OK, so we finally made it, our final night with Disney songs brought to light and what a great countdown it has been. There were some surprises both in what songs made it and what songs didn't make the cut. We have learned lots of great lessons, things that I am sure you were not expecting to learn from the likes of Sebastian the crab and Baloo the Bear.

But are you ready to see what is #1?  I have got to tell you, this is one of my favorite Disney songs, and it is one that I knew would be on the countdown.  It came in first with 14 votes, 9 votes more than Hakuna Matata. Are you tired of me stalling yet? Cause I do have a few more techniques to keep you in suspense... Did you hear the one about ... Ok ok without any further chicanery, here is song #1, the last song in our countdown from worst to best, the song that you chose, the song that... ah play the movie.

A whole new world, wow what a great song. Do you all feel fulfilled now that you know the top song? Well just wait until you find out the light that can be brought out of this song.

In the movie the song is about doing something that you have never done before about living your life in a new and wonderful way. And I want to draw straight from that for our lesson tonight because that is exactly what God is offering us in Christianity. He is offering us this whole new world that we can live in. In the book of 2 Corinthians Paul tells us this:

^5:17 This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

God gives us a new world by making us a new person, by giving us a different perspective on life. There is an old saying that says something about when people fall in love they see the world through rose colored glasses. This is the idea that everything looks better to you and rosier, happier more lovely when you are in love because you have decided to see the world that way. This is kind of the same way God works in this instance but instead of giving you glasses that you can take off on a whim He makes you able to change your mind. That is really the definition of repentance

"A change in mind that leads to a change in action."

Last time we talked about a change in mind that could lead us out of worry and into joy, but this change, that God wants to take place in us, is so much deeper than that. He doesn't want us to just be worry free he wants us to have the "peace that surpasses all understanding." He wants us to know that He is there to take care of us no matter what crazy circumstance comes our way. What God really wants is for us to see the world through His eyes... To see other people as a chance to show love and to share Jesus not as black or white or fat or skinny not as smelly or awesome but as a person that needs to know the love of God and that we might be the only person that will ever be able to show it too them.

I was very glad that this ended up being our #1 song because you really have to put into play all of the previous lessons to truly live in this new world. You have to know that peer pressure is something that it is ok to run away from and that you have been given the strength to say no, you have to believe that God wants to take care of you and bring to you the good things of life. You have to be willing to accept with joy whatever situations that you find yourself in, and you have to be willing to take everything to God and focus on Him instead of worrying yourself to death.

The crazy thing is that I didn't plan it this way, I didn't choose the songs I didn't put them in order... you guys did and God has used that to teach us a great lesson. It is my prayer now that whenever you hear these songs that you will remember these silly little lessons, but I also pray that you will starting looking for the light in every part of your life.

That's right hakuna Matata comes in at #2, and I have to say that I am not surprised this is a really great song. And I was hoping that it would be on the countdown because it has a very simple meaning but powerful meaning.  Did you know that this is a very biblical song? It really is, I did a quick keyword search of all of the places where the word worry is found in the Bible and what I found surprised even me. With the exception of one passage, , every single place that the word is found in the Bible it is to tell people to not worry and that one passage says that you need to think about God before you worry, so it is really saying the same thing. So apparently God is all about not worrying but what exactly is worrying?

Dictionary.com lists it as to torment oneself with or suffer from disturbing thoughts; fret.

And after reading that definition you can see why God doesn't want us worry. It just does not sound like a pleasant experience. I think that Jesus puts it best as Luke writes in chapter 12

²⁵ Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? ²⁶ And if worry can't accomplish a little thing like that, what's the use of worrying over bigger things?

So there you go "Don't worry!" it's as simple as that... but it really isn't you have to work on not worrying because this world that we live in tries to push us into worry, it wants you to think that if you want a job done right that you have to do it yourself, and that if everything is not perfect, if I don't get into the right collage or if I am not popular enough or if I have a zit then the world is going to end and everyone is going to die. And that is just not true. Check out what Paul says here in Philippians chapter 4

⁶ Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

So all you have to do is pray about everything, and say thank you, and by just doing those little things God makes an amazing promise to us, check out the next verse.

⁷ Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

The peace that exceeds all understanding, it has always been funny to me that this is the peace beyond all understanding but you have to have an understanding of who God is and who Jesus is to be able to obtain it. But we still don't quite know how to go through life without worry so Paul adds another verse here that sums the whole thing up for us, and gives us precise directions on what to do

⁸ And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise

Paul says if we can train our minds to focus on God, if we can set our minds on things that are above then there will be nothing to worry about, because like we learned with Baloo and Mogli God will provide the necessities.

