The lyrics say, “I gotta feeling that tonight’s gonna be a good night.”
So far, so good, right?

Okay, according to the song, what’s going to make it a good night?
“Tonight’s the night, let’s live it up,

I got my money, let’s spend it up.”

And that’s exactly what millions of people will do.  No, not because the song said so, but listen – the song is an ingredient in the decision.

I don’t think these are Dave-Ramsey-approved lyrics.  He would have said:
“Tonight’s the night for financial health,

Let’s pay off debt and build up wealth.”

But who would listen to a song like that, right?  

So anyway, the number one song right now is all about going out and partying and blowing all your money and, like one line says, “losing all control.”
A great Friday night song, right?  Nope.  The lyrics spell out everyday of the week.  What’s a good day to spend all your money and lose all control?  Every day!

No, a song can’t make you do that, but it’s an ingredient in the decision.  It’s the power of suggestion, and when your song is number one in the country, you are suggesting it to a huge percentage of the nation.

Don’t believe me?  Well get this, the number three song in the country is all about the power of a song to influence behavior!

It’s called “Party in the U.S.A.” by Miley Cyrus – yes, the girl who plays Hannah Montana.  

In the song she talks about flying into Los Angeles and feeling nervous and homesick.  But then in the taxi cab a song by Jay Z comes on the radio and she starts moving and grooving and feeling all right.

Then little 16 year old Miley sings about going to the club and feeling out of place with all the big city partiers.  She feels out of place and wants to get out of there and go home, until the DJ drops a song by Britney Spears, which helps her decide to stay at the club after all.

Many times she feels like leaving the big city and going back home, but “something stops me every time,” she says.  And what is that something?  A song.  

So at number three is a song about the power of a song to influence behavior.  She would have left the club, but a song kept her in the club.  She would have left the big city, but a song kept her there.

And so what did she do?  She nodded her head and moved her hips and got her hands up.  “Yea, it’s a party in the U.S.A.”

I know, some of you think it’s just silliness, but there’s little Miley promoting Jay Z who has the number four song on the Hot 100 called “Run This Town.”  No, it’s not about the mayor and the city council, and no, I can’t share the lyrics on this radio station.  It has the “n word” and guns and lyrics that are degrading to women and on and on.  And this is exactly the kind of lyrics they are pumping out day and night on the most listened to radio stations in Tallahassee and around the country.

Look down the list of the top songs.  Look at the number one songs in other parts of the world.  I can’t even share with you some of the song titles.  And some of you, if you read the lyrics, you would be stunned, alarmed, even revolted.  And these aren’t the lyrics of some dark basement bar band.  They are the most popular songs on the planet.

I’m talking today about the power of suggestion, and when you throw together a cocktail of lyrics and catchy music, the suggestion can be pretty powerful.
No, your music won’t make you do something, but it is an ingredient in your decisions, so pay attention.  That music you listen to – what is it suggesting that you do?

Romans 12:2 tells us to not be conformed to the pattern of this world.  That is very hard to do if the pattern of this world is pulsing through your iPod.
But there is a big payoff.  When we choose to not be conformed to the pattern of this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our mind, Romans 12:2 says, “…then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will.”

So would you like to know what God’s will is for your life?  One step toward finding out is to stop conforming to the pattern of this world.

And one way to stop the conformity is to stop listening to worldly music full of worldly suggestions.

No, your music won’t make you do something, but it’s a powerful ingredient in the decision.

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May God bless you today!