Monday, December 29, 2008
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
"Lose My Soul" Study
This week we are going to look a very popular song, Lose my Soul, by Toby Mac. Great song, awesome message! This is going to be an awesome study, buckle up! :)
We first start out by watching the above video. Then have a short discussion. Then we will watch the music video for the song, shown below. Then we break down the lyrics also shown below, line by line, too detailed to do here, but read the words closly, there is a great message in there!
Lyrics:
Toby Mac : Lose My Soul
Father God, I am clay in your hands,
Help me to stay that way through all life's demands,
'Cause they chip and they nag and they pull at me,
And every little thing I make up my mind to be,
Like I'm gonna be a daddy whose in the mix,
And I'm gonna be a husband who stays legit,
And I pray that I'm an artist who rises above,
The road that is wide and filled with self love,
Everything that I see draws me,
Though it's only in You that I can truly see that its a feast for the eyes- a low blow to purpose.
And I'm a little kid at a three ring circus.
I don't want to gain the whole world, and lose my soul,
Don't wanna walk away, let me hear the people say.
I don't want to gain the whole world, and lose my soul,
Don't wanna walk away, let me hear the people say.
(Mr. Franklin, Step up to the mic sir)
The paparazzi flashes, and that they think that it's you,
But they don't know that who you are is not what you do,
True, we get it twisted when we peak at the charts,
Yo before we part from the start,
Where's your heart?
You a punk, hustler?
Tell me what's your title,
America has no more stars, now we call them idols,
You sit idle, While we teach prosperity,
The first thing to prosper should be inside of me.
We're free...
Not because of 22's on the range,
But Christ came in range, we said yes now we changed,
Not the same, even though I made a fall,
Since I got that call, no more Saul, now I'm Paul.
(YEP!)
I don't want to gain the whole world, and lose my soul,
Don't wanna walk away, let me hear the people say.
I don't want to gain the whole world, and lose my soul,
Don't wanna walk away, let me hear the people say.
Don't wanna walk away,
Don't wanna walk away
How do I sense the tide that's rising?
De-sensitizing me from living in light of eternity,
How do I sense the tide that's rising?
It's hypnotizing me from living in light of eternity,
How do I sense the tide that's rising?
De-sensitizing me from living in light of eternity.
(Lord what we gon do,We're relying on you,
all eyes are on you Lord,
all eyes are on you, all eyes are on you Jesus.)
I don't want to gain the whole world, and lose my soul,
Don't wanna walk away, let me hear the people say.
(Don't let me lose my soul, my soul.)
I don't want to gain the whole world, and lose my soul,
(This is my honesty, Father, won't you cover me.)
I don't want to gain the whole world, and lose my soul,
(Don't wanna walk away, and all those people say)
I don't want to gain the whole world, and lose my soul,
(Don't wanna lose, I don't wanna lose my soul.)
Lord forgive us when we get consumed by the things of this world,
That fight for our love, and our passion,
As our eyes are open wide and on you.
Grant us the privilege of your world view,
And may your kingdom be, what wakes us up, and lays us down.
(Hallelujah, Don't wanna lose our soul,
No, Don't wanna lose my soul.)
Hey excuse me,
I'm looking or the after party,
Toby,
Haha, yeah, last door on the left, you'll hear it.
Thanks,
No problem.
Don't let me lose my soul, I never wanna walk away,
I don't wanna lose my soul,
No, no, no.
Don't let me, don't let me, lose my soul,
I don't wanna walk away,
Don't let me walk away,
Na na na na no,
Don't let me lose, my soul,
I'm never gonna walk away.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Then we read and study the related scripture:
Related Scripture:
Mark 8:36 (New International Version)
36 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?
Matthew 16:26 (New International Version)
26 What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
We first start out by watching the above video. Then have a short discussion. Then we will watch the music video for the song, shown below. Then we break down the lyrics also shown below, line by line, too detailed to do here, but read the words closly, there is a great message in there!
Lyrics:
Toby Mac : Lose My Soul
Father God, I am clay in your hands,
Help me to stay that way through all life's demands,
'Cause they chip and they nag and they pull at me,
And every little thing I make up my mind to be,
Like I'm gonna be a daddy whose in the mix,
And I'm gonna be a husband who stays legit,
And I pray that I'm an artist who rises above,
The road that is wide and filled with self love,
Everything that I see draws me,
Though it's only in You that I can truly see that its a feast for the eyes- a low blow to purpose.
And I'm a little kid at a three ring circus.
I don't want to gain the whole world, and lose my soul,
Don't wanna walk away, let me hear the people say.
I don't want to gain the whole world, and lose my soul,
Don't wanna walk away, let me hear the people say.
(Mr. Franklin, Step up to the mic sir)
The paparazzi flashes, and that they think that it's you,
But they don't know that who you are is not what you do,
True, we get it twisted when we peak at the charts,
Yo before we part from the start,
Where's your heart?
