Truth Decay: Navigating Misinformation in the Digital Deluge

Feeling lost in today's headlines, seeking God's truth for our chaotic culture. Welcome to Truth Unveiled with Ralph. We'll cut through the noise guiding you to biblical discernment for your faith, your finances, and your life.Now here's Ralph Estep Jr.

Welcome, friend. The Truth Unveiled with Ralph. This is a new podcast from the Ask Ralph Media Network.Man, it's just really, really good to be with you again this week. You know, we've tackled some really incredibly personal stuff lately, haven't we?We've talked about the culture of complaint and how that grumbling can quietly subtly drain our joy. We've looked at identity crisis. We talked about the digital divide, all those ways modern life can just mess with us.But today we're going to discuss something that ties into all of that, something that makes navigating this modern world feel incredibly confusing and, hey, dare I say it, even dangerous. We're talking about truth decay now. Yes, you heard me right. Not tooth decay.A lot of people say, well, wait a minute, you're talking about tooth decay. Ralph, when did you become a dentist? No, that's not what I'm talking about at all. I'm talking about truth decay.Today's all about navigating misinformation in the digital delusion. That's on a call today because there's so much of it going around. And I just want to start by making this very, very bold statement.We are drowning in a sea of lies and half truths. Want to say that one more time, in case you missed it? I truly believe this in the core of my being. We are drowning in a sea of lies and half truths.That's bold, isn't it? But if you think about it, it's true. Friend, let's really get honest for a moment. Just between you and me, ask yourself this.How often do you wake up? Or maybe you scroll throughout your day and just feel like you don't know who. Who to believe anymore or what to believe anymore.Maybe you're strolling through your news feed or you watch a report or you hear something from a friend in it, it feels like everyone's shouting. A different version of hey, the truth. A different version of that. Though when we stop for pause for a minute, it's dizzying.It's this relentless current of information. And sometimes, dare I say, oftentimes, you just can't tell what's on solid ground and what's just swirling mud. Can you think about it for a second?One minute, you see this breaking news story, all caps and flashing Lights. And that just grabs your gut, it grabs your attention. And it seems like just an hour later that's completely debunked.Or maybe a key detail was twisted, or maybe a key detail was left out.Or maybe you see this compelling video that goes viral, spreads like wildfire, only to find out it's been deep, faked or taken totally out of context, designed just to manipulate people. Hey, maybe you're like me and you read a passionate argument online and it sounds so convincing, so right.But then as you quietly think about it, you really study, you realize it's built on half truths or just outright lies. It's utterly exhausting, isn't it?This constant battle trying to figure out what's real, who's biased, who's hiding something, who's telling the whole story. It makes you question everything, doesn't it? I felt that deep frustration myself.I can remember a few years ago, this was early in my career when a certain, quote, financial expert was all over the Internet pushing this guaranteed make money overnight investment strategy. And it sounded so good. I mean, many people were sharing it, so many people were endorsing it, it felt like everyone else was jumping on board.And I'm going to be honest with you, truth is, I almost bought into it myself. But something just felt, well, just a little bit off. That quiet red flag in my spirit, a whisper of caution in my ear.And thankfully I paused, I dug a little deeper and I called some trusted mentors, I called some colleagues and friends. And sure enough, it turned out to be a well designed scam, specifically designed to prey on people's financial anxieties.Just like we talked about with inflation.When I started this new show, and it just showed me right then how incredibly easy it is to be misled, even with good intentions, when you're not actively discerning. It's this constant flood of misinformation, what some call a digital deluge, or what I'm calling today truth decay.Again, not too decay, but truth decay. It does more than just confuse us. It slowly, quietly starts to root something incredibly precious inside of you. You know what that is?It's your trust. You start to distrust the news, you start to distrust institutions. You might even start to distrust your neighbors.Maybe you're distrusting your friends and people around you because you don't know what they believe or where they get their facts. And ultimately it can start to suddenly chip away at the trust you have in the very idea of absolute truth itself.Now we're entering into the danger zone. Is there even such a thing as objective truth anymore. You might quietly wonder to yourself, or is it all just relative? My truth versus your truth?This leads to a deep personal pain, doesn't it? I just want to talk today a little bit about those pain points. And to me, it starts with anxiety and fear.When you don't know what's real, it's impossible to feel secure. If