NEW!Download the chord chart for “Come To Me” for your band (and check out the lyric video if you want to use the song with your group during worship).
We’ve had a blast getting to know Jamie Grace over the past year. Just like you, we love her music. But we also love her love for youth leaders. She’s joined us for artist talkbacks at several events this summer, and she almost always comes early and stays late to hang out and talk to youth leaders.
The video for her song “Come To Me” is featured on the brand new Music Video Loop. The Bible study, written by Jami Backell from Warden Community Church in Warden, Washington is about finding rest for ourselves and our burdens in Jesus.
Youth Leaders Only Members … remember to look for the brand new MVL78 in the back-to-school YLO box coming your way in just a few weeks. And don’t forget about the great new drag-and-drop feature on the MVLs — now you can easily transfer the video files to your favorite presentation software!
This is a powerful song from Building 429 and the concert video is featured on the new MVL77. As I watched it again this morning, I was reminded of this post and what I wrote about the song “Some Nights” by Fun. So much of the music students hear asks a version of the question “What am I here for? Is this all there is?” Building 429 offers an answer to those question in their song “Where I Belong”
Sometimes it feels like I’m watching from the outside
Sometimes it feels like I’m breathing but am I alive
I will keep searching for answers that aren’t here to find
All I know is I’m not home yet
This is not where I belong
Take this world and give me Jesus
This is not where I belong
The objective of the Bible study, written by Joel Jackson from St. Thomas Church in Bernville, PA, is “to assist struggling disciples, who feel like outcasts because of their commitment to God, know that they have made the right choice — the choice to belong.”
YLO Members get 4 Music Video Loops each year, along Bible studies, albums, chord charts, articles and more … everything you need to introduce your students to great Christian music. Learn more here.
Jimmy Needham’s newest album “Clear The Stage” is featured as a mild selection in the brand new summer edition of Youth Leaders Only. The study, written by Dave Jones from First Baptist Church in Milton, PA, offers students a chance to reflect on the things that distract them from our relationship with God.
The summer edition of Youth Leaders Only ROCKS with new music from Fireflight, TobyMac, Kutless, Flame and more! Plus the box features our exclusive Humor themed DVD that includes video from Skit Guys, Tim Hawkins, Michael Jr., and others.
You can see the complete preview of YLO88 on our website.
Maroon 5 has a pretty high profile these days, with lead singer Adam Levine serving as one of the vocal coaches on the current season of The Voice.
“Moves Like Jagger” was the first single for their latest album, and while we’ve been hearing it for a while, writer Kirk Moore offers us a chance to go beyond the obvious in his re:tuned Discussion Starter for the song from the latest edition of Youth Leaders Only.
Editor’s note: The re:tuned section in every Music Resource Book features discussion points for some of today’s most popular mainstream songs. These brief studies are designed to give you a starting point for a “What do you think this song is about?” discussion about a song you hear hanging out with students at Starbucks. Or you might try dissecting the week’s featured “Glee” song in a small group setting. Many youth leaders tell us that the re:tuned section is one of the hidden gems of their YLO membership.
Teaching Point: Things are bad here, but one day Christians will experience the joy of paradise in heaven.
Opening Questions: Coldplay describes the pain a girl feels and how she dreams of paradise. Describe for the group how we need escape from pain and troubles. Have them close their eyes and picture a paradise that would bring them happiness when they need it most.
Discussion: Ask the group to name things that bring people happiness when they need to escape. Have them describe in detail a place they could dream about that would be a paradise. Ask them to describe what they think God’s Word says about a paradise.
Was Eden a paradise? What was it like?
Was there another paradise in Scripture? What does heaven look like?
Have the group read Genesis 2:7-9. Ask them to think about what the Garden of Eden would have looked like. Have them try to describe what it might have been like. Emphasize for them that it was a paradise.
Have the group read Revelation 21:1-4. Ask them to think about what heaven will look like, and describe what these verses say it will be like.
Have them read Revelation 21:9-22:5. Ask them to describe further what heaven will look like. Now that the group is picturing this place in their imagination, have them reread Revelation 21:4. Teach them that the Christian pictures paradise not based on a lack of stress but on the presence of our favorite person: Jesus, the Christ! We can have peace picturing paradise like the girl in this Coldplay song because Jesus will take all our pain away. Emphasize that the most exciting part of this promise from God is that is certain to happen. Nothing can stop this from happening!
Have them read Revelation 22:7, “And look, I am coming soon.” Point out that Jesus promises that our pain will not last forever.
Conclusion: End with a prayer that thanks God for the hope He gives. Thank Him for the beautiful promise of no more pain and the beauty of the paradise of heaven. Have the students write out their own personal prayers, writing to God very specifically for each thing they just studied about that they want to thank Him for. Let them keep their prayers for future reference.
There’s been a lot of talk about new band The City Harmonic. They performed at NYWC in Atlanta in November and everyone was buzzing about it afterward. We featured their album “I Have A Dream (It Feels Like Home)” in the new YLO86 box, and the Bible study for their song “Manifesto” seems appropriate for the new year.
At the time of year when students are thinking about New Year’s resolutions, this study encourages them to think about the deeper purpose that Christ has for their lives. From the study written by Andy Moore:
Right at the beginning the band stated the focus of their declaration: We believe in the one true God. That is where our faith must begin. If our faith begins anywhere else, it leads to problems in our lives. All we have to do is look at the world around us to know that faith in our abilities and our own personal wisdom gets things messed up.
Check out the video and download our Bible study for “Manifesto” here.
Brenton Brown’s “Our God Is Near” was featured in YLO84. The album is filled with great songs for your worship team. Here are a few things you might want to check out:
Read Brenton’s story (it’s not your typical how-I-became-a-worship-leader story)
Every Music Video Loop DVD includes a section called “Artist Drop-Ins”. These are what I like to call “Public Service Announcements” from some of your favorite artists for your group. You can snag these videos and incorporate them as a lead in for your own video announcements, or just use them from the DVD as an intro to your “live” announcement time.
We have fun putting these together, and the artists always get a kick out of doing them.
We’ve got a pretty good library of Drop-Ins from past MVLs on our website. Click here to peruse the list, and download a few to use with your group. I promise, your kids will be impressed!
P.S. Yes, that graphic is from the new, upcoming Music Video Loop! You can preview the loop here. YLO Members – MVL74 will be INSIDE your August YLO box, so be looking for it!
