Everything Glorious

The Song: “Everything Glorious” by David Crowder Band

Main Point of Discussion: The adolescent experience is dominated by self-esteem struggles that often lead to negative behavior. Jesus Christ offers a better way to deal with these issues—through his promise of making our lives into something beautiful and glorious when we offer them to him.

Vital Info Before You Get Started: (The following should help you contextualize this very popular song so you can have a great discussion about it with your kids.)

• It seems that not a week goes by that another Disney star checks into rehab. Sadly, Demi Lovato has been having some emotional struggles lately. Although there are conflicting reports about whether or not cutting was the primary reason she checked herself into a rehab center, the fact that she is struggling emotionally and physically is very obvious. And just like her, many teens sometimes struggle with self-esteem and if they matter to anybody. This song by David Crowder Band is great reminder of a truth from God’s Word that speaks to that very issue.

• Above all, don’t appear as if you have a “canned” discussion in your head and rattle off questions like a teacher giving a pop quiz—your kids get enough of that in school. This is a guide, primarily—not a verbatim script. Just familiarize yourself with the content here and start a conversation in the most natural, unforced way you know how.

The Music Video:
The song’s video can be found at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81dK2Vu1IUs

Song Lyrics:

Q: What’s the message of this song?

A: Since God has made us glorious through Christ, we should look at ourselves that way.

Q: How do you suppose we—as serious Christ-followers—should react to this song?

A: We should embrace its truth and let it remind us of our spiritual status in God’s eyes.

Q: How can we move from healthy, Bible-based opinions about this song to actually living out those opinions?

A: We should confront our doubts and our self-esteem issues with the truth of God’s Word. We should stop living in every way like the rest of the world and start living like we’re shining God’s glory everywhere we go. And that could mean dealing with and moving from a lot of negative and sinful behaviors and mindsets that hold us back from where God wants us to be.

Where to Take It from Here: 
Wherever it feels natural. If these questions lead to a longer discussion on the topic, wonderful! (There’s a guide just after this paragraph that helps you do just that.) If your kids are barely uttering grunts, don’t get discouraged—the next time it feels right, try out another song. Keep engaging them.

For Deeper Discussion: (If your kids seem into diving in deeper and looking at what the Bible has to say on the subject, the following discussion guide can help take you there.)

Want help getting your teenager engaged in conversation? CLICK HERE for a helpful article from our “Parenting Help” page providing you with 3 Essentials to Talking with Today’s Teens.

Transitional Statement:
Could this song’s message, especially in these hard economic times, be striking a chord with listeners? Let’s look at things more closely, especially what the Bible has to say about the pursuit of money and greed and priorities.

More Discussion Questions:

1. ASK A FEW FAMILY MEMBERS: How could someone as popular and successful as Demi Lovato have enough problems to seek professional help?
2. ASK A FEW FAMILY MEMBERS: How does “Everything Glorious” relate to the whole idea of self-image and worth in God’s eyes?
3. ASK A FEW FAMILY MEMBERS: How can a relationship with Jesus make the day and night “brighter”?

Read the following passage from the Bible:

1. 1. 2 Corinthians 3:12-18 (New Living Translation)

Since this new way gives us such confidence, we can be very bold. We are not like Moses, who put a veil over his face so the people of Israel would not see the glory, even though it was destined to fade away. But the people’s minds were hardened, and to this day whenever the old covenant is being read, the same veil covers their minds so they cannot understand the truth. And this veil can be removed only by believing in Christ. Yes, even today when they read Moses’ writings, their hearts are covered with that veil, and they do not understand.

But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.

1. (Parent: you may want to explain the context of Paul referring to Moses’ encounter with God and comparing it with our experience with God’s glory that won’t fade away. The following is a link to an excellent commentary on this passage:

http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/commentaries/Matthew-Henry/2Cor/Preaching-Apostle-Suitable)

1. ASK A FEW FAMILY MEMBERS: What is the “veil” that is taken away when someone turns to Jesus for eternal life?
2. ASK A FEW FAMILY MEMBERS: What kind of things does the Holy Spirit free us from? (parent—one answer you might be looking for: basing our self-worth on what people think about us)
3. ASK A FEW FAMILY MEMBERS: How do we “see and reflect the glory of God”?
4. ASK A FEW FAMILY MEMBERS: How does knowing that God is making you “glorious” impact your self-esteem?
5. ASK A FEW: What are a few specific ways you can start giving your life to Jesus so he can change you more and more into his “glorious image”?

Transitional Statement:
It is always sad to hear about people we admire when they experience deep emotional and physical issues that are probably related to self-esteem. But we should also be reminded by these kinds of stories that we are not immune to some of the same struggles. And if we do experience them, we can either act out in destructive ways, or we can remember that when we give our lives to Jesus and focus, God considers us glorious in his sight.

Wrap Up: 
Give all your family members pencils and 3X5 cards, then ask them to fill in their answers for the following prompts:

One reason I sometimes struggle with self-image is:
One way I deal with it inappropriately is:
One area of life that I need to give to Jesus is:
One way that Jesus is making me glorious is:
One way I can glorify God is:

Encourage your family members to put their cards somewhere they can look at often and remember what God is doing in their lives.

Close in Prayer