Am I Affected by Entertainment?

1. About three years ago I took a group of teenagers on a mission trip to Cape Town, South Africa.

About three years ago I took a group of teenagers on a mission trip to Cape Town, South Africa. It was one of the best trips I’ve ever been on. Besides just being an amazing place to visit, incredible relationships were made on that trip. Maybe you’ve been on a mission trip like that before, or a retreat or a camp, where the time spent away was so impactful.

It was one of the best trips I’ve ever been on. Besides just being an amazing place to visit, incredible relationships were made on that trip. Maybe you’ve been on a mission trip like that before, or a retreat or a camp, where the time spent away was so impactful.

That trip was life changing for me, but not in the way you think. You see, that trip was the trip where I was introduced to two of the most dangerous words in the human language:

Your mom.

I know how ridiculous this sounds, but that trip just about ruined me. Two girls on the trip made “your mom” jokes about every four minutes. And it didn’t take long for me to jump in and, well, join them. Before I knew it, I was making more mom jokes than they were. It seemed like a funny sort of inside joke for those of us on the trip. I figured I’d get back home and stop, but that’s not what happened . . . at all. In fact, three years later I have a hard time going a couple hours without throwing one out there.

It’s become so normal to me that just the other day I made a “your mom” joke to my brother—and we have the same mom.

Now, at this point you’re probably thinking, What’s the point of this story and what does it have to do with me? Good question. I promise there is a point. And the point is this: What I discovered through this whole “your mom” thing is that it’s really easy to pick up a habit.

Think about your closest friends. You probably say a lot of the same phrases they say. Maybe you even catch yourself using the same hand gestures they do.

Or maybe you see this when it comes to your family. You catch yourself using the same phrases or making the same jokes, and even if you don’t do it on purpose—and even if you hate it—you can’t help it. It almost happens unconsciously.

Because here’s the reality: When you’re exposed to anything over time, it has an effect on you.

It’s easier to see with the people we hang out with. But this isn’t just true in our relationships. Exposure over time to anyone—and anything—always has an effect on you. Think about it

like this:

Spend time in the sun and you get a tan (or burn).

Spend time in another country and you pick up an accent.

Spend time in the marching band and you count steps unconsciously.

Spend time playing sports and you critique every player’s moves you see in that sport.

Spend time anywhere—with anyone—doing anything over time and you’ll pick up some of the same patterns.

4 MINUTES

So here’s the question: Where do you spend most of your time? Because if what we said is true—that our exposure to something over time affects us—then where we spend our

time matters.

Maybe you spend most of your time watching Netflix.

Maybe you spend most of your time watching your favorite YouTubers.

Or maybe your time’s spent listening to music, watching sports, or just hanging out on

social media.

I don’t know what it is for you, but I would be willing to bet that a good bit of your time involves entertainment of some sort. And while that may not seem like a big deal, and completely harmless, I think it’s a really big deal. And here’s why:

Because . . .

Exposure over time always has an effect on you.

See, whether you realize it or not, what you watch, what you listen to, and who you follow is ultimately shaping the person you are going to become. I know that seems drastic or maybe even a little dramatic. And talking about your entertainment choices at church might make you a little bit nervous. You might be thinking, What’s the big deal? I can watch a horror movie without becoming a serial killer. I can watch an R-rated movie without living an R-rated life. I can listen to (insert singer name) without acting like (insert lyric from them). So is this really as big of a deal as you are making it sound?

Or maybe when I bring up entertainment you think you know exactly where I’m going and you’re just waiting for me to tell you to delete all of your favorite artists off of your phone. Maybe you’re thinking I’m going to tell you to . . .

Only listen to worship music.

Just watch Christian movies.

Cancel your Netflix subscription.

And start reading the Bible for five hours each night before bed.

That’s NOT what I’m saying.

What I AM saying is this: Most of the time, when we pick up a pattern, a habit, or a phrase, it’s without thinking. We don’t make a decision to pick it up; we just sort of end up with it as a part of our lives . . .

Whether it’s the language in the songs we listen to.

A behavior we see in the shows we watch.

Or a way of thinking influenced by our favorite YouTube channel.

And here’s the thing: It’s not a sudden change; it happens slowly—over time.

Think about it. When do you notice the battery on your cell phone getting low? I don’t know about you, but for me, it’s usually when I can’t get somewhere to actually charge it and when I don’t have a charging block with me. But the battery of our phones never just drops from 100% to 5%. It starts getting low way before we ever noticed. It was a small change that happened little

by little.

A lot of times that’s the way our entertainment affects us: little by little, when you can hardly notice it. So no, it’s not that listening to Drake turns you into Drake or listening to three Florida Georgia Line songs in a row automatically makes you talk with a country twang. But over time what you consume impacts the person you become. And one day you could wake up with a different perspective on life then you ever thought would happen—and not necessarily in a

good way.

Over time what we consume begins to influence our behavior. And if we aren’t careful . . .

What we consume can consume us.

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That’s why what Paul says to the church in Rome is so significant for us and what we’re talking about today. Look at what he says:

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will ( NIV).

In other words, when Paul writes that we should offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, Paul is saying, “Everything you say and do should be used to bring glory to God.” But he doesn’t end there. How do we do this? He tells us, saying, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world . . . ” And what does that mean? Paul is saying there is a pattern to this world—things that are common to YOUR world. Things everyone is doing without thinking about it. You already know what I mean.

Guys, there is a pattern of talk that happens about ladies when you’re with other guys in the locker room or on the sports field. It’s not a good pattern, but it’s a pattern.

