Gospel Tech with Nathan Sutherland

By PurposelyReligion & Spirituality Christianity Education Parenting Kids & Family

Gospel Tech with Nathan Sutherland episodes

September 26, 2023192. Taking a Break from Tech
Sometimes tech is just too much for a child, or for a season, and we need to take a step back. I want you to know two things:
It's reasonable and loving to remove unhealthy tech. Take a tech break.
Tech breaks need to be 30 days.
If you've given a RESET, found there's an issue, and tried to manage the problematic tech but to no avail--it's time for a tech break. In today's conversation we'll discuss:
taking 30 days away from unhealthy tech to reset your child's brain
using a RESET to start the conversation
building a hedge around your family (family tech framework)
how this is both Biblical (remove, Matthew 5:28-30) (raise up, Prov. 22:6) (good fruit vs. bad fruit, Gal. 5:19-22) and loving (give child an egg, not a scorpion (Lk. 11:11)
Finally we'll talk about replacing with Analog Adventures-pace of real life and how to introduce the tech back again after 30 days. Keep in mind, there's always a chance you won't replace it.

Show Notes: https://bit.ly/3PQgWJk
27 min
September 19, 2023 191. How To Talk With Our Children About Pornography
Disclaimer: This story contains sensitive content that may not be safe for young ears. Consider putting in earbuds if you have kids present.

How do we best protect our children from pornography in a tech world? The answer may surprise you.

Yes, we take preventative measures like filtering and building hedges around our tech, but those aren’t enough. What we need to do is talk about pornography with our children.

But how?!

That’s where Sam Black comes in. Sam has spent the last 16 years as the Director of Recovery Education at Covenant Eyes, a screen accountability software program.
He recently published The Healing Church which deals with the tough conversations around pornography and the American church, and he’s with us today to talk about how we can raise porn-resilient children in a tech world.

Show Notes: https://bit.ly/3PHPuxt
44 min
September 12, 2023190. Why Your Child Doesn't Need a Phone at School
As hope-focused parents who use all the tech that helps our children, and none of the tech that hurts them, our children don't need smartphones at school. In fact, to quote a pro in the field of smartphones and social media, we need to get phones of out schools now (Jonathan Haidt).

Today's discussion tackles this conversation in three steps:
Why the smartphone conversation is different now
What schools can do
What we can do
This conversation is one focused on the strong believe that God has made our children with a purpose, that education is a gift we must steward well, and that smartphones have their uses but the classroom is not one of them.

Show Notes: https://bit.ly/3PcZ6yJ
30 min
September 05, 2023 189. Use Tech on Purpose (Prep Tech for School #3)
There’s LOTS of stuff out there we could be doing. Many of those options are either morally neutral or even good (working out, time with friends, playing sports, serving at church).

The question is, what will get your time this week, when push comes to shove, what falls off the table first? Sometimes we’re choosing our tech because it makes us feel important or we simply can’t stand being alone with our thoughts. Sometimes we choose being busy or being still and abiding, and many of us choose our tech as the go-to way to fill the void.

Today we’re addressing five ways to use our tech on purpose and ensure our tech use is intentional as we head back to school.

Show Notes: https://bit.ly/3PltkB6
29 min
August 29, 2023 188. Build a Hedge (Prep Tech for School #2)
We're on to part 2 of prepping our tech for school!

Now that we've assessed our tech, we need to build a hedge around it. We need to build a hedge around our:
.📱 Devices
.🎮 Network
.🏡 Family

This first step provides a next-step for tech conversations and continues the tech wins with our family so that we can fight for our kids, not with them, when it comes to technology.

Show Notes: https://bit.ly/3Pkuo8p
29 min
August 22, 2023 187. The Gospel Tech Update: 2023
This past year we have grown faster than we ever dared dream, and I want to take the chance to share what God has done in 2022, our vision for 2023, and how you can join us on this journey to help families love God and use tech.

Show Notes: https://bit.ly/3E1X6o1
20 min
August 15, 2023 186. Assess Your Tech (Prep Tech for School #1)
It’s time to prep our tech for school! We’re going to do this in three parts and spare everyone the 1+ episode this almost became. 🤪

We first need to assess our tech. We need to know:
.📺 What tech are we using?
.⏱ When and where are we using it?
.🏥 Is it healthy?

