Holy but Heated: Too Spicy for the Group Chat; Too Real to Ignore | Cancel Culture—Who’s Really Getting Cancelled?

Pssst… I’ve got the VIP pass to the hottest (and messiest) club in town: Cancel Culture. 

And yes, your teen life and even your church group are on the guest list. 

Grab your popcorn, because today the internet drama is spilling into church, school, and your group chat—and trust me, it’s hotter than your group chat notifications at 11 PM.

Okay… real talk. Have you ever typed out a comment and then—BAM—you second-guessed yourself? Or scrolled through a post and seen someone get totally roasted online, and thought, ‘Wait… is cancel culture literally everywhere?’

Yeah… it’s kind of like that awkward moment in the group chat where everyone’s waiting to see if someone’s gonna clap back or quietly disappear.

Today, we’re diving deep, like extra-deep, into the hot mess that is cancel culture—and yep, we’re talking about what it looks like in the Christian world too.

Cancel culture is everywhere. Some of it is messy, some of it is unfair… and some of it might actually be teaching us something. So if you’ve ever watched someone get roasted online—or even felt the heat yourself—this episode is for you.

So buckle up, because this is Holy… but Heated.

Hey girl! Welcome back to Holy but Heated, where we talk about the stuff nobody wants to whisper about in the group chat, but someone’s gotta say it. 

I’m your host, Kaase Levell and this is the 3rd episode in our Holy But Heated series and today we are tackling a topic that is literally popping off everywhere: Cancel Culture.

Now Before we dip in, grab your headphones, maybe a snack, maybe a journal, because I might ask you to pause and think—no scrolling allowed.

Here’s what we’re unpacking today: first, what cancel culture actually is; second, how it shows up in Christian spaces; third, how you—yes, you, teen girls in your school, your social circles, and your church groups—can survive, navigate, and even thrive when cancel culture comes knocking.

Sound good? Okay, let’s get into it.

1️⃣ What Cancel Culture Is (and Isn’t)

So let’s start with the basics. What is cancel culture, really? 

At its core, cancel culture happens when someone—whether it’s a celebrity, an influencer, or even someone in your friend group—makes a mistake or says something totally controversial, and then they face public backlash. 

Sometimes it’s fair. Sometimes… not so much.

Here’s the thing: cancel culture isn’t really about accountability all the time. 

Often, it’s about shaming, pressure, and fear. 

It’s like the world’s fastest group chat, but instead of memes, it’s judgment flying at you in 280 characters or less.

Quick pause for you: think about the last time you saw someone get canceled online or even in school.

Did you agree with it? Disagree with it? Was it actually their fault, or just drama they got sucked into? 

Take a second and really think about that.

Did it feel fair to you? 

The main takeaway here is this: cancel culture can feel tempting to join, but it doesn’t always reflect God’s heart. 

Jesus isn’t about clapping back—EVER! He’s actually about grace, even when people mess up.

Here’s a playful thought: imagine your group chat has a ‘Cancel Club’ membership—would you join, or are you skipping the meeting for some holy popcorn and prayer?

2️⃣ Cancel Culture in the Christian World

Now let’s get spicy. 

You might be thinking, “Wait… this is the Christian world—shouldn’t we be safe from cancel culture?”

Ha. Nope. Not even close.

Cancel culture sneaks into churches, youth groups, and Christian social media all the time.

It could be a pastor saying something a few people don’t agree with. Maybe a worship leader messes up a song. Or a Christian influencer posts something that rubs people the wrong way. Suddenly, the comment section blows up, people unsubscribe, and the rumor mill is spinning.

I remember this one influencer—it seemed like a tiny thing at first, but the internet freaked out. People started canceling her online, unsubscribing, and even bringing that energy into their small groups.

It spreads fast.

Here’s the scripture tie-in: Matthew 7:1 – “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” 

Even when someone slips up, God wants us to lean into grace, not jump to judgment.

Now, let’s bring in a biblical story to this, because we always gotta check the Word first: remember the story of Jonah?

Let me give you the full picture on this one—because honestly, it’s classic.

Jonah lived hundreds of years before Jesus, around the 8th century BC. He was a prophet in Israel—a person God picked to speak His truth. One day, God gave Jonah a huge assignment: go to Nineveh, a massive city full of people living in ways that were seriously wrong, and tell them to repent so they could turn back to God.

Jonah’s reaction? Nope. He literally ran the other way. He got on a ship going far away from Nineveh. 

Then, a massive storm hit. The sailors freaked out, and Jonah finally confessed, “Yup… this is my fault.” They threw him into the sea, and God sent a giant fish to swallow him.

Three days later, Jonah prayed from inside the fish, and God gave him a second chance.

Jonah finally went to Nineveh and delivered God’s message. 

And… the people actually listened. They repented. They changed their hearts. And Jonah? He got mad. He didn’t want God to show mercy. 

He basically wanted to cancel God’s plan because it didn’t match what he thought was fair.

Pause for a sec: Jonah tried to play judge over God’s mercy. 

That’s exactly what happens in cancel culture today—people decide someone’s story is over because of one mistake, forgetting grace, perspective, and God’s bigger plan.

If you want to check it out yourself, you can read the full story in Jonah 1–4 in the Old Testament. Trust me, it’s short but super packed with lessons about obedience, mercy, perspective, and even, cancel culture!

3️⃣ Alright, Zooming Into Teen Life

Let’s get personal.  

Teen life is already a lot—friend drama, group chats, social media, school cliques—and now we’re adding cancel culture to the mix.

Maybe your friend accidentally said something wrong, and suddenly everyone’s side-eyeing them. 

Or maybe you liked a post that someone else didn’t approve of, and your phone blows up with comments. Ugh, the anxiety is real.

Can we be honest? Sometimes you’ve canceled someone yourself… but maybe you didn’t even know it. 

Pause and think: have you ever jumped on a bandwagon without hearing the full story?

Here’s how you can handle it like a Christian teen:

1. Stop the scroll, check the heart. Ask yourself: Am I spreading grace or gossip?

   
   

2. Choose your battles. Not every opinion deserves a firestorm.

   
   

3. Own your mistakes. When you mess up, be quick to apologize, not defensive.

   
   

Scripture check: Ephesians 4:29 says, ‘Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs.’ 

That means our words should lift others, not tear them down.

Mini exercise: think of one situation where you’ve been tempted to ‘cancel’ someone.

How could you handle it differently next time, in a way that builds them up instead of tearing them down?

And here’s a fun tip: when your group chat starts heating up, imagine God as the ultimate moderator—calm, fair, and full of mercy. 

It helps put things in perspective, and honestly, it’s kinda hilarious to picture Him rolling His eyes at the drama.

Here’s the truth: cancel culture is loud, messy, and can feel impossible to navigate. But as followers of Jesus, we get to choose a better path. We can pause before judging, respond with grace, and remember that God sees the heart—not the viral post.

Challenge for the week: the next time you see someone getting canceled, whether online or in real life, pause, pray, and ask yourself: how can I respond in love instead of adding fuel to the fire?

Remember, you don’t have to be perfect to stand for what’s right. You can be holy… but heated, too. And sometimes, that heat? It’s the fire that lights up love and truth where it’s needed most.

James 1:19 says, ‘Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.’ Let’s take that to heart.

Spread some grace, wink at the drama, and let God flip the script on the chaos. Stay holy… but heated, and I’ll see you next week!