I Just Wanna Tube Out – Surviving the Media

Surviving as a Teen

Discussion, Part 10

Open: Do you think the media has an unusual amount of pull in the lives of teenagers?

Discussion

• What’s so important about guarding what you look at?
• When does looking at sin become wrong?
• What happens when you spend time looking at God?  Why is it good to do that?
• Does the stuff you listen to really affect you?
• What sorts of lies about God, the Bible, and Christians do you hear in the media?
• Where are some places you can go to hear about God from godly people?
• How can you guard what you let into your mind?
• Give some examples of things that the world thinks and portrays through the media that are unbiblical.
• What do you think Paul meant when he said we have the mind of Christ?
• What do you have to guard your heart from in the media?
• Is it wrong to be interested in the things portrayed in media?  When does it turn to idolatry, which would be sin?
• How can you guard against evil desires taking root in your heart?
• What would it look like if you gave your whole heart to God?
• What would it look like if you gave your whole heart to God’s word?

Cross-References: Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Psalm 36:1, 1 Timothy 6:3-5, Mark 12:30

Reflect:

• What sort of standards do you have in place to make sure you guard your eyes?  Your ears?  Your mind?  Your heart?
• How much of your time do you spend looking at God and righteousness, compared with the time you spend looking at worldliness?
• What kinds of things would be wrong for you to listen to?
• How do you find it easiest to hear God’s voice?
• Do you spend enough time thinking about God every day?
• Do you guard your heart when it comes to the media?

Prayer:

• Pray for everyone present, that you would all guard your eyes, ears, minds, and hearts and not just take everything in from the media without questioning it.
• Ask God if you have let the media control your life more than God does.  Repent of any wrong behaviors or attitudes.

Memory Verse: Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. – Joshua 1:8