behind_music

Dictionary definition is: "Mu'-sic vocal or instrumental sounds producing a degree of melody, harmony, or rhythm." But I don't want you to know thatthat definition does you and me NO good.

Here's a REAL definition: MUSIC IS INFLUENCE.ppt (they say it) That's tonight's big deal.

This dictionary definition I DO want you to get: "in'-flu-ence ppt A power affecting a personespecially one that operates without any direct or apparent effort"

And check this--- the example sentence in the dictionary: ppt "relaxed under the influence of the music"

The truth is music has been influencing humans pretty much as far back as recorded history.

Remember a few minutes ago the screen said music therapy was mentioned in the Bible? It's in the Old Testament around 1,000 BC King Saul, the first king of Israel is in a major funk (Biblical phrase;-) he was being tormented by an evil spirit that was making him depressed and afraid.

So to help King Saul they decided to bring in this kid who played a killer electric guitar---OK it was actually a harp ---- this kid was David (of David & Goliath slingshot fame). It says,

Ppt "And whenever the tormenting spirit troubled Saul, David would play the harp. Then Saul would feel better, and the tormenting spirit would go away." 1 Sam 16:23 nlt

This is a Biblical example that back then, music influenced people's emotions or how they were feeling. And the truth is 3,000 years later, music influences how you and I feel too.

How about you ---- is there a certain CD you pop in when you feel totally spent at the end of a day where it seems like you can't make anybody happy?

Is there a CD you play when you're really ticked off at someone--- that gets you even more bent out of shape?

Do you have certain songs that just make you feel GOOD? That make you smile, that just make your heart bounce?

Sure you do and the point I want to make is that MORE than music is chords, rhythms, notes and lyrics---it is influence---it influences our emotionsjust like it did King Saul and it influences our emotions so much that in this country there is a medical field called "music therapy."

Because music therapists (scientists) know what we saw in that slice of Sauls's life 3,000 years ago----that music affects our mind, the way we thinkand our soul---our inner being...

God is most concerned about our soul our inner self---that same place that is big-time influenced by music.

So please----I don't want anyone to leave here tonight saying, "Dude, it's JUST music, take a pill!"

The truth is it's NOT JUST MUSIC, it is INFLUENCE that effects our mind & soulLook at it in our definition of influence:

Music is a power affecting a personespecially one that operates without any direct or apparent (visable) effort.

(repeat last part) Another way to say that is: "it operates and affects you without you knowing it"---that's how most influences work.

Right now, your closet is full of clothes that you like---certain styles of shirts, just the right kind of pants, shoes, on-and-on

Do you remember sitting down and having a personal clothing style strategy session? "Hmmm, I think the best kind of pants for me will sit very low on my waistand the best kind of shirt will fit pretty snug"

The reality is you & I have been influenced as to what kind of clothes we buy because of commercials, TV, movies, magazines, people at school, collage students that you think look cool, the mall

And none of us ever have the sensation we're being influenced---it's never like: "Wooow I'm feeling a strange craving to like Abercrombie & Fitch shirtsare YOU feeling it?"

NO----because influence is a power that operates and affects us without us knowing it. And music is influence. ///

Show of hands---how many people here listen to a bunch of instrumental music? (no lyrics)

That means most of you listen to music with LYRICS in them. So the BIG deal about the influence of music in your life is:

Whatever our ears hear, gets dumped into our brain our brain is like a big empty garden full of soil that's ready for planting. And things that go in our ears are like seeds that drop into that garden

And the truth about us is: Everything we do, everything we believe, started as a seeda little thought that took root in our brain and grew into an action or a part of us.

And here's the goofy part --- influences are powers that affect us without us being aware of it.

So what that means is, we usually are not aware of the things that are actually taking root in the soil of our mind.

I am saying that science has proven that things we expose our mind to over and over have a big time tendency to play out in our actions.

Let's put it in our terms: Have you ever watched a movie or rented a video and it had a lot of swearing in it? (Good Will Hunting) Have you ever been more likely to slip a bad word out after that?or caught yourself thinking about that kind of language more after that?

Or ever watch a movie or a video that's a little more "romantic" shall we say? Did you have a tendency to think more about the opposite sex after that?

For most of us the really honest answer is "yes" to those questions. And did we consciously say to ourselves, "I'm going to try to slip this word into a conversation." Or "I'm going to think more about guys or girls now."??

NOprobably not. But those are little examples of how are ACTIONS & thoughts are INFLUENCED by what we expose it to. //

And guys --- I've got to talk about the lyrics people your age are exposing their fertile minds and souls to.

