Podcast Summary

Podcast: Red Rocks Church Weekend Messages
Episode: Week 1 of TikTok Theology
Date: February 14, 2026
Host: Red Rocks Church

Episode Overview

This first message in the "TikTok Theology" series addresses the crucial question: Can we really believe that the Bible is from God? Against the backdrop of a social media age dominated by quick, 30-second sound bites and viral content, Pastor Sean (unnamed in the transcript, but contextually clear) urges the congregation to seek spiritual depth and discernment—drawing theological convictions from the Bible rather than trending online opinions

Main Theme and Purpose

• Theme: Exploring why Christians believe the Bible is truly the word of God, not just another ancient text, especially in a society saturated with fleeting digital opinions.
• Purpose: To ground listeners in firm, reasoned faith—challenging them to seek theological truth not from social media, but from the Scriptures themselves, and offering personal and historical reasons for trusting the Bible.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Dangers of "TikTok Theology"

• Introduction to the series (02:40): Many generations are now forming their theological views through social media snippets, rather than deep study.
  • “We’ve got multiple generations getting a lot of their theology from places like TikTok… in 30 second sound bites.” (08:15)
• The concern is that theology, reduced to catchy but shallow content, can undermine real faith.

Memorable moment:
Pastor jokes about failing at TikTok and recounts his own brief, comical adventure with it, leading to wasted time and realizing its addictive surface-level nature (06:00–08:00).

2. Why It’s Essential to Know What You Believe

• We’re commanded to know why we believe what we believe:
  • Biblical reference: “Always be prepared to give an answer… to give a reason for the hope that you have, but do this with gentleness and respect.” — 1 Peter 3 (09:30)
• The host emphasizes the importance of answering big theological questions and encourages listeners to study for themselves, not just inherit beliefs.

3. Three Reasons Why I Believe in the Bible

Pastor Sean frames three personal reasons:
(He notes that apologetic arguments like historical reliability and scientific accuracy matter, but these are “after faith” reasons.)

a. Because Jesus Rose from the Dead (16:00)

• Historical reliability: The resurrection had so much eyewitness testimony it was irrefutable at the time.
  • “It’s the kind of eyewitness testimony that would stand up in any honest courtroom in this world. It couldn’t be refuted then, can’t be refuted now.” (19:25)
  • Scripture read: 1 Corinthians 15:3–8 — Paul citing the resurrection as witnessed by hundreds.
• Core argument: Christianity is different from other religions because it’s based on a historical event, not just revelation.
• Apologist quote:
  • “My high school science teacher once told me that much of Genesis is false. But since my high school science teacher did not prove he was God by rising from the dead, I’m going to believe Jesus instead.” (Andy Stanley, quoted at 22:22)

b. Because Jesus Believed the Bible (23:50)

• Jesus affirmed the entirety of the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament), referencing “the law, the prophets, and the Psalms”—the three divisions of the Old Testament (25:00).
  • “Let me show you how every single part of it was pointing to me.” (24:40)
• Jesus frequently referred to and trusted the most disputed stories (Adam and Eve, Noah, Jonah).
  • “Jesus believed these things happened.” (27:50)
  • Examples: Matthew 19:4-5 (Adam & Eve), Matthew 24:37–39 (Noah), Matthew 12:40 (Jonah)
• Powerful statement:
  • “If the first verse on the first page of this thing is trustworthy, everything else it says is trustworthy, every other miracle is possible.” (32:30)

Jesus Used Scripture as a Weapon

• Temptation of Jesus: He used Scripture to rebuke Satan in the wilderness (Matthew 4).

  • “Sorry, bro, I got a sword. It is written…” (37:15)

• “Jesus didn’t think it was a bunch of cute stories and good principles. He thought the Bible was exactly what God said it was—the sword of the Spirit.” (38:00)

• For those who say “I’m just a Jesus person” but find the Bible outdated:

  • “Jesus was the Jesus guy. And he said he believed that every single word of the Bible was from God.” (39:35)

c. Because the Bible Changed My Life (40:00)

• Personal testimony:
  • “If I could only have one point for the whole talk, that would be it. I believe in the Bible because it’s changed my life.” (40:30)
• Pastor recounts coming to faith as a struggling 25-year-old, transformed by the promise of Romans 10:13 (“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”) (41:20)
• Ongoing transformation:
  • “The first time I tried to put [the Bible] into action, I could feel it working. I could feel it being right.” (42:05)
• Examples of the Bible providing guidance, conviction, encouragement, and a sense of being loved and accepted (Luke 15: Prodigal Son, Jeremiah 29:13, Psalms during times of anxiety, etc.) (43:30–50:00)
• Contrasts a pristine, unused Bible (a mere decoration), with his worn Bible that’s “falling apart,” claiming, “This one’s brought me some peace… some strength… because I’ve been holding onto this thing for dear life for a long time.” (51:05)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On social media theology:

  • “You don’t have to spend much time on social media these days before someone will try and tell you what they believe and what they think you should believe.” (08:45)

• On apologetic approach:

  • “I did a lot of soul searching and said: Why do I believe in the Bible? … all those [apologetic] things helped build my faith, maybe after that.” (13:15)

• On the resurrection as evidence:

  • “Since Jesus came up out of the grave and since He says the Bible’s from God, I think I’ll trust Him instead.” (22:50, quoting Andy Stanley)

• On Jesus and the Old Testament:

  • “…he’s referring to the entire Hebrew Bible right here in this one statement. Jesus says, make no mistake about it… I believe in the Bible. I believe in all of it.” (25:20)

• On miracles and logic:

  • “If the first verse of the Bible is right, every other miracle is possible.” (32:40)

• On the word’s power in struggle:

  • “If you will get in your word and you will give Him a chance, He will speak to you. He will lead you. He will guide you. He will change you.” (53:50)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:03–08:20: Welcome, context for TikTok Theology, series preview
• 08:20–11:10: Social media’s influence on faith formation
• 11:10–13:00: The biblical command to know why we believe
• 16:00–22:30: Reason One — Jesus’ resurrection and the Bible’s authority
• 22:30–39:00: Reason Two — Jesus believed and taught the Bible as God’s Word
• 40:00–50:00: Reason Three — The Bible’s personal power to change lives
• 51:00–54:00: Worn Bible anecdote—lived-in faith versus decorative faith
• 54:30–end: Encouragement—God’s promises, invitation to faith, ministry moment

Conclusion & Takeaways

• Main answer:
  • “Can we really believe the Bible is from God? I believe it because Jesus came back to life. I believe it because Jesus believed it. And I believe it because it’s changed my life.” (56:35)
• The episode ends with an altar call and prayer, inviting those in hardship or seeking relationship with God to respond, underscoring the Bible as the foundation for life’s toughest moments.

Summary for New Listeners

If you missed the episode, here’s the distilled message:
“Don’t build your faith on viral trends or secondhand opinions. Build it on the resurrection of Jesus, the authority with which He trusted all of Scripture, and the power you can experience for yourself when you trust—practically, persistently, personally—in the word of God.”