Music Discussions Lost +

A timely post about from www.TheSource4yM.com about a popular current song. This follows this post about the group “Tigres Del Norte” that was in the D.C. mall amnesty rally. In the meantime, you can get more involved if you like here and read an interesting book HERE.

Music Discussions Lost +



09/20/2013



Main Point of Discussion: In this life, we should live for the approval of God, rather than for the approval from men.



The Song: Lost +

This duet features two titans of the music industry, Coldplay and Jay Z. Jay Z has sold 50 million records worldwide throughout his career and holds the record for most number one albums by a solo artist. He’s been back on the airwaves recently with the new release of his album Magna Carta…Holy Grail. The title track and the album have both spent the last several weeks in the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100 charts and the ITunes top downloads.



Coldplay may not have been as active within the past year or so, but they have still sold around 60 million records during their career and their 2012 Mylo Xyloto tour was the 4th highest-grossing tour that year. They are set to release a new album soon, as well as a song that will be a part of the sound track for the second Hunger Games movie. So although this song is a few years old (2009), it combines two artists who most students are probably familiar with.



Lost+ is a song that reflects on the fleeting nature and pitfalls of success as the world defines it. It shows the elusive nature of living for things like fame, fortune, or the approval of others. It comes from two artists who have seemingly achieved all those things, yet they say that once they arrive where they thought they wanted to be, “the shine wears off.” They encounter attacks and criticism from others, or someone “bigger” and better comes along.



There isn’t really much to the video, although it does provide something interesting to look at. It’s a flashy video of the duo performing the song in concert. Yet alongside the images of Chris Martin singing to thousands of adoring fans, are some surprising reflections about the trappings of fame and the criticism that success invites.



Introducing the Song:

Jay-Z has been everywhere recently, especially since he released his new album Magna Carta in July. He’s been on TV, in advertisements, on the radio, and at the top of the charts. The song is a duet featuring Jay-Z and another superstar music group, Coldplay. These two artists are two of the most successful artists of our time. Together they have sold well over 100 million records and made untold amounts of money. They are the definition of success in the way that the world defines it. In light of that though, I think this song has some interesting and surprising things to say about fame and success. Let’s watch together.



Important Note for Leaders: True to form, Jay-Z uses some profanity in his rap. He uses the word s**t and ni**a in the music video, which can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGl6KK90kbc.



Please use wise judgment in deciding whether you are comfortable showing the original to your youth or not. When I did this with our youth, I edited the two curse words out. If you would rather use the edited version, you can find it here: https://vimeo.com/72363565



Edited from bmcvideoproductions on Vimeo.







Song Lyrics:



Just because I’m losing

Doesn’t mean I’m lost!

Doesn’t mean I’ll stop

Doesn’t mean I'm across



Just because I’m hurting

Doesn’t mean I’m hurt

Doesn’t mean I don’t get what I deserved

No better and no worse



I just got lost

Every river that I tried to cross

Every door I ever tried was locked

Oh and I’m just waiting ‘til the shine wears off



You might be a big fish

In a little pond

Doesn’t mean you’ve won

‘Cause a long may come

A bigger one



And you’ll be lost

Every river that you tried to cross

Every gun you ever held went off

Oh and I’m just waiting until the firing stopped

Oh and I’m just waiting ‘til the shine wears off



[Jay-Z]

Aha, I gotcha, uh...

With the same sword they knight you, they gon' good night you with

Sh*t, That's only half if they like you

That ain't even the half what they might do

Don't believe me, ask Michael

See Martin, see Malcolm

See Biggie, see Pac, see success and its outcome

See Jesus, see Judas

See Caesar, see Brutus, see success is like suicide

Suicide, it's a suicide

If you succeed, prepare to be crucified

Media meddles, ni**az sue you, you settle

Every step you take, they remind you you're ghetto

So it's tough being Bobby Brown

To be Bobby then, you have to be Bobby now

And the question is, "Is to have had and lost

Better than not having at all?"

Because I'm...



Oh and I’m, just waiting ‘til the shine wears off

Oh and I’m, just waiting ‘til the shine wears off



Transitional Statement:

From listening to this song, it sounds like being famous and popular may not be as great as it is made out to be. In fact, if you look at the lyrics handout you have in front of you, Jay-Z even likens success to suicide. Wow! That’s probably not what you and I would have called it. But we should probably listen to him; after all, he’s had plenty of success. He should know exactly how fleeting it is to try and stay at the top. Coldplay says it’s tough; a bigger fish is always bound to come along. So, let’s not adopt the mindset of the world when it comes to success. In this life, we should live for the approval of God, rather than for the approval from men. Let’s discuss this some more in our small groups.



