A Florida pastor known for blending his Christian message with humorous references to Costco says the growing spiritual curiosity among young people reflects a deeper search for purpose, insisting that “there are no good answers outside the church.”
Lucas Gomes, who serves at First Baptist Church Fort Lauderdale and Church by the Glades in Coral Springs, recently appeared on “Fox & Friends” to discuss the surge in young adult participation at both congregations, where attendance has climbed into the thousands.
Asked by “Fox & Friends” co-host Ainsley Earhardt why more young people are turning to Christianity, Gomes responded that “the culture is starving for purpose.”
“People are starving for meaning. People want so badly for their life to mean something, and they’re asking hard questions,” he said. “I think social media is making it even worse because these 20-somethings are comparing themselves to things that they see online.”
Gomes has built a sizable online following, with more than 83,000 followers on Instagram under the handle “therealkirklandking,” where he shares lighthearted Costco-themed content alongside invitations to church.
“My influence has grown, and it’s allowed me to invite people to church,” he said.
“It’s authentic to who I am. I love nonsense, really, I love to laugh, I love Costco, and so I started joking about Costco, and that’s what’s getting millions of views. But again, when I get more influence, I can leverage that for what really matters, which is inviting people to church.”
He also referenced viral clips in which he humorously connects faith with everyday experiences.
“The only thing more reliable and consistent than the $1.50 hot dog and soda combo is God,” and “Costco Saturday, church Sunday,” he said, adding, “I guess it turns out I needed to start posting about Costco for people to want to talk to me about Jesus, which I’m totally fine with.”
Despite the light tone of his content, Gomes expressed concern about the negative impact of social media on young people’s mental and emotional well-being.
“They’re comparing themselves to something that’s not real,” he said, noting that such comparisons often leave users feeling inadequate.
He also warned about the growing reliance on artificial intelligence tools for life guidance, cautioning that while such platforms can generate answers, they fall short of providing true meaning.
Referring to tools like ChatGPT, he said they can offer “all kinds of answers about what life is,” but maintained that “there are no good answers outside the church.”
“So many people, they get on social media and they see Christian content and they think that kind of suffices. But social media, Christian content, it will never replace what the Church can do.”
