Unfiltered Christian Podcast
Welcome to "Unfiltered Christian," a podcast where faith meets authenticity. Join me as we share the raw and real experiences of our Christian journey, navigating the highs and lows of life. Through heartfelt testimonials and candid conversations, we'll explore the challenges and triumphs of living a life of faith. Whether you're struggling or soaring, this podcast aims to uplift, encourage, and remind you that you're never alone in your walk with Christ. Tune in for genuine insights, relatable stories, and a community of believers striving to grow together.
Unfiltered Christian Podcast
Ep 16 - Music Choices on the Path to Spiritual Growth
This episode tackles the relationship between faith and secular music, exploring the challenges Christians face when deciding what to listen to. With personal stories and thoughtful discussions, we navigate the complexities of worldly collaborations, the impact of music on spirituality, and the importance of prayer during this journey.
• Defining circular or worldly music and its distractions
• Personal anecdotes of transitioning away from secular music
• The role of collaborations between Christian and secular artists
• Parental challenges in managing children's music exposure
• Encouragement to seek balance and maintain a strong faith through music choices
Thank you for Listening
To ask us a question email us @ unfilteredchristian1@gmail.com
Welcome to the Unfiltered Christian Podcast with Cece and Shea.
Speaker 2:Come and join us on an authentic journey through the highs and lows of our Christian faith where nothing but the truth is spoken.
Speaker 1:Hey, saints, and welcome to the Unfiltered Christian Podcast. I'm Cece and I'm Shea. Welcome to the unfiltered christian podcast. I'm cc and I'm a show and welcome back, guys. So first I just want to just we've got some new listeners from you, from usa, from united states. So we've got virginia, we've got um sunderland I hope I'm pronouncing that right in washington. We've got Sunderland I hope I'm pronouncing that right in Washington. We've got Oakland, tennessee, honey. So hey, to our new American listeners and thank you for listening. So today is my question and it's a two-in-one question. So, shay, is there anything wrong with listening to circular music?
Speaker 2:hmm, okay, that's. I guess the shortest answer is yes. I guess the shortest answer is yes Because of what is in circular music. I guess we should define what circular music is anything outside of God, outside of Elohim, basically. If it's not about him or of him, um, then it's circular. But then some people might say circular is also you might have some gospel songs that has like a different beat, like a rock beat or whatever. Some people still would not put class that is gospel. So, yeah, that's just what my definition is there. But I guess, yeah, the easiest answer is to say yes because, um, yeah, it's not of God, so it causes distractions. Um, if you're listening to r&b, for example, that places some thoughts in your mind. You know you might be thinking about, I don't know, thoughts of temptation. Let's make it simple like that. You know you might be listening to a song, you might feel all right, you know, and then suddenly you start having these thoughts or feelings about wanting to do something and you're wondering, oh, where did this come from?
Speaker 2:and that's been planted because of that song or whatever you're listening to, so it doesn't keep you on your track with Elohim, so, on your path with him, it makes it much more harder and it brings brings more distractions, and I'm saying this from experience because of I'm a music head, like I love my music. My playlist is crazy and when I started restarted my journey, that was the difficult part for me removing myself from circular music because I liked most genres of music and it was just really really hard. So, but I just saw the benefits of not listening to it and focusing more on Christian content in regards to music. It kept me more focused daily. So, yeah, focus daily. So yeah, that's my short story.
Speaker 1:How did you do?
Speaker 2:that.
Speaker 1:How was you able to? I had to force myself. Go on. No, no, no, you're answering. You had to force yourself.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I had to force myself to withdraw from that. You know all those type of music I listened to and I saw the benefits. But it was hard. I think what I did do, which I was saying, like, some people might not necessarily think it's like I said, some people might not necessarily think it works, but for me I had to replace those genre of music with a Christian version and that's what helped me a lot. Yeah, so that was the main thing I did. That's what helped me.
Speaker 1:I remember the first time when I came to christ and I got the conviction like I can't listen to you, because for me I loved r&b. I wasn't a slow jam person, I loved r&b, I loved dancehall, I loved soca and um. But at that time, when I found god, I think r&b was a big thing for me. That's when, like chris brown, and everybody was just like amari and audio bath was just making amazing music. And I remember I got the conviction, um, because there was this guy had a tape called, or was it a cd, maybe a dvd back in the day, like the dvd versions, and it was the truth about r&b and hip-hop and I think it was like a two or three part series. I think it's still out there but it's very hard to get. And I remember watching that and I felt convicted. And I'm going way back because this is when I um, um, apple Shuffle was about.
Speaker 1:We didn't know what was playing next. You had to go on your PC, upload the music onto your shuffle, click, play. If you didn't like the next song, just press, press, skip. And I remember I didn't know no gospel songs at the time because I was finding myself. I was going to different churches because I didn't find a Church of England church right for me.