This was one that I thought would make it into the top 5 it is just so catchy... under da sea! But what is this song all about... really what do you guys think this song is about?

There is an old adage that goes "The Grass is always greener on the other side" This is something that we really perpetuate in the world today, the idea that we must have it the worst out of every one and that if we could just be someone else or live somewhere else or have different friends or a nicer car or a bigger, faster, better life then we would be happy. The crazy thing about that is there are all of these celebrities in the news all the time who are just miserable.  They are always getting caught up in drugs and affairs, they are living the American dream with wealth and power and they are more unhappy than the man who gets up every morning and works his tail off 12 hours a day to barely take care of his family.  What I want us to realize when we think about this song under the sea is that God has put us where we are for a reason.  He knows what is going on in the world and in all history and He has a plan for us right where we are... check this out

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. You see God really does know what it best for us and He is always trying to give us the best of everything look at this verse here

Matt. 7:9-11

"You parents-if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead?  Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.

If we can agree that your parents are not idiots, and God is much smarter than they are then God must really know how to give the best gifts. I know that some of you are thinking... "Well Patrick what about the times when things are going bad, what about when I feel like the whole world is against me?" Well God tells us about those times as well and gives us several promises to look at.

1 Corinthians 10:13 The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.

It all comes down to the idea that we need to

Trust in God and the plans He has for US!

The Bear Necessities of life.  What a great idea that is, but it is something that in America we truly have no concept about what that actually means.  We think that the bear necessities of life include internet, tv, a cell phone. We think that if you don't get to sit next to that certain person that the world is going to end.  And we worry about so much. How we dress, what we eat, what we watch, who we hang out with, and we end up doing stupid things because we think that we NEED them.

I want you to check out a passage of scripture with me that is Jesus talking about this world and the things in it -

Matthew 6:24-32

24 "No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.  25 "That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life-whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn't life more than food, and your body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren't you far more valuable to him than they are? 27 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? 28 "And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don't work or make their clothing, 29 yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 30 And if God cares so wonderfully for wildflowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith? 31 "So don't worry about these things, saying, 'What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?' 32 These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.

Jesus is laying out for us very clearly what he thinks about the bear necessities, and it is actually what Baloo says as well. They will come to you. When you are in God's will and are doing for Him they way He has called all people to do . Ministry is not the highest paid profession in the world, but I know very few ministers that are starving on a daily basis. Now I don't know many ministers that have everything that they want, I mean they are not rolling up in the nicest cars and they are not flashing the brightest bling, but they have the things that they need.

This is the whole lesson of Baloo's song, you do not have to worry about the necessary things in life as long as you are worried about the important things. Now to Baloo that was being lazy and floating down the river but what is the most important thing?

Matt 6: 33-34
33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. 34 "So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today.

So I am doing an expirment, can I take the top 5 Disney songs as chosen by my friends and Youth Group and glean some solid Biblical knowledge from them... I propose that not only can I, but that they wll be profound lessons that will stick with you. So for the next 5 weeks I will be presenting you with a countdown... without further ado, here is Song #5

This song is about peer pressure those crazy sea creatures were trying to pressure that poor man into kissing a fish. Just like your friends are always trying to pressure you into doing things that you know aren’t right to do. They are pushing you to conform to the things that the world thinks are the cool way to be. “Kissing the girl” becomes a metaphor for falling into the pattern of the world. So what is the pattern of the world?

The pattern of this world to to look out for number 1, it is to make yourself into the greatest and to look down on everyone else.  If you want to be big in this world you need four things. Fame, Fortune, Power and Pleasure the world says that if you have these then you will be the happiest, coolest and most awesome person in the world. But the truth is that when you get even a taste of any of these they can consume your thoughts and your life. If you go after these things if you "Kiss the Girl" because you want to be popular or because you cave into that peer pressure that is around us all the time you draw your attention and eventually your love away from God. So what are we to do?

1. The transformation of the renewing of your mind
   1. Through God's Word
   2. Through Prayer
   3. Through living your life the way Jesus would live it
      In every situation you face in life, the world says to ask these questions...
      1. What's wrong with doing that?
      2. What's in it for me?
      3. How much can I make for myself?
      4. How good does it feel?
      5. How good does it taste?
   
   

In the Christian life, there is only one question to ask...

Given my present situation, how does Jesus want me to act?

For the rest of your life you will have people calling to you both outloud and under their breath encouraging you to “Kiss the girl” to just go with the flow of the world and not worry about the things that God says are important. Check out this last verse

Romans 12: 2 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.