Divide into Small Groups:

Let’s go ahead and split up into our discussion groups, and then afterward we’ll come back together for a final word.



CLICK HERE for a quick training article on how to maximize your small groups using our small group format—a great resource to equip your small group leaders.



Discussion Questions:





1.AROUND THE CIRCLE: Before we dive in, tell everybody your name and a time that you were lost somewhere.





2.ASK A FEW: What were some phrases that stuck out to you from this song? What did they mean to you?





3.ASK A FEW: In particular, I found the lyrics to Jay Z’s rap to be very interesting. What do you think Jay Z was trying to say during his part?





4.ASK A FEW: Do you think this idea is true—that our society tries to tear down people who are successful? Why or why not?





5.ASK A FEW: Do you know someone who is really successful or good at what they do, for example, a doctor, a teacher, an athlete, an artist, a parent, etc.? If so, do you know if they are plagued with always trying to be better to please others?





6.ASK A FEW: Can you think of a time where you were criticized or made fun of for doing something well?



Read the following passage from the Bible:



1 Thessalonians 2:1-7



You know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not without results. 2 We had previously suffered and been treated outrageously in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in the face of strong opposition. 3 For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. 4 On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts. 5 You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness. 6 We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority. 7 Instead, we were like young children among you.



NOTE: At this point, Paul had travelled to numerous cities, preaching the message of Christ and ministering to the Churches. Paul had certainly reached a lot of people for Christ and had seen a lot of success in ministry, but he had also faced a lot of opposition.





7.ASK A FEW: From reading this passage, what kinds of things did people accuse Paul of? (Leaders – He was accused of being deceitful, that his message “sprung from error,” that he was seeking praise from others, that he was using the church for his own greed, etc.)





8.ASK A FEW: How does Paul respond to these accusations? (HINT: Pay close attention to verses 4 and 6.)





9.ASK A FEW: Why does Paul say He seeks to please God rather than people?





10.ASK A FEW: What are some ways in which people seek the praise of others today?





11.ASK A FEW: What are some examples of ways we can please God?





12.AROUND THE CIRCLE: Do you think most of the decisions you make are for the approval of God or for the approval of other people? Why or why not?





13.ASK A FEW: How different would your life look if you cared more about what God thought of you than you did about what other people thought of you?





14.AROUND THE CIRCLE: How will you seek to please God more than people in the coming week?



Wrap Up:

The reality is that people can be really fickle sometimes. It’s very interesting that Jay Z, possibly one of the most popular musicians in all of history, is talking about how easily people turn against you and how you can be attacked for being successful.



Most of you probably have a few really good friends in your life who would stick by you no matter what, but there are many people who may claim to be our friends one day and then turn on us the next, and they may even tear us down for doing what’s right.



Many of you may be living for popularity above all else, you really want other people to like you at you your school. It may be that you want for a certain group to accept you, or maybe you long above all else for a certain person (maybe a particular boy or girl) to like you. It’s normal to want people to like you, so that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but if we start to live for the acceptance of others above the acceptance of God, it can lead us to make some really bad choices.



This song and the Bible passage we read warn us is that if we are living for things like popularity or others’ acceptance, it’s like chasing after the wind. Even if you are successful for a moment in gaining these things, some of these people may turn on you, betray you, or hurt you.



That’s why Chris Martin, the Coldplay singer, says he’s “just waiting for the shine to wear off.” He is someone who has achieved fame, riches, and popularity, but he knows that one day the allure will wear off. He knows that eventually, people may turn against him, or attack him, or they may just forget about him altogether.



We can spend our lives chasing things like popularity, success, or money, but if we live for anything or anyone other than Jesus Christ, eventually the shine will wear off. People will come and go in our lives but the one thing that remains—the one thing that is eternal—is your relationship with God.



This doesn’t mean that it is wrong to care about other people’s opinions or that we should have no regard for others. What it means though, is that you will face criticism in this life at some point. If you are going to face it, you should face it for doing good rather than for doing evil. It also means we should never compromise our values in order to please other people.



It means we should live our life with the goal of pleasing God, who judges men’s hearts, above all else. If you need help doing that, hang around after we pray and speak with one of our adult leaders. You’ll be glad you did.



