TEENS, SCREENS, THE BRAIN, AND THE BIBLE

Pastor Mike
Woman in pajamas, using a phone, sitting in a small room. The room has a fridge, TV, and window.

The following blog post was written as part of Pastor Cherney’s master’s studies in Clinical Mental Health Counseling


Can you already notice the irony? When you read the title of this post, I’m sure your mind swarmed with every piece of advice you’ve gotten about how to parent teens through their use of screens. I’m assuming you already know that screen time affects our brains. It’s almost comical that we’re accessing information about the harm of screens … on screens.


Screens are, of course, here to stay. And they’re not all bad. They can bring us together as we sit with our sons and daughters for family movie night. With a screen, your son can let you know that practice might run a little long – which you appreciate, because now you don’t need to rush to pick him up. We can even access the Bible and religious content with our screens with the Bible YouVersion app and Christian accounts on YouTube or Tiktok. You can watch or listen to our sermons with your screen, too (Just visit the “Sermons” tab on this site!). So, no matter what we say, screens are not themselves the enemy.


But like all tools, we need to be educated in order to use them wisely. When we’re teaching our teens how to use and appreciate their screens, it helps to know a little bit of science to back up our parenting decisions.


THE BRAIN OF A TEEN

As our children enter adolescence, their brains are developing rapidly. The shift from pre-teen years (“middle-childhood”) into adolescence is characterized by a rapid increase in social awareness (Erford 2022, p.240). That is, developmentally speaking, the teen’s attention turns toward their peers. By the time a child becomes a teen, she has grown dramatically in her emotional intelligence and social awareness, being able to take other people’s perspectives into account and think about other people’s needs (Erford 2022, p.238-240).


The teen’s brain develops in more sophisticated ways. The teen is able to think more abstractly than before, to hold ideas and concepts in their head, to consider possibilities, and to use their creative imagination in new ways (Erford 2022, p.257-258). They are more concerned than ever with discovering right from wrong, and their own relationship to morality (Erford 2022, p.261). The teen is able to think more seriously about big concepts like justice and how human beings should relate to each other (Erford 2022, p.260).


THE EFFECTS OF THE SCREEN

But they aren’t quite into adulthood yet (sorry, guys). Although teens likely reject anything that seems to them like hand-holding from their parents, they still need guidance and teaching. The parental role might shift a little bit, but it is definitely still needed! Think of how the speaker in verses like Proverbs 3:1-10 expresses his desire to guide and safeguard his child by offering this teaching. This is God’s way of speaking to us through that inspired book, but it also reflects the concern any parent has for their son or daughter. We want what’s best for them!

The increase in social awareness is a two-edged sword. Our teens are as socially aware as ever, but that concern can lead them astray. This is where screens come in. A study conducted by West, Puszczynski, and Cohn suggested that increased screen usage across the board was related to increases in anxiety (West et al. 2021). This includes video games and TV, but when we compare these findings to another study (Khan, et al. 2022) it’s social media that correlates to the highest levels of anxiety in teens. Exposure to social media for more than one hour per day was associated with decreased self-esteem, decreased satisfaction with school, and negatively affected body-image (Livet et al. 2024).


Think about it. If you’re flooded with people’s highlight reels, their painstakingly curated photos, their faces gone through fifty different filters, it affects you! You don’t have to be told that this is the way you need to look, act, or live. The “likes” speak that demand clearly enough. While it’s true that ridiculous beauty standards can be transmitted to our youth via film and TV, social media takes the cake for commanding our youth what society thinks they should be like and what they should care about.


Let’s be honest, these effects can be true for adults too! But think about the flood of social feedback teens are faced with when they open a social media app. This even happens without their intention. Of those teens that participated in the study by West et al. (2021), the biggest reason the teens gave for using screens was to cope with boredom.


“SOCIAL MEDIA” IN THE BIBLE?

You might be wondering what the Bible has to say about this. After all, the Bible was written thousands of years before social media was invented. However, there are multiple places where the Bible warns of the psychological and spiritual effects of comparing ourselves to others. In Psalm 73, Asaph is deeply troubled when he observes wicked people finding financial and social success. Psalm 37 encourages us to take our eyes off of the success of others and focus on the Lord. Early we mentioned the book of Proverbs, which is full of encouragements and warnings against focusing too much on other people’s lives (for example, see Proverbs 3:31, Proverbs 24:1-2, Proverbs 24:15-16). The New Testament is also full of encouragements to avoid taking on the priorities of the social world around you, but rather to focus on God’s goodness (see 1 Corinthians 1:27-31).

