What is Woke? | Gabe Cleave

Main message: Woke culture seeks to redefine truth, identity, morality, and justice apart from God, so Christians must know and hold to biblical truth, speak it with grace, and prioritize the gospel when engaging the culture.

Key points:

• Woke is defined here as a modern worldview that makes personal autonomy and cultural consensus the ultimate authority instead of Scripture, reframing truth, identity, morality, and justice.
• Five areas where woke thinking shows up: (1) truth/morality (subjective vs. objective truth), (2) identity (who defines us—God or self), (3) justice (dismantling structures/DEI/Marxist roots vs. biblical justice), (4) tolerance/inclusion (distinguish toleration from affirmation; love versus endorsement), and (5) human flourishing (autonomy vs. flourishing through God).
• Jesus and Scripture are presented as the objective truth (e.g., John 14:6; John 1:1, 17:17); Christians must know the Bible daily so they can recognize and respond to counterfeit worldviews.
• How to engage: speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15; John 8 example), avoid foolish online disputes, be patient and humble teachers (2 Timothy 2:23–26), see people as ones to evangelize, and start with the gospel (Romans 10:13).

Scriptures mentioned: Genesis 1:27, John 1:1, John 1:14, John 14:6, John 17:17, John 8 (story of the woman caught in adultery), Ephesians 4:15, 2 Thessalonians 3:10, Micah 6:8, Isaiah 1:17, Proverbs 31:8-9, 1 Corinthians 13, 2 Timothy 2:23-26, Romans 10:13