Speaker 1:So at the time I was attending Ruach church and, yes, I knew, and I knew like growing up in Church of England church I only knew like hymns, so I didn't know any songs and I knew choruses from going to church in the Caribbean, but I didn't know any gospel songs at all. And it's not easy how it is now, like how you could just go on Spotify typing gospel or go on YouTube typing gospel. There wasn't that availability and I remember my friend made me um like a CD and I remember deleting and I felt so hard to delete all of my songs because I was downloading from Bear Share LimeWire. I put a lot of work into finding these songs and putting them onto my Apple Shuffle and I remember deleting it like, as you said, going cold turkey and then having to listen to genres of music I have never, ever heard before. But I remember praying about it and saying that you know this is the correct thing for me to do and that was in my early 20s okay, that's really good.
Speaker 2:I think you did better than me. I don't think I went cold turkey. I did it bit by bit, um, but that's really, really interesting. I remember limewire oh my gosh, that was my thing. That's where I got all of my music from. That's where I got all my parents music from, like all the music that they liked, um, that's where I got everything from. Like that was the DJ of the house. Yeah, they do, they do. I even had this. There was even this website that, um, it brought out new music, so like I can't remember what it was called, but it was like, basically, if someone's got a new album out, if you go on that website, you'll get the whole album, like the whole album. That's why I was an album person. So like you might hear one song from I don't know anyone random like Chris Brown, and you go on there and the whole album is there already.
Speaker 2:You know, see, see, that was back in the day, but that thing used to that thing used to download everything, even like the album cover, everything, like I had the whole thing, the album list. Oh it was, it was serious. It was serious. That's interesting, really interesting but then I get.
Speaker 1:I guess I still struggled right, because that music what I listened to myself I would it was was Christian um, and I think that's when I found 2103. So, as you were saying, I was trying to find and I feel like there's nothing wrong with it when you're, when you're new on your walk, because the Lord will just continue to just find you new stuff. So when I was new on my walk, I was finding gospel, r&b, so 2103, trinity there was I can't even remember all um, all these other artists that is coming up in my head because I don't listen to them anymore but I found songs that sounded similar but was about God and that helped me until I started to find, um, new artists. And then, oh, I'm trying to think, when I was like 24, 25, that's when I randomly well, not randomly the Holy Spirit led me to premiere gospel and that's when I started to find more gospel music.
Speaker 1:And then I was more involved in church, I was like part of the youth team and then so they started to help me with music. And then at university, um, there was Jaff, which was Jesus Alive Fellowship, which we used to go to. So I met other Christians. That started to show me like other songs, and that's how I knew about Kirk Franklin. And yada, yada, yada, because the only thing that I knew outside of hymns was country gospel, because in the Caribbean that's what you would listen to.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, well, that's interesting. I actually forgot about that time, um, actually, when I got exposed to like J Moss and stuff.
Speaker 1:I think that was my early.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that was my early, that's true. I see, at that time I didn't think that far back. I was thinking about maybe over the last past seven years, where I've developed my own um kind of flow of what I like and what music I like Christian music I do like. But if you're talking from then, yeah, in my early 20s, when I started being more involved in going to church independently, outside of my parents, I did used to hang around with someone from church and she was the one that exposed me to all Diedrich Haddon, jay Moss, kirk Franklin, donny McClurkin which I knew about Donny McClurkin from growing up, but I didn't know his name. So that's when I started knowing the names of artists and, uh, I think Deidre Cadden, kiera Sheard oh my gosh, yes, deidre Cadden, kiera Sheard and, um, jay Moss was my favorite, favorite, favorite, like I loved music from them. Um, I really did so. They were my favorites.
Speaker 2:Um, at the very beginning, if you're talking those times like late teens, early 20s, yes, those are my guys. That's when I discovered music and that was just through someone at church that was a little bit older than me, but new music that was kind of youthful, if that makes sense. Yeah, that kind of could relate to that generation. And any time I went to church with her like she played it in her car and I was always like who is that? And you know, trying to work out ways to get the music. I don't even know how I got it in those times.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Maybe I did download it the same way, maybe I it the same way. Maybe I went to LimeWire. Maybe that's the way I went to find them, because I didn't know any other way to go and find those songs, because it was, it was so new and unique, you know, like you didn't hear gospel like that. So, yeah, and obviously, mary, mary, like they were always bringing out something new and with that time, yeah, yeah, so I think that was for me.
Speaker 1:And then, um, so my next question that I have yeah, um, we're gonna change the word from circular to worldly because I think more people will kind of connect more better to it, if you, if you, find circular a bit difficult to understand. So worldly music similar, it's the same thing as circular music um, music produced by the world and not of god. So what do you think about christians? He collab with worldly artists see now.
Speaker 2:That never used to bother me at first. I used to see it a bit more differently. I guess my eyes weren't as open at that time. So at first, it didn't used to bother me.
Speaker 2:I used to think, oh, that's so good. Like when I heard Nicki Minaj on a um, what is that? Uh, what is her name? What is her name? Oh, what is her? Tasha Cobb, right, thank you, tasha Cobb, right? Okay, holy spirit told me so.