PARENTING ENCOURAGEMENTS

There was one finding from the study by West et al. (2021) which struck me the most: when researchers compared the anxiety levels of the students who participated in the study, the ones most impacted by screens were adolescent boys who witnessed their parents heavy use of screens. This suggested that youth (especially boys) were more deeply affected by their parents’ relationship with screens than their own – or at least that they had the potential to be. As a father of two wonderful boys (although they’re not teens yet), this was a dart through my heart. We can talk all day about our children and screens, but what about us parents? What kind of examples are we setting? Even if you’re not a parent, what impression are you leaving on the youth in your life by your screen-related behavior?

Romans 8:1 says that there is no condemnation for us. The sacrifice of Christ on his cross is full and free, and even covers over our sins of setting bad examples for our kids. None of us are perfect parents, and our imperfections are forgiven by Christ. So now, without guilt or shame, let’s talk about what we can do for our youth. When we listen to the research that’s being done regarding teens and screens, we can come up with a few things to consider going forward.



IDEAS TO TRY

  1. Be okay with boredom. Many adolescents reported using screens to cope with boredom. Boredom itself is not the main issue, but coping with it is. Nor is boredom a sin. Nobody ever died from being bored. When screens are readily at hand, they are a convenient excuse to avoid sitting and twiddling one’s thumbs. But a constant refusal to be bored might result in a teen who isn’t used to (or even capable of!) just sitting with his thoughts.
  2. Set limits. The majority of the teens who participated in the West et al. study (2021) reported that their parents didn’t enforce any boundaries with screen use in the home. They were able to watch tv and look at their phone in bed without restriction. Since we know how much prolonged screen time can affect the developing teen’s brain, this seems like a simple necessary step to help them. You might anticipate some resistance. We don’t want to become the enemy. So…
  3. Let the teen in. Maybe there’s some room for negotiation and curiosity. Ask your teen, “What’s your relationship with social media?” “When you find yourself online for a long time, how do you usually feel afterwards?” “What difference do you notice when you take a break from screens?” Ask about their impressions and thoughts about you and your screen usage – and be ready for the answer! Maybe it’s time for a joint-agreement that when everyone’s at home, the screens get put away, and instead we focus on quality family time.
  4. Recognize their need for connection. Teens want to grow socially. Some of the information we’ve discussed shows that teens prioritize meaningful interactions, and that social media isn’t getting them there. What can you do as a family that reinforces connection? What opportunities to connect with other teens can they explore with your support? Remember that screens themselves are not the enemy, but rather what we do with them. So, don’t discount the power of a family movie night.
  5. Remind them who they are. We are all being constantly bombarded with messages about who we should be and what we should be doing. Teens are getting all of these messages too, but at a time when they’re struggling to figure out who they are in the first place. If you aren’t already having devotions at home or regularly discussing their relationship with Christ, now is the time to start. Let your teen hear God’s voice speak to them above all the noise, telling them that they are beautifully and wonderfully made, and that God created them because he wants them on this world so they can know him and his love (Psalm 139:13-14).


FINAL THOUGHTS

Maybe you try all of the above and it blows up in your face. After a few months of doing your best to monitor your own screen time, to include devotions in your family schedule, and to try to talk through these issues with your teen, their screen-related anxiety has not been cured. That’s okay, and it’s not a sign that all has been lost. However, it might be a signal that it’s time to seek some professional help – for you and your teen. Research has strongly suggested that therapeutic treatments such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which target a person’s thinking patterns and reactions to information like social media, are extremely effective at reducing social anxiety in even younger children (Muris & Meyer, 2001).

Finally, consider what kind of messages you and your teen are getting on a daily basis. It can be easy to browse social media mindlessly, but as we’ve seen from the research, this subjects us to so many other opinions about what our lives should be like. It impacts how we view ourselves. My final encouragement would be to find as many ways as possible to let God’s voice be the dominant one in your day-to-day. If it affects your teen to see you on your phone, what would happen if your teen witnessed you reading your Bible instead? If your teen is watching you to “set the tone” for their relationship with technology, what can you show them about their relationship with God? Taking them to church where they can hear, sing, and pray about God’s love for them, talking about the sermon or service on the way home, and including more conversations about God’s love throughout their week are all great, necessary steps to letting God’s voice for them ring louder than all the noise they’re going to hear. I don’t doubt that it will help you too.

