Spiritual Disciplines: screen time, we know it is much higher than what is best for

Studying Scripture us.

THE PROBLEM But I want to dig a little deeper here.

A. The Barna Study TRANSITION

It is not so much the amount of time you are spending
How many of you here today have a cell phone, an iPad, or consuming digital media (which still is an issue) that is the
problem. The issue I want to bring to your attention is what
a computer?
you are filling your minds with.
How many of you are on any of the social media platforms?
B. Filling Your Mind
If we can be real for a minute, would you guys agree that Proverbs 4:23 – Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from
your screen time is higher than it should be? it flow the springs of life.

In 2020, the Barna Group (which is a Christian survey Proverbs 23:7 – For as he thinks within himself, so he is.
group) conducted a survey on Gen Z screen usage. Here
were their findings: Protecting your mind and heart is one of your most
- Three in five teens and young adults agreed that important duties if you are a professing Christian.
they spend too much time on screens.
The Apostle Paul, in Philippians 4:8, tells all of the
- More than half who were surveyed said that they Christians there that “Whatever is true, whatever is
“put off” or “procrastinate doing homework or honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is
other things” because of screens. lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is anything
excellent, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about
- Over half agreed to feeling more distracted, less these things.
productive, and feel like they are “wasting a lot of
time” and that technology is to blame for Paul is outlining the ingredients for a pure mind. Everything
“shortening their attention span.” he listed is explicitly positive, and as Christians, you have
the ability and responsibility to choose these for yourself,
We all sort of giggle at these statements because there is and the results will produce a Christian Mind.
truth to them. If we all are to be honest and look at our
If you are not filling your mind with what Paul laid out for Is your screen time higher than your Bible reading time?
us, then you are allowing evil to reign in your minds.
What are you filling your mind with day after day? Is it more
According to another Barna Study, those teens who worldly things or more spiritual things?
regularly attend church watch the majority of the same
social media content, the same T.V. Shows and movies, and C. Resilient Disciples
listen to the same music as non-Christians.
The Barna Study I mentioned earlier recorded some other
*Now, is any of what I just stated a sin? Not necessarily. But really interesting information.
the point I am making is that it is impossible for the
Christian to have the mind of Christ if their content It found that those teens who were committed to Scripture, to
consumption is identical and virtually indistinguishable from the local church, believe in the death and resurrection of
the world. Jesus and want their faith to be active and alive in the world
tend to practice discernment when it comes to social media
We are called to be EXILES. We are not of this world. We use and technology.
must be different.
This group of teens prioritized time reading and studying
KEY POINT God’s word.
One author put it this way. “It is impossible for any
Christian who spends the bulk of their time, month after Remember earlier when Paul said “Think about these
month, week upon week, day in and day out, consuming such things” in Philippians 4:8? The work he uses for “think”
media to have a Christian mind. A biblical mind cannot means a deliberate and prolonged contemplation as if one
coexist with worldly input.” is weighing a mathematical problem.
You, Christian, must take control of your mind – what comes As Christians, we are to think of the things of God and to
in and what goes out. read and study the Word he gave us so we may have a
renewed mind, a mind that is not like the world. And this is
Psalm 101:2-3 – I will ponder the way that is blameless…I accomplished by being in his word daily.
will walk with integrity of heart within my house; I will not
set before my eyes anything that is worthless. Romans 12:2 - Do not be conformed to this world, but be
transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you
Have you set anything before your eyes that is worthless? may discern what is the will of God, what is good and
acceptable and perfect.
 1. Prepare to Read
*You can never have a Christian mind without reading and - Carve out the Time.
studying the scriptures regularly. o You make time for the things that are
important to you. If growing in your
This is because you are unable to be influenced by that relationship with Christ is important to you,
which you do not know. If you are filled with the scriptures, pick a time to be alone with your bible and
you will know God better, you will be able to fight off sin stay consistent.
and temptation, and you will be able to have wisdom when o I’ve heard it said this way before, “Let our
you are faced with decisions in your daily life. secret reading precede the dawning of the
day. Let God’s voice be the first we hear in
Psalm 1 – His delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his the morning.”
law he meditates day and night. - Find a Quiet Place
o Go someplace quiet where you can be alone.
Bible reading and bible study must happen regularly. In the - Remove Distractions
same way, you physically cannot go without a meal. o Work hard to remove anything that will
Spiritually, you should not be willing to go a single day distract you from your time in the Scriptures.
without feasting on the bread of life. - Pray Before You Read.
o Ask God for understanding as you dig into
TRANSITION His word, to help you see what God has to
say clearly, and to have the strength to apply
Now I hope this has helped everyone understand how to your life the things you read.
significant and important reading and studying the
scriptures are in your daily Christian lives. It is essential for A Pastor once said, “You read your Bible regularly, of
the Christian. course; but do try and understand it, and still more to feel it.
Read more parts than one at a time. For example, if you are
Now let's move into some practical ways to help us read and reading Genesis, read a Psalm also; or if you are reading
study the scriptures. Matthew, read a small bit of an Epistle also. Turn the Bible
into prayer. Thus, if you were reading the First Psalm,
THE SOLUTION spread the Bible on the chair before you, and kneel and
pray, “O Lord, give me the blessedness of the man”; “let me
A. Reading the Scriptures not stand in the counsel of the ungodly.” This is the best way
of knowing the meaning of the Bible, and of learning to
pray.”
 o Does the context clarify any confusing
2. Begin to Read words or phrases?
- Reading the Bible in a Year o Why did the author include this?
o Sometimes this is hard if you miss a few days o Is my interpretation consistent with what the
and can get behind and overwhelmed. rest of the bible says?
- Grant Horner’s Bible Plan o Where does this passage fall in redemptive
o This is more of a “LIFE” reading plan. It history?
does not stop or end and is ever-changing. o How does this fit in scripture as a whole?
- JMac Plan
o This is helpful for those who want to dig in 3. How should I respond?
deep and study books of the bible on a - This is where your study gets personal. In this
deeper level. phase, you begin to learn how this passage applies
to you.
o What is something I learned about God? –
B. Studying the Scriptures His character, his plan, his promises.
o What is something I learned about myself?
When studying the scriptures, you should always have a few
o How does the Gospel affect my
vital steps on your mind as you dig into your study.
understanding of this text?
o Is there anything I need to repent of?
1. What does the text say?
o Does my thinking need to change in light of
- The first step is to observe what your reading
o Names or Places this?
o How should I be praying in light of this text?
o Key Words
o Repeated Words o What does this mean for me when I engage
o Grammar Used unbelieving friends and family?
o How does this apply to the Christian and to
o Any questions you have about the text
the Church?
The more you engage with the bible, the more these sorts of
things will begin to stick out to you naturally. When you learn how to see what the Scriptures say and
mean, you are in a better position to understand how the text
applies to you.
2. What does the text mean?
- This is the step called interpretation. Finding what
the text of Scripture means.
As Christians, the scriptures are sufficient for everything
that pertains to life and godliness. We must be in the word
and we must dig in and study.

Martin Luther once said “If you picture the Bible to be a

mighty tree and every word a little branch, I have shaken
every one of these branches because I wanted to know what
it was and what it meant.”

CONCLUSION
Now what? What do you need to do next? This may have
even been a little overwhelming.

It's ok. You don’t need to knock it out of the park right
away. All you need to do is START. Just commit to yourself
that you are going to dig into God’s word for the sake of
your mind and your relationship with God, and start.

Put Your Phones away.

Put your screens and distractions aside.

Grab Your Bible.

Decide on a reading plan.

Pray and ask God to help open up the Scriptures to you.

Dig in.

Let’s Pray