The Internet

The internet is arguably the single greatest advance in modern technology.  It has revolutionized the way that we learn and share information, and the way that we connect and interact with each other.  Romans 10:17 tells us that “Faith comes from hearing the message,” and Hebrews 4:12 says that “the word of God is living and active,” so that when we hear it, it acts on us and changes us.  The internet has made the Message more accessible to us than ever, and for those seeking to be changed by that Message, or to share it with others, the internet can be an invaluable tool.

Succinctly put the internet is a vast network of computers all over the world.  Think of computers as storage containers, containing books, articles, music, speeches, sermons, pictures, videos, and programs.  Now, think of millions of computers all over the world, containing billions of books, articles, pieces of music, speeches, sermons, pictures, videos, and programs.  Next, connect all of these computers together so that they can share everything that they contain.  That, in a nutshell, is the interent, though even that doesn’t quite cover everything.

Different people have different styles of learning.  Some people learn best by hearing the spoken word.  Some people learn best by reading the written word.  Others learn by watching and listening to a person speaking, and still others learn by typing or writing.  Some people want to learn broad, general concepts, and others want to dig deep into minute detail.  The great thing about the internet is that it makes all of these options readily available.  Through the internet, you can:

• Read the Bible or listen to it being read
• Easily find everything the Bible has to say about a particular topic
• Read the Bible in its original languages and learn subtle nuances that are often lost in English translations – even if you know absolutely nothing about those languages
• Read study guides on every topic or passage in the Bible
• Listen to or watch sermons given by thousands of different pastors
• Find and listen to songs of worship
• Watch videos containing music and words and images that help you to think about God
• Share prayer requests or encouragements with other people
• Talk to other people about God, sharing what you’re learning, or finding out what other people are learning
• Find out about and then order or download books

My next post will talk about programs called “Web Browsers,” which we use to access the information and materials contained on the internet.  (There ARE more options than Internet Explorer!)  After that, I’ll share with you some specific places on the internet where you can accomplish the things I mentioned above.