 

FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION

If you’re hoping to continue this conversation, watch this lively discussion of the nuances of the Bible’s teachings and their bearing on our use of screens hosted by Time of Grace ministries: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjYEgM9DlG4


If you’re tired of the villainization of screens and are interested in a more balanced approach to parenting your teen into a healthy relationship with screens, consider watching this Ted Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3XLnHHPVI8 


Sources:

Erford, B. T. (2022). An advanced lifespan odyssey for counseling professionals. Brooks/Cole.


Khan, A., Lee, E.-Y., & Horwood, S. (2022). Adolescent screen time: associations with school stress and school satisfaction across 38 countries. European Journal of Pediatrics, 181(6), 2273–2281. https://doi-org.blcproxy.mnpals.net/10.1007/s00431-022-04420-z


Livet, A., Boers, E., Laroque, F., Afzali, M. H., McVey, G., & Conrod, P. J. (2024). Pathways from adolescent screen time to eating related symptoms: a multilevel longitudinal mediation analysis through self-esteem. Psychology & Health, 39(9), 1167–1182.

https://doi-org.blcproxy.mnpals.net/10.1080/08870446.2022.2141239


Muris, P., & Mayer, B. (2001). The revised version of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED-R): Treatment sensitivity in an early intervention trial for childhood anxiety disorders. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 40(3), 323.

https://doi-org.blcproxy.mnpals.net/10.1348/014466501163724


Nagata, J. M., Al-Shoaibi, A. A. A., Leong, A. W., Zamora, G., Testa, A., Ganson, K. T., & Baker, F. C. (2024). Screen time and mental health: a prospective analysis of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. BMC Public Health, 24(1), 1–13.

https://doi-org.blcproxy.mnpals.net/10.1186/s12889-024-20102-x


Nesi, J., Rothenberg, W. A., Bettis, A. H., Massing-Schaffer, M., Fox, K. A., Telzer, E. H., Lindquist, K. A., & Prinstein, M. J. (2022). Emotional Responses to Social Media Experiences Among Adolescents: Longitudinal Associations with Depressive Symptoms. Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, 51(6), 907–922. https://doi-org.blcproxy.mnpals.net/10.1080/15374416.2021.1955370


West, S., Puszczynski, R., & Cohn, T. (2021). Exploring Recreational Screen Time and Social Anxiety in Adolescents. Pediatric Nursing, 47(3), 133–140.

