By Joseph C. Grana
The venues of media are mind-boggling, mind-numbing, and virtually limitless. At our fingertips is a virtual world filled with lessons and illustrations to assist our preaching and teaching.
I have chosen to briefly discuss the use of YouTube, which I find to be educational and entertaining. My students are usually riveted to the relatively short videos available on a myriad of topics.
Name a topic””you will find it on YouTube. The quality may not be the best because many presentations are produced at home. The advantage is that the topic is seen as well as heard. And in our virtually virtual world, attention is drawn to anything visual.
My favorite presentations are: “Obama Is the Antichrist” (a terrible Hebrew word study); “God Hates You!” by Mark Driscoll; “He that (Wets) Against the Wall” by Steven Anderson; and “The End of the World” by Harold Camping. These presentations are thought-provoking and thought-eliciting. They never fail to generate discussion.
In my opinion, the positives of using YouTube are:
“¢ Easy accessibility: you can find “something” you are looking for.
“¢Â Easy presentation: ready for computer or projector use.
“¢ Appropriate time limitations: often there are two or more presentations on the same topic, each with a different time length.
The negatives are:
“¢Â Possible misrepresentations.
“¢Â Incomplete teaching.
“¢ Lack of context. After the Mark Driscoll message, for example, a student astutely stated that the video was only seven minutes of a whole sermon. She felt the out-of-context clip did not represent the message as a whole. She gave me the link, and I watched the whole message. Her point is well taken. The overall sermon softened his statements somewhat. At least, there was more to the story than what initially appeared.
All in all, YouTube is a video library of what to do and what not to do. It is filled with good theology and heretical theology, in my virtual opinion. YouTube is a warehouse of helpful illustrations for sermons and lessons. I thinkYouTube can help in YouTeaching!
Joseph C. Grana is dean of Pacific Christian College of Ministry and Biblical Studies at Hope International University in Fullerton, California.Â
YouTube is one of my first go-to websites in lesson preparation. I’d also recommend http://www.keepvid.com for those who want to download and insert a YouTube video in a PowerPoint or Keynote presentation.
BTW, for individuals, churches, and organizations looking for teacher and leadership training, check out my personal YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/rocknrollperfesser
I have posted several videos related to Creative Bible Teaching and Leadership Styles and Principles for my students, interested teachers, and leaders.