Speaker 2:When I heard um her on a Tasha Cob cop song, I didn't really think anything of it. I thought, okay, like, maybe that's ministering to them to make them like having to you actually have to consciously think about lyrics, yeah, to put into this gospel song, right, you can't be who you are with your normal music. So I'm thinking, oh, maybe this is going to minister to them, maybe this is going to bring them like, somehow, some, this is going to bring them like somehow, someway, maybe closer to God. But then after a while, I was seeing more and more circular artists or worldly artists doing gospel. I started to think, is this a gimmick? Now your foot in every door just to have a tick box to say, oh, I did, I did rock, I did Christian, I did this. Like that's what it's starting to look like to me now. And, um, I think me and you've had this discussion and we have talked about it, just saying that it also the Christian artists is. To me it's like they're also trying to be more worldly. Yeah, so, even though to them because I don't think they necessarily see it that way, by the way I feel like they feel like they're trying to intertwine the two worlds and maybe make gospel more relevant. Yeah, I think that's what they're trying to do. But, like I said, if I flip back to Deidre Cadden days, cat Franklin days, um, and Kiera Sheard days, they didn't do that at that time. They did gospel that maybe had that more up-tempo beat or whatever it did, but you knew it was gospel and I feel like it could still relate to people, whereas now we're getting so chilled as Christians going, oh yeah, like it's all right, like you know, that appeals to their um demographic and yada, yada, yada. But I feel like the, like you said, music has changed. Now Christian music can reach even like it can reach quicker now, it can reach easier now. So you don't necessarily have to collab with those artists to do that now.
Speaker 2:Like I started deleting those songs bit by bit, but I had one that I really liked with Monica and the song is not even you could tell it's a Christian, it's a gospel song. It's very gospel. But like I started thinking to myself should I be listening to this, even though she was excellent on it? She sounded so good. You could hear the choir, like do you know what I mean it? She was excellent on it, she sounded so good, you could hear the choir like do you know? I mean, it wasn't even sounding worldly. But I just started questioning because she's a worldly artist. Yeah, should I be listening to that? Now, if she's a worldly artist that had given her life to god and she's passed, she's moved over to that genre, it's different. But if you're still dabbling in doing that worldly music but you're just throwing yourself into christian here and there, then it doesn't work.
Speaker 1:But, like I said, there's a lot of christians that don't see an issue with that yeah they feel like they want to be all around we're not saying there's right and wrong, because we was like, if you're at your beginning of your journey, like it is hard and for you that might be your stage where you're at, but the more you pray about it and have a closer relationship with the lord, you'll be able to, you'll be able to see and be like okay, do you know what, lord? I don't like this music. Like, for example, like maverick city um, they've collabed with a lot of worldly people. Same with tasha cobes. Um, somebody had somebody had missy elliott on. There was a gospel song with missy elliott there's a gospel song.
Speaker 2:Yeah that's kiera. Yeah, that's kiera.
Speaker 2:You know, I know, you know the white left one yeah, that's um, that's to know it's so funny we really like that song yeah, you just burst my bubble there because I didn't really think about that, you know, because that's a song that we love in this house, that, um, that's tamla man.
Speaker 2:But I never, I never thought about that with him. You know, see, it's so hard because with that one we really like that song, because he produced I think he produced it. But like I don't know, that's a tough one now, like I'm saying what I'm saying, but now you just, you just hit a, you hit a, you just hit something there for me where like that's one of our favorite songs and I think I would still listen to that song because I really love that song and I think the reason why I asked this question is we're all on our daily walk and, um, when you're in, when you are I don't even know how to put this quote, unquote famous, whether you're an artist or when you have a platform to the world, you have to be careful who are you representing?
Speaker 1:because if that person only represents god outwardly on one song, but then the rest of their music or their genre is about sex, money, drugs, should we be listening to that just because they collaborated on one song? But the rest of their life, which they, which they show to the world? Because we don't know what's happening behind closed doors, but what they show to the world, is it of god? And if that answer is no, then you know we shouldn't be listening to it. And it's that.
Speaker 1:One of my things that I battle with is reggae, because I love reggae, because I see it as conscious music. It's talking about struggle, it's talking about things that I could relate to that I've now had to cut out because, yes, it's conscious music. However, what is their lifestyle? They're smoking weed, they're having children out of wedlock, they're talking dead. It's not of god, and I think that's the thing that we need to look at. Not about the music per se of oh, it's conscious words. I like this song, but we don't know what they're doing behind closed doors. But on a worldly front like this is what we're seeing and that's what we need to be careful of.
