The Bait – Pastor Erton Köhler

Oxford Dictionary's 2025 word of the year was "Rage Bait"—content posted on the internet with the specific intention of making you angry. It is designed to provoke and offend. We live in an ecosystem of manufactured outrage. Every time you open your phone, someone dangles a hook in front of your face. They want you to bite. They want you to lose control. They want to monetize your fury. We see this spirit entering the church. We see the polarization that tears nations apart trying to tear our pews apart. We see brothers and sisters who should be united by the blood of Jesus being divided by the hot blood of an argument on social media. We need to pause and recognize the danger. Rage is not just an emotion. It is a spiritual trap. "For the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God" (James 1:20, NKJV). When we bite the Rage Bait, we swallow a poison that kills our witness. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God" (Matthew 5:9, NKJV). Notice He did not say "Blessed are the ones who win the debate." He blessed the peacemakers. This is our identity. As Seventh-day Adventists, we are people of the Sabbath. The Sabbath is a sanctuary in time. It is a day of rest, not a day of rage. How do we respond? First, we must refuse to bite the bait. We need the discipline of silence. Second, we must practice the soft answer. "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger" (Proverbs 15:1, NKJV). The church must be the noise-canceling headphones for a stressed-out world. When the world screams with hate, we emit the inverse frequency of grace. We are here to lower the volume. We are here to bring sanity back to the conversation. If the world has its Rage Bait, we have the Bread of Life. Be the calm in the storm. Be the grace in the grit. About the series From the Heart is a weekly devotional series in which Pastor Köhler reflects on what it means to be grounded in the Bible and focused on the mission, collectively and individually. Each episode is grounded in the four pillars of the Seventh-day Adventist Church strategic plan: Communion with God, Identity in Christ, Unity through the Holy Spirit, and Mission for All. The series connects biblical faith to everyday life, sharing short reflections and glimpses of how God is at work through the Adventist Church around the world. Subscribe and join us each week as we live out our faith and prepare for Jesus's return. – The Seventh-day Adventist Church has been an established denomination since 1863. It is a global Christian family with over 23 million members who hold the Bible as the ultimate authority. We are believers committed to helping people understand the Bible to find freedom, healing, and hope in Jesus. Want to learn more about the Seventh-day Adventist Church? Visit our website at: https://www.adventist.org/ Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzn-CVUSObQ