May 06, 2026

Digital Thorns | Menlo Midweek Podcast | Joey Odom & Matt Summers

37 minutes

Welcome to the Menlo Midweek Podcast! This week, we are incredibly excited to kick off a brand-new series titled "GLITCH." Host Matt Summers sits down with special guest Joey Odom (co-founder of Aro) to talk about the system errors in our modern lives—specifically, our relationship with our phones and technology.

In this opening episode, "Digital Thorns," Matt and Joey explore how the constant hum of digital distraction is causing a glitch in the most important parts of our lives, our relationships, and our faith.

📍 In This Episode:

The Modern Thorns: We look at Jesus' Parable of the Sower and discuss how the "thorns" that choke out the good seed today often look a lot like our smartphones, social media feeds, and constant notifications.

Presence vs. Proximity: Joey shares his personal wake-up calls, highlighting the hard truth that just being in the same room as your family or friends isn't the same thing as being truly present with them.

The Psychology of the Scroll: Why is it so hard to put the phone down? We dive into the intentional design behind our devices and why we must be just as intentional about creating boundaries to fix the glitch.

Reclaiming Connection: Practical, guilt-free steps to start unplugging, creating healthier rhythms, and opening up the space needed to hear from God and connect deeply with the people right in front of us.

💬 Discussion Question:

Think about your screen time this past week. What is one "digital thorn" you can remove today to fix the glitch and be more fully present with God and the people around you?

Next Steps

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Download this week’s sermon study guide:

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Listen to Menlo Midweek Podcast

Want a behind-the-scenes look at this week’s sermon? Tune into our Menlo Midweek Podcast where we break down the sermon, themes, and other personal insights not covered on Sunday. Listen at: http://menlo.church/podcasts.

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