As a Christian, we think of sermons as something exclusive to Sunday morning church services. We view them as a spiritual message, in which a pastor, standing in a pulpit, Bible open, delivers his message.

This limited view prevents us from recognizing the countless other types of “secular sermons” that are being preached to us daily outside the church walls through our screens, advertisements, and entertainment.

A usefully broader definition of a sermon is any message designed to change or reinforce what a group of people value. By this definition, sermons happen everywhere, from sports commercials to TV shows, from social media feeds to corporate mission statements.

What makes these secular sermons particularly influential is how they create what may be accepted as common knowledge. This is not merely information that we individually absorb; it is an understanding that we know others have also embraced as truth.

Think about a TV show that portrays religious believers as backward or hypocritical, we have all seen this. The power is not just in how it might influence you personally but the fact that millions of others watched the same program. This shared awareness creates a powerful network effect that amplifies the message far beyond its initial impact.

Consider commercials and how they impact the buying habits of the listeners. The message functions as a secular sermon because of the broad audience that has heard it, reinforcing individualistic values.

The moment we recognize this broader definition of sermons, we begin to see that our culture is filled with competing pulpits, each vying for influence over our values, priorities, and beliefs.

So, what is a secular sermon we may hear today that impacts the hearers?

Scroll through social media resources and you will hear the persistent sermon that fulfillment comes through aesthetic perfection and curated experiences, preaching a doctrine of self-actualization through consumption and experience-collecting. This secular sermon quietly challenges the Christian understanding that true joy comes from a never-ending relationship with God.

Companies position themselves in their vision statements as ethical and moral authorities. Whether it is a coffee brand promising community or an outdoor retailer preaching environmental stewardship, these brands are delivering sermons about what matters most in life. The underlying message: utilization is the primary way to affect change in the world.

When you open Facebook, YouTube, Spotify or your news feed, the recommendation algorithms deliver a sermon tailored specifically to you. The message it is sending is that your individual taste should be your primary guide. This personalization subtly undermines the Christian notion of submitting to truth.

The latest hit movie may contain an implicit sermon about how the world is saved through the right application of force by a morally righteous individual or group. This narrative of justified violence stands in stark contrast to the Christian story of a Savior who conquers through self-sacrifice and who commands love of others.

Whether left-leaning or right-leaning, political commentators deliver powerful sermons about who belongs in the moral community and who stands outside it. Do not ignore the commands of Jesus, such as the call to love even our enemies.

What makes secular sermons so effective is that they rarely announce themselves as moral or spiritual instruction. These messages can profoundly shape our theology and what we consider reasonable to believe about God, ourselves, and the world.

But we are not helpless to respond.

The first step in countering their influence is simply recognizing them for what they are. When we understand that we are being preached to through our screens, products, and entertainment, we can begin to critically engage with these messages rather than passively absorbing them.

In our media saturated age, this means actively identifying and interrogating the secular sermons bombarding us daily. What values are being preached through your favorite shows? What vision of the good life is your social media feed subtly endorsing? What doctrines about human nature are embedded in the news you consume?

When we recognize competing gospels, actively counter them with biblical truth, and surround ourselves with fellow believers who help us see the water we are swimming in.

The secular pulpits may be louder and plentiful, but they are not more powerful than the timeless truth of God’s word. As we become attuned to the sermons around us, we can respond with wisdom rather than being unwitting disciples of the culture’s ever-changing gospels.