Embracing God's Presence Amidst Brokenness and Technology
Summary
In this season of Advent, we reflect on the profound truth that God desires to be with us, as demonstrated through Jesus' coming. This truth invites us to consider whether we are living our lives with God or without Him. The choice to live with God is transformative, as illustrated by Terry Storch's personal journey. Terry, who did not grow up in a Christian home, found himself in a place of deep brokenness and emptiness despite worldly success. It was in this state of brokenness that he encountered God, leading to a radical transformation in his life. This story reminds us that our brokenness can be the very condition that prepares us to hear from God and experience His presence.
Terry's journey also highlights the intersection of faith and technology. As a leader in the development of the Bible app, Uversion, Terry has witnessed how technology can be a powerful tool for spreading God's word. The app, which started as a pivot from a failed website idea, has now reached nearly 800 million devices worldwide, including places where the Bible is banned. This demonstrates how God can use technology to make His word accessible to people everywhere, even in the most challenging circumstances.
In our technologically driven world, finding God amidst the noise can be challenging. Terry shares practical steps for managing technology in a way that fosters spiritual growth. By creating intentional spaces and times for God, free from the distractions of technology, we can cultivate a deeper relationship with Him. This practice of being present with God, even when we don't hear from Him, is crucial. It teaches us to value being with God over controlling our interactions with Him.
Ultimately, the Advent season reminds us that we are not in control. The Incarnation was beyond human control, and our role is to make space and time for God, recognizing that He is with us in every moment. This realization invites us to let go of our need for control and embrace the peace and presence of God in our lives.
Key Takeaways:
- Embracing Brokenness: Our brokenness can be the very condition that prepares us to hear from God. Instead of running from it, we should acknowledge and accept it, allowing God to work through our weaknesses. This acceptance can lead to profound spiritual growth and transformation. [09:25]
- Technology as a Tool for Faith: Technology, when used wisely, can be a powerful tool for spreading God's word. The Bible app's success story shows how God can use technology to reach people in places where the Bible is not allowed, making His word accessible to all. [16:01]
- Creating Space for God: In a world overwhelmed by technology, it's essential to create intentional spaces and times for God. By setting boundaries with technology, such as not having a phone in the bedroom, we can foster a deeper relationship with God. [21:02]
- Being Present with God: It's important to value being with God over controlling our interactions with Him. Even when we don't hear from Him, being present with God is valuable and can lead to spiritual growth. [25:19]
- Letting Go of Control: The Advent season reminds us that we are not in control. By letting go of our need for control and making space for God, we can experience His peace and presence in our lives. [27:55]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:10] - The Story of Uversion
- [00:55] - Advent: God With Us
- [02:18] - Terry Storch's Journey to Faith
- [03:38] - A Life-Changing Encounter
- [05:35] - Hearing God's Voice
- [07:23] - The God-Shaped Hole
- [08:40] - Embracing Brokenness
- [10:49] - The Fellowship of the Withered Hand
- [12:00] - Finding God in Technology
- [13:16] - The Bible App's Global Impact
- [16:30] - Stories of Faith and Perseverance
- [19:05] - Managing Technology in Daily Life
- [21:57] - Creating Space for God
- [25:19] - Being Present with God
- [27:37] - Letting Go of Control
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
1. Matthew 1:23 - "The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" (which means "God with us").
2. 2 Corinthians 12:9 - "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me."