you don't know what's real, how do you feel secure? Your spirit constantly is feeling like it's on edge.And that anxiety and that fear leads to division. See, misinformation thrives on dividing us. It tears people's apart.It tears families apart at the dinner table, creating this echo chamber online where you only hear what you already agree with. And demonizing those who trust or those who think differently just isolates us.And that isolation that turns into cynicism can make you feel completely jaded, believing everyone's got a hidden agenda and that genuine, honest truth is just impossible to find anymore. It hardens your heart. And as your heart gets hardened, it leads to bad decisions. And listen, these bad decisions are spiritually bad decisions.Financially bad decisions. Hey, relationally bad decisions. Because you start making choices based on faulty information that can lead to real harm. It can lead to real regret.And listen, it can lead to real pain in your life. All of those things just cascading and resulting in this spiritual weakness.When your mind is so clouded by the world's eyes, it becomes incredibly hard to discern God's voice, to really hear his truth anymore. This leaves you vulnerable to false teachings, to doubt, to a dryness in your spiritual walk. See, the world screams, believe this. Follow this trend.Listen to this influencer. Trust your feelings. But when everyone has their own truth, when the very ground shifts beneath your feet, where do you stand, my friend?Where's your anchor? Where is the real peace? See, this isn't just a cultural trend, my friend. This is a deep spiritual crisis. It's leading to widespread confusion.It's leading to mental health struggles, and it's leading to a desperate search for belonging that the world can never truly provide. Ask yourself right now, are you feeling this right now? I know I'm feeling it from time to time. But let me ask you this.Does God's Word, written thousands of years ago, have anything to say about this? Does the Bible, from creation to redemption, give us a clear, unshakable answer to this question? Who am I?As I said last week and the week before, my friend, you can take a deep breath because you bet it absolutely does. And the truth is, it cuts right through all the noise and it gives you an identity so secure, so profound, that it will set your soul free.Let's get right into God's truth, what I'm going to call the unshakable foundation of reality. Let's open God's word together, friend, and see what he has to say about this truth and this discernment. Let's start with God's truth.See, it's not just a collection of ancient stories. It annoys me. I hear many people just say that. Oh, that's. That's some great stories you talk about, Ralph. But in truth, it's a compass for your soul.It's a compass for your soul, guiding you through the fog of misinformation. Let's get straight to the word. Let's start with the book of Proverbs, chapter 2, verses 1 through 6.And this passage encourages us to actively pursue wisdom, to work for it. This is what it says.It says this, my son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding.Yes, if you call out for insight and raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom from his mouth. Come, knowledge and understanding. I just want to pause there for a second. I want you to see that.See, it's not passive. This is an active process. You've got to put in the effort. What did it say? Receive my words, treasure up, attentive ear, inclining your heart.Call out, seek like silver, search like hidden treasure. This is about actively pursuing truth and wisdom from God. It's a diligent, determined search, not just mindlessly scrolling through headlines.Yes, God gives wisdom. Yes, he does. But we must seek it from him with all of our heart. And guess what that means? It demands effort from you.Let's move on to the next piece of scripture I picked out for today. This is from First John, chapter four, verse one. We get a direct, crucial command to test what we hear and to honestly test what we feel.Here's what it says in First John 4, verse 1. Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world.Think about that for a second. Do not believe every spirit. That is so relevant today, isn't it?See, we can't just blindly accept every story, every opinion Every viral post that we hear, we have to test it. Let me say this again because it's important. We have to test it.See, this command applies not just to spiritual teaching, but to all the information we consume. We need to discern the source, we need to discern the motive. And yes, we need to discern the truthfulness of it.Ask yourself this, is it from God or is it from a false prophet? A misleading, manipulative voice in the world? Because this testing, well, let me tell you right now, it protects your mind.Well then let's think about the incredible example of the Bereans. Now, a lot of people don't know who the Bereans are. I'm going to encourage you to look at the book of Acts, chapter 17.But I want to go right to Acts, chapter 17, verse 11. Now this is what it says. Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica.They received the Word with all eagerness, examining the scriptures daily to see if these things were so. Talk about the Bereans for a second. See, the Bereans didn't just accept what Paul said. Listen, Paul was an apostle straight from God.But they didn't accept exactly what he said. They didn't just accept it was, well, Paul said it, we got to accept it. Think about that for a second.He was an apostle and they still tested his teachings. Was it saying the Word? They were more noble. Why? Because they eagerly received the message. That's great.But then the other part of this is the they examined the Scriptures daily to verify it. See, that's the ultimate standard for truth, my friend.Don't just believe it because Ralph said it or your favorite influencer said it or the news channel said heaven forbid about that. And no, it doesn't depend on which news channel you heard it on either. So many people say, well, if you heard it on Fox, you can believe it.If you heard on cnn, oh, don't believe that. Or Ms. Well, you know what I'm saying doesn't depend on which news channel you hear it from. You got to test it.You got to test it against the unchanging word of God. That's your solid rock. In this time of ever changing information, it's more important than ever. Hear me on this.It is more important than ever to be grounded on the solid rock of faith. Well, let's move into what we talk about when it says what is that unchanging word?Let's look at second Timothy, chapter three, verses 16 to 17, because it tells us this exactly. That's what it says again. Second Timothy, chapter three, verses 16 to 17.All Scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. Most people have heard that scripture before. I know. I've been to church many times and that's sort of been the central piece of the church teaching.What does it say? All scripture is God breathed. See, that's your ultimate authority. That's your filter. That's what in the trade we'd call your plumb line.And if it doesn't align with God's word, I'm going to say something pretty bold here. If it doesn't align with God's word, it's not truth. It's that simple. If it doesn't align with God's word, guess what? It's not truth.What else does it say? It's useful for everything. Everything's a big word. Teaching you, rebuking you when you're off track. Hey, sometimes we all get off track.The Scripture will rebuke you, the Word will rebuke you, correcting your course, training you how to live right. What else does it say? It says it equips you. It equips you, friend, to stand firm and live right even when the world is utterly chaotic.Hey, listen, if we're being honest, man, the world around us is the definition of chaotic, isn't it? Well, now, let's hear from Jesus himself. Who embodies truth? Who, dare I say who is truth? This is in the Book of John, chapter 8, verses 31, 32.Jesus says this in his own words. He says this. So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, if you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples.And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. What does the Scripture say? You will know the truth. And what the truth will set you free? Freedom. Think about that for a second.See, misinformation traps us in fear. It traps us in anxiety and it traps us in confusion. It puts chains on your mind. That's what misinformation does.But God's truth, His unchanging, his absolute truth brings absolute. What does the Scripture say? It brings? Freedom. It sets you free. Free. Freedom from doubt. Freedom from fear. Freedom from being manipulated.This is the promise for your life. This is the liberation your soul is longing for and the ultimate source of that truth. Let's get to what Jesus says.Look at the Book of John, chapter 14, verse 6. What does Jesus says? Jesus said to him, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.What a beautiful piece of scripture. What is he saying? Jesus is the truth. It's not a concept, that's not a philosophy, that's not a changing set of facts. He is a person.So when we anchor ourselves in Jesus, when you truly commit your life to him, we'll talk about that later in the show. But when you truly commit your life to him, you anchor yourself in the very truth itself.And see, that's the firmest ground you can find in a world of shifting, deceptive sands. This is your personal anchor. I'm so happy that Jesus is my personal anchor. Well, let's move to seeing clearly.Let's contrast culture shifting truths versus God's absolute reality. Because here's the stark, sobering difference between what culture often pushes as quote, truth and what God's word truly reveals about reality.See, it's a choice that impacts your peace, it's a choice that impacts your certainty, and it impacts your very spiritual stability. Let's start with what I'll call culturist way. This is what I call shifting truth.Not quite the same all the time, but I start off by saying to beginning, the world tells you truth is relative. Hey, Ralph, truth is relative. It's subjective. How many times have you heard this? It's what feels right to you or what's popular, what's trending.We talked a lot about that last week when we talked about identity. And see, that kind of truth changes based on perspective.It changes based on your personal experience, or it changes on the narrative of the moment, whatever way the wind's blowing. And that kind of truth, it thrives on sensationalism, it thrives on outrage.It thrives on emotional appeal, even when it's not even anywhere close to being actual facts. If you're like me, you know, you see