Ladies, it’s the pattern of talk happening in the lunchroom about certain people and certain reputations, where certain judgments are made.

You see, our culture has a pattern of thinking when it comes to . . .

How you treat people.

How you treat your own body.

How you talk to someone you want to date.

How you talk to people you disagree with.

And how you talk about people.

And if you and I aren’t thinking about it, do you know what happens? We pick up the pattern. If we aren’t paying attention, we can find ourselves thinking and talking the same way—even if it’s not necessarily something we agree with.

That’s why Paul says not to conform. Because he doesn’t want us to unintentionally settle for less than what God designed us for. He doesn’t want us to become a product of the culture we’re in. Because here’s the deal: Culture is moving in a direction, and with little to no effort at all it will take us somewhere without our even realizing it. It will lead you to certain thought processes and behaviors. So Paul reminds us to stay on our toes, to keep close watch, to DECIDE FOR OURSELVES, and to not have our lives decided for us. In other words, Paul tells us not to fall into the patterns so that we don’t miss out on what God has in store.

So then, what are we supposed to do?

Renew. Paul tells us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. “Renewing” is a word we’re used to hearing in the renovation and construction world. Like, if you’ve ever watched HGTV or overhead your parents watching it, the word renovation is said about every five seconds, and it’s basically the definition of renewing.

Now, you can say what you want about HGTV, but it’s always amazing to see what a house or building started out like and what it ended up looking like. Because when people invest their money to improve something, they pick out all of the best stuff to put in it. They pick the best cabinets, the best flooring, and the best color paint. In some cases the family moves out, and everyone gets some space while they figure out the best things to put in the new house. When the project is done, the best part is seeing how the value of the house went up. The people made a major financial investment, but now the house is worth WAY more. It has more value. It’s

more significant.

Paul is asking us to go through that same renovation or renewing process with our minds. He’s encouraging us to take a break, slow down, examine the patterns of the world, and then evaluate what the best things are to put into our minds.

At this point in your message, give your students another way to think about this renewing/renovating idea. Pull up the pictures of hoarders before and after their homes have been cleaned to illustrate the importance of figuring out the best things to put into our minds.

Say something like this:

Or think of it like this . . . Have you guys ever seen the show Hoarders or heard about people who hoard things in their homes? It’s this problem where people allow basically anyTHING into their homes and then have a really difficult time letting go or getting rid of the stuff and the clutter. Many of those homes look like this:

[Show first BEFORE picture.]

These people often have to have experts come in and guide them as they—sometimes for the very first time—learn how to filter what stuff they let into their home and figure out how to get rid of the stuff they’ve already let in. In other words, they’re figuring out how to renew their homes to something like this:

[Show first AFTER picture.]

Or from this:

[Show second BEFORE picture.]

To this:

[Show second AFTER picture.]

In the same way, we need to decide what needs to go and what needs to stay. What needs to be taken out and what needs to be put in. We need to ask what will add value to our lives. What will help us become more of the people God has created us to be.

Here’s what I love about this:

Paul isn’t saying . . .

Delete your Spotify account.

End your Netflix subscription.

Only listen to/watch things that have been pre-decided for you.

Turn off your brain and just watch/listen/enjoy to what you’re told.

In other words, Paul isn’t saying think less. He’s saying think more. You are the one with the power here. Paul isn’t interested in deciding what you can enjoy for you so you don’t have to. He’s saying, “Don’t let the world decide for you. Don’t let the patterns start to take over your decision making and think for you.”

2.5 MINUTES

Fun fact: Your brain is amazing at finding patterns. When you always turn left after a McDonald’s to get home, your brain notices. When you always go to English class after Algebra, your brain notices. When you always open Instagram when you pick up your phone, your brain notices. It starts to learn the pattern. And there’s a reason for that. Your brain learns patterns so it doesn’t have to work as hard. It can stop thinking. It can relax. That’s why you accidentally turn left after McDonalds even when you’re not going home. It’s why you open Instagram without thinking. Because your brain has learned a pattern—so it follows it.

That’s not bad. It’s efficient. But that means our brains are looking to establish patterns all the time, including when we listen to music, watch movies, watch YouTube videos, or experience anything else over a period of time. To save time and energy it will look for ways to stop thinking. To find patterns.

But your mind is too important to let that happen. You can’t let your brain default to finding patterns and switching off. You have to renovate. You have to renew your mind by challenging that thinking, asking questions, talking back, and refusing to let anybody else decide for you. In other words, you need to . . .

Evaluate your entertainment.

So, how do we do that? Here are two steps for making that happen:

Ask questions.

Make changes.

Here’s what I mean. Every once and awhile you need to pause and ask yourself these questions:

What are some things I know are okay to enjoy?

What are some things I know are bad for me?

What are some things I’m not sure about?

And once you’ve done that, you need to begin acting on it.

Give your entertainment boundaries.

Set time limits for yourself. If you aren’t sure if you are being affected by something, limit your exposure and see what happens.

Find other forms of entertainment to replace the forms you know you should let go.

In other words, every once in awhile pay attention to the patterns in your life. Look to see if there are any patterns developing that may not be helpful, and then make the necessary changes to course correct.

1 MINUTE

As you head out, all I want you to do is evaluate your entertainment. Don’t vow to quit it. Don’t delete your Spotify or Netflix account on the way to small group. Don’t decide anything. Just evaluate. Give it a report card in your mind.

Maybe this sounds crazy to you, but what if it’s true? What if your life is actually affected by the entertainment you choose? You owe it to yourself as an adult to at least think about something that can have power over you.