 I found this to be an interesting video. It didn't Focus so much on what she is or has said, as it focused on the things that she wasn't saying, or what she left out of the conversation. In my opinion, that speaks volumes about her character. But at the same time, I feel like we've heard this story before. We've already learned the words to this song, and we sing it every year. The only thing different is that the celebrities names change. So, no judgement on Lauren. Instead, I think you should put yourself in the hot seat for a second. If you had this platform , if you were in her place, how would you handle these kinds of questions. Because who knows, maybe you'll be the one in front of the cameras and behind the microphone. I mean that's pretty much the goal right? So as artists and musicians, let's take a second to be really honest and answer some questions that no one ever asks us?. Not only is it a good exercise, but it's a good window to your heart. What kind of man or woman are you really? Put your answers down on paper, or better yet, type them out so that you can share them with the rest of the world as we convene in the comment section. Oh yeah, and before I forget. Here's that video. Now, Let's Move on to the Questions1) Why should anyone listen to your music?
2) What do you hope to accomplish as a musician? 3) If your life was a book or movie what would the title be? 4) What kind of person do you envision when you write your music? 5) Do you feel the pressure of responsibility as a musician? Why or why not? 6) What good or bad has come to the world because of your music? 7) Where do you get the ideas for your songs? Where does your music come from? 8) Do you think the world would be better or worse off if you were not a musician? 9) What is the greatest impact your music has had on the world today? 10) What do you think others think of your music? Answer honestly, and be sure to tag us in your post when you make it on your page this week. Post your answers on your celebrity pages on Facebook or on Instagram and we'll be sure to feature you when we see that tag. Also, be sure to tag three musicians in this post so that they can answer the questions as well. If someone tags you, you have to post! ~X 
1 Corinthians 10:13 states "No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it."
"Take The Exit" is a song that challenges us as believers to walk in the righteousness of Christ. The song acknowledges our struggle with sin and the chorus is a prayer/plea that incorporates Psalm 119:9, James 4:7 and 1 Corinthians 10:13. The reality is, God is faithful to provide a way out so that we can endure the temptation we are facing, the thing is, on our end, we need to take the exit. If you choose not to it's not because the exit wasn't there, it's because you made a conscious decision to rebel against God and not take the exit He provided. The more we take the exit, the more we say yes to Jesus, the less we willingly rebel against Him. One illustration I use when preaching on this topic is one of being trapped inside a burning building. We know from the Scriptures that sin equals death, so lets refer to the fire as sin and ultimate consumption by the fire would result in death. You are going to fight for your life, you are going to do everything it takes to try and get out of that building. You are not going down without a fight. I contend that we need to have this sort of mentality when we are facing temptation, we need to fight for our lives. Here is what's awesome about this, God is faithful to provide as an exit, He graciously gives us a way out. It may look different each time but it will for sure be there, look for the exit and take it. This may mean getting up and going to do something, answering a phone call, reading the Word, praying, calling someone, etc... There is always a way out and if you can't find one remember this... Submit to God, that is how we resist the devil, submit to resist. That is the best exit available. May we be a people who take the exit and walk in the righteousness, the victory that we have in Christ.  I have heard it said that a person has 2 worldviews, the one they say they hold, and the one they live out. It is so much easier for us to say we believe something than it is for us to actually live that belief out. I have said it often when I preach but it is one of the most convicting thoughts to me, and it is simply that your life will reflect what you truly believe. If we are being honest with ourselves, our lives don't always reflect what we say we believe. For me it is easier to say I trust God than it is to live that out when I am on an airplane as my fear of heights seems to over ride my trust. Even deeper still, it's not the flying that is the issue, it's lack of control, it's the "what if the plane crashes" thoughts, it unfortunately boils down to a fear of death. This is a bit of a conundrum for me as a believer in Jesus, wouldn't you agree? However, before you cast your stones at me please take a minute to examine your own life. What fears do you have? Maybe it's of spiders, or public speaking, or you are constantly worried about your children, etc... It is super easy for us to point fingers, it is also super easy to say we aren't afraid of things. The truth comes out when we are in situations that test that. I have gone back and forth with my fear of heights, of crossing high bridges, or of flying, and it keeps coming back to a lack of trust in God and belief that He is in control of my life and my death.
If it is true that everyone has 2 worldviews then we have an interesting conundrum to sort out as Christians. See it is easy to say you’re a Christian, but our lives will always reflect what we truly believe. I hope this convicts you as much as is does me… When I look at my life, I have to ask the question, am I worshiping God by how I am living? Sadly, more often than not, I find myself answering that question with a no. If I am being honest, when I examine my life I see disconnects all over. I examine my Word life, what I mean here is my quiet time of reading the Bible, my Word life, and I find that it isn’t as consistent as it needs to be, I have the weird gifting of memorization and a lot of time I use that gift to justify not studying or simply reading as much as a should because I can recall sections of Scripture, maybe not word for word but for sure the general idea/concept being presented. This is both a blessing and a curse for me, but when I look at giving God my undivided attention in His word, I am lacking. I examine my Prayer life, am I praying as I should? How often do you tell someone you are going to pray for them and then it becomes and after thought, or just simply praising God through prayer, or most importantly, the listening part of prayer… I examine my Service life, not necessarily what and how much I am doing but why am I doing what I’m doing, what is the heart behind my service, is it to bring glory to God or is it just to get it done or is it to get something out of it for my benefit? I examine my Home life, I look at how I am leading family because the way I see it as a husband and a father you are always leading the question is where. I also examine my Work life and my Evangelism life, and Fellowship and Community life & I examine my Discipleship life, my Faith life, etc... Please note that when I say I examine my life in these areas I am referring more to my heart than I am the tasks though the tasks have their importance and place. Bottom line, I examine my life but I broke it down here on purpose, I think examining these things in a whole and individually begins to help us see how the worldview we say we have translates to the worldview we live out. We are to worship God with our lives, and our lives will reflect what we truly believe. "And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect." Romans 12:1-2 -AJ |