3. Psalm 46:10 - "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."
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Observation Questions:
1. How did Terry Storch's personal journey illustrate the transformative power of living with God? What was his life like before and after his encounter with God? [03:38]
2. What role did technology play in Terry's faith journey and his work with the Bible app, Uversion? How has the app impacted global access to the Bible? [16:01]
3. What practical steps did Terry suggest for managing technology to foster spiritual growth? How does he create intentional spaces for God in his daily life? [21:02]
4. How does the Advent season remind us of our lack of control, and what is our role in making space for God according to the sermon? [27:55]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. In what ways can embracing our brokenness prepare us to hear from God, as seen in Terry's story and the sermon? How does this relate to 2 Corinthians 12:9? [09:25]
2. How can technology be both a distraction and a tool for spiritual growth? What are some ways to discern its use in our lives? [16:01]
3. What does it mean to be present with God, even when we don't hear from Him? How does this concept challenge our need for control? [25:19]
4. How does the message of Advent, "God with us," influence our understanding of God's presence in our daily lives? How does this relate to Matthew 1:23? [00:55]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you experienced brokenness. How did it affect your relationship with God? What steps can you take to embrace your weaknesses and allow God to work through them? [09:25]
2. Consider your daily use of technology. What boundaries can you set to ensure it enhances rather than hinders your spiritual growth? How can you create intentional spaces for God in your routine? [21:02]
3. In what ways do you try to control your interactions with God? How can you practice being present with Him without expecting specific outcomes? [25:19]
4. How does the Advent season challenge your perception of control in your life? What practical steps can you take to make more space for God during this time? [27:55]
5. Identify one area in your life where you struggle to let go of control. What is one action you can take this week to release that control and trust in God's presence? [26:32]
6. Think about a person in your life who might benefit from hearing about the transformative power of living with God. How can you share your story or Terry's story with them this week? [03:38]
7. How can you use technology as a tool for faith in your community? What is one way you can encourage others to engage with God's word through digital means? [16:01]
Devotional
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Quotes
In this season of Advent, we reflect on the profound truth that God desires to be with us, as demonstrated through Jesus' coming. This truth invites us to consider whether we are living our lives with God or without Him. The choice to live with God is transformative. [00:50:44]
I woke up one day in my early 20s, a telecom entrepreneur, financially doing really well and resourcing a really destructive life. That's not a real good combination. I had been drinking that night and decided to go out for a drive and found myself in a parking lot calling out to God. [03:21:12]
I entered that time broken. So many parts of my life were just not working. Everything from a worldly state should have made me happy, should have brought joy, and nothing was working. There was no joy, and I was just a broken young man, seeking after how do I fix those problems. [06:37:36]
The real heart behind that, Bobby and I, who had been a part of it from the beginning, we just recognized the reality that we know that we're supposed to read the Bible and that we're supposed to be engaging in it, but when it's sitting in my house, we just really weren't engaging with it. [13:36:04]
We had 83,000 people that downloaded that app on that first weekend, and those numbers just blew our mind. It's like, wow, 83,000. And so this little side project of a team became a full-time effort of like, man, God's in this, and we need to do more of it. [15:18:39]
These two women had smuggled, if you will, the Bible app on their phone and were in a prison and were doing church in their area, and it was their lifeline. They got out, obviously, to tell us that story, but just hearing how reading God's word in that moment in their language was what made them hold on. [17:18:60]
I don't have a phone near me in the bedroom, and so I charge it in another room. I don't have access to that when I wake up in the morning. I don't go to it first. I make my coffee, start my day in a unique way, and then I engage with my device, which is on do not disturb. [20:59:60]
I have a chair in my home office that is my devotional time. I find God with coffee. I love that in the morning, and then before I enter anything else, there's no email open, there's no social media open, there's nothing open, and that is when I start in prayer and engage in God in prayer. [21:57:52]
There are many times when I don't hear a thing, and that will be a great comfort to a lot of people listening right now. What do you do with those times when that happens and you're listening, you want to hear a word, you don't hear anything? How do you respond when you do? [22:49:36]
I've developed the discipline and the habits to stick with it, and over time, now the ability to kind of look back and times when I didn't think that I was hearing anything from God, when you get a month or two or a year or even further, you can kind of look back and say, you know what, I actually was. [23:57:48]
The Advent season is often a time when we think we're supposed to be perfect. We think our families are supposed to be perfect. We think our experience of the holidays is supposed to be like a Hallmark commercial, and so we actually become more aware of our brokenness than ever. [25:15:19]
The invitation is to let go of being in control. Part of the message of the Advent season is we are not in control. Nobody was in control of the Incarnation, and your job is when you and I get up in the morning, make space, have a space for Him, make time, have a time for Him. [27:37:36]
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