Isolation/Lonliness (Tapped Series) (Youth)

Announcements

Introduce Daniella to the team

Selah Moment

No Youth Next Week

Christmas Party on Dec. 15th…put it on your calendar

Brainstorm Christmas games/events

We will have invite cards, so you can invite a friend

Games

Clap Game

Bill Exchange (need several pennies)

Thumb Wrestling

Rock Paper Scissors

Flipping a coin

Summary

Summary – Loneliness is something that plagues so many people. In a world that is connected more than ever through social media and technology, it’s interesting that people feel more disconnected than ever. We all need someone who “knows us,” not as we portray on the outside, but as we truly are. Thank God we have that with Jesus!

Prayer Point – Pray for our students that are feeling lonely, and that feel there isn’t anyone they can communicate with that will understand them. Pray for Godly relationships and friendships that can be a part of their lives in an impactful way.

Small Group Questions:

Do you feel a connection to the people around you?

Do you think social media can cause loneliness or can it keep people from being lonely? Why?

What do you think causes the feeling of loneliness?

Can you be surrounded by people and still by lonely? Why?

Story of a Man (Put Yourself in his shoes)

Luke 5:12–13 ESV

While he was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy. And when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him.

Leprosy was different than other diseases back then because it carried with it many social stigmas.

According to Mosaic Law, lepers were considered unclean.

They were not in right standing in society or with God

Leviticus 13:45-46 “The leprous person who has the disease shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head hang loose, and he shall cover his upper lip and cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean.’ 46 He shall remain unclean as long as he has the disease. He is unclean. He shall live alone. His dwelling shall be outside the camp.

There were 2 specific consequences of this:

Isolation

Lepers had to live outside of the camp in a leper colony

Prior social standing was irrelevant (Imagine job/house you live in, etc..)

Anything/anyone they touched became unclean.

Bible doesn’t say whether this man had a family or anything about his personal life, but he could no longer interact with those he loved

Couldn’t touch family or friends

Can’t come into youth and shake hands/give hugs

Couldn’t come within 6 feet of even family

On a scientific level we can see the importance of touch...when we shake hands or put an arm across a friend’s shoulder, the body releases neurological chemicals that feel good, while also inhibiting chemicals that cause stress.

Babies who are not held and hugged enough will literally stop growing and even though they receive proper nutrition-die.

Orphanages have 30-40% higher infant mortality rates

The Psychological consequences of leprosy were as serious as the physical!

Rejection/Shame

They had to cry out “unclean, unclean.”

It was not a quiet shame, but very public.

Imagine everywhere you walk, people keep their distance from you.

To top it off, because of the social stigmas associated with leprosy, many considered lepers to be under the judgement and displeasure of God.

What sins did they commit to be judged with leprosy?

In the Middle Ages lepers were forced to attend their own funeral mass, where they were officially declared dead to the community.

There was this sense that you were dead to people!

One commentator put it this way, “Lepers were hated by others until they came to hate themselves!

His cry was "if you’re willing you can make me clean”

It wasn’t just about being healed, it was about being accepted.

This man was lonely, isolated, rejected…and it was eating him up inside more than the leprosy was eating him up on the outside

Watch the Movie clip

What I love about what Jesus did, is he touched him, even before he healed him

He was saying “I accept you” “I’m here for you”

When the man knew he was accepted, then Jesus healed him

Isolation and Lonliness

You might be saying, “What does this have to do with social media, or us today?

The physical leprosy was a disease that was eating him up on the outside

The emotional leprosy was isolation and lonliness that were eating him up on the inside.

You may not have physical leprosy…but what about emotional leprosy?

The feeling of being alone rejected, shamed, unloved, unworthy, etc...

Social Media and Lonliness

A study by the University of Pittsburgh found that teens who use social media heavily are 3 times as likely to feel socially isolated

It seems like the exact opposite would be true right? I would think I would feel more connected, and less isolated, but that is not the case.

Connecting on social media creates more disconnection because it isolates us from our real-life networks.

It physically separates us from friends, then making us want to check on what these friends are doing.

Social media becomes a stubstitute for face to face social interactions.

Not just social media, but media of any kind.

We can spend hours watching tv, playing video games, endlessly scrolling on our phones, all the while being disconneced from a commnunity

Physical consequences

Researchers have found that a lack of social connection increasees health risks to the equivalent of smoking 15 cigarettes per day or having alcohol use disorder

Social Isolation can lead to

Depression

Poor sleep

increased stress

Cognitive decline

Impaired immunity

What makes this so dangerous, is it is so suble and gradual, that we don’t notice, until we find ourselves in a deep hole wondering how we got there

3 Encouragements

Be intentional about engaging with a faith community

One of the symptoms of lonliness and isolation is that it feeds itself

I makes me not want to be social

Sometimes being social or a part of a community takes effort

It is often said, “Only God can fill the God-shaped hole in your heart”

The same is true about community, “Only community can fill that people-shaped hole in your heart.”

God created us social for a reason and we need each other

Galatians 6:2

Galatians 6:2 ESV

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Hebrews 10:24-25

Hebrews 10:24–25 ESV

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

See others

Don’t be like the disciples in the video…be like Jesus

There is no shortage of people today that feel lonley…see them!

Kid sitting by himself at school

Person that doesn’t have any friends

Person that is bullied

The person at the cash register

Jesus is the friend of the lonely

As we read in the story, Jesus saw a man, where everyone else saw a leper

Life can get very lonely at times

And when it does and you find yourself feeling lonely, unloved, rejected, whatever the case may be…I want you stop and remind yourself

Jesus is my friend

Salvation Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus I believe you're the son of God. I believe that on the cross you took my sin, my shame, and my guilt, and you died for it. You faced hell for me so I wouldn't have to go. You rose from the dead to give me a place in heaven, a purpose on earth, and a relationship with your father. Today Lord Jesus I turn from my sin to be born again. God is my father, Jesus is my savior, the Holy Spirit is my helper, and heaven is my home. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Sources

Source 1 - https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/articles/200307/what-is-solitude

Source 2 - https://online.regiscollege.edu/blog/does-social-media-create-isolation/

Source 3 - https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-art-living-free/202106/how-social-media-exploits-our-loneliness

Source 4 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VL8DThllZAY