Close in Prayer



Written by Brandon McCarroll

Coldplay Endorses Palestinian Jihad Against Israel

A very interesting post from  www.debbieschlussel.com about the group Coldplay's pro-terrorist video. This follows this post aboutincreased Iranian visas being given. This follows this post  about Miss USA 2010 and this article about the recent news about the former ban on offshore drilling which would encourage American energy independence and prevent money from going to hostile countries such as Iran   and Venezuela. For more that you can do to get involved click HERE and read this very interesting book HERE!


Coldplay Endorses Palestinian Jihad Against Israel

By Debbie Schlussel



I suppose it should be no surprise that Coldplay, the overrated band headed by Chris Martin is anti-Israel. After all, Martin’s half-Jewish and wholly annoying wife, Gwyneth Paltrow, helped fundraise for a pro-HAMAS charity which teaches Palestinian kids to be extremists, which helps propagandize Palestinian kids in refugee camps. Check out the video below, which Coldplay posted on its Facebook fan page. I wonder whether the many Black musicians and singers know that under Islam, including HAMAS’ Palestinian state, they are little more than slaves and referred to as “abed” (slave) and “abeed” (slaves). And, as for the Japanese chick with her kid, um, yeah, everyone knows there are sooooooo many Japanese Palestinians. You keep tellin’ yourself that. Here’s a tip, morons: despite your wildest fantasies, a Palestinian state will NOT look like a United Colors of Benetton ad. But, as you can see, over 3,000 of Coldplay’s moronic fans likes the Coldplay endorsement of Palestinian jihad.

What the kids are watching

I wanted to send this article which describes what is going on in the popular culture of the world around us. Since we are in, but not of, the world, at times one needs to see the state of the world around us. I hope you find this interesting as something to be aware of.

