Since reading the book Worship Matters by Bob Kauflin, I've struggled with the above question. I have a habit of listening to music, that's not bad, but is fluff. Kinda like reading a fluff book, you don't get a lot or anything out of it. A couple months ago, I decided to only listen to *strong Christian* and classical music. I only lasted a couple weeks until I fell back into listening to secular music. Now, the secular music I was listening too, was not the best music, but it did not involve, language and so on. It was just fluff music. ;)
*I said strong Christian music, cause there are lots of bands out there that say their Christian, but there music does not really have anything to do about God. A little like Britt Nicole's song Headphones.(Video.)I did not see anything bad about the song, but it's not like one of Chris Tomlin's songs. There is something so powerful with all of Chris Tomlin's music, that other bands lack. Kinda, like Pure NRG, they are Christians but how does dancing on stage singing footloose glorify God? God gives us talent so that we can give back by glorifying Him.*
I think what you listen too and sing, really matters! You might not think it bothers you and it's just music it won't influence me. But you are wrong. Everything you read, listen too, and watch will influence you, it's just a matter of time before you notice. If you even notice at all.
"Every time we open out mouths, we're leading others. Not just when we're in front of people, but all the time. We're counseling them. Communicating what's important and what's not. Letting others know whose words matter more - ours or God's. God wants our speech to be sound, gracious, truthful and edifying, no matter where we are or whom we're with." ~Worship Matters
From reading the above, I would say going around singing, songs like "Whiskey Lullaby" or "I told you so" aren't going to be showing to others I love God and He is my king! Do we want God's words flowing from our lips or the world's?~Worship Matters
" Too often we can be tempted to choose songs because of the music rather than the theological content. We need to realize that when words are combined with music we can be deceived. Music can make shallow lyrics sounds deep. A great rhythm section can make drivel sound profound and make you want to sing it again." ~ Worship Matters
"It's a source of profound encouragement to realize God gave us music to deepen and develop our relationship with him. The Father sings, the Son sings, and the Spirit sings. How can we keep from singing?"
I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. - Psalm 34:1
My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises ... Psalm 57:7.
I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to You among the nations ... Psalm 57:9.
O my strength, I will sing praises to You; for God is my stronghold, the God who shows me lovingkindness ... Psalm 59:17
So I will sing praise to Your name forever, that I may pay my vows day by day ... Psalm 61:8.
Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips will praise You ... Psalm 63:3.
My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and my mouth offers praises with joyful lips ... Psalm 63:5
Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth, sing praises to the Lord, Selah ... Psalm 68:32.
. I will also praise You with a harp, even Your truth, O my God; to You I will sing praises with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel. My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to You; and my soul, which You have redeemed ... Psalm 71:22-23.
So what do you think?What are your views on/about secular music?
*In saying it's wrong I'm not saying it's a sin. Unless you are cursing or are singing songs that say sin (immoral things there is no God. so on.) are OK. It's just saying fluff Christian music it's not really God honoring.*
So I feel like it's been a long time since I posted something other then a video or a short post!
I have been really busy the last month!
Here is a update on what's been going on.
1. It turned out that Grandmother did break a bone in her back when she fell at the end on May. We have had a really rough two months with her, but thankfully she is getting back to normal. She is still unstable and we have to be with her whenever she moves. We have started Physical Therapy and that seems to be helping her. She has started wetting the bed every night. So she needs a sponge bath every morning. (We are not able to get her in and out of the tub.) I have gotten that I can get her out of bed, bathed and dressed in 10min.(unless she is having a bad day, then getting her dressed may take more time.) It use to be really hard in the morning having to wake up and help her. But after thinking about it, I decided that it's good training for when I get married and have a baby. That Baby will wake me up in the morning wanting food and will probably be wet. It's defiantly really hard sometimes taking care of her, but I am thankful God has me and my family taking care of her! I have learned so many helpful things from her and am thankful for the time with her.
2. Since we started school late because me the planing for my brother's wedding in September and then having to take some time off to help Grandmother, I am still finishing this years school. I am planing on doing school all through the summer. I am still praying and thinking about whether to start college in the fall. I am really interested in CNA, but I would also be interested in doing something with kids.(Early Childhood Education.) I also LOVE teaching violin and would love to have more students!!Why is it so hard to know what God's plan is?
Random things I've been up too:
Since my Mom has been working a lot, I have taken over a lot of the cooking. I'm really enjoying being in charge of the house when Mom's gone!:) I am also trying to plan my day better and get more stuff done. Next week I have a music camp. I get to be the teacher's slave for a week.;) We are trying to get the Word out about my Dad's photography wedding website. Spending lots of time on my Church's music. I am in charge of the music and picking the songs out and all that wonderful stuff!;) I'm trying to stay a month ahead so that I have plenty of time to think about the songs. I'm also trying to send the song lyrics out each week so the families can go over the songs together. This past Sunday we had a little kid who knew one of the songs we sang really well, so he yelled it out! It was super cute!!!!
