In times past families would sit around the fireplace and hear stories from grandmother and grandfather, or huddle around the radio arm in arm, listening and laughing together. Today’s generation is the first in  history to be raised by the media.  The average home in America has three TV’s and the average person watches more then fifty hours of Television per week. This has affected society in four major ways:

1.  A raised expectation of quality - Virtually everyone today has been exposed to the best quality music, preaching , teaching and entertainment available.  Churches must raise the value of excellence, or lose many potential members.

2.  Shorted attention span - Television programmers insert advertisements about every eight minutes, which has shortened the attention span of most Americans. A 30-40 minute sermon must be sprinkled with illustrations, humor , or stories to  hold attention.

3.  Increased competition for time – Since the average person spends more time watching television then they do at work, many Americans find themselves with less time now tan their forefather did.  If Sunday worship is not significantly meaningful , Americans simply opt to do something else with their time.

4.  Because Television is truly vicarious living , an increasing number of Americans are feeling the effects of isolation. In the future, churches that offer ways for people to develop rick, meaningful relationships will thrive.

Pastor Kirt Eure - A Paradigm Shift From Family To Media – Part 3

Check Out Other Articles On A paradigm Shift

Paradigm Shifts What Are They? Part 1

A Shift From Religious Values To Secularism -  Part 2

A Paradigm is a Philosophical view of the world, or the way in which we perceive, understand or interpret our world. Paradigm shifts cannot be ignored, even if we do not agree with the changes.

The way our society views the world may bot be doctrinally or Biblically sound, but it can’t be ignored.  In the next Several Articles  I will give a brief overview of paradigm shifts that have taken place in the secular world during the last 20 years and what they mean to the church .

Remember, as Christians we may not agree with these paradigm shifts, but they can’t be ignored.

Pastor Kirt Eure

Leadership Through Servanthood

Paul says that Christ cared for the church in such a manner that it “should be holy and blameless” (Ephesians 5:27).  Just as Christ would never do anything that would compromise the integrity of His bride (the church), so husbands should always behave in a manner that promotes their wives’ holiness before God.

It is quite common today for men to cajole their wives into viewing pornography or going to “strip clubs” as a means of “sprucing up their sex life.”  Sadly, many secular marriage therapy texts see this as a legitimate technique to increase sexual intimacy in marriage. Christian marriage counselors find that many who would describe themselves as believers engage in similar activity.

Husbands leading their wives in such behavior is only one example of how they contribute to their wives defilement. Husbands that flirt with other women also contribute to their wives’ defilement.

The wife, feeling neglected and lonely, may seek solace in some unhealthy way: overeating, substance abuse, or an extra marital relationship of their own. It is the wise husband that remembers that ” If he refuses to be the husband God called him to be, Satan has someone who will.”

The husband wields tremendous power, power that, on one hand, can result in great love and devotion, and, on the other , can produce generations of pain and suffering. Husbands must make a choice regarding the type of legacy they want to leave.

The writer of Deuteronomy said it best, “I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live”  (Deuteronomy 30:19)

Pastor Kirt Eure

Check out Part 1 – 4 of Leadership Through Servanthood

Leadership Through Sevanthood Part 1

Leadership Through Sevanthood Part 2

Leadership Through Sevanthood Part 3