https://doi-org.blcproxy.mnpals.net/10.62116/pnj.2021.47.3.133

Jesus: Our King

By Pastor Mike • December 19, 2025
In the third and final Advent meditation, we go to Jesus’ trial before Pilate. To prepare us to celebrate the moment of Jesus’ birth, we fast forward to the moment before his death. This make sense, because in this conversation with Pilate we hear from Jesus’ mouth himself the reason why he came in the first place. “My kingdom is not of this world […] In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me” (from John 18:36,37) Jesus’ statement, however, has proven confusing to many honest Christians. To show you what I mean, let me put on the hat of an annoying nitpicky pastor. I recently received a Christmas card with a well-intentioned message on the cover, but one that was biblically wrong. The friend that got the card for my family had nothing but the best in mind, and only wanted to share their Christmas joy and lighten up our day. It did exactly that! By no means do I want to criticize my friend’s good intention. But the message on the cover was just plain wrong. It said, “Jesus did not come to be a king, but a servant.” Now, that sounds nice. It even sounds biblical! But you know very well that just because something sounds biblical, it doesn’t mean that it is. Jesus did come to be a king. In the first chapter of Hebrews, the author goes to great lengths to show that Jesus is a fulfillment of God’s promises to establish an eternal kingdom. And in Psalm 2, God the Father says, “I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain” talking about the coming of the Son of God. Jeremiah prophecies the Messiah as a Righteous King (Jeremiah 23:5-6). Daniel 7:13-14 portrays the Messiah as the Son of Man who rules with an eternal rule. Isaiah 9:6-7 tells us of the child, the Son who will rule both as King and as God. So, we can be okay with saying that Jesus did indeed as a King. But my guess is that you had some notion of that already. My friend that bought the card would probably agree with everything we’ve said thus far too. That Jesus is King, and that he has a kingdom, is not a foreign concept to anyone who has been to church longer than five minutes. Next Sunday, notice when we end our prayer to Jesus with the thought that he “lies and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.” So when Jesus says to Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world,” we say, “Yeah.” Jesus is a King. Jesus has a kingdom. But there’s another misunderstanding that is even more dangerous. It’s in that word “of.” Jesus’ kingdom doesn’t belong to this world. It is not “of” it. But sometimes I wonder if we start to think that Jesus means, “My kingdom has nothing to do with this world.” As if to say, “So do what you want, Pilate. I don’t care. Kill me if you want. My kingdom lives on.” The “other-worldliness” of Christ’s kingdom becomes an excuse, an attitude, a lifestyle, which sets our spiritual life apart from our “real” lives – as if our faith in Jesus pertains only to matters of spiritual contemplation; as if Jesus only matters to you in terms of how to get to heaven; as if Jesus is so busy preparing a place for you (John 14:1-4) that he doesn’t really have time to pay attention to what’s happening in your life right now. So if you’re going through something, you better tough it out or figure it out, because Jesus has bigger fish to fry than to help you with your silly little problems. If Jesus were saying, “My kingdom has nothing to do with this world,” he would be instituting a Zen attitude of detachment from reality, and then we would be expected to somehow follow. But nothing could be further from the truth of what Jesus was saying. “My kingdom is not of this world,” means, “My kingdom doesn’t work the way the world’s kingdoms work. My kingdom isn’t concerned with the same stresses the kingdoms of this world are concerned with.” Worldly kingdoms are about power – obtaining it, keeping it, finding ways for it to flourish. Worldly kingdoms are about winning people’s good opinion, about making good economic decisions, about striking the right deals to keep peace. Jesus’ kingdom is nothing like that. It is not obsessed with power, because he already has all of the power that can be amassed. He is it. As the eternal Son of God, he has always ruled and reigned over everything. He never could have gained any more power for himself – so nothing in his kingdom is done in order to secure power or win it. Jesus is never afraid of losing power, because nothing can threaten it. Not even crucifixion. Jesus’ kingdom is not about good economics, trying to win people’s favor by making groceries cheaper. Jesus’ kingdom makes no economic sense if you think about it. He, the king, pays everything. You, the subject, pay nothing. He, the king, sacrifices everything to bring you into his kingdom. You, the subject, do nothing but win. Here, in this lesson, Jesus the King stands before Pontius Pilate. Pilate thinks he holds Jesus’ fate in his hands. Pilate thinks he has to make a decision, to use his authority to render a verdict. Pilate is at ease, because Jesus is no threat to him. But Pilate is concerned about how people will react to Jesus’ death sentence. Pilate has all the concerns of an earthly king – the concerns of a king “of this world.” Jesus says, “My kingdom is not of this world,” as the one who is really in control. Jesus’ kingdom has never stopped, from eternity and into eternity. Even when Jesus gave up full use of his divine power as king, he did not cease to be king. That means that Pilate stands before the King of the Universe and thinks he has the power to change Jesus’ fate. No, this moment itself is part of Jesus’ kingdom: a kingdom of strength hidden in weakness, of power hidden in humility, of mighty warfare clothed in acts of submission – and moments later, it becomes a kingdom of salvation and victory veiled in suffering and defeat. Jesus’ kingdom is most clearly seen at his cross: Where divine majesty, authority, and power, reveal itself in submission, suffering, and condemnation. To understand your king who came to you in the manger, look to the cross, where he defeats our enemies once and for all. Jesus’ kingdom does not operate the way a worldly kingdom does, but that doesn’t mean it is completely separate from this world. In the hospital room, Jesus continues to reign. In the marriage counseling session, Jesus continues to reign. In the principal’s office, Jesus continues to reign. Along the fault lines of war-torn nations, Jesus continues to reign. At the graveside of one you’re going to miss dearly, Jesus continues to reign. Because Jesus’ kingdom is one of unseen victory, even when all signs are pointing to defeat. Jesus’ kingdom is one of his unseen presence with you, even when you feel most alone. Jesus’ kingdom is one of undeserved grace and love, even when you feel most unlovable. If you want one more picture of how unworldly Jesus’ kingdom is: look at its weapons, its tools. Through a simple sprinkling of water, a person’s heart is forever changed as they go from death to life. Through a small bite of bread and sip of wine, your sins are forgiven and your unity with God re-established. Through the simple sharing of Scripture, bonds are tightened, and the Holy Spirit continues to shape your mind and thoughts. This is how Jesus reigns: through the means of grace. Because he’s not just making citizens for this life, nor for the next election: he’s making citizens for eternity. That means wherever the gospel is, there is the kingdom of Jesus. Wherever the body of Christ assembles around Word and Sacrament, Jesus is reigning through his kingdom of grace. Wherever sinners are set free from the guilt of sin by our sharing of forgiveness in Christ’s name, there is the kingdom!