I went to MTV.com and downloaded their current play list. Then I just went randomly down the list of 40(+) songs and did searches to look at the lyrics.

A pimp is not some imaginary person. Pimps are real and they're men who force women to prostitute themselves and the pimp makes money from it. Pimps beat and degrade women--- they are one of the lowest forms of life on the planet

And this exact lifestyle is what is portrayed in so many of these songs. And sometimes the videos are a joke----there's a like an image of a bright sun-shiny day and the guys singing about beatin' his "hoe."

ppt "f-bombs" ppt graphic sexuality ppt treating women like trash ppt power greed and anger---what did I leave out? (pause)

"Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; (graphic sex, treating women like trash, power, greed, anger )

ppt But those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires." Romans 8:5

But you still might say, "Look, this music isn't going to make me go beat women or become a pimp."

You could be completely correct. But I'm guessing that everyone here is here because wherever you are with God (seeker Christ follower)

Deep down you would like to be closer to Him. Question: When you take in the kind of music I've been talking about do you feel closer to God more intimate with Him?

Or are you probably more likely to leave God at church, or does God kind of slip to the back burner of your mind when you listen to this kind of music?

Romans 8:5 says ppt "those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires."

I read that like: If I actually want to LIVE this Christian life like I'm the real deal---like God is for real if I want my relationship w/Christ to be 3D and not just some warm fuzzy thoughts in my head then I need to plant things in the garden of my mind that will help me be CLOSER to God. And I just can't believe that a song like Pass the Courvoiser is going to do that. (pause)

Those kinds of songs probably won't make you become a pimp. But they sure as Hades won't help you become ANY closer to God than you are right now and without you being aware of it, they may even help you slide backwards away from God...

When we see extreme stuff in songs or movies and think things like it's no big deal because: "I'll never be a pimp." "Or I'll never kill someone." "Or I'd never do sexual things like that."

We've already fallen. Because the Evil One doesn't necessarily need you to be a pimp or a murder or whatever "extreme" thing you think of He just wants you to be a little further away from God (pause) he just wants you to slide God to the back burner

Listening to Pass the Corvoiser doesn't make you a pimp. But it doesn't bring you any closer to the Father either---- and that in itself, is a small victory for the dark side. /////

Ppt title slide As I looked at this topic getting ready for tonight it was really tough ---- Because as I looked over MTV's playlist I couldn't find a simple way to sort out the songs.

Like I saw on TV where P-Diddy was givin' props to Jesus Christ and Micah mentioned how Destiny's Child does the same thing on their CD liner notes

Some Britney Spears lyrics are fine (not good;-), and some of her song lyrics are not OK.

You would think that a song like Underneath Your Clothes by Shakira would be about sex, but "underneath your clothes" refers to her man's heart, not his body, not sex ---but then again, the video is different thing altogether.

All You Wanted by Michelle Branch could be a song about God the way I read it. Stillness of Heart by Lenny Kravitz could too.

So I give you these examples to show you that it's NOT EASY to know what's good and what's not.

Bottom line: You have to look closely at what you listen tothere's no easy way to sort it out. But START NOW to listen to what songs are saying and if it's a message that isn't cool, skip over that song if the whole CD has uncool lyrics, then use it as a great coaster on your mom's coffee table.

I'm a Greatful Dead fan from "way back" but on one of my favorite recordings, they do a song called Friend of the Devil. I always skip over it it's got a really nice melody line, but I can't get on board with the lyrics so I don't expose my mind & soul to it.

If you're not sure whether something's OK to listen to or not ---first of all, if you question whether it's OK, that's usually a sign that it's not. But a rule we use around here that's safe is "when in doubt, leave it out."

Some of you guys have kind of an "all or nothing" personality and you know you won't really take the time to figure out which lyrics are OK and which aren't and you know what your tendencies are

If that's you, then just check out of the pop music deal altogether. Don't risk damaging your soul just check out.

Tonight's service was based on the cards you guys filled out a few weeks back. There were a few more related questions so I thought we'd hit them real quick.

Based on everything I've said tonight, the answer is "yes" as long as the lyrics are kosher---but let the test be your walk w/Christ. If a CD or a song makes you uneasy as to your Christian walk, LOSE IT. If after you listen to certain CDs or artists and you notice God has somehow slipped to the back burner of your mindlose it. Most of the CDs I own are not by Christian artists. But I pay attention to the content of EVERYTHING I listen to.

