This study is designed to help your family make wise decisions about the music you listen to. Look up the following verses and honestly answer the questions that follow them. You don’t have to do it all in one sitting. You can break it up to make it work best for your family. May this study help your family understand that what you believe is reflected in the everyday decisions you make, including what you choose to listen to. For the study, you’ll need a Bible, paper, and pen. Enjoy!
Read Philippians 4:8 (NLT): And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.
Now write out from the verse above what you are to fix your mind on.
1. T_____
2. Honor______
3. __ight
4. P_____
5. ____ely
6. Admir _______
7. ______llent
8. __________ of Praise
*Assignment:
Think about the music you listen to and compare it with God’s Word. Does the music you choose to listen to help you obey what the Word tells you to meditate on? (Is it true, honorable . . . ?)
Read (Proverbs 6:16–19 NLT): There are six things the Lord hates—no, seven things he detests: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family.
*Assignment:
On your paper make two columns. Label one “Hates” and the other “Loves.” Write out the seven things God hates. Then write out the opposite of what He hates to determine what He loves.
Hates
P ________
L ________
Murder (Un-justice)
Planning ________
F ________evil
False W ________
D ________
Loves
Humbleness
________
Life (Justice)
Planning ________
Follows ________
Righteous ________
Peace and unity
*Assignment:
Think about the music you listen to and compare it with the list above. Think about the lyrics for a moment and check off the attitudes they display. Does the music you listen to glorify the things God hates and detests, or what He loves? If you enjoy singing about the things God hates, what does that reveal about your relationship with Him?
Read 1 Corinthians 15:33 (NLT): Don’t be fooled by those who say such things, for “bad company corrupts good character.” As a Christian, Christ lives in you. Remember He is holy and His holiness is in you.
Read 1 Corinthians 6:19–20 (NLT): Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
Read 1 Corinthians 3:16–17 (NLT): Don’t you realize that all of you together are the templeof Godand that the Spirit of God lives in you? God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.
Questions:
As a Christian, where does the Holy Spirit of God live? If God is a holy God and He lives in you, why would listening to unholy music offend Him and corrupt you?
Read Galatians 6:7–9 (NLT) to help you understand the importance of making righteous choices. Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.
Questions:
According to God’s Word if you feed your flesh (your sinful desires) what will happen? According to God’s Word, if you choose to live by the Spirit (which will lead you to feed on holy things), what will happen? What would it look like to feed your desires and flesh verses the Spirit?
To find out, read Galatians 5:19–25 (NIV): The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdomof God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
Another translation explains the flesh like this: When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God (Galatians 5:19–21 NLT).
*Assignment:
From the verses in Galatians, list the works of the flesh and the works of the Spirit in the correct columns. Then think of the music you listen to. Check off what the lyrics are about. Does the music you listen to feed your flesh or the Spirit? What choices can you make to feed the Spirit?
FLESH
Sexual im_____
Impurity
Impure th______
Idolatry (Loving something more than God)
Participating in satanic activities (Things God hates)
Hosti____
Quarreling
Jealousy
Fits of r____
Selfish am_________ (driven to do what you want regardless of what God desires or how it affects those around you)
Causes division
P_____
E_____
Dru_______
W_____ parties
SPIRIT
L___ (Pure love according to God’s plan and way)
J___
Peace
P____
_____ness
Generosity
Faithfulness
Gentl______
______-control
FOUR
Again, read 1 Corinthians 15:33 (NLT): Don’t be fooled by those who say such things, for “bad company corrupts good character.”
A person of “good character” refers to the believer. The company you keep through music is like an elevator; it will bring you closer to Jesus and His character or further from Him.
Questions:
What do you know about the character of the people who sing the music you listen to? How can you determine the truth of their character? Many music artists speak openly about God and praise Him at music awards. This confuses some youth. If the music artist’s life and lyrics don’t line up with God’s Word, then he or she is what the Bible refers to as a false witness. This may lead you into a great study on what a true believer in Christ looks like.
Question:
Do you want to be a wise person? Look up Proverbs 13:20 to hear what God says.
Proverbs 13:20 (NLT): Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble.
This verse is an encouragement to keep the right company and a warning of the harm to come if you don’t. Write out what kind of character is reflected by some of the music artists you listen to. Would the Bible characterize these musicians as having good or bad character? (You can refer back to the Scriptures to help.)
Read Psalm 1 (NLT): Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.
But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind. They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly. For the Lord watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.
Questions:
How do these verses apply to music? What happens to the person making right choices verses the person making poor choices?
Look up the following verses.
Matthew 12:30 (NIV): "He who is not with me is against me . . .”
Luke 11:23 (NIV): "He who is not with me is against me . . .”
Again, review the music you listen to. If it does not line up with God’s Word, character, and heart, it is against God. Things that are against God are considered satanic. How would the verses above apply?
Questions: In your own words, why is it best to listen to Christian music?
In your own words, what happens to the Spirit and your relationship with the Lord when you make unhealthy spiritual decisions about music?
Out of all the verses in the study, what verse brought you the most understanding?
What can you do to make right choices in your life and encourage others to do the same?