Speaker 2:I hear you, but in adding to that, what I was saying, yeah, is that I hear what you're saying about praying, about if you're in the early stages of your journey, but these people who are collaborating with these people have been on their journey for a very long time. So that's why I say to you, some people don't necessarily see that as a problem, so that may not be a prayer that they're going to pray. Do you get what I'm saying? Those, tamela Mann has been a Christian for as long as. Do you know what I mean? She did Christian plays with Tyler Perry and stuff. So what I'm saying is that they don't necessarily see that as an issue. They don't see that as something that they need to pray about, to pray away from or whatever. Do you get my point? I'm trying to say, like, these people collaborating with these people, with these artists, have been on their journey for a very long time. No, I'm not talking about that.
Speaker 2:What I'm saying is people who are that is stepping away, because we all still listen to that when we were stepping away until our eyes began to open but my thing is, you might not see it as a problem because you might analyse and say, well, they've been on their journey for a long time and they're collaborating with these artists, so what's the problem? That's what I'm trying to say. You might be like, well, I mean, she's been a christian for a long time. It maybe it's not a problem for her to collaborate with wycliffe or nikki minaj, so why do I have to stop, necessarily stop listening to it?
Speaker 2:I'm talking in the sense of you've got people that are christians that still drink and they don't see there's an issue. That's what I'm trying to say. I hear where you're coming from. So, even though we know that, okay, yes, we may know that, but that's over a period of time, like you said. But there's some people that don't necessarily think that's a problem at all. They're going to continue their christian journey and still do those things because they don't have that, they haven't had that conviction or they may not have been surrounded by someone that may have mentioned it to them.
Speaker 1:Like the same way we're talking about it, like I could have been talking to you not necessarily thinking anything of it, like you're having, oh I don't really, never really, because sometimes we don't know what we're doing, but if you're when, whatever we're doing, our life should be around the Lord regardless. So the music Lord, if I'm listening to this, help me to know what is right from wrong. Help me to read or watch what is right from wrong. That's why I was saying like to pray about it, because even in my beginning stages, when I didn't know no music at all, like I didn't see a problem because I remember Destiny Child in their early days, their, their last song used to be like a, a Christian song, and so I used to be listening to certain things like that because I didn't know any better. But I still was praying like Lord, help me to find stuff. That's why I was saying to pray, because only the Lord can open their eyes.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, exactly that's very, very, very true, very true so my last question that I have for you is what do you think about Christian artists that jump on a worldly beat?
Speaker 2:I don't know if this is a question I want to answer because I don't know if this is a question I want to answer because I don't see a problem with it. But I've had back and forth with other people who disagree with me completely and they say it's not Christian music. So I don't know if I necessarily have much of an opinion to add to this. You might have to say something. But I don't have a problem with it.
Speaker 2:That's simply what I'm saying necessarily have much of an opinion. To add to this, you might have to say something, because but I don't have a problem with it, that's. That's simply what I'm saying, because I feel like for me, that's still how to describe it man, I'm still listening to stuff like that because that's what's helping me to not creep back into listening to worldly music. Because if you, if someone is singing on a reggae beat, well, there you go. Well, I guess I'm listening to worldly music.
Speaker 1:Then if that's what you're saying, that I guess I'm listening to, I guess I don't listen to Christian music because I think, when it comes to like big, big songs that are in the world, I don't think Christians should jump on it, because that is a worldly song. It's. It's kind of like when Kanye West tried to do what song, did he do A genuine song, and even though they're singing godly words yeah, I was just hearing genuine um, and I know some people might not hear those things because they're just singing the song, but it's, it's. It's.
Speaker 1:The bible says that you can't mix darkness into lightness. It's either one or the other. And if it was for the world first, leave, leave the worldly people with their music. The same thing that you were saying before. It's like the like with music the line is now getting blurred. So it's like oh, it's okay if chris rock, chris rock mercy I'm here talking about comedians. Now, if Chris Brown did a song that was like so big, like Let Me Hold you, for example, and then now people are trying to reword it with the Lord, it's not right, it's not of God, because you like that song so much, you like that beat so much, that you're trying to remix it with God and it's wrong. And I get the concept and it's like. It may seem like lit and whatever, but that's that's how I feel I mean, I agree with what?
Speaker 2:okay, this is. This is gonna get a bit confusing now what I'm trying to explain here. I agree with what you're saying I was talking about in general in regards to like you can say that about a reggae beat, then you can say that about a soca beat, you can say that about any type of R&B type of beat, but I'm talking about the song that is. People would say it still applies.
Speaker 1:No, I'm talking about songs that are made. So I think you're getting Songs that are made already, like and a Christian artist jumps on that beat. That's where I'm coming from, not the John. So I'm talking about a song like Tony Braxton, how? What's his name? Again, burner Boy Redone, it. I'm talking about songs like that, like a song that is known in the world, and a Christian artist jumps on that same beat.
Speaker 2:Oh, okay, right. Well, now I've rechanged my answer. No, should not be happening at all. Like I completely agree with that, that's just just I'm not gonna hear. I've heard a few of those and I actually I'm not gonna really hear that song like the, the christian words or whatever it's. It's so hard because it's such a distinctive beat. It'll be very hard to um put like god on that.