No, but it's all Christian music! Christian music is no different than any kind of music, there's really good stuff and there's some stuff that ought go in a "pant-a-load" ;-) You have to find out what you like in Christian music. But from a lyrical content perspective, yes, basically Christian music gets super higher marks compared to pop lyrics. And there are some killer Christian bands out there.

EVERYTHING is out there!! Living Water really has a pretty good selection of Christian Artists & Worship Music in every "flava" you can imagine.

A good approach if you don't have a clue what you're looking for, is go in and ask for something in a style of a secular artist you like. If you want something N'Sync-y they'll show you something like that. If you want a Limp Bizkit style you can find that.

Basically what's hard about music suggestions is that what I think rocks, someone else thinks sucks & vice-versa. (Mark & Micah)

Personally I listen to more worship music than Christian music, so I could help there, as could Micah & Sarah Stoneking is a wealth of knowledge on this subject. So ask around to get ideas. Some of us might actually let you BORROW a CD or 2!!

Tonight we learned that music influences our mind and our soul. That is one of the reasons we bring worship music into this service. Most importantly worship is about what we give to God, but the influence of the truth of worship songs in our minds and souls is huge.

Songs have this way of rolling around in our head sometimes all day. And the effect of a song like "The Noise We Make" vs. a song like "Oops Oh My" is as opposite as it gets

Worships songs roll around in my head and remind of the God's truth & His promises to me. And I need reminded just like you do.

Right now, the band is going to lead us in a worship that you may not have thought of as a worship song. But as we looked at the lyrics, it seemed clear that God is "everywhere" and can use anything He wants to connect us to Him.



