Questions for God - Week 1

In our youth ministry, AMP Student Ministries, we just began a new series called Questions for God in which we allowed the students to anonymously send in any questions about God, life, Christianity, faith, family - literally anything! We are gathering the incoming questions, grouping them together, and spending each Wednesday night in the month of October answering these challenging questions.

This past Wednesday we answered the question, "If God is good, why is there so much evil in this world?" At the end of the service we had an exciting time called "Ask Anything" in which students could send in any question and I would attempt to answer them live in a biblical manner. The two questions we picked to answer are below, and I wanted to expand on my short answers in service:

Is it okay to listen to secular music?
My "Ask Anything" Answer: Yes. Yes. Yes. It is a must! The Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian church and exclaimed,

"I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some."
1 Corinthians 9:22

Paul was willing to adopt to the lifestyle of a typical Jew to build relationship with the Jews that lived all around him. In that, he did the things that Jews did, he listened to the same music the Jews did, he went to the same concerts and plays the Jews did. Paul did anything short of sin to reach those around him with the story of Jesus.

ALSO, in Acts 17, Paul is preaching at Mars Hill to a bunch of nonbelievers. In his sermon he boldly quotes one of the pagan Greek poets that would have been so familiar to his listeners during this time. Understand that ancient poets = current day rockstars. Paul quotes them with approval but does not state that he agrees with everything they write and everything they stand for.

The point is, we have been called to engage culture rather than distance ourselves from it. The worst thing you could do (in regards to music) would be to listen only to Christian music, or even worse, only to Country music.

Engage culture. Listen to secular music. Even pull out biblical principals out of secular songs. But don't listen to filth. You should not be listening to any music that hinders or hurts you relationship with other people, yourself, or God.

My Qualification: Don't hear/read what I said about secular music and go against the will of your parents. If your mom or dad has told you, "Christian music only," then guess what? Christian music only. Respect the rules your parents set out for you - they know best.


How will I know when I find "her"? My future wife that is...
My "Ask Anything" Answer: I'm not married - how am I suppose to know!? And then I tried to answer a little more: Most importantly, a potential husband or wife, girlfriend or boyfriend, MUST be a Christian. The Bible clearly says that no Christian should be "unequally yoked" with an unbeliever. This is the idea of two oxen plowing the field with a yoke over their necks. If one ox is pulling one way and the other ox pulling another way, the field will not get plowed and nothing will be accomplished but stress, anxiety, and failure. NO MISSIONARY DATING! Let the person get saved, even help the person find Jesus, THEN entertain the idea of dating.

After that, compatibility is absolute necessary for a future spouse - you want to be with someone that you enjoy being with.

My Addition: Your marriage should be one that makes both you and your spouse a better person and a person Christ-follower. Your marriage should be one that better allows you to effectively minister and reach the world around you. And your marriage should be one that allows the both of you to better experience and know God.

Your marriage should make the both of you better people, should make the world around you a better place, and should make both of your relationships with God stronger and more effective.

*P.S. The series, Questions for God, is still going on. Send in your anonymous questions via text:
Text keynumber 2065 with your question to 99503. -OR- Go to http://poll4.com, type keynumber 2065 and your question.*