When Distraction Looks Like Discernment | Ep. 136

Have you ever spent more time watching discernment content than reading your Bible? In this episode, we talk about how distraction can disguise itself as spiritual maturity and quietly pull us away from Scripture. Anchored in Hebrews 5, we explore how discernment is developed through practice, not endless consumption. If you've found yourself focused on critiques, controversies, or what everyone else is doing wrong, this conversation will help you refocus on God's Word and cultivate discernment that is rooted in truth.

👉 Listen to a related episode: How to Read the Bible with Cross-References (and Understand it Better) | Ep. 128

Transcript

Welcome And Quick Resources

0:00

This is episode 136, and I'm your host, Latoya. And this is Equip the Next, where you get equipped to lead, disciple, and move the mission forward. Are distractions clouding your judgment? You don't want to miss this. And thank you for tuning in to another episode. Listen, before we get started, if you are new, feel free to check out episode 96 where I talk about the simple truth of the gospel. It's really just a foundational episode. If you are new to the Christian faith or if you just want to know more about the gospel, simplistic, simple, straight to the point. So thank you for that. Listen, if these podcasts have been a blessing to you, do me a favor and share this with your friends, your family, your loved ones. It really helps to spread the message to really tell more people. And it helps this ministry, and I would greatly appreciate it. Also, don't forget to follow or subscribe, depending on where you're listening to this. If you are following on our YouTube channel, leave a message. Say hi. Say something. If you just want to say hi, you can email me at hello at equipthenext.com if you have any ideas. If you would like a guest to come on and, you know, maybe if I can reach out to them, just let me know. Just say hi. How about that? Just say hi. I hope that you have downloaded those free Bible study guardrails. It's really helpful. It's a one-pager that helps you to really understand your study and just have a better approach when you're studying scripture.

When Distraction Mimics Discernment

2:13

Without further ado, today we are talking about when distractions or when distraction looks like discernment. Yeah. This is a this is a heavy one, I guess. I don't know. Anywho, we're gonna be talking about that today because we in 2026, it's just a lot of stuff that has been going on. And one of the things that we see is that the exposure culture can make us feel engaged with truth while actually replacing personal study. Yeah. And I'm just gonna say it, you know, and when I mean exposure culture, and I have open air quotes when I'm doing that, it's this need to expose every ministry, every person. And though that's not wrong in itself, it's when it becomes a lifestyle, and that is your brand to expose, that that that's what you do for, you know, your thing, that's your thing. And what happens is that it can be problematic because then people tend to go there and they lose the fire to go into the Bible for themselves because they have other people telling them, well, this person is wrong because XYZ. And I'm just gonna intervene really quickly with my opinion. I feel that a lot of times, especially when you have people on YouTube who do this, um, again, not saying that it's wrong in itself, but I feel like, and I used to be like really engaged with these type of platforms, like, oh, let me see. And what I find is that a majority of the followers that are on, like, like follow these people, they already know this stuff. Like, they already know if somebody is not teaching the word or whatever, and so it just becomes like this gossip column, if you will, even though it's public information, because you're not really looking at the Bible. You might pluck a passage to teach from or whatever, or to expose somebody, but it just kind of deters people from just regular Bible study. I mean, if you read the Bible and you engage in scripture, you are going to have discernment, you are going to know right from wrong, and you won't need this whole exposure culture to tell you that. You'll just know it. Now, whether you want to continue um listening to certain stuff, that's your your business. But you will know if you want to engage in scripture. So, I guess my question today that I want you to ask yourself is am I engaging the word or just consuming commentary about it? Be real. The beautiful thing about these questions that I like to ask is that there's nobody around you. So you could be honest and transparent with yourself. God already knows. So you could be honest and transparent. You don't have to tell me, you don't have to tell your friend, you don't have to tell your spouse, you don't have to tell anybody. You just need to be honest with yourself and ask yourself am I engaging the word or just consuming commentary about it? And when I mean commentary, I'm not talking about study commentary, I'm talking about exposure culture commentary.

Hebrews 5:14 And Trained Senses

5:52

Okay, so I wanted to kind of highlight really quickly Hebrews. We were in there last week. I want to go in there again. Hebrews 5 and 14. This kind of sets the stage. It says, but solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil. So if you are, and and I'm not gonna, I'm not this is not a teaching on Hebrews, but I'm gonna go right to the application part part. If you are exercising that, you know, I'm reading my scripture, I'm training my ear to hear the Holy Spirit, if if you're doing these things, then by reason of use, your discernment will strengthen. But if your ear is tuned to more of like exposure culture, what somebody else is telling you, and you're not engaging in scripture, it's very easy for you to sway or even be distracted. Very, very easily.

