got wisdom?

SUFFER no FoolSSuffering is no picnic, but

neither is being a fool. That's why I embrace suffering,

because that's God's way of making me wise.

wisdom James 1from

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Bible Studies7, 9, 15, 21, 23, 29, 35, 39, 47, 49, 55, 57, 61

Daily Devos8, 10, 16, 22, 24, 30, 36, 40, 48, 50, 56, 58, 62

Timeslices16, 40, 56

Poems37, 60

Books 31

W i s d o m & 4 The Power of Music: Does What I Listen to Really Matter?11 Cheaters Never Win31 Stuff Your English Teacher Won't Tell You

s u f f e r i n g & 41 God's Wager (a comic book version of Job)

46 Face It

r e l a t i o n s h i p s & 18 He Said, She Said 25 Five Friends You Already Have58 Quiz: What One Thing Is Most Important to You?

“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.”

–Jeremiah 29:1 1

Welcome

to the fi rst issue of Blueprint, a Christian magazine for teens.The Bible is God's blueprint, and Jesus Christ

is the foundation we build on as we walk

out our own unique lives of faith.

Join us as we explore how God makes a difference in our lives, and how He wants us

to make a difference in the world.

contents

EditorShana Murph

DesignerScot McDonald

PhotosiStockphoto; Shutterstock; pp 26 ©Hulton Archive; Scot McDonald; Brad Armstrong Photography

Illustrationp18 Mark Chickinelli; p34 Kevin Frank; p41-44 Sergio Cariello

Echoes-Blueprint © 2011 David C Cook. Permission required to reproduce. All rights reserved. Echoes is a multicultural curriculum published quarterly by David C Cook, 4050 Lee Vance View, Colorado Springs, CO 80918. Printed in South Korea. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise stated, are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com

E HOESB Y D A V I D C C O O K

E HOESB Y D A V I D C C O O K

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4 SEP OCT NOV

BY SHANA MURPH

Powerof Music

Does what I listen toreally matter?

The

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blueprint 5 blueprint 5

Walk through your neighborhood, turn on the TV, � ip through a magazine or put on your headphones, and your eyes and ears see and hear all types of messages coming from various art forms. Through music, companies can move you to buy a product or service. In theory, if an organization plays the song of a certain artist while advertising a product or service, the quality of the song transfers to the product. So if the buyer likes the song that could move them to buy. In society, music such as “Oh Freedom” sung by the SNCC Freedom Singers inspired civil rights movements, and reinforced the mission for equal rights. Music states, restates, revises, and reiterates thoughts, emotions, and pushes agendas.

How do you respond to the music surrounding you? Your responses to these messages will tell others what you believe about society, God, and church. You can relate to something and admire the artistic value of a song without letting it direct or rule your life. And how you live your life is a direct re� ection of how you view God and your relationship to Him.

The art form we call music is so in� uential and wide-reaching that it can steer grassroots e� orts and promote di� erent lifestyles. Rap, the music of hip-hop has glori� ed revenge, drug use, and sex outside of marriage, but has also spearheaded voting initiatives and shined the light on poverty and injustices, such as police harassment and corporate racism. How much a song in� uences you depends on how well you relate to the message—what parts of the message you’ve accepted and allowed to in� uence you. Each song should pass through a � lter so that parts of what you hear get green light approval while others get rejected.

All music is subject to scrutiny whether it’s gospel, R&B, opera, or hip-hop. And it is true that appreciating certain art forms sometimes has more to do with a person’s personality than with a person’s lifestyle, but appreciating the lyrical skill of an illicit rapper

doesn’t make you less of a Christian. However, living according to a rapper’s non-Christian set of principles impacts your relationship with God in a negative way. Just as admiring the ri� s and runs of a popular gospel artist and supporting them even though their lyrics or lifestyle contradict what the Bible actually says can stear you in the wrong direction.

The Bible doesn’t exactly tell us listening to certain songs is right or wrong. It instructs that we are to glorify God in song and lifestyle. The Bible addresses how a Christian should live. And in order to live a fruitful life, live according to the Spirit (Galatians 5:16), worldly in� uences should never guide your life. Take the time to determine what takes you away from God. If hearing certain songs or even hearing

How should we respond to the power?

The Bible doesn’t exactly tell you listening to certain songs is right or wrong. It instructs to glorify God in song and lifestyle.

them too often takes you away from God, those songs should be up for reevaluation or elimination. Remember that no one can walk out your faith for you and as a Christian you have the Holy Spirit, so pay attention as He convicts and guides you. Has something caused you to read the Word less, not want to go to church, not want to share your faith with friends? Think about what you listen to on a daily basis. You can be a wise, God-glorifying Christian according to God’s standards. Don’t allow all that you see and hear have a say in what you choose to do with your life.

