Paul Tripp has some very helpful things to say in Age of Opportunity about how Christians should interact with their culture.  On pages 143-145, he explains that both isolation and assimilation are unwise and unhelpful:

• The isolation approach says, “Evil is in the thing, so avoid the thing.”
• The assimilation approach says, “Things are neutral, so there is no harm in participating in the thing.”

He explains that we need “a third way to respond to culture, one that is the result of good Biblical thinking.”  In other words, “There are certain things we must acknowledge as we think about the institutions, relationships, media, and products of the culture around us:”

• All things that God created are good.
• All things that we encounter have been put together, or are used, in a way that carries meaning.
• Everything can be used for good or evil.
• Everything in culture expresses the perspectives of the creator and/or user.
• We never find things in the culture around us in a neutral context or setting.

The point of all this is that we must learn to analyze everything we do and see and love and want through the grid of Scripture.  There is no middle ground here: everything is either helping us love Jesus more or drawing us away from him.

• What are your favorite TV shows, movies, and bands?
• What values do they promote?
• How do their values compare to the Word of God?
• Do you critically evaluate TV shows or music CDs?  How?
• Is there anything you refuse to watch or listen to?  Why?
• What type of Internet sites do you tend to visit?
• How do you determine whether a site is worth exploring?
• Do you think your entertainment habits please God?
• What qualities do you look for in friends?
• Do you see these qualities in your current friends?
• Do your friends influence you toward godliness or worldliness?
• What does it mean to love the world (1 John 2:15-17)?
• What is wrong with loving the world?
• Why is hiding your love for the world from your parents a dangerous sign?
• What are the key ways you are influenced by the world?  How do music, TV, movies, and friendship influence you?
• How effectively do you evaluate television, movies, music, the Internet, and friendships?
• What is one way you can love the world less in the next month?
• What is one way you can love God more in the next month?
• How can your parents, pastor, and friends help you in loving the world less and loving God more?-Adapted from Karl Graustein’s Growing Up Christian, pp. 69, 75.

Categories: Discussion Questions, Thursday Thoughts For Parents