You a punk, hustler?
Tell me what's your title,
America has no more stars, now we call them idols,
You sit idle, While we teach prosperity,
The first thing to prosper should be inside of me.
We're free...
Not because of 22's on the range,
But Christ came in range, we said yes now we changed,
Not the same, even though I made a fall,
Since I got that call, no more Saul, now I'm Paul.
(YEP!)
I don't want to gain the whole world, and lose my soul,
Don't wanna walk away, let me hear the people say.
I don't want to gain the whole world, and lose my soul,
Don't wanna walk away, let me hear the people say.
Don't wanna walk away,
Don't wanna walk away
How do I sense the tide that's rising?
De-sensitizing me from living in light of eternity,
How do I sense the tide that's rising?
It's hypnotizing me from living in light of eternity,
How do I sense the tide that's rising?
De-sensitizing me from living in light of eternity.
(Lord what we gon do,We're relying on you,
all eyes are on you Lord,
all eyes are on you, all eyes are on you Jesus.)
I don't want to gain the whole world, and lose my soul,
Don't wanna walk away, let me hear the people say.
(Don't let me lose my soul, my soul.)
I don't want to gain the whole world, and lose my soul,
(This is my honesty, Father, won't you cover me.)
I don't want to gain the whole world, and lose my soul,
(Don't wanna walk away, and all those people say)
I don't want to gain the whole world, and lose my soul,
(Don't wanna lose, I don't wanna lose my soul.)
Lord forgive us when we get consumed by the things of this world,
That fight for our love, and our passion,
As our eyes are open wide and on you.
Grant us the privilege of your world view,
And may your kingdom be, what wakes us up, and lays us down.
(Hallelujah, Don't wanna lose our soul,
No, Don't wanna lose my soul.)
Hey excuse me,
I'm looking or the after party,
Toby,
Haha, yeah, last door on the left, you'll hear it.
Thanks,
No problem.
Don't let me lose my soul, I never wanna walk away,
I don't wanna lose my soul,
No, no, no.
Don't let me, don't let me, lose my soul,
I don't wanna walk away,
Don't let me walk away,
Na na na na no,
Don't let me lose, my soul,
I'm never gonna walk away.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Then we read and study the related scripture:
Related Scripture:
Mark 8:36 (New International Version)
36 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?
Matthew 16:26 (New International Version)
26 What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
Monday, December 15, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
The Altar and the Door Study
Today, we are looking at the song by Casting Crowns, The Altar and the Door.....
Ok, here is a video of The Altar and the Door, from a Casting Crowns concert, sorry, it is taken with a hand held camera and is a bit shaky, but a great song, and concert!!!!!!! I saw them in concert, great concert, although I cannot take credit for this video, found it on youtube......ROCK ON !!!!!!
Casting Crowns
The Altar And The Door lyrics
Careless, I am reckless
I'm a wrong-way-travelin'-slowly-unraveling shell of a man
Burnt out, I'm so numb now
That the fire's just an ember way down in the
corner of my cold, cold heart
Lord, this time I'll make it right, here
at the altar I lay my life
Your kingdom come but my will was done,
my heart is broken as I...
Cry, like so many times before
But my eyes are dry before I leave the floor, oh Lord
I try but this time, Jesus, how can I be sure I
will not lose my follow through
Between the altar and the door
Here at the altar, oh my world so black and white
How could I ever falter
What You've shown me to be right
I'm trying so hard to stop trying so hard
Just let You be who You are
Lord, who You are in me
Jesus, I'm trying so hard to stop trying so hard
Just let You be who You are
Lord, who You are in me
Oh Lord, I
-------------------------------------------
Message:
I can be happy when things are going well.
I can love others when they show love to me.
I can be nice to those who show me kindness.
I can forgive those that forgive me.
I can be fully devoted to the work of Christ…on Sunday mornings.
However…
Can I be happy in times of trouble?
Can I love those that are hateful toward me?
Can I be kind to those that spit in my face?
Can I forgive those that may never forgive me?
Can I be a Christian on fire for God on a Thursday morning?
It’s Sunday, but Monday’s coming
It is easy to serve God with utmost sincerity and devotion on Sunday mornings. I can feel something ignite inside of me when I hear a stirring sermon. I feel moved to be more committed to reaching out to those that need Christ. I feel like a Holy Saint of God on Sunday morning, but then…
Monday morning comes. I’m still a Christian, but the fire is gone. It is out. No flames. No heat. No passion to do the work of Christ. Why is there such a disconnect from one day to the next?
Jesus moves into the neighborhood
On Sundays we’re around “church people”. Everyone is there for worship, to sing the songs and listen to the pastor. Plus, God seems closer in church than anywhere else we could go during the week. We associate the church with the place where God hangs out. When we walk through those church doors we can leave Jesus behind. Apparently He is just too big to fit through that small of an opening.