Jesus: Our Priest

By Pastor Mike • December 13, 2025
It doesn’t matter if you’re contesting a speeding ticket, if you’ve been framed for murder – If you need a lawyer, you want a good one. But how can you tell if the lawyer you’ve hired might not actually be that great? Over time, maybe you notice that they aren’t very honest. They make you question if they actually care about the truth, or if they just want to win the case. Or, you notice that they’re not very competent. They’re always late to appointments with you. When they show up, they haven’t showered, and there’s alcohol on their breath. When you find out that your lawyer is neither ethical nor competent, you have to terminate their services. It doesn’t matter what the type of case is, you don’t want a bad lawyer representing you! Last week, we talked about the need for Prophets – stand-ins, whose job it was to represent God and speak his Word to the people. This was necessary, because no one can hear the holy voice of God and survive (Exodus 20:19). But who will plead our case before God? Who will be our stand-in before the Almighty Judge? The good news is: there are plenty of options; plenty of lawyers willing to stand in for you. That is, there are plenty of methods people suggest on the best way to appear before God. Be a good person, mind your own business, do no harm to others, and you should be good. Come before God with receipts to show that we are making progress – like you’re on probation that has to show you’re making positive strides by showing up to counseling appointments, taking care of our families, volunteering, etc. Otherwise, God will be mad with us. Whether we are getting this message from the outside world, or have settled upon it for ourselves, this is a lot like a lawyer who barely passed law school – they have the general idea right, but fall far short of what the law actually says. And if we follow them, we’ll realize their incompetence when the jail cell door slams shut. We don’t understand the charges – we have fallen short of the glory of God. We incompetent lawyers neither understand the law or the Judge. It’s not just general goodness that will get the charges off, it’s total holiness. Anything else will get us laughed out of court, right to our own condemnation. This was the purpose of the Old Testament priesthood. Men from the Israelite Tribe of Levi were chosen to represent the people before God – not in court, but in worship. Through sacrifice and prayer, the priests of the Tabernacle and Temple presented the people’s case to God, begging him to relent on his charges. Through the priestly system, God was teaching the human race the true letter of the law: total holiness, or condemnation. Total perfection, or blood would have to be shed. There are no other options. And a lawyer that presents a different way to win God over is either intentionally lying, or just incompetent. So, Jesus had to be born. Jesus’ birth is like our first meeting with a new lawyer, one unlike any we’ve seen. As we watch Jesus walk and talk, we’re getting to know who this guy who will represent us is. He’s talking about the Judge like he knows him. Have they worked together before? Has this lawyer presented other cases before this judge? It seems deeper than that. When you hear this lawyer talk, you can tell that he is on very good terms with this judge. You flat out ask, “Do you two know each other?” This lawyer says, “Know him? I’m his son!” Now, that could fill you with dread. Is the lawyer going to collaborate with his dad to send you right to jail? Is this system rigged against you? Quite the contrary. This Lawyer (this Priest) and his Father, the Judge (God) are working together to get the charges dropped. There is only one way that you will be allowed to go free, and that’s exactly what they’re going to do for you. But they’re going to do it in a way that doesn’t violate the truth. This is not shady business, after all. They will work together to uphold justice, but bring you mercy. Paul explains how Jesus did this in Galatians (4:4-5): Jesus was born under the Law to redeem those under the law. Since God requires righteousness, the charges would not be satisfied unless righteousness were offered. So, Jesus became our righteousness, representing us as if we had truly obeyed the Law (which Paul explains in 2 Corinthians 5:20-21). He had to be born a complete human being, full of weakness and