Urge!: What does Jesus have to do with the music I listen to?

I recently heard the Newsboys in concert. At one point they told why they played Christian music. The reasoning?

"Sometimes the only way to a kid's heart is through their headphones."

I'm a youth pastor. I know the struggle between secular and Christian music. And, I know that this post will probably get lots of "pshhhhhh" or "whatevs". But, I totally agree with the Newsboys, and I'm thankful for bands like them.

This is not a post where I write 151 reasons to burn down your nearest secular radio station. But, I would like to encourage you to examine what you are allowing to enter your heart through your headphones.

First off, you need to know where I'm coming from on this. I like secular music. Nothing gets me pumped for a workout or a run like some Eminem. But, when I came to Christ, He didn't just give me a pass into heaven. What He did was become Lord, which literally means "Master" or "Owner" like in slave times. When I gave my life to Jesus, I didn't just give Him my heart. I gave Him my life. My rights. My money. My relationships. And, yes, even my preference in music.

Sometimes, I think we are slow to grasp the impact of what we see and hear has on us. Everything that surrounds us is going to invade us. The things that we see make an imprint on our minds. This explains the damage done by porn. It robs and abuses your mind. So much, that when guys watch it, it changes the way that they see the women around them. The same goes for music. Music changes the way we think. When someone says, "No worries", I immediately begin to hum the tune of "Hakuna Matata" from The Lion King soundtrack. Why do people post lyrics on twitter? Because, they are tied to an emotion or thought. What we see and what we hear goes farther than the surface. It goes to the heart.

My life verse is John 3:30.

"He must increase, and I must decrease."

The He is Jesus, and the I was John the Baptist, but now it's got to be me. From this I see that my Christian life has to become more and more about Jesus. I am to be "All About Jesus".

Question: Does the music you listen to make you more like Jesus or more like the world?

If the music we listen to really does go heart deep, then it changes who we are. The heart is the water spout of our lives. What goes on in our hearts determines what goes on in our lives. As a Christian, are you feeding yourself with music that looks the opposite of Jesus? If so, you are poisoning your walk with Jesus.

A few months ago I had a youth come to me and talk about the music on his ipod. He had paid all kinds on money in filling up his ipod with junk. But, in following Jesus, he realized the harsh affect that it was having on his heart and in his life. What'd he do? Deleted everything in his ipod that didn't point him back to Jesus. Instead of worshipping his music, or the money he had already spent on the music, he decided that it was time to part ways with something that was damaging his walk with Christ.

Question: What on your ipod needs to be deleted? What is on your ipod that doesn't strengthen your walk with Christ?

You love music? Good news. Unlike 15 years ago, there is some solid Christian music that we don't have to be completely embarrassed by. Some solid artists have taken a stand and started producing music that can help produce good fruit in us. Below I'll put some songs/bands that are worth taking a look at.

Rap? Yea, there is even something for you guys. I used to think Christian rap was soooo cheesy. But, there are some guys putting out some solid stuff. I have often heard that people just listen to some music because of the beat. You no longer have that excuse. If that is the real reason, then check out some of these artists' beats. Don't sacrifice your heart in order to hear a good beat. It's dumb, and you don't have to.

Some of My Favorite Artists/Bands: