A Little Better

Are our tools and technology neutral, or do they carry built-in values that shape us and our culture?

In this episode of A Little Better, host Calum Shaw is joined by Brad Files and Matt Sones to explore a biblical framework for understanding and wielding technology for good. Moving past blind acceptance or total avoidance, they dig into the philosophy of technology, the scriptural history of human tools, and what it looks like to be careful creators in a digital age.

Topics Covered in This Episode:

• What is a Tool? Defining digital technology and evaluating instrumentalism vs. determinism.

• Are Tools Neutral? How technology reflects both its creator's values and the heart of the person using it.

• The Scriptural Story of Tools: How tools are used throughout the Bible—from Adam and Eve's fig leaves to Noah’s Ark and the Tower of Babel.

• A Redemptive Approach: Using tools to fulfill the Creation Mandate, Great Commission, and Great Commandment without letting them replace our dependence on God.

• Navigating AI as Christians: Practical guidelines on skill, intent, and discernment when using artificial intelligence, and how to avoid technological utopianism.

• Audience Questions Answered: Does instant access to knowledge diminish our need for Christ? Can technology drive a darker agenda, or even be "

Resources:

Sunday’s Message

From the Garden to the City by John Dyre

The Digital Public Square by Jason Thacker

The Age of AI by Jason Thacker

AI and the future church by Carey Nieuwhof

2084 by John Lennox

Biblical Critical Theory by Christopher Watkin

That Hideous Strength by C.S. Lewis

Co-Intelligence by Ethan Mollick*

Co-Existence by Ethan Mollick*

Mollick is not writing from a Christian perspective but he gives a helpful overview of the issues and concerns of AI. Co-Intelligence was written in the age of chatbots. Co-Existence is responding to the age of agents that are doing work for us.

Silicon Spiritualities Podcast

Mark Zuckerberg - The Metaverse and How We’ll Build It Together

There’s no avoiding it: we are shaped by our technology. Do we control our technology, or does it control us? This week, Calum, Jeremy and Michelle look at how smartphones, social media, and AI are shaping our faith, attention and relationships.

With the presence and pressure to use AI, social media, and stay constantly connected, many of us have started trusting our devices without asking whether they’re good for our souls. In this episode of A Little Better, we look at what the Bible says about the tools we make, from Babel’s bricks to Isaiah’s idols, and ask whether we’re shaping the world as Genesis calls us to or letting it shape us.

In this episode:

• Our first smartphones and how we relate to technology now
• What other cultures with less technology can teach us
• Building a theology of tools
• Why every technology is a trade-off (Neil Postman)
• Has technology made us worse at suffering?
• How the creation mandate, Great Commission, and Great Commandment can guide our decisions about technology

You can submit a question for this series at www.iwant.info

Sunday’s Message

Reset and Recenter booklet

From The Garden To The City - John Dyer

Neil Postman’s Address

Technology by Egbert Schuurman

Artificial Intimacy by Sherry Turkle

What does a high-stakes courtroom perjury case have to do with how we talk about Jesus? In a world quick to spot hypocrisy, our words carry immense weight when testifying to what we’ve seen God do.

In this episode of A Little Better, host Calum Shaw is joined by Drew to explore what it actually means to share our faith honestly and effectively. How do we talk about an invisible God without feeling awkward, pushy, or spiritually disingenuous? Together, they break down how our words and actions work hand-in-hand to point people toward Jesus.

Sunday’s Message

Have you ever wondered why a simple word of encouragement can completely change someone’s day—or even their life? Modern neuroscience and experience continually reveal what God has been guiding us through for millenia.

In this episode of A Little Better, Calum Shaw and Drew explore the profound impact of our words in relationships. They break down the difference between cheap praise and life-giving speech, and detail the 4 Types of Words That Bless.

1. Encouraging words – Moving beyond generic compliments to truly build others up.
2. Honest Words – How radical honesty creates intimacy without unnecessary rebuke.
3. Wise Words – Navigating timing, context, and the difference between wisdom and synthetic AI information.
4. Forgiving Words – The discipline and skill of seeking and granting authentic forgiveness.

You only get two options: are you speaking life or death? It’s time to figure it out.