Youth Culture Window
No LimitsA Glimpse of Pop Culture through the Lens of the MTV Movie AwardsJonathan McKeeI love movies… and I love good TV. But the MTV Movie Awards always leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.First, understand how powerful an influence MTV has on our kids. It’s amazing if you think about it. MTV pre-dates cell phones, iPods, Xbox and the internet. MTV filled homes across the world while MySpace creator Tom was still in diapers. Jordon Sparks and Chris Brown had yet to sing together… actually, they weren’t even born when MTV already “owned” a young generation. That generation has already grown up and is raising kids of their own. These kids now watch the same channel their parents watched, just with less videos, more reality shows, and much more sexual references per hour.As we rolled into the new millennium, when everyone had an email address, a cell phone number and a Starbucks addiction, MTV was still named the top choice for advertisers who wanted to reach teenagers.Now, in 2008, MTV still “owns,” although now they probably share the crown with Nick, American Idol, Facebook and iTunes. But on this past Sunday night, all eyes were on MTV for their annual MTV Movie Awards hosted by Michael Myers and featuring every celeb imaginable, from Will Smith to Juno’s Ellen Page.I’ve gotta be honest with you. I’m biased. I don’t like MTV. As a parent, I struggle with a channel that gladly peddles smut to our kids to make a buck. Think about it for a second. If a man walked up to our kids in a grocery store and starting talking about the content that MTV doesn’t hesitate sharing every day… most parents would be either calling security or smacking the individual. But what do we do? We reward this individual and give him free reign over our children. It’s mind blowing.So last night I sat down to try to stomach another year of what MTV had to offer. As a movie fan I normally would enjoy Michael Myers, Will Smith and Jack Black…but not this night. Not on this channel.After the “gold carpet” pre-show with “role models” like Diddy, Paris Hilton, and the Pussy Cat Dolls, the show started with a creative introduction from Michael Myers that had a few chuckling moments.The show went downhill from there. I’ll highlight the good and bad for you quickly, share some of the trends I noticed this year, and finally make two suggestions of how we can respond as parents and youth workers.The Good Part of the Show:
I always enjoy seeing Chris Brown dance—a very talented young man.
It was fun to hear Coldplay’s new song performed live.
And I was truly excited this year when all the nominees for their annual “Best Kiss” award were actually a kiss between a guy and a girl!Well, that wraps up the good. Here’s the bad.The Bad Part of the Show:
Every year the show seems to award a bunch of movies that parents wouldn’t really want their kids watching. Considering that MTV is the “top-rated network in the 12-24 demographic,” it’s discouraging that racy R-rated movies like Knocked Up, Superbad and Sex in the City were in the lineup.
The show featured a moment that is probably the most blatant televised promotion for smoking weed that I’ve ever seen. Seth Rogan and James Franco lit up a big fatty joint and smoked it live right in front of thousands of cheering fans.
This show is a gateway drug to other MTV shows. They consistently plugged other trashy MTV shows like The Real World and Tila Tequila where the commercial featured a lengthy shot of two girls passionately kissing. They also plugged new shows like House Bunny, where a playboy bunny moves into a sorority… oh… why even bother explaining. Sigh.
Almost every commercial break cut to a piece of Usher’s “Let’s Make Love in This Club” video.
Michael Myers, as funny as he is, never ceased to cross the line. Somehow, he seemed to twist every little introduction into something sexual. “Our next presenters did a movie together called The Foot Fist Way and surprisingly, it’s not a celebrity sex tape.” Other times he played creatively quirky characters including his sketch as an ex-porn star who now caters for movies. She (Myers) told us to be careful what we “put in our mouths.”
At first I was excited because they brought Dana Carvey in as a guest to do a live “Wayne’s World” sketch with Mike Myers. I was amazed with what they got away with on TV, joking about “pubes,” porn film titles, and a whole little bit about proclaimed bi-sexual Tila Tequila reaching down the front of people’s pants and being satisfied with whatever she finds down there (complete with hand gestures). It was embarrassingly graphic.
As a whole, the show was a giant infomercial. At times, it was hard to decipher between the show and advertisements. I wasn’t alone in this observation.
MTV’s commercials always bother me, but at the same time, I think MTV tips their hand with their advertisements. It’s very clear what kind of audience they expect with their advertisements for new “unrated” movies and racy reality shows.This Year’s TrendsEvery year I notice certain trends in pop culture programming. The 2008 MTV Movie Awards revealed plenty. But three trends seemed to float to the top.A Warped Sense of HeroesIn a world where many kids feel ignored by their parents, a void can grow in their lives. Kids seek heroes. If mom and dad aren’t there… who remains?Enter Seth Rogan and The PussyCat Dolls stage right. Don’t worry mom and dad, your little boy could grow up just like what Seth portrays: smoking pot, cursing, and joking incessantly about sex and porn. And your little girl can someday do soft-core porn routines like a Pussycat Doll.Or maybe it’s something a little more subtle. Take Tranformer’s Megan Fox for example, wearing a dress shorter than her dad’s t-shirt, and her only comment on stage being “Transformers II is going to be f***ing bad*ss!” How’s that for a hero? This year’s MTV Movie Awards provided plenty of these “anti-roll models.” People you’d never want your kids to hang out with… yet we give them standing ovations. Adam Sandler, Diddy, Paris Hilton, Lindsey Lohan… need I go on?Gross-out Humor Gross-out humor springboarded to mainstream exactly a decade ago with the success of the 1998 Farrelly Brothers’ movie There’s Something About Mary. Since then, movies have strived to push the limits, and MTV has followed suit. MTV’s Jackass is synonymous with “gross-out.” So it was no surprise to see even more of it in full gear on this year’s show. From the sketch where a monkey gets freaky with the MTV popcorn trophy (right before getting covered with snot, urine and more) to Mike Myer’s unremitting, over-the-top sexual jokes.No LimitsThis paragraph probably appears redundant, but gross-out humor is probably only one sub category of displaying “no limits.” MTV excels at letting loose with no limits. Mike Myers’ jokes didn’t stop at gross out humor (like his sketch where he was eating fecal matter), then ventured to the sexual, homo-sexual and even bestiality. Nothing was out of bounds. And we’re raising a generation of kids that don’t see much as “off limits.”So what can we do as parents and youth workers?
Connect with our kids. It happens all the time. A parent catches a true glimpse of their kid’s world and throws a tizzy! Don’t overreact and throw your TV out the window or ground your kids for a year. I say it in every parent workshop I teach—I can’t emphasize it enough: “Rules without a relationship lead to rebellion.” As a parent or a youth worker, we need to get to know our kids. Connecting means learning their interests, listening to their dreams, and noticing their needs. A relationship is the starting point for building values into them and talking with kids about issues of discernment. And the greatest gift we can give our kids is TIME.
Build lasting values.We need to teach the importance of guidelines to a “no limits” generation. As believers in Christ we can point to the Word. When this world cleverly lies to us and tells us that “everything is okay,” our kids should see the Bible as an unchanging source of truth. Paul talks about this truth we can hold on to in the book of Ephesians. “Then we will no longer be like children, forever changing our minds about what we believe because someone has told us something different or because someone has cleverly lied to us and made the lie sound like the truth. Instead, we will hold to the truth in love, becoming more and more in every way like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.” (Ephesians 4:14-15)Parents, it is okay to say, “Sorry, that doesn’t belong in our house.” We need to teach Biblical discernment. Discernment might begin with blocking MTV.