Doctrine and Mission

Tag: Social Media

  • More Connected, More Alone: Why Digital Connection Can’t Replace Embodied Community

    More Connected, More Alone: Why Digital Connection Can’t Replace Embodied Community

    Walk into any restaurant, waiting room, or living room and look around.

    A family sits together at the same table. Food is served. Time has been set aside. This is, in every visible way, a moment designed for togetherness.

    And yet—no one is talking.

    A father scrolls through headlines. A mother taps through notifications. A teenager laughs quietly at a video no one else sees. A younger child is absorbed in a game.

    They are together. But they are elsewhere.

    We have never been more connected—and yet, in many ways, we have never been more alone.

    And what makes this especially striking is that from the very beginning, humanity was not designed for isolation:

    “It is not good that the man should be alone.” (Genesis 2:18)

    The Long Drift Toward Isolation

    This didn’t begin with smartphones.

    In Bowling Alone, Robert D. Putnam documented a quiet but massive shift in American life. Over decades, participation in civic groups, churches, and community organizations steadily declined.

    People stopped gathering.

    And even before the internet, people began exchanging shared life for private consumption. Television, Putnam argued, played a significant role—drawing individuals away from embodied, participatory community into isolated, screen-based living.

    But Scripture consistently pulls in the opposite direction.

    The people of God have always been a gathered people:

    “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together… but encouraging one another.” (Hebrews 10:24–25)

    Drifting from gathering is not just a sociological shift—it is a spiritual one.

    From Television to Total Immersion

    If television began the shift, social media has accelerated it—and intensified it.

    In The Anxious Generation, Jonathan Haidt argues that the rise of smartphone-based life has reshaped mental health, especially among the young. Anxiety, depression, and loneliness have all surged.

    Scripture speaks directly to the kinds of pressures social media amplifies:

    “But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.” (2 Corinthians 10:12)

    What social media normalizes—comparison, performance, constant evaluation—Scripture warns against.

    And instead of deepening relationships, it often hollows them out.

    Connected, But Disembodied

    There is something fundamentally different about digital connection.

    You can communicate instantly. You can maintain countless relationships. You can stay informed about everyone.

    And yet, something essential is missing.

    The Christian faith is profoundly embodied.

    “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…” (John 1:14)

    God did not save us through a message sent from a distance, but through presence—through incarnation.

    And Christian ministry follows this same pattern. The Apostle Paul writes:

    “We were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves.” (1 Thessalonians 2:8)

    Not just words. Not just information. But presence.

    You cannot share your “very self” through a screen in the same way you can across a table.

    The Cost of Replacing Presence

    When embodied community is replaced—or simply crowded out—something is lost.

    Loneliness increases, even when we are “connected.”
    Anxiety rises, even while we are constantly engaged.

    Scripture ties our growth not to isolation, but to life together:

    “Speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way… when each part is working properly.” (Ephesians 4:15–16)

    We are formed in community—not apart from it.

    And when that formation is weakened, so is our maturity, our stability, and our sense of belonging.

    Why Gathering Still Matters

    The solution is not abandoning technology altogether—but putting it in its proper place.

    Screens can supplement community.
    They cannot sustain it.

    The early church understood this instinctively:

    “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers… day by day… breaking bread in their homes.” (Acts 2:42, 46)

    Notice how embodied this is:

    • Shared meals
    • Shared space
    • Shared time
    • Shared lives

    This is not efficient. It is not optimized.

    But it is deeply human—and deeply Christian.

    Conclusion: Recovering What We’ve Lost

    The silent family at the table is not just a cultural moment—it is a picture of what we are becoming.

    Constantly connected.
    Increasingly alone.

    But Scripture calls us back:

    “Let brotherly love continue.” (Hebrews 13:1)

    “Bear one another’s burdens…” (Galatians 6:2)

    These commands require more than awareness.
    They require proximity. Presence. Time.

    The answer is simple, but not easy:

    We must choose presence over distraction.
    We must choose people over screens.
    We must choose embodied community again.

    Because in the end, we were not made merely to connect.

    We were made to be together.

  • Beyond the Conservative Resurgence

    Why Past Movements Were Not Enough—and What the SBC Needs Now

    In the late 20th century, the Conservative Resurgence rescued the Southern Baptist Convention from doctrinal drift. It restored biblical inerrancy in our seminaries, pulpits, and denominational institutions. This was no small feat—it preserved theological faithfulness for a new generation.

    Then came the Great Commission Resurgence, calling us to a renewed focus on evangelism, church planting, and global mission. With declining baptisms and a changing culture, it reminded Southern Baptists that our doctrinal fidelity must also drive missional urgency.

    But as we reflect now, we must ask: did either movement transform the soul of our churches?
    We have right beliefs—and we’ve declared right priorities. But our churches remain divided, disillusioned, and in many places, declining.

    Southern Baptists do not need another branding campaign or strategic slogan. We need a true resurgence—not just of ideas, but of people. A renewal that begins in the pew, not just on the platform.

    Here are six essential resurgences the SBC must embrace to move faithfully into the future.

    1. A Resurgence of Integrity

    The Southern Baptist Convention has weathered doctrinal battles—but now faces a crisis of trust. Many Southern Baptists believe the theological convictions we fought to preserve are being undermined by institutional secrecy, platform protection, and personal ambition. The issue isn’t merely orthodoxy—it’s credibility.

    Why it’s needed:
    In a time when confidence in leadership is eroding, we need leaders and institutions whose lives and practices match the gospel they proclaim. If we lose integrity, we lose the ability to lead.

    What it looks like:

    • Financial transparency in our entities and institutions, with clear accountability to the churches that fund them.
    • Building trust among messengers, not through managed narratives, but through openness, repentance when necessary, and a return to servant-hearted leadership.
    • Leaders who walk humbly, avoiding personal empire-building and resisting the temptation to treat the SBC as a career ladder or political arena.
    • Churches that expect godly character, not just communication skills or charisma, from their pastors and leaders.

    “The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.” – Proverbs 11:3

    2. A Resurgence of Discipleship

    Southern Baptists have long measured ministry success by decisions and attendance. But far too often, we’ve made converts without making disciples. The result is spiritual immaturity in our churches and generational drift in our families.

    Why it’s needed:
    We cannot build gospel churches on shallow soil. And we cannot expect the next generation to walk with Christ if we do not teach them how.

    What it looks like:

    • Intentional, relational discipleship—not just programs, but people walking with people in the ways of Christ.
    • Family discipleship, where parents—and especially fathers—are equipped to teach, model, and shepherd their children in the faith (Eph. 6:4).
    • Biblical literacy, with churches prioritizing Scripture memory, meditation, and obedience—not just inspirational content.
    • Training lay leaders, raising up deacons, elders, teachers, and counselors from within the congregation.

    “Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you…” – Matthew 28:20

    3. A Resurgence of Unity in the Gospel

    We are fragmented. Not just politically or theologically—but relationally. The SBC has become a battlefield of tribes, factions, and personalities, where brothers in Christ are treated as enemies because of differing emphases or affiliations.

    Why it’s needed:
    We cannot fight side by side for the lost when we’re firing shots at each other. Gospel unity is not a luxury—it’s a necessity.

    What it looks like:

    • Refusing tribalism—choosing fellowship with faithful brothers and sisters even when we don’t agree on every strategy or secondary issue.
    • Keeping the main things central—like Christ crucified, the authority of Scripture, and the need for the nations to hear the gospel.
    • Disagreeing with humility, rejecting online scorched-earth tactics, and speaking truth seasoned with grace.

    “There is one body and one Spirit… one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all.” – Ephesians 4:4–6

    4. A Resurgence of Church Health

    You cannot send strong missionaries from sick churches. The SBC has focused heavily on church planting and multiplication—which is essential. But far too many established churches are spiritually stagnant, unbiblically led, or dying.

    Why it’s needed:
    The foundation of the SBC is not its entities or its mission boards. It’s the local church. If our churches are unhealthy, our Convention has no future.

    What it looks like:

    • Qualified pastors and elders, who lead with courage, conviction, and compassion.
    • Meaningful membership, where church rolls reflect regenerate believers in real community.
    • Expository preaching and Christ-centered worship, feeding the sheep, not entertaining the goats.
    • Support for revitalization, encouraging faithful pastors of smaller churches and resisting the idolatry of church size or fame.

    “The church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.” – 1 Timothy 3:15

    5. A Resurgence of Physical Presence in a World of Followers and Likes

    We live in an age of digital disembodiment—TikToks over tables, threads over truth, clicks over community. The SBC must resist the gravitational pull of the virtual by reasserting the beauty and necessity of the local, visible, gathered church.

    Why it’s needed:
    Online influence has too often replaced in-person shepherding. But the body of Christ was never meant to be a brand—it is a body.