that all around you. That sensationalism, that outrage, that emotional appeal. I can't believe they're doing this.Most of the time it's not even based on any facts. And this path leads to deep seated confusion. We don't know what to think because it's changing. It depends on the way of the wind.It leads to paralyzing anxiety. We don't know what to believe, who to believe, who to trust. You turn on the tv, pick a station. Do you trust them? Do you not trust them?It leads to deep distrust. It leads to distrust in institutions. And here's the problem.It leads to distrust even in the People around you, dare I say, your loved ones, your family members, your friends, your colleagues. And that cultural truth leads to bitter division and dangerous spiritual vulnerability.We're left constantly searching, never quite sure where to stand. We're left vulnerable to every strong voice or compelling story that comes along. Even if it's false. I say this to people all the time.It's basically whoever is screaming the loudest at the moment, well, that's the truth I'm going to follow, because they're screaming the loudest.And if we're being honest with ourselves, it makes us feel tossed about, it makes us feel unstable, makes me feel exhausted, and ultimately it makes us feel deeply alone. In your search for meaning, that's culture's truth. And I want to contrast that with God's way, what I call absolute reality.You can even say absolute truth. Talked about it in the scripture. The Bible reveals that truth is absolute. Hear me on this today. If you don't agree with me, you can turn this off.But the Bible reveals that truth is absolute. It reveals that truth is objective. And guess what? Listen to me right now. Truth is unchanging. It doesn't change.It's not about, well, how does the wind blow this week? Why? Because truth is rooted in God's character and in his revealed word, the very truth of Scripture. And see, truth is found fundamentally.What did Jesus say? It's found fundamentally in God himself and Jesus Christ. Because what did it say? Who is the truth?And see, this godly path calls for diligent seeking. It's an active process. It's not prodiging. You sit back and let it happen to you.It calls for critical testing, like the Bereans test the Scripture test the saints. It's about active discernment. I know that's a big word, but active discernment and unwavering reliance on Scripture. Yes, you heard me right.An unwavering reliance on Scripture as the ultimate standard and the best part of it. This leads to complete, unshakable clarity. Unlike the culture, which depends on the way the wind's blowing, it leads to deep spiritual peace.It leads to inner stability, freedom from manipulation, and genuine unity with others who also pursue God's truth. We talked about this a little while ago. When you follow this way of God's truth, your life gains a firm anchor.It allows you to stand strong and discern wisely, even when the world around you is spinning. And listen to me right now, the world around us right now is spinning with lies. Truth decay wants you to believe that clarity is Impossible.That everyone has their own truth and that you're somehow destined to live in confusion and division, because that's the way truth is. Truth depends on the person. That truth decay wants to keep you in this anxious, exhaustive state. That is the goal of that. Let's contrast that.God's truth invites you to a radical path of discernment. Yes, it's radical, but it leads to freedom and unshakable certainty where your mind and spirit are anchored in his absolute, unchanging reality.And that, right there is the path to genuine spiritual wholeness. So now let's get to the next steps.Let's talk about discussing cultivating discernment for spiritual freedom, because you're no doubt asking, Ralph, how do we actually live out this liberating truth? And, oh, hey, listen to me. How do we live this out in a world that's constantly bombarding us with information?Like I said at the beginning, much of it misleading Ralph, how do we find that unshakable peace and take faithful action when our natural inclination might be to just absorb everything we see or to dismiss it all with crippling cynicism? We talked about that earlier. So easy to find ourselves in that constant state of cynicism.Well, I've got good news for you today, because I want to help you start building that discernment, and you can start today. Here's how you can start building that discernment today. Let's start with the first thing I recommend.Develop a pause before you share discipline before you click share, before you retweet or forward any news story, opinion or video. First thing I want you to do is just pause, just stop, take a deep breath, don't react immediately.Let me just tell you right now, this applies especially to content that makes you feel strong emotions. A wise guy once told me says, never act out of emotion.So if you see something that makes you angry, if you see something that makes you have fear or you have outrage, that's the time to take a pause. Might be asking why. Well, here's why. Because misinformation thrives on speed and it thrives on emotion. It just does. That's the whole point of it.It spreads like wildfire.But by pausing, just taking a quick pause, and doesn't have to be long, you create a vital buffer, allowing your mind to engage before your