& Wisdom

blueprint 5

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6 SEP OCT NOV

Hip-hop, which hit the scene in the late seventies, marked the beginning of a revolution in music production and artistic expression. A culture that included rap music, turntables, styles of dress, DJs and philosophies on living would transform and shape people 40 years later. It is common to � nd rhymes in commercials, hip-hop gear on the runway, and hip-hop beats incorporated in symphonies. Di� erent cultures on the continents of Africa and Europe have brought their own styles to the hip-hop culture and hip-hop became pop and subject to the in� uences thereof. Those in� uences included producers, label owners, distributors dictating or having a say in lyricism and content. Hip-hop has covered a wide range of subjects including racial injustice, gang life, drug use, sexual immorality and dealing with other neighborhood realities. Many churches saw hip-hop as a negative worldly in� uence—unredeemable.

Then in the mid-eighties hip-hop heads began hearing and being e� ected by the Gospel. Transformed by the Gospel. Rocked by the Gospel. Soon the genre of gospel hip-hop or Christian hip-hop emerged and its use as a tool to impact hip-hop culture with the Gospel of Jesus Christ began growing. Urban missionaries were now Christian rappers, and churches were responding (not always positively) to the new methods by which the Gospel was being communicated. Was it the music itself that was the issue, resembling hip-hop too much (the beat, the imagery, etc.)? Was it putting Christian and hip-hop together in the same breath? From the mid-eighties to now the genre of Christian rap is changing; the philosophy behind why it’s needed is changing. As Christians use various methods to communicate the message of Christ, we should always be mindful of impact.

HIP-HOP& THE CHURCH

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blueprint 7

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Proverbs 1:1-7 Proverbs 1:1-71The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: 2for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight;3for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair; 4for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young—5let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance—6for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise. 7The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

Some books of the Bible give very specifi c reasons about

why they were written. Luke wrote his Gospel so that his friend Theophilus might know

with certainty the facts about Jesus (Luke 1:4). John wrote his fi rst epistle so that

Christians might know that they have eternal life (1 John 5:13).

Solomon began the Book of Proverbs by telling us why he wrote it. When the Lord

told Solomon that he could have anything he wanted, just for the asking, he asked for

wisdom. The Book of Proverbs contains much of this wisdom.

& Read Proverbs 1:1-6.List the eight reasons Solomon wrote the Book of Proverbs.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

If by reading the proverbs you gained each of these things, how could you use them?

& Read Proverbs 1:7.

Fearing God means respecting His power and control over your life. Why is this kind

of respect a good starting point for gaining wisdom?

Why is it foolish to treat wisdom and discipline lightly?

the what fors of Proverbs

lesson 1 Bible Study

1 Bibl

e Stud

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Word to the Wise

“ ””Who Said This?“Who Said This?“

“ ”If someone wanted to quote you, what wise saying would you give them?

devos

»monIn Proverbs 1:7, fear doesn’t mean fright. It means being in awe of who God is and what He is capable of doing. Write down one way God has demonstrated His power in your life sometime in the past week. Praise God for His ability to do anything.

»tuesLearning without any respect for God only results in academic arrogance. When He is ignored, people begin to believe what is false. Praise God today for being the source of all that is true.

»wedRead Proverbs 13:16. Everyone behaves foolishly sometimes. What was the last foolish thing you did?

What were the consequences? Ask God to help you learn from foolish decisions so that you don’t repeat them.

»thursIt often takes courage to act wisely and to do the right thing. What’s the most dif� cult “right” thing you ever did? Ask God for the same courage when you face those kinds of choices in the future.

»friRead Proverbs 10:17. Discipline is as essential to the growing Christian as training is to the committed athlete. What are the best 10 to 15 minutes of your day? Consider giving that time to God by focusing on Him. Ask the Lord to help you be consistent.

»satIdeally, everyone should continue to learn throughout their life. Do you remember your perception of God when you were 10? Has it changed? If so, how? Thank God for the spiritual growth you have experienced.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of

knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and

discipline. —Proverbs 1:7 “8

How would you fill in the following quotes about wisdom? The original words can be found at the bottom of the page.

1. The application of knowledge is wisdom. The application of wisdom is _____________ . —The Editor

2. The wise learn from _____________ ; the foolish merely repeat it. —Michael Novak

3. A word to the wise ain’t necessary - it’s the stupid ones that need the ________ . —Bill Cosby

4. Nine-tenths of wisdom is being wise in _____________ . —Teddy Roosevelt

5. The wisdom of this world is _____________ in God’s sight. —The apostle Paul, 1 Corinthians 3:19

6. “Learning without wisdom is a load of _____________on a donkey's back .” —Zora Neale Hurston

b

d

c

e

“ An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.”

“There is nothing so pitiful as a young cynic because he has gone from knowing nothing to believing nothing.”

“A wise man once said ‘Puttin small things off gives you a chance to turn a small issue into a full blown crises.’ ” "It is wiser to find out than

suppose."

“ It is the mind that makes the body.” A

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Wisdom about Wisdom

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