Three Ways Distraction Shrinks Faith

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See, distractions. I'm gonna bring up three points on what distractions can cause you to do. They can cause you to turn away from the faith or just to turn away. Even if it's not faith, it just to turn away. It just calls it, just will you'll spend more time listening to that and you'll spend less time reading the word. It'll be like a supplementary or a replacement for scripture. It can also, distractions can also cause you to be, quote unquote, spiritually dumbed down. You'll be watered down, it'll be you'll be um numb to what's going on around you. Like you won't be able to really utilize scripture or how to like pinpoint or find when something is in error. You're kind of you're just very numb to it. It's that's the same thing too. If you're in like, let's say a church and it's like lights, camera, action, entertainment, then there's there's a time and a place, and I'm not saying everybody starts where you know somewhere, so I'm not ragging on the church that has that kind of stuff. But I'm just saying at some point you want to kind of grow from that where you want to know more about the Bible and study scripture, otherwise you'll be kind of numb to things. Carnality will easily creep in and you won't be aware of it. Distractions can also cause you to lose your focus. I feel like all of these are kind of within the same, but it can cause you to lose your focus because now you're focusing on somebody else. It's almost, and you you know, you got to be careful because we can be very critical and we can start to point the finger at other people and other people's ministries and not understanding what's going on. Now, there's some ministry, there's some people that's this blatantly, yeah. But you just want to be careful that you're not focusing on every pastor that says something wrong, or everybody that does this, or every where it's replacing your Bible study time. That is the thing that I'm trying to hone in here. You don't want distractions or exposure culture or anything to replace your responsibility to engage in scripture.

Exposure Culture Trains Outward Focus

9:48

We have to examine and look that exposure culture can train our attention outward. So remember, last week we talked about internal conflict. Why are you not opening up your Bible? Because of what's going on internally. Now we're looking at externally what can be causing you. And it's just no blaming because we all have responsibility, but exposure culture can train our attention outward. I'm not talking about you have a busy life, busy schedule. Some of you have businesses, some of you, you know, have families. And the Lord understands. And there's a time and a place where you're going to be really, really busy and you're going to only be able to get one or two verses in. And then there's another time and a place where you'll be able to really deep dive in scripture. We should be able to do both, right? At different seasons, different times. But exposure culture specifically can train our attention outward because we're looking in fault-finding other people. And then the person with the platform is using one or two verses and say, no, that verse is wrong, and I'm going to tell you why, but there's no deep dive study of the actual, like, say, chapter or the book. It's just this is wrong and this is why. When we should be able to use common sense to say that that's wrong. And it shouldn't be this whole culture thing, right? Um, it it's a consistent, it's a constant evolution of others, and we have this constant nitpicking that can replace in word formation. Because this is always gonna be. But how many of us are in the word and studying scripture to know the Lord? Discernment is formed by practice, not by a passive consumption. Yes, it's for listen doom scrolling, endless scrolling, listening to the next thing, listening to this person exposing this person, listening to this person. That that that's very passive. It's almost like in the back end, in the background, like you don't really even notice you're doing it. Check your phone if you can. See how many hours you've been on whatever social media or YouTube platforms. So discernment is formed by practice, constant use, and by reason of use, the senses are trained to distinguish good from evil. Not only that, but just common sense will kick in. Now, I'm not saying there's not, you know, people shouldn't say anything about certain people to some people's platforms, that works great. But you as the listener, you as the consumer, have to be mindful to guard your heart and your mind to make sure that you don't overly consume other people's critique, and you're turning away and not wanting to read the Bible for yourself, and now you're just critiquing instead of being a part of your Bible study, being part of your local church if you have

Replace One Scroll With Scripture

13:16

one. Join the EFP team. We're here, we discuss the Bible, you know, wherever you gotta go, or just you're independent. You should do, I think both. You should fellowship with believers, as well as have your own independent time to really look into the Bible and engage in it and understand who God is. So when we look at the Christ thread, it we see maturity and practice and we see discernment. Walk hand in hand. That mature posture that is very important when we're looking at growth, not just um for yourself, but also for your family, for your friends, for your loved ones. You're you're indirectly discipling other people. There is a quote, I don't know who said it. I might have said on my podcast, but I don't have it in front of me, so I can't remember. I'm paraphrasing. But the first Bible that anyone ever sees is the Christian. Before anyone opens up a Bible, they're looking at you. Are you perfect? No, you're not supposed to be. And Christianity does not equal perfection. But there will be a change in you. People will see a change in you, people will ask you about the Bible, people will ask for your opinion about something, and you'll be able to have discernment in that area. So I challenge you to replace one piece of content consumption with time in scripture this week. I know that's an ouch, but if you would normally be watching YouTube and you feel that itch, turn it off or wherever and replace it with one, with, with, with time in scripture, whether that's five minutes, 10, 20, whatever. But replace one piece of content consumption with time in scripture. I know you'll be blessed.

Final Encouragement And Review Request

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Well, that's it for today. Thanks for listening to the Equit the Next podcast. If this episode blessed you, I'd appreciate it if you leave a review and share it with someone who can use a little encouragement. Now grow in God's word and lead boldly.