Spiderman: Brand New Day

1- Movie begins by showing how Spidey is a hero who has been successfully fighting criminals in NY non-stop for several years.

2- His identity as Peter Parker is unknown to everyone, except one new mystery villain.

3- Peter has no friends or family now. His Aunt May was killed, and everyone’s memory of his identity as Spiderman has been erased by Dr. Strange.

4- Spiderman used to have close friends who knew is true identity.

5- He tries to keep up with his former girlfriend MJ and his buddy Ned by following their Insta stories. But Peter is lonely.

6- Spiderman’s body is undergoing changes due to the changes to the spider DNA within him. 

a) This gives him even greater spider powers: heightened senses, greater agility, more powerful web shooting ability.

b) The problem is, he can’t control this. It gives him a tremendous headache. He passes out at times.

c) He discovers that his constant stress in fighting bad guys, coupled with his lack of interpersonal relationships is contributing to the pain and lack of control.

7- Peter finds a way to superficially reconnect with his friends, but they don’t know that they used to be his friends.

Application to you.

1- You are a hero.

a) You work hard.

b) You take care of your family.

c) You try to do good and help people.

2- Perhaps you don’t see yourself as a hero, and sadly others may not recognize this either.

3- Have you lost connection to loved ones?

4- Are you working so long and hard that you have limited quality time with friends and family?

5- Do you feel lonely?

6- Does it seem that you aren’t recognized or rewarded for your efforts?

7- Are you going through changes in your life?

a) Physical and social changes associated with adolescence, adulthood, or middle age.

b) Changes in your health.

c) Changes related to your job.

8- Are you facing difficult challenges in your life?

9- God has supplied the possibility of relationships to carry you through changes, challenges, and difficult times.

You need three types of relationship in your life: 

Family, Friends, Fellowship

Conspicuously absent: Followers & Fans

A) Family. 

1. More than a group of people co-existing in the same house. 
2. You need to work on family relationships. 
3. First, with your spouse, then your kids, and even with your extended family. 
4. This requires quality time, wherein you pay attention, communicate, and share.
5. If you are without connection to family; remember, God promises to provide, so seek.

• “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.” (Psalm 68:5–6, NIV84)

6. When you give your life to Christ, you become part of His family!

• “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—” (John 1:12, NIV84)

7. Have family members have abandoned you, or you have had to leave them behind because of your Christian faith. You have a new family now!

• “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.” (Matthew 19:29, NIV84)

B) Friendship. 

Not familiar faces, aquantances, or social media friends; not coworkers, classmates, or like minded members of your political tribe, not fickle friends, or an object of your lust. 

You need a few genuine, trustworthy friends: 

Qualities of a Good Friendship: Freedom, Likeness, Respect, Communication, Honesty, Trust, Loyalty

1. You need to have friends you trust so that you can take off your mask.
2. You need to spend quality time with close friends regularly. 
3. You need accountability and support from your trusted friends. 
4. Jesus is the friend who will always be with you.

“Look, I will be with you always, to the end of the age!” (Matt. 28:20).

“A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” (Proverbs 18:24, NIV84)

5. The Holy Spirit lives within you when you put faith in Jesus. He is your Counselor, Comforter, Helper and Guide.

• “How much more will your Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” (Luke 11:13)
• “the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.” (John 14:17, NIV84)

6. Jesus didn’t send the disciples out alone; they went out two by two.

• “After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go.” (Luke 10:1, NIV84)

C) Fellowship. Jesus established the church to surround you with Christian family and friends.

• “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:25, NIV84)

10- To be in fellowship with the Lord is to be in fellowship with other believers.

• “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7, NIV84)

11- Are you consistently involved in a local Bible believing church?

a) Consistency is key.

b) Involvement is essential— not just attendance. Participate in church!

c) The word translated “fellowship” refers to involvement and sharing with other Christians.

κοινωνία: an association involving close mutual relations and involvement—‘close association, fellowship.

d) We need each other even more when life gets tough.