to others, especially to others in the ministry, you are often met with some serious cautions such as, “Extemporaneous preaching lacks direction. It is less doctrinal. You will find yourself falling into the same rut, saying the same thing over and over”, etc. But what I have come to discover is many people confuse extemporaneous preaching with impromptu preaching. There is a big difference. Impromptu preaching is preaching on the spot, off the top of your head with no preparation, relying on the Holy Spirit to guide you. I am opposed to this practice as a model based on 2 Timothy 2:15, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth”. I think this is mysticism plain and simple. However extemporaneous preaching is not of this species, not at all.

So preacher, what has been your experience with full manuscript vs. full notes vs. less notes vs. nothing, in the pulpit? Is there a one size fits all, or must we each examine our own giftings and preach by the enabling of the Spirit as best we can?

Read all of Without Notes.

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