The truth is Christ should be with us wherever we go. John 1:14 is an important verse for this very subject. The KJV says “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us”. The New Century Version says, “The Word became a human and lived among us”. While the “Message” interprets it as, “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood”.
Mastering the Sunday/Monday transition
It doesn’t have to be this difficult. Christ has promised he’ll always be with us. We just tend to forget it. We need to:
- Stay in “constant” prayer. Don’t walk around with your eyes closed or you’ll run into something, but be in a constant mindset of prayer. Be aware of each situation and be prepared to seek God’s counsel.
- Read God’s word like you eat meals. I heard this from a wise (albeit pushy) man at Praise’s one day. For every meal you eat read at least one chapter of scripture. Remember that “..man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD”. Deuteronomy 8:3
- Be in fellowship with other believers. Whether it is friends from church, your spouse, or even a family member you need to have that connection. Hold each other accountable. Stoke each others spiritual fire so you don’t go from being Fired-up Frank on Sundays to Lukewarm Larry on Mondays.
The above lyrics sum it all up perfectly. Casting Crowns’ The Altar and the Door:
The above is from Bob's website, I take no credit for the message above, just thought it needed to be shared.
-------------------------------------------
Ok, here is a video of The Altar and the Door, from a Casting Crowns concert, sorry, it is taken with a hand held camera and is a bit shaky, but a great song, and concert!!!!!!! I saw them in concert, great concert, although I cannot take credit for this video, found it on youtube......ROCK ON !!!!!!
Casting Crowns
The Altar And The Door lyrics
Careless, I am reckless
I'm a wrong-way-travelin'-slowly-unraveling shell of a man
Burnt out, I'm so numb now
That the fire's just an ember way down in the
corner of my cold, cold heart
Lord, this time I'll make it right, here
at the altar I lay my life
Your kingdom come but my will was done,
my heart is broken as I...
Cry, like so many times before
But my eyes are dry before I leave the floor, oh Lord
I try but this time, Jesus, how can I be sure I
will not lose my follow through
Between the altar and the door
Here at the altar, oh my world so black and white
How could I ever falter
What You've shown me to be right
I'm trying so hard to stop trying so hard
Just let You be who You are
Lord, who You are in me
Jesus, I'm trying so hard to stop trying so hard
Just let You be who You are
Lord, who You are in me
Oh Lord, I
-------------------------------------------
Message:
I can be happy when things are going well.
I can love others when they show love to me.
I can be nice to those who show me kindness.
I can forgive those that forgive me.
I can be fully devoted to the work of Christ…on Sunday mornings.
However…
Can I be happy in times of trouble?
Can I love those that are hateful toward me?
Can I be kind to those that spit in my face?
Can I forgive those that may never forgive me?
Can I be a Christian on fire for God on a Thursday morning?
It’s Sunday, but Monday’s coming
It is easy to serve God with utmost sincerity and devotion on Sunday mornings. I can feel something ignite inside of me when I hear a stirring sermon. I feel moved to be more committed to reaching out to those that need Christ. I feel like a Holy Saint of God on Sunday morning, but then…
Monday morning comes. I’m still a Christian, but the fire is gone. It is out. No flames. No heat. No passion to do the work of Christ. Why is there such a disconnect from one day to the next?
Jesus moves into the neighborhood
On Sundays we’re around “church people”. Everyone is there for worship, to sing the songs and listen to the pastor. Plus, God seems closer in church than anywhere else we could go during the week. We associate the church with the place where God hangs out. When we walk through those church doors we can leave Jesus behind. Apparently He is just too big to fit through that small of an opening.
The truth is Christ should be with us wherever we go. John 1:14 is an important verse for this very subject. The KJV says “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us”. The New Century Version says, “The Word became a human and lived among us”. While the “Message” interprets it as, “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood”.
Mastering the Sunday/Monday transition
It doesn’t have to be this difficult. Christ has promised he’ll always be with us. We just tend to forget it. We need to:
- Stay in “constant” prayer. Don’t walk around with your eyes closed or you’ll run into something, but be in a constant mindset of prayer. Be aware of each situation and be prepared to seek God’s counsel.
- Read God’s word like you eat meals. I heard this from a wise (albeit pushy) man at Praise’s one day. For every meal you eat read at least one chapter of scripture. Remember that “..man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD”. Deuteronomy 8:3
- Be in fellowship with other believers. Whether it is friends from church, your spouse, or even a family member you need to have that connection. Hold each other accountable. Stoke each others spiritual fire so you don’t go from being Fired-up Frank on Sundays to Lukewarm Larry on Mondays.
The above lyrics sum it all up perfectly. Casting Crowns’ The Altar and the Door:
The above is from Bob's website, I take no credit for the message above, just thought it needed to be shared.