humility, to embrace and live out the law of righteousness that God requires of all of us. This was a choice Jesus made. As God himself, Jesus had all of the holiness and none of the sin. He had nothing to gain for himself by becoming one of us. But if we were going to escape the condemnation we deserved for not being the righteous beings we were meant to be, that righteous obedience had to come from somewhere! So, as a human being, Jesus rejected temptations of lust. He served his neighbor. He loved his human mother and father. He cherished time in prayer and in his Father’s house of worship. He honored and respected his human leaders. He gave his body and soul rest. He was content with what he had, even when it was very little. He did all this as a human being, storing up the perfect righteousness to deliver on our behalf before the judge. Then, he died. He chose death. Just as Jesus didn’t need to come, be born, and live under the Law, he most certainly did not need to die as if he were a guilty sinner. Just as Jesus chose a human life to provide the righteousness you lack, he chose a brutal death and the condemnation of hell to take away what you deserved. The Judge and Lawyer are indeed working together – God the Father and God the Son are indeed in cahoots – not against you, but for you. Throughout eternity, the three persons in the Trinity devised this plan to save you from your own unrighteousness. Other theories of how you can be saved – other lawyers’ methods of representing you – fail, where God has succeeded. Some suggest that God will just forget about your sin because he’s merciful and doesn’t care anyway. But this falls far short of the holy justice of God who hates sin and cannot abide it. God can’t violate his own character. He remains just. In Jesus and on his cross, God’s justice is satisfied, because the righteous requirement of the Law is met, and the wrath against sin is poured out on Jesus instead of us. Some suggest that you really can do what God’s law requires, and you can represent yourself. Not only is that impossible because we are too sinful (it minimizes God’s justice!) but it discredits God’s mercy. Jesus has dispensed God’s mercy to you completely and fully by his life, death, and resurrection. You can’t count on your own obedience to get for you what Jesus has already won and given to you freely! So, take it from Jesus: he is the only one who can properly represent us in God’s courtroom, as both the one who offers his righteousness for ours, and his atonement for our sins. The priests of the Old Testament were effective at teaching us how badly we need representation before God. They taught us that only by sacrifice can sin bet atoned for. But the sacrifices themselves never effectively atoned for any sins (Hebrews 9:9). Nor were the priests effective lawyers in the courtroom of God. They were sinful themselves! They couldn’t truly stand in for the worshippers they represented, because they had their own sins to answer for. And each priest passed away. Jesus comes along with no sins of his own, only with righteousness, and the sacrifice he offers for you is his own precious blood. Jesus is our true representative. He responds to every demand of the Law, “I did it for him / her. I have made restitution for them myself.” He says to the condemnation sin deserves, “I will serve it. I take it upon myself.” And because he came back to life, is resurrected and ascended, his redemption hasn’t gone away. It never will. The blood he shed continues to speak on your behalf. As your risen and ascended Lord, Jesus continues to represent you in God’s court – speaking of the righteousness he has given to you as his gift through faith. You will never have to worry about how God feels about you again – it’s Jesus who has redeemed you, and he lives. The question is, who else would you want representing your case before God? This is God’s own Son. Who else would you want pleading your case than the one who intimately knows what it’s like to be human? Who else would you want approaching the Father than the one who intimately knows the Law and its requirements? Who else would you want in the front of that courtroom, as your great High Priest, than the one who chose to be born, chose to be subjected to the Law, chose to die so that he could rise – all for you?
Jesus with a crown of thorns and sunburst. Text: Jesus' Threshold Mission, An Advent Series.