emotions or impulses take over. Think about it for a second. How many times you've been angered by something or just enraged by something.And during that time, it's so easy to just Reach out and take somebody's head off for a better way of saying it. But if you've done it, listen, I've done that. I'm guilty of that.I'm guilty of that more times than I want to admit to my wife, to my children, to people around me. And if I only had thought, you know what, Ralph? Just pause for a second.Allow your mind to engage before your emotions just take over and your impulses take over. There's a lot of people sitting in jail cells right now because they didn't pause. They let their emotions, impulses take over.And see, as it comes to this age of misinformation, that simple act of just pausing can stop the spread of lies, and it can prevent you from unknowingly participating in it. So many of us unknowingly participate in it. How many times have you been scrolling through social media? You see, I can't believe this.I'm going to tell everybody I know about this only to find out it was nonsense, it was fabricated, it was half truths. And when you pause and you stop before you spread that, you protect your integrity, and hey, guess what else you protect?You protect other people's peace. And really, it does start with just taking a pause. Now you're asking, Ralph, how do we even do that?Hey, this isn't easy, trust me, when you're enraged, when you're at the point of wanting to explode. But I want to tell you how to do it. You got to make a conscious rule for yourself. For me, it's this.I will never share anything online within the first five minutes of seeing it. So in the first five minutes of seeing it, I will not share it.I'm going to look at it, maybe going past it again, and I start thinking, hmm, I just saw that. And listen, if it's highly emotional content, maybe expend that for 30 minutes or hey, maybe to the next day, even now, let's say you return to it.Before you even think about sharing it, ask this, is this absolutely true? And listen, if you can't say it's absolutely true, don't share it. Because if you do share it, you're taking part in misinformation.Ask yourself that question first. Is this absolutely true? Next thing I want you to ask, because it could be absolutely true, is it helpful when I share this?Is it going to help someone? Yes, it could be true. But is it going to help someone? If the answer is no, don't share it? Yes, even if it's true, don't share it. If it's not helpful.Ask this question. Is it necessary? It could be true, it could be helpful. But is it necessary? It's not necessary. Don't share it. Next.I learned this one when I was in some organizations. The Rotary, as a matter of fact we One of the things we pledged in Rotary. Ask yourself this question. Is it kind?Like wait a minute Ralph, you threw that one out of left field. Ralph. It's true, it's helpful, it's necessary. But is it kind? If it's not kind, don't share it. And then finally, is it from God? What do we talk about?All truth is absolutely true. If it's from God, does it build up or tear down? See if any of those questions you answered. No. Then don't share it. So start there. Build in that pause.Well, the second thing I want to encourage you to do is be a berean. Now hear me Ralph, you've really lost me now. But become a Berean in your information diet. What do I mean by that?Test every single thing that you hear, see and feel. Don't blindly accept information from any single source. Whether it's a news channel. Yes, I said a news channel. Whether it's some.A social media influencer. Yes, the social media influencer. Some of them are bold faced liars. Some of them are telling you half truths. Guess what they're trying to do.They're trying to incite you. They're trying to just to. To make people feel dissent. They're trying to divide you. Don't blindly accept it.Even if it's from a family member or even a pastor. Yes, even a pastor. I'm not a pastor. But even if you hear it from me, test it. Be a berean. Listen. I can still hear my grandfather saying.He used to say this all the time. When I was a young guy, spent a lot of times with my grandfather, he's a great Southern Baptist man.Used to say to me all the time, seek your own salvation, son. And he would always caution me.He would always say, listen, when you get home from church on Sunday, get out your Bible, go over the scriptures, read it for yourself. Seek your own salvation. Test the saints. When I look back at it now, my grandfather was the true Berean and he was so very right.You've got to actively verify information by checking it from multiple, reputable, diverse sources. Cross reference it. Why? Because here's the truth. And I hate to say this, but in today's landscape, every source.Every source has a potential bias or an angle. Yes, every Source has a bias or an angle. And that diligent verification is essential to uncover the full truth.Because sometimes you might hear a half truth. It's so important to verify it till you can void that, have truths and avoid being misled.And that's why I'm going to encourage you to go back and read the whole chapter, the book of Acts 17. Learn what the Bereans did there. Reflect that noble spirit of the Bereans, because that's about taking personal responsibility for what you believe.Now you're probably asking, Ralph, how