This first step provides a solid base for tech conversations and the beginning of tech wins with our family so that we can fight for our kids, not with them, when it comes to technology.

Show Notes: https://bit.ly/3YAz7FL
23 min
August 08, 2023 185. Thriving in a Tech World
All of us want to thrive, but what does it mean to do so in a tech world from a Biblical standpoint?

I recently read a book where the author encouraged readers to “do today, thrive tomorrow”. At it’s core this is a beautiful reminder to "go to the ant, you sluggard" and prepare in times of plenty for times of need. That's both Biblical and wise.

But when these ideas extend from the internet's idea of thriving, when it is the lynchpin in a conversation about reaching all God has for us, I take umbrage. This “best life now” language becomes our starting point and then we try to figure out how God fits into it.

Let's be clear: Jesus didn’t come so we could become the best version of ourselves. He came that we might die to ourselves and live for Him.

Today our conversation looks at what it means to thrive in a tech world, and how we can do so well with the days, and talents, God has gifted us.

Show Notes: https://bit.ly/446TdZC
25 min
August 01, 2023184. Summer Tech Check-In
How’s your tech going this summer? Summer comes with less structure, more free time, and different hours — generally we’re not waking our children up at 6am in the summer to get their rears in gear.

A tech check-in takes just a couple minutes, and it is a great launchpad for positive tech conversations.

Today we'll discuss how you can use three intentional questions to empower you to get those tech wins at home, no matter how healthy or unhealthy your tech is right now:
Is my tech safe?
Is it a good fit for my child?
Does my child's tech make him or her look like Jesus?
Show Notes: https://bit.ly/45506ve
35 min
July 25, 2023 183. Creating Games that Share the Gospel (Brent Dusing, TruPlay Games)
2/3 of Americans game. In fact, there are more gamers over the age of 45 than there are under the age of 18 (ESA, 2022). This is why Brent Dusing created TruPlay games, to be a light on purpose in a space where so many people go for purpose.

You don't have to become a gamer to appreciate this. Each of us can think about what God has equipped us to do, what passions he's planted in our hearts, and how He might use our talents to spread the Good News and share the hope of the Gospel — maybe even in video games.

Check out TruPlay: https://truplay.games/GospelTech
Show Notes: https://bit.ly/3riok6D
26 min

About Gospel Tech with Nathan Sutherland

From the publisher's feed

Gospel Tech is a resource for parents who are feeling outpaced and overwhelmed as they raise children in a tech world.

Our goal: Equip parents with the tools, resources, and confidence they…

need to raise kids who love God and use tech.

Gospel Tech’s mission is to equip families to love God and use tech. We want to empower parents to:

Talk about healthy tech
Communicate the Gospel
Connect the hope of the Gospel to their everyday tech lives

Introduction to Gospel Tech
Three years ago I (Nathan) started Gospel Tech as a ministry to help connect the Gospel to the daily tech lives of families in practical ways. As a middle school teacher I saw a need for intentional, Gospel-focused conversations about tech. Tech was creating more distraction than inspiration in the classroom, and I saw the need for more than just new habits—there was a desperate need for new hearts.

Gospel Tech bridges the gap between scary tech conversations and the hope of the Gospel. With engaging stories and practical applications I bring Gospel-centered tech solutions families can apply in everyday life.

Gospel Tech Resources Beyond The Podcast

The Parent Tech Workshops: A two-part series addressing:
- How should we handle Tech’s Big 3 (smartphones, gaming, pornography)?
- How do we make tech safe at home? (two types of tech, tech health, and building tech trust)

Youth Talks:
- The Tech Talk: Use the best tech on purpose, not for purpose.
- The Hope Talk: A conversation about our goals, purpose, and how making a mistake doesn’t make us a mistake.

The Family Tech Framework: A two-hour workshop where families leave with the words to say and the plan in place for healthy tech at home and in daily life.
- Part 1: Talk It Out: Parents learn key points of discussing healthful tech.
- Part 2: Walk It Out: Families work together to create a Family Tech Framework customized to their needs, goals, and season of life.

At the end of the day our children aren't problems to fix, they're people to love. We need to point them to the purpose and hope available in Christ, in the work he's already done to make them new and to call them on to good works, and then use tech from that hope. This is why I love to say that in Christ we use tech on purpose, not for purpose.

That's the goal of Gospel Tech. Thanks for letting me be on this journey of parenting with you.

-Nathan Sutherland