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		Behind the Music (youth ministry message) Morgan Young 5.5.02 That was good music wasn't it? What is music? (get answers via wireless handheld) Dictionary definition is: "Mu'-sic vocal or instrumental sounds producing a degree of melody, harmony, or rhythm." But I don't want you to know thatthat definition does you and me NO good. Here's a REAL definition: MUSIC IS INFLUENCE.ppt (they say it) That's tonight's big deal. What is influence? (get answers) This dictionary definition I DO want you to get: "in'-flu-ence ppt A power affecting a personespecially one that operates without any direct or apparent effort" And check this--- the example sentence in the dictionary: ppt "relaxed under the influence of the music" The truth is music has been influencing humans pretty much as far back as recorded history. Remember a few minutes ago the screen said music therapy was mentioned in the Bible? It's in the Old Testament around 1,000 BC King Saul, the first king of Israel is in a major funk (Biblical phrase;-) he was being tormented by an evil spirit that was making him depressed and afraid. So to help King Saul they decided to bring in this kid who played a killer electric guitar---OK it was actually a harp ---- this kid was David (of David & Goliath slingshot fame). It says, Ppt "And whenever the tormenting spirit troubled Saul, David would play the harp. Then Saul would feel better, and the tormenting spirit would go away." 1 Sam 16:23 nlt This is a Biblical example that back then, music influenced people's emotions or how they were feeling. And the truth is 3,000 years later, music influences how you and I feel too. How about you ---- is there a certain CD you pop in when you feel totally spent at the end of a day where it seems like you can't make anybody happy? Is there a CD you play when you're really ticked off at someone--- that gets you even more bent out of shape? Do you have certain songs that just make you feel GOOD? That make you smile, that just make your heart bounce? Sure you do and the point I want to make is that MORE than music is chords, rhythms, notes and lyrics---it is influence---it influences our emotionsjust like it did King Saul and it influences our emotions so much that in this country there is a medical field called "music therapy." Why am I talking about musical therapy? Because music therapists (scientists) know what we saw in that slice of Sauls's life 3,000 years ago----that music affects our mind, the way we thinkand our soul---our inner being... Pop quiz: what part of us is God most concerned about???. Yes, our soul. God is most concerned about our soul our inner self---that same place that is big-time influenced by music. So please----I don't want anyone to leave here tonight saying, "Dude, it's JUST music, take a pill!" The truth is it's NOT JUST MUSIC, it is INFLUENCE that effects our mind & soulLook at it in our definition of influence: Music is a power affecting a personespecially one that operates without any direct or apparent (visable) effort. (repeat last part) Another way to say that is: "it operates and affects you without you knowing it"---that's how most influences work. Let me give you an example: Right now, your closet is full of clothes that you like---certain styles of shirts, just the right kind of pants, shoes, on-and-on Do you remember sitting down and having a personal clothing style strategy session? "Hmmm, I think the best kind of pants for me will sit very low on my waistand the best kind of shirt will fit pretty snug" Did anybody do that? NO! The reality is you & I have been influenced as to what kind of clothes we buy because of commercials, TV, movies, magazines, people at school, collage students that you think look cool, the mall And none of us ever have the sensation we're being influenced---it's never like: "Wooow I'm feeling a strange craving to like Abercrombie & Fitch shirtsare YOU feeling it?" NO----because influence is a power that operates and affects us without us knowing it. And music is influence. /// Show of hands---how many people here listen to a bunch of instrumental music? (no lyrics) That means most of you listen to music with LYRICS in them. So the BIG deal about the influence of music in your life is: Ppt "What are the lyrics saying in the music you listen to?" (last fall "Kung Fu Question Theater" no Christian music style, only lyrics) (Limp Bizkit style ok? Could Skip Edwards have a Satanic Polka Band?) Alright so we're left with lyrics Whatever our ears hear, gets dumped into our brain our brain is like a big empty garden full of soil that's ready for planting. And things that go in our ears are like seeds that drop into that garden And the truth about us is: Everything we do, everything we believe, started as a seeda little thought that took root in our brain and grew into an action or a part of us. And here's the goofy part --- influences are powers that affect us without us being aware of it. So what that means is, we usually are not aware of the things that are actually taking root in the soil of our mind. "This sounds like psychology class! So what are you saying?" I am saying that science has proven that things we expose our mind to over and over have a big time tendency to play out in our actions. Let's put it in our terms: Have you ever watched a movie or rented a video and it had a lot of swearing in it? (Good Will Hunting) Have you ever been more likely to slip a bad word out after that?or caught yourself thinking about that kind of language more after that? Or ever watch a movie or a video that's a little more "romantic" shall we say? Did you have a tendency to think more about the opposite sex after that? For most of us the really honest answer is "yes" to those questions. And did we consciously say to ourselves, "I'm going to try to slip this word into a conversation." Or "I'm going to think more about guys or girls now."?? NOprobably not. But those are little examples of how are ACTIONS & thoughts are INFLUENCED by what we expose it to. // And guys --- I've got to talk about the lyrics people your age are exposing their fertile minds and souls to. I went to MTV.com and downloaded their current play list. Then I just went randomly down the list of 40(+) songs and did searches to look at the lyrics. And probably no one will be surprised by what I found: "f-bomb this, "f-bomb" that, MF & and every other kind of bomb Very explicit, graphic--- sexual content You got the whole "pimp" thing in SO MANY songs which please let us all understand: A pimp is not some imaginary person. Pimps are real and they're men who force women to prostitute themselves and the pimp makes money from it. Pimps beat and degrade women--- they are one of the lowest forms of life on the planet And this exact lifestyle is what is portrayed in so many of these songs. And sometimes the videos are a joke----there's a like an image of a bright sun-shiny day and the guys singing about beatin' his "hoe." Quick recap: Common themes in the most popular songs in America: ppt "f-bombs" ppt graphic sexuality ppt treating women like trash ppt power greed and anger---what did I leave out? (pause) Are you feeding your mind & soul a steady diet of this kind of music? A. Ppt yes B. ppt no C. ppt don't know Are you risking planting these kind of seeds in the garden of your mind? Are you exposing