do I even do that? Here's how. If you see a headline, here's what I want to encourage you to do.Not just telling you big pie in the sky ideas, I want to give you critical, concrete ways to do it. If you see a headline, don't just read one article, especially if it enrages you. Be like, this is really outrageous, Ralph. I can't believe this.Don't just read one article. Look up two or three different established news outlets, even those you might not normally agree with. Yeah. Yes, that's what I just said.If it's a claim, check reputable fact checking sites. I'm not going to list those because, hey, that would be. Sometimes people will be arguing about that.But if somebody's claiming something, look at two different or three different established sites and go test it for yourself. You got to learn to read beyond the headline. Search for the counter argument. Listen, go find the people who disagree with that.Read what they're writing, watch their videos, pay attention to what they're saying. So that's the second thing. Test the information. Embrace being a Berean.But now we got to talk about protecting ourselves because we're living in a culture that is trying to give you the bombs to create misunderstanding information all around you. We got to create that filter, if you will.So the next thing I'm going to encourage you to do, and it's a big word, but I think you need to curate your digital input for spiritual health. Now, what am I talking about? Here's what I'm talking about.You got to intentionally audit and filter the sources of information that you allow into your daily digital life. Filter them, audit them. What are you. What are you looking at? What are you watching? What are you allowing to fill?You said it on many of my shows before. Garbage in, garbage out. This includes social media accounts, news subscriptions, YouTube channels, and yes, even podcasts.Because truth is what we consume shapes our minds and it shapes our spirits. And listen, a constant diet of complaint A constant diet of outrage, a constant diet of unviafied claims can breed anxiety.I talked about this earlier. It will breed anxiety. It will breed cynicism, and yes, it will breed spiritual dryness.So you got to protect your inner world from this toxic input, because that's crucial for cultivating a mindset above things. A mind of peace, a mind truly at the heart of God. Now you're saying, great, Ralph, yes, I want to do that. But how do I even do that?Ralph, I got an idea. I'm going to encourage you to take a social media fast for just a few days to reset your mind.I'm talking about turn it all off, disconnect from it, don't even look at it for a couple days. And then when you return, I want you to intentionally, I use this word again. Curate your feeds to follow accounts that inspire you.Don't follow accounts if they make you angry. Don't follow accounts if they make, you know, they build dissension. Follow accounts that educate you or that.Accounts that uplift you spiritually rather than those that make you feel less than or drive fear. It's crazy when you think about it. How many of us don't know how to hit that unfollow button?That unfollow button in today's culture needs to be your new best friend. And maybe for you, like I did, you got to limit your overall news consumption time.You got to recognize that that constant immersion can be draining without true discernment. I did this just a few months ago. I used to have the news on in my office in the background all the time.But as I started to think about it, I was feeling this constant pressure. I would look at the TV and I would just get angry. I can't believe this. I had that outrage that I just can't. I can't believe they said that.So what did I do? I turned it off. I've shared this before. I replaced it with Christian music. And let me just tell you, I found a place of peace.Now listen, I still pay attention to the news, but here's the thing. It's no longer holding me captive because it was holding me captive. It was keeping me in a state of being angry and dissatisfied and.And listen, truth is cynical all the time. But now I want to move to a few actionable steps for anchoring in spiritual truth. I want to talk more deeply about faith and wholeness.The best ways you can do that, look at the Bereans. Prioritize daily Bible intake as your ultimate truth source. Hey, how do you do that?You make consistent daily encouragement with God's Word, your non negotiable anchor for truth.Because listen, this has to be the primary source for understanding reality and it has to be the primary source for guiding your decisions and yes, for shaping your worldview. See, in a world where truth is fluid, the culture says truth is fluid. It depends on the person.In a world where truth is fluid, God's word is the only unchangeable, infallible source of absolute truth. Why? Because what is it? What does the Scripture say? It teaches it corrects, it rebukes it, and it trains equipping you for every situation.We need to be equipped for every situation. And what does it do? It guards our minds against lies and spiritual confusion. It's so easy to get spiritually confused in the world we live in.And I already hear you. Okay, Ralph, I hear you. But how do we do that? Well, it really comes down to making it a priority in your life.So I'm going to encourage you right now. Set aside time