Speaker 2:If that makes sense, yeah, that's like that's like trying to listen to, like um, forgive, I'm not thinking about bow, wow, let me hold you. Let me like, like, try to put Christian Western. It's like, oh gosh, it just, there's no way. And I feel like what would happen as well, because you're hearing that song, you're not going to listen to that Christian song, you're going to go and look for that song. You're definitely because now you're just like, oh my gosh, that's my song. You know, like, let me just go listen to it one time, do you know? I mean, that's how you'll get drawn into wanting to listen to that song. So, yeah, I completely get what you're saying. Like, I agree with what you're saying.
Speaker 1:That is completely wrong because, like we're saying, the lines are getting blurred music now, like a lot of new music now, is that a song will blow um, like, uh, there was a, there was a big song, it was like a, a dancehall song. The only reason why I know is because he's the artist is from senkits and a lot of christians jumped on that song and um, I was just like wow. And at first I was thinking to myself like, oh, wow, like this can reach out to people who are like transitioning over um, and then that's why I'm saying like to pray to remove yourself from that, because it's still worldly music. The same way, how, like there were certain songs that I used to listen to that gave me that christian artists would sample. So only if you're if you're a proper music head, you'll be like, oh, this sample is, this sounds similar to xyz, but only if you are a music head. You will know that.
Speaker 1:And that was the music that I used to kind of listen to. And then I used to pray like lord, help me to find not music that resembles the world. And then to answer your question where you were saying yes to, I don't think there's an issue with listening to different genres of music. I don't see that as an issue. However, I say that with a pinch of salt because if you're I'm going back to Soka I feel like some people who, if you're struggling with that genre on a whole and it keeps bringing you back to the world, then I would say to cut it out, like if you're listening to like soca gospel and even though the rhythm and it's not the same beat that's in the world, but it's still reminding you and making you draw you to the world, then I would say to cut it out until you're strong enough okay, fair enough, fair enough.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I had this back and forth with someone at church. They, they like completely said to me, well, instead, well, they weren't specific, they were just telling me that, okay, that's not christian music, like, uh, something could a reggae beat. It's not Christian. But I was like, okay, so what specifically is? That's the question I should have asked um, unless you're telling me you're just going to listen to hymns, are you going to stay with that? Within that, within that um line of just listening to hymns, then fair enough. But for me, like I said, who's a music head right and trying to also like have Christian music played at home, but where I feel like it's appealing to my son, where, like he doesn't realize he's Christian, like not in, not in that way, that sounds wrong, but you know, like he's enjoying it without feeling like he's too young basically to understand that it's a Christian song song.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, like, yeah, like, which he does, because he's like he's saying God or whatever. But what I'm saying? Where he's enjoying, I want him to enjoy his Christian walk without feeling like, oh my gosh, I need to dip into the world. If that makes any sense.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Or like, yeah, like, yeah, like you know, like I want you to enjoy it, to not feel like, yeah, it's fun. I don't want you to feel like you're missing something. So, whereas, like, that's what I have when I listen to my music, like I feel like, like I said it, completely, the genre not necessarily listening, not listening to those songs that christian jumped on, like those beats or whatever, like we were talking about the genres is what helped me to stabilize my journey personally. That's what worked for me, even if someone tells me that I don't think you should listen to that because it don't sound christian. That's what helped me, because I I feel the difference. I feel the difference of if I go over to that genre and I start singing whatever right, and I go back to my genre, I feel like a piece, so I feel like peace. So I feel like, oh, okay, like you know, I feel like peace listening to that.
Speaker 2:When and when I go listen to that, if I go listen to that same genre, but a worldly song, I feel completely like out of place, like it feels wrong, it feels funny, it feels do you know what I mean? So I have a comfortability with what I'm working with right now and yeah, it's what, like I said, it's what keeps me going. So if god is going to remove that from me, he definitely has to remove it from me where, like, I don't want any temptation of anything, because that's what keeps me in my safe zone, away from those other music listening to my thing, what I have, yeah, but, like you said, we have to pray about it, we have to ask him to to remove, and it will be hard because I remember going through this journey. It is so hard. It's very, very hard, but you can do it.
Speaker 1:It takes time because music that I've listened to two years, two years ago, are not even in my playlist now, because I've removed them, because I'm like, I don't, like I don't hear god in this. I thought it's had God, and that's what I'm saying. The closer you are with the Lord and the more your relationship with him grows. He will just literally say no, you will have that feeling like this I don't want to listen to this anymore, and you just remove it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I agree. I don't know if I've removed them, but I definitely don't listen to them, like my mind doesn't call to listen to those songs, um so in my playlist I don't want to hear it, just in case it just skipped, because my playlist is random, so I remove it out, so I don't hear it again but you know, funny enough, mine don't pop up because my playlist is so used to what I would normally click on.