    What it looks like:

    • Churches that prioritize presence: gathering in person, breaking bread, laying hands, weeping and rejoicing together.
    • Pastors who know their people and walk with them, not just broadcast sermons.
    • Disciples who live in proximity, not merely affinity.

    “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…” – John 1:14
    “Let us not neglect to meet together…” – Hebrews 10:25

    6. A Resurgence of Clarity and Conviction in a World of Ambiguity

    We are living in a fog of postmodern confusion—about truth, gender, morality, and even salvation itself. Many churches are tempted to trade clarity for complexity, fearing offense more than fearing God.

    Why it’s needed:
    The world is not looking for another vague voice. It needs truth. Spoken with love, yes—but spoken clearly, without compromise.

    What it looks like:

    • Preaching with doctrinal precision, applying God’s Word boldly to cultural lies and spiritual error.
    • Standing firm on God’s design for manhood and womanhood, marriage, and the sanctity of life.
    • Holding fast to salvation by grace alone through faith alone, without theological drift or equivocation.
    • Teaching with theological depth, equipping people to stand firm in a world that is constantly shifting.

    “If the trumpet gives an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?” – 1 Corinthians 14:8 (KJV)

    Final Word: Not a Platform but a People

    The Conservative Resurgence gave us our doctrinal foundation.
    The Great Commission Resurgence gave us a missional framework.
    Now, we need a resurgence that gives us spiritual formation—in the pews, in our homes, and in our pulpits.

    We need leaders of integrity.
    We need churches that make disciples.
    We need a fellowship built on the gospel.
    We need pastors rooted in real communities.
    We need truth spoken in love and without fear.

    This next resurgence must not be top-down, but grassroots.
    Not powered by politics, but prayer.
    Not about reclaiming influence, but reclaiming faithfulness.

    Let it begin not in a task force, but in your local church.
    Let it begin with us.

  • The Trump and Elon Feud and SBC Cooperation

    What Two Billionaires Can Teach Us About the Need for Unity in the Church

    In recent weeks, headlines have spotlighted a public unraveling of the once-curious alliance between Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Once praised by Trump and courted by Musk, the relationship has devolved into social media barbs and personal insults. Trump has labeled Musk “a BS artist,” while Musk has increasingly distanced himself from Trump’s brand of politics. Their high-profile “breakup” is just another example of the culture of fragmentation that defines our age.

    Social media makes it easy to sever ties. A disagreement? Block. A moment of offense? Unfollow. A different worldview? Cancel. Our tools have discipled us in the habits of disunity—removing nuance and patience in favor of fast takes and instant tribalism. This is the air we breathe, and whether we admit it or not, it’s shaping our institutions—including the church.

    The SBC: A Big Tent in a Divided Age

    The Southern Baptist Convention is a diverse body. Theologically, ethnically, generationally, and geographically, we bring a lot of differences to the table. And in recent years, those differences have grown sharper. Social issues, political alignments, leadership conflicts, and theological emphasis have all contributed to rising tensions. Many are tempted to throw up their hands and walk away—to treat the church like social media: if you don’t like what you see, just “block” the whole convention.

    But the SBC isn’t Twitter. It’s not a platform built on clout or algorithms. It’s a people united by a common confession and a Great Commission. What makes the SBC work—at its best—is not uniformity, but cooperation. We voluntarily link arms to plant churches, send missionaries, train pastors, and preach the gospel to a lost and dying world. That mission is too important to walk away from.

    Unity Without Compromise

    Our culture is confused about unity. It either means total agreement or total silence. But biblical unity is something different. It’s grounded in truth and expressed in love. As Paul wrote to the Philippians, we are to be “of one mind, striving side by side for the faith of the gospel” (Phil. 1:27). Not identical minds, but a shared direction.

    We don’t need to agree on everything to cooperate in gospel work. But we do need clarity about what matters most. That’s why our confession of faith matters. That’s why doctrinal integrity must never be sacrificed on the altar of pragmatism or politics. And that’s why we must resist the cultural impulse to divide every time there’s friction. The kingdom is bigger than our tribes, and the gospel is stronger than our algorithms.

    Conclusion: Hold the Line Together

    Trump and Musk may go their separate ways, each with their own platforms and followings. But the church cannot afford to mimic their model of fragmentation. If we become just another reflection of the world’s division, we lose our witness.

    As Southern Baptists head into another convention season, let us remember: we are not bound together by personalities or platforms, but by doctrine and mission. Let the world feud. Let the church be different.