each day. Yes, I said each day. Even just 10 or 15 minutes. Maybe use a devotional or a Bible reading plan. There's some great Bible apps.Maybe just get the old study Bible out and start reading it from COVID to cover. Read through the different books of the Bible. Focus on understanding what God says. See, so many people get hung born well, how do I feel about that?I don't care how you feel about it. Focus on understanding what God says, not just what you feel or what the world claims. Because guess what? Maybe you need a cleaning.Let the Word wash over you daily. So that's the first thing. Dedicate time in reading the Bible, reading the Word and letting it wash over you daily.Next critical thing that I encourage you to do is to pray. And not just pray. I want you to pray specifically for discernment and a love for truth.This is a challenge that I'm going to put out there for everyone listening right now. Make it a regular and earnest prayer to ask God for spiritual discernment. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal truth from deception.Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal truth, to guard your mind and to instill you a deep love for God's truth. Above all else, my friend, discernment is a spiritual gift and it's a skill that comes from God.We can't rely solely on our intellect to navigate the complexity of this misinformation. Truth is, we can't do it on our own. We need the Holy Spirit's guidance.We need him to illuminate truth and expose lies and protect us and give us peace. So begin your time in God's word with a prayer for discernment. And then when you're engaging with the news or online content, just pause and pray.Say something like this, Lord, help me see through this with your eyes. Show me your truth. Protect me from deception. Let your spirit guide my understanding. Sounds pretty radical, doesn't it?But it's really asking God for his assistance. He wants to help us. You're listening right now. He wants to help you. We just need to ask and we need to ask for it in prayer.And finally in this battle, you've got to seek godly counsel and community for truth processing. Listen, don't try to process all this complex information alone. This is a spiritual warfare.This is a battle and you need strong troops to stand with you in battle. So I'm going to encourage you right now. Engage in Christian community. Maybe it's your local church, a trusted small group, and seek wise counsel.Seek biblically grounded mentors or biblically grounded leaders. And I notice I said biblically. I said that on purpose because there's a lot of clowns out there preaching all kinds of nonsensical gospel.That's why I got to be a berean again. But find those who are biblically grounded because here's a beautiful truth.And as I prayed about today's show, God spoke something to me and he said we are not meant to discern in isolation. And that was so reassuring to me when I thought about that. See, the body of Christ offers different perspectives.It offers accountability and the wisdom that comes from collective spirit led insight.And those healthy communities helps us challenge our own biases and grow in understanding, protecting us from the loneliness of isolated truth seeking. You might be again saying, ralph, how do I do this? Well, here's my suggestion. Make attending church regularly a priority. You got to do that.You got to get around fellow believers. What does the scripture talks about this all throughout the scripture, the assembly of the elect. You got to put that as a priority.Maybe you need to join a small group where you can discuss challenging topics and pray together. Sometimes they don't think about. Yes, we're not going to talk about culture in here.You got to talk about culture because people are living in culture. It's okay to talk about challenging topics and pray about them in small groups.If you're in a small group and somebody keeps squashing discussions about what's truly going on, then maybe it's time to find another small group. Now I know that's not going to play well for some of the more. There were strict people out there.But also identify spiritually mature person whose wisdom you respect and ask if they're willing to occasionally offer guidance on discerning truth. If you're in a spiritual war and listen, we are in a spiritual war. This is a battle.It's a daily battle for misinformation and half truths and outright lies, dare I say, from the enemy. If you think you're going to be successful on your own, I'm going to share something with you right now. You won't be.You've got to reach out to your church community.You got to reach out to small groups and to spiritually mature people who have wisdom and who you respect and ask them to help you in discerning truth. My dear friend, truth decay is a very real and a very tangible pressure. And that truth decay relentlessly tries to steal your peace.It tries to steal your certainty and it tries to steal your joy. I mentioned this a couple times. It tells you that truth is relative, that clarity is impossible, and you're destined to live. Here.It says the worst part, the most sinister part, and it tells you you're destined to live in confusion and division. That's what it's intending to do. It's trying to make you live in confusion. It's trying to make you live in a state of division.It drains your spirit and it