Jesus: Our Prophet

By Pastor Mike • December 4, 2025
A boyfriend and girlfriend enter a church. After a ceremony, they leave husband and wife. What happened? Words happened. A soldier enters a change of command ceremony, but leaves with a whole new set of responsibilities and honors conferred upon her. What happened? Words happened. When a pastor pronounces a couple man and wife, or an officer pronounces a soldier as the new leader, a new reality is being constituted – and simply with words! Words clearly have tremendous power. But sometimes they fail, don’t they? You told your son to finish his game and come sit at the table. He did not. What happened? Were your words not enough? You poured out your feelings with words to your best friend, hoping he would give you sympathy, but instead reacted coldly. Was there something wrong with your words? Not necessarily. But sometimes words fail because of the hearer. And no one knew this better than the prophet Moses. As God’s chosen leader for the Israelites, time and again he saw them listen to God one minute only to abandon God in the next. At the base of Mt. Sinai (aka Mt. Horeb) Moses watched the Israelites fling themselves headlong into disgusting idolatry only moments after receiving instruction straight from God’s mouth. God did not overlook that incident. He punished the idolatrous Israelites swiftly and terrifyingly – so terrifyingly that they begged Moses to stay between them and God like a scrawny kid hiding behind a bigger kid. Moses stayed in his position as mediator between God and Israel, as a prophet whom God would give his words to bestow. So Moses led with words. Words were the tool that God gave Moses to guide Israel. That’s the job of a prophet, after all. Moses tells the Israelites to expect this situation to continue: 15 The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. 16 For this is what you asked of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, “Let us not hear the voice of the Lord our God nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die.” 17 The Lord said to me: “What they say is good. 18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him. 19 I myself will call to account anyone who does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name. Like Moses, God would send more prophets. You may know some of their names: Elijah and Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea, Amos, Daniel, Ezekiel. Each of them came with powerful words. Each of them came with the message God had given them to speak. Just like Moses, each of them experienced the bitter disappointment of their countrymen despising the message. They were laughed at, threatened, beaten, pursued within an inch of their lives – and many of them martyred for that powerful word. Time and time again, the hearers are the weak link. Is that the way it’s going to be this Christmas? Are we going to be the weak link in communication again? I say “again,” because even in my most earnest moments of wanting to hear God’s Word and take his message to my heart, that same heart struggles to understand and put it into practice. Each year, you and I both struggle to take home the true meaning of Christmas – that it is more than just a busier time of year and a weirder time at church. With how hard-headed the human race can be, it’s surprising that God keeps “trying” with us; keeps speaking to us. If the Christmases before are any indication, this Christmas is going to be just as much of a challenge to my hardheadedness to hear the meaning of it all. However, consider this: in a wedding, if the groom-to-be is daydreaming during the pronouncement of marriage, does he leave that church a single man? No. If a soldier sneezes during the words that confer her new command upon her, does she leave unemployed? No! The power of the words remain, because in that moment, their power doesn’t depend on the hearer. It’s when you’re commanding your kids to get off the Xbox that they can choose not to listen. When words are used to declare a new reality, though… that’s different. These verses aren’t just speaking about the long line of prophets to come. They are ultimately true, and true in the fullest sense, in Jesus Christ. As the Son of God in human flesh, Christ was set apart as a prophet. God the Father “raised him up” from the same stock as the rest of the human race. He is like us in every way, yet without sin. He is our empathetic Savior, in the trenches with us. But unlike Isaiah, Amos, Elisha, Jeremiah, or Ezekiel – men called out of other occupations in order to become prophets of God – this prophet is born into his prophetic ministry. Even the circumstances of his birth declare a powerful prophetic message: Your God comes to you not in rage or vengeance, but in gentle humility. This is a message worth listening to. And the way that we “listen” is both by hearing what Jesus has to say and watching what he does, since his actions bear witness to his message. His actions speak just as loudly as his words. And his message is not, “Do better,” or “Get your act together.” We already had that message! And we already terrified by its implications: “We can’t do better, we can’t get our act together, so what will happen to us?” But Jesus arrives in the manger on Christmas Eve as the Living Word, to communicate a new reality – one better than a pastor pronouncing over a couple that now they are married, or even that a soldier now has her dream job. Jesus arrives as a prophet, as a living and breathing prophetic message that, “God and sinners are reconciled.” He declares it with his words, speaking “Your sins are forgiven.” He proclaims it with his actions. Jesus did not come only to command. Jesus came to declare: good news to the poor; freedom for the captives; release from darkness for the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor; to comfort all who mourn (Isaiah 61:1-2). He came to speak the new reality of grace and peace into being. And while Jesus’ living messages of our need for salvation, and the certainty of God’s grace are not fully different from the prophets of the Old Testament, he does speak in a unique way. Instead of a man given the words by God to speak to us, he speaks as God himself. He says things like, “Truly I say to you…” He speaks not just about human kingdoms but a heavenly kingdom, revealing to us through many parables what the kingdom of heaven is – speaking as someone who personally knows! Jesus comes to show us why we really matter to God, why we know he is truly with us, and how we know we’re saved. In the end, we are saved by his ultimate declaration from the cross, “It is finished.” Those powerful words sealed your fate for all eternity. You are his, he has declared it. He was born so that he could speak these words. With the power of God himself, speaking through a human mouth, he has declared to you the everlasting peace of God’s unconditional grace.  That means that any other human mouth that declares the same thing does the same thing. You have in your possession this powerful word. You have in your heart, mind, and soul the powerful declaration to forgive sins. Jesus even says that when you proclaim the same message of grace and peace, he is declaring it through you. When you forgive sins, he forgives them. When you proclaim comforting release from the darkness of guilt and shame, he proclaims it through you. Who wouldn’t want to listen to a sweet message such as this? And why wouldn’t we celebrate the moment the eternal God was born into our human race in order to speak to us this blissful comfort of the gospel? So maybe remembering the reason for the season won’t be that hard at all. In fact, Jesus’ word has a way of powerfully piercing through our stubbornness and getting into our hearts. Rest assured he can and will do so again through the gospel this Christmas. Pastor Mike Cherney
Woman in light blue jacket and man in white shirt, seated on teal chairs, engaged in a conversation.

