Gospel Tech with Nathan Sutherland

The Gospel of Jesus Christ gives us more than forgiveness, it gives us identity and power in the face of our sins. In Christ we are:    1. New creations   2. Children of God   3. Given everything we need for life and godliness Because of this we can live in freedom, starting today, no matter our history of mistakes or current struggles. Real victory is possible, in this life, and there is a real w...

To better understand our conversation on pornography, we need to understand the lay of the land when it comes to research about pornography. Today we'll address three specific questions: Why is pornography different from other digital inputs, or even other sins? How does pornography impact the brain? What does research tell us about porn and our world? Show Notes: https://bit.ly/43HS0L3 

Today we begin our short series on walking in freedom in an area of sin that is pervasive within the church: pornography. This conversation is hope-focused and aimed at equipping parents, students, friends, pastors, and believers from all walks of life to experience fullness of the freedom Christ has saved them for (Galatians 5:1). Today's conversation focuses on the lie of pornography, and how po...

Parenting means showing up. I've been wrestling with how to be a better parent, and often feeling like I'm falling short. When I'm laying in bed I'll run through all the ways I could've done a better job. In praying about this I've been convicted that, while I can always do better, I'm making it more complicated than it needs to be. My job as a parent is to show up. Today we'll talk about the thre...

Jesus instructs us on just about every topic we run into during our human lives: He addresses abiding, suffering, love, grace, compassion, right living, being made new in him, and faith. He addresses Hell a lot. He’s pretty specific about his teaching on wealth, and on the fact that we all have borrowed time. In thinking about it, I think Jesus addresses play pretty comprehensively. He even mentio...

AI can be an amazing tool, if we use it right. Today we'll discuss the three best ways to use AI well, and three uses of AI that we should avoid. Show Notes: https://bit.ly/3EQhAE0 

As a follower of Jesus, every day is Easter! Jesus is alive, and that's a big deal in every area of life: How we think about ourselves, how we parent our kids, and how we go about doing the good works we're called to do. Show Notes: https://bit.ly/4lLNQsQ 

Has your child ever been irritable after using his or her favorite tech? Does a certain show or game ever consistently lead to fights? If so there's a good chance your child is overstimulated and needs help getting back on a healthy path. In today's conversation we'll discuss the five signs of a brain overstimulated by screens and talk through specific steps we can take to ensure tech use remains...

We live in a culture that encourages low focus, low attention, and low discipline in doing the hard stuff. To raise up our children well in a tech world requires a clear understanding of our goals, our priorities, and our plans. Show Notes: https://bit.ly/42uzQLg 

There are three ways to get into trouble online: Look for trouble Lack a plan for safety (not-not looking for trouble) Accidents Yet in all three scenarios loving parents take the same actions: We build hedges around our family, networks, and devices, and we have the intentional conversations about how to use the best tech well. Show Notes: https://bit.ly/4l9WkJW 

Tech is amazing at helping us leverage our strengths for productive purposes. Organized people become more organized, social people become more social, and the doers of life get more done. Yet that same tech that allows us to truly shine in areas God has gifted us can be equally distracting, and even destructive, when our weaknesses show up. We can make more mistakes, faster than ever before. We c...

We are parenting in a time-stretched world. After sleep, school, food, and travel we have, on average, five discretionary hours a day. How will we spend that time? More importantly, as followers of Jesus, how are we called to spend those moments that aren’t prescribed for us? Today we’ll talk about the top five priorities we have as parents, and discuss how each is an opportunity to raise our chil...

What can we do to ensure our tech stays healthy even when the weather is bad? I live in the Pacific Northwest, and our rainy season isn't set to stop for another three months at least. It's easy to pick up some bad tech habits, and make excuses about them because the days are so long and the weather is so poor. So what can we do instead? Today we'll talk through five great alternatives to build he...

Every family in America knows someone who has been harmed by pornography. Talking about phonography is fraught with challenges because it is personal, hurtful, potentially even an ongoing situation. It is into that environment that we join John-Michael Bout and his ministry Into the Light, which is committed to helping families have the difficult and important conversations--including those around...

Gaming can be a wonderful experience, but it can also be a good thing that distracts from the best things. Today's conversation is to equip wives to have the important, and sometimes difficult, conversation with their spouse about why we game, if it's a good fit, and how we can game on purpose not for purpose. Show Notes: https://bit.ly/3XagMzT 

Video games can be amazing, but many young gamers struggle with balancing their digital adventures with their real life opportunities. Today answer three questions every parent needs to ask about video games: Is this a priority for our family? Is this game safe, ready, and good? Does this game line up with our family for: Characters, Violence, Language, Time, Content, and Player Experience Show No...

Making friends in an internet age can be tough. Everyone is online (90+% of teens), and more than half of teens say they are online “almost constantly”. So how do we help our children make good friends? We start by teaching them what it means to be a friend: someone who is of equal value, a priority to you, and real world. Then we look at which tech best supports developing these friends, and whic...

3/4 of teens have seen p*rnography. More than half of them seeing it on accident. This means the battle isn't just with the internet, but with our children's peers. The good news is that we can make a plan, talk it out, and build meaningful hedges that help us raise porn-resilient youth. Show Notes: https://bit.ly/3WHsKAO 

Our children ask us for new tech all the time, and as loving parents we long to give them good gifts. Yet our children aren't all the same, some can handle more digital responsibility than others, so how do we know when the timing is right for new tech? The answer is simple, if not easy: We give them all the tech that is Safe, Ready, and Good. Show Notes: https://bit.ly/4ggDblW

In the digital world there are a lot of new ways to do old things: Young people hangout online, play sports via the internet, and get famous for their ideas and influence. So how do we know if this is just the latest phase in life and culture, like the printing press or the bicycle, or if there is something unhealthy in our child's life that needs intervention? This is the beauty of a RESET. We si...

Our kids ask us for all kinds of tech, and as loving parents we love to give them good gifts. So how do we know which tech they should use and which they should avoid? Today we'll walk through the six simple questions that will help us choose great tech AND teach our children how to discern which tech is the best for them. Show Notes: https://bit.ly/3BVcV2t

We can ensure our tech is healthy to start the New Year by answering three simple questions: What type of tech are we using? What tech is most concerning right now? What can we do instead? Show Notes: https://bit.ly/4h88y2H

It's tough being a kid. Being raised in a tech world is even worse. In today's conversation I talk directly to the teens in our lives, and give a reminder that yes, our choices matter, and God's call is even bigger than our mistakes. (Originally recorded May 28, 2024: Episode 227) Show Notes: https://bit.ly/3P2kVl9

Prioritizing isn’t one of my gifts. I’ve got great energy, I’m adaptable, and I can do a great job being present. Being prepared is another thing. While I’d love to justify my lack of planning on account of my spiritual superiority (I’m clearly a Mary, not a Martha), I have to acknowledge that we are called to count the cost of following Jesus. That’s not possible when I have no idea what is at st...

This year has seen God provide again and again for the relationships, resources, and opportunities to do the work of both Flint and Iron and Gospel Tech. Thank you, listeners, for being such an active part of helping us reach more families, make top-tier resources, and for doing the hard work of raising healthy youth in a tech world. Today's episode is a quick overview of where God has taken us, w...