Discipleship is not just about what we believe; it is about what shapes us day after day. In most churches, when we think about discipleship, we picture Bible studies, sermons, small groups, and prayer gatherings. All of those are essential.
But there is another discipler working quietly, consistently, and often more effectively than the church itself. It sits in our pockets, on our nightstands, and in our hands nearly every hour of the day. Our phones are discipling us.
For many believers, the phone has become a constant companion. It gives direction, fills silence, and creates rhythms of life. The question is not whether our phones shape us, but how. Unless we acknowledge this reality, we risk being formed more by technology than by the truth of the gospel.
Phones as Daily Disciplers
Whether we realize it or not, our phones are active disciplers. They shape our habits, capture our attention, and influence our desires.
The numbers make this clear. A 2023 report from Reviews.org found that the average American checks their phone 352 times per day and spends about 4 hours and 25 minutes daily on mobile devices.
Apple’s Screen Time reports have revealed that many iPhone users unlock their phones more than 80 times a day. Our first instinct in the morning and our last action before bed often involves a screen.
This constant engagement is formative. Every scroll, notification, and vibration trains us in small ways. We begin to live by the rhythms of our devices rather than the rhythms of God’s Word. If discipleship is the process of being shaped into the image of Christ, then for many, phones have become a more consistent discipler than the Bible or the church.
The local church typically offers one or two hours of weekly formation. Our phones offer dozens of hours. Which voice, then, is doing the heavier discipling? The answer is sobering.
The Formation of Attention
Discipleship requires attention. Following Christ means setting our eyes and hearts on him. But phones are designed to fragment our focus. They pull us into constant distraction.
Microsoft released a study in 2015 suggesting that the average human attention span had dropped to 8 seconds, down from 12 seconds in 2000. While some have debated the precision of that figure, the broader trend is undeniable. A 2022 study published in Nature Communications analyzed global Twitter data and found that online conversations now move on from trending topics in half the time they did a decade ago. In other words, our collective attention is shrinking.
Instead of learning to linger over truth, we are conditioned to consume information in short bursts. Reading Scripture feels harder. Sitting in prayer seems longer. Even worship can feel slow compared to the instant stimulation of scrolling a feed.
Our phones disciple us into distraction. The deep work of faith—stillness before God, meditation on his Word, attentiveness to the Spirit—is crowded out by shallow rhythms of digital life.
Identity Through Screens
Phones also disciple us by shaping how we see ourselves. Identity, for many, is no longer rooted in Christ or community but in digital approval.
The Pew Research Center reported in 2022 that 95 percent of U.S. teens have access to a smartphone, and nearly half say they are online “almost constantly.” In that environment, self-worth is tied to likes, comments, and shares.
A 2019 study published in JAMA Psychiatry found that adolescents who spent more than three hours per day on social media faced significantly higher risks of anxiety, depression, and body image struggles. The opinions of a digital crowd are discipling young people more than their families or their faith.
But this is not limited to teenagers. Adults also curate digital identities on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Posts are carefully filtered to present an image of success, happiness, or security. Over time, that image becomes confused with reality.
Phones teach us that visibility and affirmation define our worth. Yet these are fragile foundations. The gospel alone offers an identity that does not rise and fall with notifications.
Phones as False Evangelists
Our phones preach every day. The messages may not sound like sermons, but they shape our beliefs and values all the same. Algorithms are designed to keep us engaged, not necessarily to lead us toward truth.
In 2021, investigative reporters at The Wall Street Journal demonstrated how TikTok’s algorithm could identify a user’s interests within minutes and then flood them with related content, often pushing extreme or addictive material. Similar studies of YouTube have shown that its recommendation system tends to promote more sensational and polarizing videos.
This means our phones are not neutral. They are evangelists, proclaiming visions of the good life rooted in consumerism, self-indulgence, and division. Influencers sell lifestyles. News feeds polarize communities. Advertisements disciple us into equating happiness with what we buy.
Without realizing it, many Christians absorb more teaching from their phones in a single week than from their pastors in a month. The competing gospel is clear: deny nothing, indulge everything, follow trends, and make yourself the center. That is not the way of Christ.
Redeeming the Device
The solution is not to abandon phones entirely. Few people can or will live without them, and they can serve good purposes. The challenge is to reclaim them as tools that support discipleship rather than undermine it.
Some Christians practice a digital Sabbath, turning off their devices one day a week to rest, pray, and spend time with family. Others set boundaries, such as keeping phones out of bedrooms or silencing notifications during meals and devotions. These practices remind us that we are in control of the device, not the other way around.
Phones can also become instruments for spiritual growth. Bible reading apps, prayer reminders, and podcasts can bring God’s Word into daily rhythms. Messaging groups can be used for prayer requests and encouragement. The same device that distracts us can also point us toward God, if we use it intentionally.
The key is to decide who will be the discipler. If we let our phones run unchecked, they will shape us according to the values of the world. But if we use them wisely, they can reinforce the values of Christ. The goal is not escape, but transformation.
Moving to Gospel-Centered Discipleship
The discipleship of phones is real. They form our habits, redirect our attention, reshape our identity, and preach a false gospel with persuasive power. The danger is not simply that we use them, but that we underestimate their influence.
Yet we are not powerless. With intentional practices, wise boundaries, and a gospel-centered vision, we can redeem the device. We can make it serve our discipleship rather than compete with it.
The psalmist said, “I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways” (Psalm 119:15). That is the posture of true discipleship. Our phones will always demand our eyes. The question is whether we will let them have our hearts.
Posted on October 27, 2025
With nearly 40 years of ministry experience, Thom Rainer has spent a lifetime committed to the growth and health of local churches across North America.
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