#61: "Come As You Are" by Crowder

04/20/15 • 21 min

More Than a Song - Discovering the Truth of Scripture Hidden in Today's Popular Christian Music

As a culture we are not good at reality. We are good at hiding it, faking it, denying and escaping it, but good ole' reality...we're not so good at. This week's song, "Come As You Are" by Crowder, forced me to evaluate my own reality and reminded me of a lesson I learned recently.

Of course, it also sent me searching through Scripture where we meet a hopeless fellow often referred to as "The Prodigal Son".

In this episode, I discuss the following:

A story about an artist and a beggar
It's okay NOT to be okay
"Necessary Endings" by Dr. Henry Cloud
Awareness of hopelessness is what finally causes people to wake up, realize that an ending must occur and finally feel energized to do it
The Lost Son and how he had to get to the place of hopelessness in order to make a change and return to his father - Luke 15:11-32

Additional Resources

Lyrics

This Week's Challenge

Spend some time in Luke 15 and 16 this week. At the beginning of the section Scripture I read on this week's podcast is the phrase, "To illustrate the point further." Your next question should be, "What point?" We focused on the hopelessness of the Lost Son in this passage, but the purpose of the story is to talk about why He chose to eat with "notorious sinners!" He even told several parables to make His point and threw in a couple more to make some fresh point to key members of His audience -- the Pharisees...the religious elite. Read the parable we read on this week's podcast in context of all these others and it will really come to life for you.

Purchase your copy of A Seat at the Table today!

Change your music. Change your life. Join my free 30-Day Music Challenge. CLICK HERE.

Send us a text

Of course, it also sent me searching through Scripture where we meet a hopeless fellow often referred to as "The Prodigal Son".

In this episode, I discuss the following:

A story about an artist and a beggar
It's okay NOT to be okay
"Necessary Endings" by Dr. Henry Cloud
Awareness of hopelessness is what finally causes people to wake up, realize that an ending must occur and finally feel energized to do it
The Lost Son and how he had to get to the place of hopelessness in order to make a change and return to his father - Luke 15:11-32

Additional Resources

Lyrics

This Week's Challenge

Purchase your copy of A Seat at the Table today!

Change your music. Change your life. Join my free 30-Day Music Challenge. CLICK HERE.

Previous Episode

#60: "Marvelous Light" by Ellie Holcomb

Send us a text

Isn't it funny how a lyric tucked into a song can jump out at you? That's what happened to me this week when I was listening to "Marvelous Light" by Ellie Holcomb. Of course, we'll talk about stepping out of darkness into God's marvelous light, but we'll also tackle the struggle between wanting to be known and afraid of being known.

We never do any of it without plunging into Scripture!

In this episode, I discuss the following:

Deep down in all of us is a desire to be known
Deep down in all of us is a fear of being known
We were designed by God to display God's identity
Ellie's perspective of not knowing that it was okay to NOT be okay
The pattern
- God designed it one way - Genesis 1:26-27
- We choose another way - Genesis 3:6
- We hear Him calling out to us
- We hide in shame (or denial) - Genesis 3:7-8
- All He wants is relationship - Hosea 2:8, 19-20; Hosea 6:6-7
- Deep down we want relationship, too, but are in the bondage of fear in the darkness...afraid to walk into the light
We cannot hide from God - Psalms 139:1, 11-12
Jesus is the Light - Isaiah 9:2
He brings freedom - Romans 8:1-2
Our identity is with God in Christ - 1 Peter 2:10, Hosea 2:23
All of this is that we may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called us out of darkness into his MARVELOUS LIGHT - 1 Peter 2:9

Additional Resources

This Week's Challenge

Spend some time reading in Hosea this week. The prophets in the Old Testament were often asked by God to do some fairly painful and humiliating things in order to display God's message to His people. Don't get bogged down in the parts you can't understand. I think you will be able to get the big picture even if you don't understand the details of what is happening in the history of the nation of Israel. Be sure to read an introduction to Hosea in a study Bible or online to give you some historical context (see links under Additional Resources). It is only 14 chapters so you should be able to read it in one

Purchase your copy of A Seat at the Table today!

Change your music. Change your life. Join my free 30-Day Music Challenge. CLICK HERE.

Next Episode

#62: "The Maker" by Chris August

Send us a text

God is creative. He never tires of finding new ways of speaking to you. This is made so clear through Chris August's song, "The Maker." As we use this song to step into God's Word, may we simultaneously step outside. May we stop, look and listen to the Creator revealing His eternal power and divine nature through His creation.

We can develop a deeper understanding of the Maker by developing our ability to appreciate the masterpiece of creation that the Maker has blessed us with.

In this episode, I discuss the following:

We can see God's invisible qualities through everything God has made - Romans 1:20
The Maker LOVES YOU!
Seeing the familiar in a fresh light
Learning to appreciate the Artist through His masterpieces
Being open to new ways that God wants to speak to you
The Maker has given all of heaven and earth to us to enjoy its beauty - Psalm 115
Rejecting God and trading God's truth for a lie leads to worshiping created things rather than the Creator - Romans 1:18-25
No aspect of creation will ever compare to the expression of love God gave us through the gift of His Son
Story behind the song - an interview with Chris August by Kevin Davis with NewReleaseTuesday.com
The first step of stepping out in faith should be to the Word of God

Additional Resources

This Week's Challenge

Stop, look and listen to God's creation -- He gave it to us to enjoy its beauty, but wants our response to be worship and trust...not in what has been made, but in the Maker. Read Psalm 115 and then read Romans chapter 1 and then read them again. Ask God to speak to you through His Word this week. Then go outside and take a picture of where you see your Maker this week. I don't care when you're listening to this podcast. Join me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Post pictures of where you saw your Maker today and tag them with #themaker and #morethanasong so we can all come together as a body across this earth that God has blessed us with and experience His voice through His creation!

Purchase your copy of A Seat at the Table today!

Change your music. Change your life. Join my free 30-Day Music Challenge. CLICK HERE.