Well I'm going to end this post and go talk to my best friend! =)
If you have not read my 1st post about NEXT, then scroll down and read it. ;)
Worship was AMAZING at NEXT! Hearing 2500 people sing All I have is Christ,is something I will never forget and can't really explain what is meant to me other then saying, I woke up in them morning excited about worship and I went to bed at night excited about waking up and going to worship! :)
I thought I would share the songs we sang...I would highly recommend looking them up and listening to them! I have heard that they are not going to come out with a 2010 live worship CD, but put all the videos on Youtube.
FRIDAY PM - NA BAND Holy Moment (Redman) Greater Than We Can Imagine (Mark Altrogge) CHART
How Great is Your Faithfulness (Redman/Myrin)
Saving One (Starfield) Completely Done (Baird/Baird/Gunderlock) CHART All I Have is Christ (Jordan Kauflin) CHART
The Saving One (Starfield)
In Christ Alone (Getty/Townend) SATURDAY AM - ZELOS Be Praised (Michael Gungor)
My Hope is Built (Shane & Shane) The Name Above All Names (Judah Groveman) CHART
The Saving One Before the Throne of God Above (Bancroft/Cook) CHART SATURDAY AFTERNOON - ACOUSTIC BAND For the Cross (Redman)
Thank You for the Cross (Brenton Brown)
I Hear the Words of Love (Bonar/Gauntlett/Kauflin) CHARTLEAD SHEET The Prodigal (Baird/Baird) CHART
Jesus Paid it All (Trad./Stanfill) SATURDAY PM - ZELOS + STRINGS His Name is Jesus (Trad./Groveman) CHART
How Great is Your Faithfulness
How Firm A Foundation (Trad.) CHART
Mighty to Save (Morgan/Fielding) By This We Know Love (Judah Groveman) CHART Speak, O Lord (Getty/Townend) O Great God (B. Kauflin) CHART
Refiner’s Fire (Doerksen) SUNDAY AM - GENERATION LETTER Across the Great Divide (Mark Altrogge) CHART King of Peace (Generation Letter/Cook) CHART
Jesus Messiah (Tomlin/Cash/Reeves/Carson) Grace Unmeasured (B. Kauflin) CHART Only Jesus (Doug Plank) CHART
Be Thou My Vision (Trad.) SUNDAY PM - NA BAND + CHOIR Greater Than We Can Imagine The Father’s Love (Joel Sczebel) CHART
How Great Thou Art (Trad.) CHART
Here is Love (Trad./Redman)
Revelation Song (Jennie Riddle)
All I Have is Christ O Church Arise (Getty Townend)
Revelation Song MONDAY AM - NA BAND Come Thou Fount (Trad./Alt. Kauflin) CHART God Over All (Devon Kauflin) CHART
King of Peace
How Great is Your Faithfulness
Completely Done
How Great Thou Art
Like I said in my last post, NEXT was amazing!! I really can't put into words what it meant to me and everything that I've learned, but I will try. :) I will be doing more then one post about NEXT, I am waiting for pictures from my brother right now. (I used his camera.) I have decided in this post, so share what I thought of everything; what I loved about the conference, what I did not like so much, the people, the city, and also a few pictures that I am steeling from other people.;)
1. Worship was amazing! One night they have a whole string section and other night a chore! There is something amazing and wonderful about being able to worship God with 2,500+ people!!
2. It was so great to have four days to just focus on worshiping and learning about God. It made me realize, that I should be doing that everyday. Of course I read my Bible everyday, but I need to start really reading my Bible, praying more, and reading books about God and the Christian life. It should not just be something we do on Sundays or at Christian conferences, but all the time.
3. One night, during worship a lady sang the song below, this song really struck me and is probably my favorite song from NEXT. Here is the Link for it.
4.Bob Kauflinand I are best friends!=) I talked to him one night, about getting string music for the songs and he gave me his email and is going to try and get them for me! Then he and his wife happened to be walking to the conference center when I was too, so I started talking to him again about music! :)
5. I got some great Christian books while at NEXT. On the way home I started reading one called, Worldliness: Resisting the Seduction of a Fallen World! Even though I've not finished the book, it's already so amazing and so worth reading!I think I have underlined everything said in the book!;)
6. The conference has married couples called Ninjas who's jobs are to go around and bless people at NEXT. THEY WERE SO COOL!=) I had one Ninja come up to me and bought the book I was going to buy from the bookstore!!:)
Here are a few pics. that I've stolen from other people!
Two of the super cool Ninjas and Emma with a real Ninja star thingy!;)
Abigail, Abby and I
Rebekah and Abby with the food they brought/made. :)
Saturday May 1st, was our last concert for the 09-10 year!:( We won't start back orchestra, until the last week in August, but I will have at least two music camps I'm helping in so I think I'll survive!=)
Anyway, here are some pictures I took during the dress rehearsals:
1. Apples, oranges, or bananas? Apples 2. How many siblings do you have? 6 - William(25), Sarah, (22), Nick,(20), Molly (14), Samuel, (12), and Matthew(8). 3. How old are you? 17 years old
4. Do you live on Prairie, woodland, swamp, city, or other? I would say prairie, cause when I think of a woodland, I think so something with lots of water.
5. Scissors or glue? Scissors 6. Describe your dream house: A log Cabin!:) If you look through the pictures on the from page of this website, aren't they cool!:)
7. Is your room clean? YES!:)
8. If you could be a movie character for a day who would you be? Elizabeth Bennet. 9. Italy, Greece, France, Spain, or England? England
10. What denomination are you? Baptist
11. Do you sleep with a stuffed toy? no of course not! 12. Gum, Chocolate, or Jelly Beans? Chocolate 13. What is your favorite book? Other then the Bible, I love you this much. 14. Favorite ice-cream flavor? mocha Almond Fudge 15. If you had to pick one type of food to eat for two weeks, what would it be? CHINESE FOOD!!=)
16. What is your favorite Olympic sport? Figure-skating, gymnastics or volleyball. *Note, I normally watch these alone or with sisters.
17. If you woke up and discovered you were Miley Cyrus for the day what would you do? Wonder if my sister was Emily Osment. =)
18. Describe yourself in three words: patients, thoughtful, gentle 19. What chore do you positively hate? Cleaning grandparents bathroom.
20. If Elmo came into your room with a gun, what would you do? Ask where Big Bird is? ;)
I am in charge of picking the worship songs for my Church. Of course I run them by the Pastor and the worship leader. Anyway, while looking up songs to sing for this Sunday, I found this song and fell in love with it! I am sure I have heard it before, but for some reason it really struck me and has been in my head all week. Here is the video and the lyrics are below:
We bow our hearts
We bend our knees
Oh Spirit come make us humble
We turn our eyes
From evil things
Oh Lord we cast down our idols
So give us clean hands
and give us pure hearts
Let us not lift our souls to another
Oh give us clean hands
and give us pure hearts
Let us not lift our souls to another
Oh God let this be
a generation that seeks
Who seeks Your face, Oh God of Jacob
Oh God let us be
a generation that seeks
Who seeks Your face, Oh God of Jacob
I also found these to song that I really love, here andhere.
We have been crazy busy, but with nothing of the busyness is interesting enough to post!;)
I am working on theBeethoven Romance in F and a Mozart duet for a competition in May. So I am crazy busy trying to memorize the Romance and learn the Mozart! On top of those to songs, I am also trying to get the Mozart Violin concerto no. 4, ready for a recital. And our orchestra concert is two weeks away!!!:)
The week after the violin competition, I will be going toNEXT in Baltimore!!:) I am SO excited about this!!:)
So here is a little bit of whats been going on with me and other randomness:
1. I decided not to listen to any other music other then Christian and classical. I have liked going around singing songs about God instead of Fireflies...;) I think it's also encouraged me more.
2. I will be an Aunt..hopefully really soon!:) My sister is due tomorrow..so anytime now!;)
3. I have decided to stop eating wheat and dairy..I have had some allergys to certain foods in the past and thought I had gotten so I could eat those foods again. But sadly that's not happened...
4. I have started doing consumer math on top of Algebra...my amazing sister-in-law Jenn is helping me through Algebra..
5. I surprised my violin student and had a lesson.
6. I helped my Dad set up a wedding photography website...I picked the name!;)
7. My cousin Katie is getting married and I think I get to go with my Dad when he takes their engagement pictures! FUN!:)
8. This Saturday we have our concert!!! YAY!:) I still have to hand-make all there name tags...My chamber group will probably have to preform for a lot more people then I thought! :0
9. I will be turning 17 in 8 days!!:) YAY!;)
10. I have a violin competition some time (yes, I don't really know when....) and I don't have my song memorized...hummm
This week it was my Dad's turn to preach in the Church. He preached about being Thankfully and praising God not just when times and dandy but even in horrible times!
As I was sitting there in Church and I thought of this song..
