Have you ever watched a toddler try to force the triangle block into the square hole? Frustrating, isn’t it? Pastor Josh White opened his message on September 19, 2021 with that image — a child so confident at first, then confused when the pieces don’t fit. That’s a picture of what happens when we try to stuff God’s truth into our own shapes.
Josh grounded the message in one of the most important verses for understanding Scripture’s purpose:
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
— 2 Timothy 3:16–17
This is the foundation. God’s Word doesn’t just give us information — it equips us. But here’s the tension: in a world drowning in data, we have to ask ourselves — are we actually being formed by the truth, or just informed by it?
Information vs. Transformation
Josh outlined three ways we tend to look at information in our culture. First, information as a moral foundation. When people acknowledge a need for God, they often recognize that without a moral compass, society crumbles. But here’s the problem: focusing on moral values alone can never fully answer the deeper need. Without God at the center, morality slides toward something dark — what one German atheist predicted about 150 years ago — a creeping nihilism where nothing ultimately matters.
Second, information as entertainment and news. The rise of television — what Josh called a “televised war for your attention” — dramatically shifted how we consume information. He referenced how Elvis Presley changed culture through television. Today, social media and smartphones have done the same thing, only faster. We scroll, we consume, we react. But rarely are we transformed.
Third, information as a substitute for truth. Josh pointed out how easily we fall into this: fantasy football, sports betting, the stock market. People are constantly gathering tips, hints, secrets — trying to predict what’s next. We’re swimming in information but starving for wisdom. The serpent in Genesis knew this principle well.
The Serpent’s Strategy
Genesis 3 opens with the classic confrontation in the garden. The serpent asks Eve, “Did God really say you must not eat from any tree in the garden?” That question — did God really say? — is the same one media, culture, and our own flesh whisper today. The serpent wasn’t just lying; he was reframing God’s Word, making it seem restrictive, outdated, even undesirable.
Josh traced this same pattern through the account of David and Uriah in 2 Samuel 11. David had information — he knew right from wrong — but he ignored it. He tried to manipulate his way out of consequences, even sending Uriah home hoping he’d sleep with Bathsheba. Information without submission to God is just noise.
“The woman was more desirable for gaining wisdom; she also took some and ate it. She gave some also to her husband, who was with her.”
— Genesis 3:6 (paraphrased)
Noah: Hearing and Acting
Genesis 6 gives us the opposite picture. The earth was filled with violence. God saw how corrupt everything had become. And Noah? He heard God’s word and acted in faith. Josh highlighted how remarkable this is — God gave Noah a list of instructions, and “Noah did everything just as God commanded him” (Genesis 6:22). One man, hearing truth and obeying it. That’s formation, not just information.
“Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God.”
— Genesis 6:9
So What?
Josh closed with a challenge that cuts through our distraction-laden lives. We have so much information available — podcasts, social media, news, books — but what we need is transformation. 2 Timothy 3:17 tells us Scripture thoroughly equips us for every good work. Not just for knowing, but for doing. Not just for being informed, but for being in formation with God.
The difference matters. Information says: I know enough to talk about it. Transformation says: I am being changed at the core. Josh encouraged everyone to take what you hear, wrestle with it, test it — ask whether it’s good, whether it’s useful, whether you can learn from it and teach it to others. But don’t stop there. Let God’s Word do its work in you.
The triangle doesn’t go in the square hole. Stop forcing it. Come to Scripture with open hands, let it shape you — not the other way around.
Scripture References
- 2 Timothy 3:16–17 — Purpose of Scripture and its equipping power
- Genesis 3:1–6 — The serpent’s deception of Eve
- Genesis 6:9, 22 — Noah’s obedience and righteousness
- 2 Samuel 11 — David’s fall and cover-up