You Are Ready to Talk About Jesus

By Pastor Mike • November 14, 2025
We share Jesus in order to leave an impact. After all, he is not only our Savior, but he is the Savior of our conversation partner as well!
Jesus preaching to followers. Text:

All Saints’ Day – Luke 6:20-26 – Saints Depend on God for Everything

By Pastor Mike • November 4, 2025
20 Looking at his disciples, he said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 21 Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. 22 Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. 23 “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets. 24 “But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. 25 Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. 26 Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.

The Art of Giving: Conclusion

By Pastor Mike • June 27, 2025
There! Now that we’ve cleared up all the misunderstandings above giving an offering, we are all ready to worship God in this way with regularity and joy! I’m just kidding. We’ve only touched on a few of the false conceptions that are possible. Because giving is an act of sanctification – a fruit of faith, thankfully offered to God in response to the gospel – it is something to “grow into.” There may still be misgivings, questions, and reluctance. Some readers may have been seriously hurt by church leaders who prevailed too strongly upon their debit cards and bank accounts. To those, one blog post will not be sufficient to restore the act of giving to its Scriptural, rightful place. For others, giving was never properly explained as a fruit of faith, not an act that earns goodness from God. To those, I pray this discussion has been helpful. I write this post as one who is himself growing in the act of giving. May God continue to shape our understanding of how to use our gifts to his glory. Giving to God is not a science. The act of giving looks differently among Christians, just as their acts of service and fruits of faith look differently. There are no hard-and-fast equations. We can’t say that giving an offering ensures that you’ll get rich in return (maybe God will choose to bless you in this way, maybe not). We can’t say that giving will come easy once you have a more stable income (your sinful nature will likely resist no matter how much income you have). We can’t say that you should never feel concerned or self-critical over your giving (is there ever an amount that will properly express your thankfulness to God?). So, I would say that giving is much more of an art. After taking in all of Scripture’s guidance about how to approach the act of giving, we proceed using our best judgment. We start with the gospel, meditating on what wonderful things God has done for us through Jesus Christ. We then look at the gifts God has given to us: our finances, our time, our personality gifts. We envision how to respond to God’s goodness with these gifts. While there are some acts of giving that will look very similar among various Christians (for example, we all give of our time when we attend worship and Bible study together), each one of us goes through our own process of deciding how best to respond to the gospel with our gifts. We submit our hearts to God for audit, recognizing that there are often mixed motives within them (Psalm 139:23-24). We rely on God to work within us and through us even as we thank him (Philippians 2:13). After all, this is about our relationship with God – not about securing it for ourselves with offerings, because it is already secure in Christ. Rather, it is about living out a relationship of worship with God, expressing to him and to the world what he means to us. To that end, let’s close with these verses from Hebrews: “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” (Hebrews 13:15-16) God bless you as you find joy in God’s pleasure over you for Christ’s sake, and as you respond to this gospel with thanksgiving! Pastor Mike Cherney 
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