Speaker 2:It stays within that zone. So even if, like, I'm trying to think what song did I used to listen to that I don't listen to anymore, I can't, I don't even remember I'd have to hear it pop up for me to be like, oh, I haven't heard it for time. Oh, yeah, you know, um, I don't, I don't hear that as much. Maybe I've already filtered them out, I don't know, maybe I've already removed them, I don't know. But I definitely know songs of like I was listening to, not even two years ago, but even like five years ago. Um, that definitely does not come up anymore. Um, in my, in my algorithm, it definitely doesn't come up anymore. So, yeah, it's good to have that, that growth, and to know that you are progressing.
Speaker 1:I have a question for you. What do you think about slow jams when you're married?
Speaker 2:oh my days. I don't know why you're asking me these questions, because I'm sure you've got the answers that you want to say no. I don't know, I don't know. But okay, why don't you answer this question? Because you're married.
Speaker 1:I don't know. That's what I was asking, because I was. I was never a slow jam person. I didn't like slow jams.
Speaker 2:I mean, I've already thought, I have thought about this. I don't think I'm gonna. I would play it, um, I do. You know what it's so hard? It's so funny because up to about a year or two ago I did think I would, in marriage, yeah. So, like I was putting together this little slow jam list, I was like, oh yeah, I'll play this when I'm married. But then, um, it's so tough because then I started thinking about you know, if you're trying to set a mood, right, yeah, and then you're thinking it's safe, you had R&B gospel, like I think it would feel so wrong listening to it, but your wedding's being fantasized.
Speaker 2:I just can't. I'm sorry, my brain's just like wait. I don't think I'll listen to anything Because I feel like the slow jams, the worldly slow jams, is wrong. I have come to that conclusion. But, then I'm thinking, if I found, if I did find which I have found, I did actually um research, this eventually, and I have actually made a playlist, but I'm still not sure about if I'm gonna play it.
Speaker 1:So I actually have found the question because guys, she found like christian artists, I did slow down yeah, I did, I definitely did.
Speaker 2:I found it. I found a playlist, yeah, and I went on. I found a playlist on YouTube and I went on a full hunt on Spotify to find each and every one of those songs, to create a playlist. But I'm I'm still not sure about like it sounds good in theory to say I would play that playlist, but in reality I'm not sure I would play that playlist. I'm not sure.
Speaker 2:I'm still not sure I have to actually be in my marriage to really answer the question, because I just still feel like it would just feel so funny like hearing, like you said in it, holy girls, like okay, what you know, you're just it would just completely take me out of mood like I don't even know, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know. Like you said, your wedding is sanctified and all that kind of jazz sounds all great, honey, but when you thought about slow jams and you thought about beer with your husband, it was you were not thinking about christian slow jams, so I think it would just feel so wrong. So let's just do you have to just do silence and air.
Speaker 1:That's what it might have to be, because I just don't know, I don't know but yeah, the question is because, um, I feel like for me personally, now that I've thought about it whilst you was talking, I do feel like listening to worldly slow jams is wrong. I think at the time when I was in the world, it was kind of like, oh, you'll play this song when you're married, so like you shouldn't really listen to it now, um, until you're married, but then it's still worldly, yeah yeah, definitely agree.
Speaker 2:Definitely agree, because I really did think I would play it in marriage as well, but it still feels so wrong. It doesn't make sense to me because, like, say so, you're saying like there's no point, saying like all your music is christian, right, and then when you're married, you're now still playing a worldly genre well, not a worldly genre, but you're playing, you're playing worldly songs, slow jams, in your marriage. So, like you know and that, once again, is opening a door for temptation you're like, oh okay, slow jams, oh, maybe a bit r&b, oh, maybe a bit of hip-hop. Then you start going up and up and up and up, and then that's it, you know, and you've reverted and you've worked too hard to get to the point where you're at. I'm saying that to myself. So, no, I don't think I would do that, I don't think I'll do that, and that's a reminder. I've still got the playlist. I think I'm gonna delete it.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, it's definitely a no so, guys, worldly music, circular music, is wrong, especially when they're jumping on a hit song. Already when christians are jumping on a hit song, um, moving away from music is hard. We're not saying that it's easy because obviously, um, we were born majority of us are born into music, whatever culture you're from, um, and it's when you're on your christian walk with the lord. Because I'm not gonna lie, even though I don't listen to circular music, like if I'm shopping, for example, and a song comes on and I'm in the aisle, I'll start singing to it, because it's like that was me this morning, like you forget
Speaker 2:they're playing so loud now.
Speaker 1:They want to make sure you hear it and or like you'll be talking about some and with me I think I'm good with words. So somebody and you used to play this game when we were younger about if somebody says a word, um, you would think of a song. That is so in my head now that somebody will say something and if there's silence I'll be thinking. My mind will just automatically play a song, like it's playing a game. So I'm trying to do that with Christian songs now, like to eradicate, but I also showed you how powerful your mind is, because the amount of songs that we know, that is worldly, my gosh, that we could still sing every word to it. Because, um, something came on the tv I think it was big brothers and I was just like I remember this song and I haven't heard that song in years, but I could sing word for word. So we've got a lot of untraining to do.