pulls you away from the vibrant, purposeful life that God intends for you. Did you hear what I just said? God intends for you to have a vibrant, purposeful life. That's what he intends for you.But just remember, God's truth calls us to something infinitely richer than what culture wants to sell us. Something profoundly deeper and wonderfully more satisfying. See, God's truth causes us to anchor our souls in his absolute, unchanging reality.And that reality is revealed in his word and embodied in Jesus Christ himself.And I just want to tell you right now, maybe you're feeling alone right now, but I'm going to tell you right now, you are absolutely not alone in feeling this pressure. My friend. And I just want to reassure you right now, God sees your confusion. God sees your longing for clarity.He sees your desire to stand on solid ground. And the best part, he offers you a way to finally cut through the noise.He offers you a way to find true peace and purpose, not in endlessly searching for fragmented truths, but embracing his whole, complete truth.See, God offers a freedom that isn't dependent on the latest headline or the loudest voice shouting or anything like that, but on the unfailing love and eternal truth. So I want to encourage it right now. Let's choose today, together, to courageously resist the truth decay.Let's choose diligent discernment over passive consumption.Let's choose the unchanging word of God over the shifting sands of worldly narratives, knowing that our truest joy, yes, our truest joy, our deepest security and our most fulfilling purposes are found in truly walking with God, standing firmly on His Word and living in the glorious freedom that his truth provides. See, that's where real freedom is lived. This is where spiritual wholeness blossoms.And I want to share something even more important than navigating misinformation or finding true peace in a chaotic world. It's about the deepest connection of all, and that's a relationship with God himself, the One who created you, the One who loves you beyond measure.If you've been listening today, perhaps feeling the heavy weight of this world, or feeling that emptiness deep inside that no amount of facts or opinions can ever truly fill, and maybe, just maybe, your heart's been gently nudged to realize that the only real. I'm talking about the real, the real stuff, the lasting security and that lasting peace comes only from God himself.And perhaps you've never truly given your whole life to Jesus Christ. Yes, you may have heard about him, perhaps, but haven't taken that step of trusting him completely. I just want to remind you of something.He is the one who beat sin. He is the one who beat death. And yes, he even beat the confusion and despair of this world. He knocked it out.And Jesus Christ offers not just good advice for life. Hey, we could stop right there and that'd be enough, wouldn't it?But eternal life and a relationship with God that absolutely nothing can shake and nothing can steal.So if you're feeling that gentle push, that stirring in your spirit right now, if your heart is saying yes, I just want to invite you to pray this simple prayer with me right now from the deepest part of your heart. Just say this. Dear Heavenly Father, I know I'm a sinner and I really need your forgiveness.I believe with all my heart that Jesus Christ is your son, that he died on the cross for my sins and that you powerfully raised him from the dead. I confess my sins to you right now, and I humbly ask you to come into my life. I give you my life today completely.I choose to follow you, Jesus, as my Lord, as my Savior, starting now and starting forever. Thank you for your amazing love and for the precious gift of eternal life. And I just ask this in Jesus name. Amen.Listen, if you prayed that prayer or even if you're just thinking about it, I want you to know friend that heaven is celebrating your decision right now. You are now a loved child of God and your real wealth is safe with him. Listen to me, it's safe with him forever.And I want to encourage you to share this decision with a trusted Christian friend. Maybe you know, a pastor or do me a favor, reach out to me. You can reach out to ask Graph Media.We'd love to hear from you and help you figure out your next steps.You can go right to truthunveiledwithralph.com/decision again that's truth unveiled with Ralph.com decision because I want you to, I want to help you find a good Bible believing church home. It's so important as you grow in Christ. Also want you to do me a favor today. I want to ask you to share this show with somebody.But I've talked about this week what I've talked about the last couple weeks. The truth is we are in very difficult times and many of us are looking for truth in a sea of misinformation.Your share of the show with somebody may very well be the lifeline that they need today. You can simply send them an email, send them a text, say hey, listen, go check out this website.Truth unveiled with Ralph.com I just want to thank you for joining me today on Truth Unveiled with Ralph. Join me next week as we keep unveiling God's truth in a world full of questions. What did I say today?In a world full of misinformation, unfortunately, in a world full of lies. So until then, I want to encourage you, walk in faith, learn with wisdom and live confident in Christ. God bless you.