your soul---the place in you that God cares most aboutto this kind of stuff? (pause) God says: ppt "Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; (graphic sex, treating women like trash, power, greed, anger ) ppt But those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires." Romans 8:5 But you still might say, "Look, this music isn't going to make me go beat women or become a pimp." You could be completely correct. But I'm guessing that everyone here is here because wherever you are with God (seeker Christ follower) Deep down you would like to be closer to Him. Question: When you take in the kind of music I've been talking about do you feel closer to God more intimate with Him? Or are you probably more likely to leave God at church, or does God kind of slip to the back burner of your mind when you listen to this kind of music? Romans 8:5 says ppt "those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires." I read that like: If I actually want to LIVE this Christian life like I'm the real deal---like God is for real if I want my relationship w/Christ to be 3D and not just some warm fuzzy thoughts in my head then I need to plant things in the garden of my mind that will help me be CLOSER to God. And I just can't believe that a song like Pass the Courvoiser is going to do that. (pause) Those kinds of songs probably won't make you become a pimp. But they sure as Hades won't help you become ANY closer to God than you are right now and without you being aware of it, they may even help you slide backwards away from God... When we see extreme stuff in songs or movies and think things like it's no big deal because: "I'll never be a pimp." "Or I'll never kill someone." "Or I'd never do sexual things like that." We've already fallen. Because the Evil One doesn't necessarily need you to be a pimp or a murder or whatever "extreme" thing you think of He just wants you to be a little further away from God (pause) he just wants you to slide God to the back burner Listening to Pass the Corvoiser doesn't make you a pimp. But it doesn't bring you any closer to the Father either---- and that in itself, is a small victory for the dark side. ///// Ppt title slide As I looked at this topic getting ready for tonight it was really tough ---- Because as I looked over MTV's playlist I couldn't find a simple way to sort out the songs. Like I saw on TV where P-Diddy was givin' props to Jesus Christ and Micah mentioned how Destiny's Child does the same thing on their CD liner notes So you could look at that and say, "Alright, this is good stuff, then!" But a lot of their songs don't reflect people who walk w/Christ in the least. Some Britney Spears lyrics are fine (not good;-), and some of her song lyrics are not OK. First Date by Blink 182 seemed harmless, others not so much. You would think that a song like Underneath Your Clothes by Shakira would be about sex, but "underneath your clothes" refers to her man's heart, not his body, not sex ---but then again, the video is different thing altogether. All You Wanted by Michelle Branch could be a song about God the way I read it. Stillness of Heart by Lenny Kravitz could too. So I give you these examples to show you that it's NOT EASY to know what's good and what's not. Bottom line: You have to look closely at what you listen tothere's no easy way to sort it out. But START NOW to listen to what songs are saying and if it's a message that isn't cool, skip over that song if the whole CD has uncool lyrics, then use it as a great coaster on your mom's coffee table. I'm a Greatful Dead fan from "way back" but on one of my favorite recordings, they do a song called Friend of the Devil. I always skip over it it's got a really nice melody line, but I can't get on board with the lyrics so I don't expose my mind & soul to it. If you're not sure whether something's OK to listen to or not ---first of all, if you question whether it's OK, that's usually a sign that it's not. But a rule we use around here that's safe is "when in doubt, leave it out." Some of you guys have kind of an "all or nothing" personality and you know you won't really take the time to figure out which lyrics are OK and which aren't and you know what your tendencies are If that's you, then just check out of the pop music deal altogether. Don't risk damaging your soul just check out. Quick recap: - Ppt Realize that music IS influence (mind & soul). - Ppt What kind of lyrics are you feeding your mind & soul? - Ppt What adjustments do you need to make with what you listen to? Tonight's service was based on the cards you guys filled out a few weeks back. There were a few more related questions so I thought we'd hit them real quick. Q. Ppt Is it OK to listen to popular music? Based on everything I've said tonight, the answer is "yes" as long as the lyrics are kosher---but let the test be your walk w/Christ. If a CD or a song makes you uneasy as to your Christian walk, LOSE IT. If after you listen to certain CDs or artists and you notice God has somehow slipped to the back burner of your mindlose it. Most of the CDs I own are not by Christian artists. But I pay attention to the content of EVERYTHING I listen to. Q. Ppt Is all Christian music good? No, but it's all Christian music! Christian music is no different than any kind of music, there's really good stuff and there's some stuff that ought go in a "pant-a-load" ;-) You have to find out what you like in Christian music. But from a lyrical content perspective, yes, basically Christian music gets super higher marks compared to pop lyrics. And there are some killer Christian bands out there. Q. Ppt Someone wanted us to do a Christian music sampler of what's out there. EVERYTHING is out there!! Living Water really has a pretty good selection of Christian Artists & Worship Music in every "flava" you can imagine. There's wrap, hip-hop, urban, alternative, heavy metal, boy band, very pop, everything! A good approach if you don't have a clue what you're looking for, is go in and ask for something in a style of a secular artist you like. If you want something N'Sync-y they'll show you something like that. If you want a Limp Bizkit style you can find that. Basically what's hard about music suggestions is that what I think rocks, someone else thinks sucks & vice-versa. (Mark & Micah) Personally I listen to more worship music than Christian music, so I could help there, as could Micah & Sarah Stoneking is a wealth of knowledge on this subject. So ask around to get ideas. Some of us might actually let you BORROW a CD or 2!! Ppt title <<< Take questions?? >>> Tonight we learned that music influences our mind and our soul. That is one of the reasons we bring worship music into this service. Most importantly worship is about what we give to God, but the influence of the truth of worship songs in our minds and souls is huge. Songs have this way of rolling around in our head sometimes all day. And the effect of a song like "The Noise We Make" vs. a song like "Oops Oh My" is as opposite as it gets Worships songs roll around in my head and remind of the God's truth & His promises to me. And I need reminded just like you do. Right now, the band is going to lead us in a worship that you may not have thought of as a worship song. But as we looked at the lyrics, it seemed clear that God is "everywhere" and can use anything He wants to connect us to Him. back top o' page home