Why 'Cool' Churches Make Us Feel Lonely (A Consume Me Analysis)
A Bible Study on the video game Consume Me
Not sure where to get started? Find our 101 Guide to using our curriculum here.
Opening Prayer
Start with a prayer inviting understanding.
Sample Prayer:
God, thank You for meeting us where we are—stressed, tired, and trying to hold it all together. As we talk tonight, help us see Jesus clearly and help us see each other clearly too. Teach us what real church looks like: not just a service, but a family. Give us courage to be known, and kindness to know others. Amen.
Prep Questions
When you hear the word “church,” what’s the first feeling that shows up (comfort, anxiety, boredom, hope, etc.)?
What’s a “spiritual appetizer” you’ve had before—something that helped for a day, but didn’t last?
Nerdy version: When life gets hard, do you tend to “solo-queue” or form a “party”?
Link to Video
Shortened Transcript
The sermon uses the indie game Consume Me as a mirror for young-adult anxiety: trying to be perfect at school, relationships, body, future—everything.
In the game, Jenny visits a trendy church service and has a dramatic, stress-breaking “Jesus moment.” The worship is cringy, but the message isn’t exactly wrong: Jesus cares, Jesus lifts burdens, Jesus loves you.
The real problem is what happens next: nobody notices Jenny, nobody connects with her, and she leaves alone.
The sermon argues this is “incomplete church”—a moving experience without community. Emotional release without relationship can feel like healing, but it’s often just a breather before Monday hits.
Acts 2:42–47 paints a different picture: learning together, eating together, sharing resources, daily connection, and a kind of belonging where people are missed and cared for.
The invitation: don’t settle for church-as-event. Pursue church-as-table… where burdens are carried together.