Speaker 1:And that's why I say like prayer, because we cannot do it in our own power, in our own might. Especially if you're family orientated, like you know, you might be the only one in your household that doesn't listen to circling music, but like you've got christenings, you've got birthdays, you've got other things where you go to and that's all what you'll be hearing. Don't feel like you've failed, even if you're dancing, doing two steps or whatever, because it takes a lot. I would say, like, up until was it this year? I think it's this year. This year has gone so quick.
Speaker 1:Um, like, as I said, soca was my thing and I went to um, my husband's cousin's party and they were all dancing to soca music and I just sat there and, um, normally I'll be like singing along, but I literally just sat there and then I started playing a game to like, because I love my games. But that took, that has took me so many years to get to, to get where I am and I'm not saying I don't fall because I do um, we're unfiltered. There's times where I even yesterday I was dancing in the kitchen with my mum and that's. That's another struggle, because with my mum she doesn't really know Christian music and she has Alzheimer's. So I they always say music is good for her, but the music that she remembers is worldly music. So there's times where she might sing a song and I put it on and I'll sing and dance with her to make memories. So it's difficult and I'm just being unfiltered.
Speaker 2:What you just explained right there is very tough. That is very, very tough because someone could probably there could be someone out there that could relate to exactly what you just said. If you have a family member, that's not well and you know that's how you connect with them. You know that could be really, really hard. Um, and that's the seriousness of it, that's really tough.
Speaker 1:And that's why I don't see a problem with genres of music, because my mum likes Soka and then like, as Shea's son is my godson and him, me and my mum all have, like, um, there's a soaker song. Like jesus is my blanket, pull the cover over me and that's a soaker song, and um, so my mum will like sing into it and she knows that it's a christian song.
Speaker 1:So I will move certain stuff. But there's just certain stuff like in the 70s, like temptations and stuff like that. She loves them. But I'm not going to just switch it off, because it's also a helping process.
Speaker 1:So it is difficult, as I'm saying, because you got some people that are really orthodox and will be like no, let me switch that, let's switch that off. That's, that's of satan. So it is hard because I don't know any music that is from that genre, like fighting temptations, diana ross and all of those people that she's grown up on. That is like in a gospel genre.
Speaker 2:So yeah, that's a tough one, that's really tough. You know, sometimes I wish like um, um, maybe I'll look into that. Sometimes I wish like I could ask my gran, because I feel like my gran would know these type of things, but I don't think she knows artists and stuff because, like, even like you know, back in the day where they'd listen to um olies, but they have like olies, they have gospel olies, kind of thing because normally it'd be like jim reeves, but like that's like country music, but in terms of like trying to find soul train type of music, music that's tough yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, because I think they didn't actually make that that time.
Speaker 2:They only made, like he said, the country version. That's what I can play all the jim reeves and and all of that I can play all the Jim Reeves and all of that.
Speaker 1:I can play all of that.
Speaker 2:She knows all of that, honey, but it's just finding those other stuff, okay, but to actually find, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, it's really interesting and I feel like maybe that's happened. That didn't happen until maybe the 90s. Maybe, like you said, like Trinity, that's when they started doing that's when they started doing that's when they did that and I'm sure they're from the. They're around the 90s, right, so I feel like that's where that started in the 90s. That's when they started doing gospel. That was of those genres.
Speaker 1:I don't feel like they had that before.
Speaker 2:So that's why you would hear it in like, um, only like Kirk Franklin started doing that, donovan Clerken and stuff like that they started doing that. So I don't think they had that at that time. So I see what you mean by like that's really tough. I feel like we've had it easy boy in these times. But as much as I say that it's still hard because I feel like it's just sinners intensified yeah, you know. So as much as I say like we have it easy, I feel like we still have it really hard because of, like, how much more exposed to how much more sin that you're seeing us around you and I mean would have it harder, because we, we was a, we was a generation that didn't grow up with technology.
Speaker 1:When now, with these generations of like tiktok and them like switching things, it's kind of like, oh, but, mom, there's nothing wrong with this, or but, like all my friends, and it's like everything now is social media, social media, social media yeah it's way more harder to control where we. We grew up in, a generation where we had a cd, do you know?
Speaker 2:I mean like if that cd was scratched.
Speaker 2:She was upset like yeah, it's true, and things are like so much more in their face Cause, like I hear my son coming home, I don't know like singing songs or talking about stuff, and I'm like where did you hear that? Because that's not being played at home. So I'm like now people are, you know, they're exposed so much more to what's going on outside because of other people's backgrounds, on what's going on. And he's coming home like singing stuff and saying stuff and I'm like, but with like I'm I'm not questioning myself like have I played it in the house? Like did I say, you know? Like you start questioning yourself because you're just thinking, hang on, yeah, these are stuff that I have not placed in front of him, but he's been exposed to that. So you're right, they do have it hard because all his friends that's playing games that I wouldn't allow him to play or do whatever that I wouldn't allow him to do. They're now telling him about it and he's coming home feeling away like, oh, why do I say that? Why don't I do? You know I mean.
