How to Teach Students to Evaluate Entertainment Through a Biblical Lens
September 2, 2025
By Katherine Schultz
As leaders in Christian schools, one of our key responsibilities is to guide students to develop a mature, biblical worldview. This worldview shapes how they understand the world around them, and it influences the choices they make, including how they engage with various forms of entertainment. Entertainment is a powerful force in shaping the thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors of young people. Whether it’s movies, music, social media, video games, or sports, the messages they receive from entertainment are profound and often subtle. As educators, it’s crucial that we equip students with the tools to evaluate these influences through the lens of Scripture.
This post will explore practical tools to help students assess entertainment in a way that reflects biblical principles, enabling them to align their entertainment choices with a Christ-centered worldview.
The Need for Biblical Evaluation of Entertainment
We live in a culture where entertainment is omnipresent. It’s easy for students to passively consume content without reflecting on its impact. This is where the need for a biblical framework becomes apparent. As Christians, we know that everything—whether it’s our work, our relationships, or the entertainment we enjoy—should be approached in a way that honors God.
The Bible calls us to do this in Romans 12:2, which says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” By teaching students how to engage with entertainment thoughtfully, we help them transform their thinking, aligning it more closely with God’s will.
Yet, many students don’t naturally evaluate the content they consume. In fact, they may not even realize the messages that are shaping their beliefs and attitudes through the media they enjoy. Entertainment, when left unchecked, can subtly promote values that are counter to biblical teachings, including materialism, promiscuity, violence, and idolatry. This is why it’s important for us to provide students with the tools to recognize these influences and to evaluate them against the truth of Scripture.
Key Principles for Biblical Evaluation:
- Engage with Entertainment Thoughtfully: Teach students to be intentional in what they consume, guiding them to ask, “What is the message of this entertainment?”
- Apply Scripture for Discernment: Encourage students to filter entertainment choices through the lens of Scripture, using passages like Romans 12:2 to guide their evaluations.
- Identify Potential Pitfalls: Help students recognize the dangers of unchecked entertainment, which may subtly promote values that go against biblical teachings.
Evaluating Movies and TV Shows: Applying Biblical Principles
Movies and TV shows are central forms of entertainment in the lives of most students. From the latest blockbuster to trending Netflix series, these visual mediums shape students’ views on relationships, morality, and the world around them.
One key principle in evaluating movies and TV shows is to discern the worldview being presented. What messages about life, relationships, and morality are conveyed through the characters and storylines? Are these aligned with biblical values, or do they promote a worldview that contradicts Scripture?
Philippians 4:8 provides a helpful guide for evaluation: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
Encourage students to reflect on whether the content they consume aligns with these qualities.
Moreover, students should be taught to critically assess the portrayal of right and wrong. For example, does a show celebrate sin or downplay the consequences of bad choices? Does it make virtue seem irrelevant or even unattractive? We can’t be overly simplistic in our training either—after all, the Bible itself tells specific tales of sin as well as beautiful stories of redemption. By training students to recognize these patterns, we can help them develop the ability to discern good from evil, as encouraged in Hebrews 5:14.
Key Principles for Evaluating Movies and TV Shows:
- Discern the Worldview
- Examine the Portrayal of Morality
- Evaluate the Content Against Philippians 4:8
Evaluating Sports Through a Biblical Lens
When we think of entertainment, we often think of movies, television shows, or video games. But one area that demands equal consideration is sports. As a pastime enjoyed by something like 94% of Americans, sports aren’t just a form of entertainment; they can shape cultural narratives, influence character development, and even offer opportunities for discipleship.
Many students engage with sports, either as athletes or fans, and these experiences can deeply affect how they perceive concepts like competition, success, failure, and community. However, much like with other forms of entertainment, it is important to evaluate sports through a biblical lens to help students develop a worldview that honors God in all areas of life.
Consider 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, where Paul speaks of running the race of life with purpose and discipline, aiming for a prize that is imperishable. He uses athletic imagery to illustrate the Christian walk, emphasizing perseverance, self-control, and striving for excellence.
Principles for Evaluating Sports:
- Competition and Character
- Success and Failure
- Spectator Mentality
Music and Video Games: Recognizing the Hidden Influences
Music and video games represent other areas of entertainment that often exert powerful influences on students’ attitudes, emotions, and worldview. While music can be incredibly positive, shaping a student’s understanding of beauty and expressing deep truths, it can also glorify rebellion, violence, and immorality. Video games, while providing fun and a sense of accomplishment, can expose students to virtual worlds that lack moral consequence, or encourage sinful behavior and unhealthy escapism.
Does the music they listen to promote worship of God, or does it glorify things that lead them away from Him? Psalm 33:3 reminds us to sing “a new song” that brings honor to God.
Likewise, with video games—are they violent or morally ambiguous? Do they feed addiction? Once again, Philippians 4:8 provides a solid evaluative framework.
Key Principles for Evaluating Music and Video Games:
Practical Tools for Guiding Students
Now that we’ve explored several forms of entertainment, how can educators begin to guide students in evaluating their choices? Here are a few practical tools to help:
- Create Critical Discussion Opportunities: Encourage students to discuss entertainment with biblical principles as their framework. Ask guiding questions like, “What does this movie say about relationships?” or “How does this game reflect the values of our culture?”
- Use a Proven Tool to Assess Worldview: To help identify where students’ worldview may be aligned—or misaligned—with biblical truth, I recommend using the free 10 Questions to Discover Your Worldview PDF. These are actual sample questions from the 3D Worldview Survey, connected to survey item numbers and dimensions. You can use them individually or with a group of students to begin meaningful conversations about worldview.
- Set Boundaries Together: Work with students to define clear, Christ-honoring guidelines for engaging with entertainment. This builds ownership and accountability without being legalistic.
Key Takeaways
- Biblical Discernment in Entertainment: Students must learn to evaluate entertainment through Scripture to cultivate a mature worldview.
- Sports as Discipleship: Sports provide opportunities to apply biblical themes such as humility, perseverance, and teamwork.
- Practical Tools for Evaluation: Regular discussions, using tools like the “10 Questions” PDF, and setting clear boundaries can help students make choices that align with God’s truth.
If you’re ready to explore how your students’ worldview is actually shaping their entertainment choices—and how you can guide them toward alignment with biblical truth—start today by downloading my free resource:
Download 10 Questions PDF now(https://survey.3dworldviewsurvey.com/home)
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