Sunday’s Message

Resources:

The Hacking of the American Mind by Dr. Robert H. Lustig

The AI Apocopypse (Quote from Michael Keller)

Has political correctness gone too far, or is it just common courtesy? We continue our series, Me and My Big Mouth. Calum Shaw and Drew Karschner break down the power, danger, and hidden costs of modern speech culture.

From social media call-outs to interactions with AI chatbots, the consequences of what we say—and how we say it—are higher than ever. We examine whether "polite culture" is helping society or keeping people from speaking their minds, and how we can navigate these conversations with wisdom and integrity.

Resources:

Intro included excerpts from The Scottish Enlightenment by Arthur Herman

Lawsuit against AI chatbot pushing teen to suicide

Allie Beth Stuckey and David French video

Sunday’s Message

We can be our own worst enemy, speaking things to ourselves we’d never say to anyone else. From anxious thoughts to limiting beliefs, the internal voice running in our heads holds incredible power over how we live, feel, and act. But can that inner monologue ever be tamed? In this episode of Me and My Big Mouth, host Calum Shaw and Lead Pastor Drew Karschner dive into the stories we tell ourselves, exploring what to do and how the Bible guides us in dealing with the silent, unseen critic and taking control of our minds.

Resources:

Sunday’s Message

Words…once they're out, you can't take them back. In this first episode of Me & My Big Mouth, we sit down to talk honestly about the words that have shaped us: the harsh ones we still remember, the kind ones that stuck, and everything in between.

We dig into Proverbs 18:21 and ask what it really means for our words to carry "the power of life and death,” and why that can feel more theoretical than true in everyday life. We talk about whether the words themselves or the attitude behind them does the real damage (or good), whether cussing is actually off-limits, and how our vocabulary is shaped by what we've been filling our hearts with.

We also get into some harder questions: What do you do after you've said something you can't take back? How does a heart actually change? And what's one thing each of us wants to do differently after this conversation?

Sunday’s Message

Jason’s Message on the commandment not to take the Lord’s name in vain

How should Christians engage in a politically divided world? When the "other" we are supposed to love becomes the enemy we fight, something has to change.

In this episode of A Little Better, host Calum Shaw is joined by Matt Sones to close out our series on Christians and Politics. While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to political involvement, we dive into how to navigate today's landscape with humility, discernment, and a commitment to doing good for others.

In this episode, we cover:

• Moving past the "us vs. them" political mentality to love well.

• The importance of being humbly informed rather than reactively outraged.
• Practicing discernment in our media consumption and political engagement.

LINKS & RESOURCES

Companion PDF Guide: pages | spreads

In a culture deeply divided along ideological lines, it’s easy for Christians to find themselves caught up in the same tribalism, anger, and anxiety that dominate the evening news. But is that how God intended public life to look?

This week on A Little Better, Calum Shaw sits down with Matt Sones for Part 1 of a vital conversation: How Should Christians Be Involved in Politics? Together, they step away from the shouting matches of partisan platforms to examine what scripture actually commands of us as citizens of an earthly state who hold a primary allegiance to the Kingdom of God.

In this episode, they unpack the first of six principles for a healthy political engagement as a Christian. Chances are, they aren’t what you’d expect.

If you want to move past the anxiety of modern politics and step into a lifestyle of unshakable hope and love for your neighbor, this episode is for you.

LINKS & RESOURCES

Companion PDF Guide: pages | spreads

Submit a Question: Got a question you want answered on the show? Submit it here: https://forms.gle/faT1hp7kngFv1NkA6

What happens when your faith collides with your passport?

As believers, we live with a unique tension: we are residents of an earthly nation, but our ultimate allegiance belongs to the Kingdom of God. So how do we navigate the messy world of politics, voting, and cultural division without compromising our higher calling?

In this episode of Christians and Politics, Calum Shaw and Matt Sones dive into what it truly means to be The Christian Citizen. We challenge the status quo, look at how our faith should inform our civic engagement, and discuss how to keep the Kingdom first in a deeply divided world.

LINKS & RESOURCES

Companion PDF Guide: Single | Spreads

Submit a Question: Got a question you want answered on the show? Submit it here: https://forms.gle/faT1hp7kngFv1NkA6