Speaker 2:So now it's tough for me trying to find a balance where I'm still allowing him to be a child but not exposing him to certain things. So, as much as they're struggling, even as parents, you're struggling because you're just like what do I do, you know? So it is really really tough. I really feel it for them and their peer pressure. I feel like it's way worse than what we experience, because it literally is in their face and your friends, their friends, will make them feel aware. I'm talking and I'm talking little five-year-olds and four-year-olds you know, we're not even at teenagers at this point like I'm seeing pressure already on those small, small children because of what their friends are doing and what they're exposed to and what their parents are allowing them to be exposed to. It's really really tough.
Speaker 2:It's really tough, and we just really got to watch, because even his teacher tells me that they can see the difference between him being a child who's exposed to screen time compared to the other children who's exposed to so much screen time they can't even communicate anymore, you know. So it's like. But anyways, I'm going into a whole different subject, I'm going to tell a different subject here, but I'm feeling it for our generation of children that's coming up now, um, and we really have to pray for them, especially when it comes to this music stuff, because the one thing we did not mention is that music was created by the devil. That was his domain in heaven, and so that is one of the reasons why we do struggle with it, because that's his domain. He knows what he's doing, he really does and he's doing, he really knows and he knows how to draw us in. So we are fighting, but it's not a losing fight. It really isn't Coming up. You serve a risen saviour. There's no way that that's a losing fight, so we just have to keep going.
Speaker 1:Keep pushing, it's now made me think about the person that spoke to you in church. Because of what you just said and the way how music has tempos and different chords and stuff, he knows how to draw you in. So it's just like from a psychological point of view are you thinking about Elohim or are you thinking about the beat?
Speaker 2:and oh, this is an accent oh, oh, oh, are you thinking? About the Lord? I do think about that when I'm listening to it. I actually do question that in general, not you?
Speaker 1:some people like maybe that's why they were saying with certain genres, maybe it's a no, because for some people it might just get them moving, but they're not listening to the words of what it's about. Their beat is hitting them like yeah.
Speaker 2:Sorry, I get what you're saying. No, I get what you're saying, because the person that said that to me it. I think it would do that to them, but they still listen to circular music. So for them they'd rather listen to circular music than to even go listen to a Christian version. Do you get what I'm saying? Because to them it's like they're still listening to circular music, whereas I don't necessarily seen it. I don't necessarily see it like that. Do you get what I'm saying? Yeah, so I think that's why we had a back and forth of it. So I agree with that point, what you're saying. But I feel like, with this specific person that's having this back and forth with me, for them it's just like I would just rather listen to the worldly one, because it doesn't make any difference, whereas to me I feel like it does.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah yeah, yeah, yeah, guys what do you think?
Speaker 1:Let us know and somebody has asked for our email address, and I'm going to start saying our email address because I do not know it that you can ask questions, questions that we haven't spoken about or things that has come up as a topic.
Speaker 1:So our email address is unfiltered christian, the number one at gmailcom. So that's unfiltered christian one at gmailcom, and we will try to. Uh, you know we're on a path, just like you, and um, we'll try and answer your question to the best of our ability with our bible texts. This is the first podcast that we have a bible text. Yeah, yeah, yeah, wow, that's not like me, boy, so hopefully we answered your questions.
Speaker 1:Um, as you can see, the reason why I love it is because shay and I have different opinions. Um, we could see things from different sides. We, everybody's walk is different. There's no wrong way or right way. Um, because we all sin. We're just all trying to just do what is right of the Lord and we can only do that by constant prayer and removing and letting go and asking the Lord to open our eyes and denying self because a lot of things, why we don't want to give up things is because we don't want to do it and we are here to be a vessel of him. Um, yeah, and we just have to give up the things that we like and we want because, oh, I like, I like to listen to this and oh, I like how this sounds, but no, sometimes we just have to go cold turkey and pray, because it's not easy and that's my little two pence guys um, I don't think I have anything else to add.
Speaker 2:Um, yeah, well said. But, like we said, if there's anything we haven't covered that you still would like to know about, you can always contact us by email, um, and we'll be happy to try our best to answer that for you. So, thank you, guys for listening. We just pray you've been blessed and that you've learned something, and, um, the last thing I will say is that don't feel, don't beat yourself up after listening to this, by the way, because that's something I would do. Don't beat yourself up. Don't don't feel like you know, you're the worst christian ever, or whatever. You know, like, um, you know, like cc said, we're on a journey and yeah, we're on it, we're in this together. So, you guys, take care, sure, not Take care. Continue to pray, continue to keep your eyes up looking upon Elohim, continue to lean upon him, and we will see you or hear you in the next podcast and thank you to our new listeners and our old listeners.
Speaker 1:We wouldn't be able to do this without you and see you in two weeks.
Speaker 2:Yes, definitely, thank you so much, see you.