-------------------------------------------
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
East to West Study
This is our next Jr. and Sr. High Lesson. We will begin by watching the video, then we will disect the lyrics, line by line, and discuss what we see and what it means to us. Then we will back it up with scripture, and then, what the scripture means. Following this, we will watch the second video, from the lead singer of the band, telling us more about what the song means.
If you like this new format, please share. At any time you can click the comments link at the bottom of this study, and tell us what you think. Thanks again!
Lyrics:
Casting Crowns "East To West"
Here I am, Lord, and I'm drowning in your sea of forgetfulness
The chains of yesterday surround me
I yearn for peace and rest
I don't want to end up where You found me
And it echoes in my mind, keeps me awake tonight
I know You've cast my sin as far as the east is from the west
And I stand before You now as though I've never sinned
But today I feel like I'm just one mistake away from You leaving me this way
Jesus, can You show me just how far the east is from the west
'cause I can't bear to see the man I've been come rising up in me again
In the arms of Your mercy I find rest
'cause You know just how far the east is from the west
From one scarred hand to the other
I start the day, the war begins, endless reminding of my sin
Time and time again Your truth is drowned out by the storm I'm in
Today I feel like I'm just one mistake away from You leaving me this way
I know You've washed me white, turned my darkness into light
I need Your peace to get me through, to get me through this night
I can't live by what I feel, but by the truth Your word reveals
I'm not holding on to You, but You're holding on to me
You're holding on to me
Jesus, You know just how far the east is from the west
I don't have to see the man I've been come rising up in me again
In the arms of Your mercy I find rest
'cause You know just how far the east is from the west
From one scarred hand to the other
One scarred hand to the other
From one scarred hand to the other
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Psalm 103:12 (New International Version)
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
What does that mean?:
East and West can never meet. This is a symbolic portrait of God's forgiveness: When he forgives our sin, he seperates it from us and doesnt even remember it. We need never wallow in the past for God forgives and forgets. We tend to dredge up the ugly past, but God has wiped our record clean. If we are to follow God, we must model his forgiveness. When we forgive another, we must also forget the sin. Otherwise we have not truly forgiven.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
If you like this new format, please share. At any time you can click the comments link at the bottom of this study, and tell us what you think. Thanks again!
Lyrics:
Casting Crowns "East To West"
Here I am, Lord, and I'm drowning in your sea of forgetfulness
The chains of yesterday surround me
I yearn for peace and rest
I don't want to end up where You found me
And it echoes in my mind, keeps me awake tonight
I know You've cast my sin as far as the east is from the west
And I stand before You now as though I've never sinned
But today I feel like I'm just one mistake away from You leaving me this way
Jesus, can You show me just how far the east is from the west
'cause I can't bear to see the man I've been come rising up in me again
In the arms of Your mercy I find rest
'cause You know just how far the east is from the west
From one scarred hand to the other
I start the day, the war begins, endless reminding of my sin
Time and time again Your truth is drowned out by the storm I'm in
Today I feel like I'm just one mistake away from You leaving me this way
I know You've washed me white, turned my darkness into light
I need Your peace to get me through, to get me through this night
I can't live by what I feel, but by the truth Your word reveals
I'm not holding on to You, but You're holding on to me
You're holding on to me
Jesus, You know just how far the east is from the west
I don't have to see the man I've been come rising up in me again
In the arms of Your mercy I find rest
'cause You know just how far the east is from the west
From one scarred hand to the other
One scarred hand to the other
From one scarred hand to the other
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Psalm 103:12 (New International Version)
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
What does that mean?:
East and West can never meet. This is a symbolic portrait of God's forgiveness: When he forgives our sin, he seperates it from us and doesnt even remember it. We need never wallow in the past for God forgives and forgets. We tend to dredge up the ugly past, but God has wiped our record clean. If we are to follow God, we must model his forgiveness. When we forgive another, we must also forget the sin. Otherwise we have not truly forgiven.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Bible Verse and Devotional - 1 Timothy 4:12
I wanted to share this with you all, I received it by email today.:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Today's Bible Verse
1 Timothy 4:12
NIV
Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.
NLT
Don't let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you teach, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity.
Devotional
The idealistic passions of youth must not be rationalized away or patronizingly pushed to the side. If you are younger, you are not only part of the church of tomorrow, you are also God's servant today. Serve him mightily and be an example to those who are older! If you are older, don't look down on the enthusiasm of youth, but encourage it and be inspired to emulate it! Let's remember, some of our best examples are those who are younger who serve our Lord with a vibrant faith!
Prayer: Father, thank you so much for energetic, enthusiastic, and passionate Christians who are in the younger years of their adulthood. Empower their witness, bless their service, and keep their hearts pure as they grow and mature in your service. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
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