CHRISTIAN HIP-HOP: GOOD OR BAD?

I enjoyed your article about Christian hip-hop (August). Personally I think it doesn’t matter what type of music you listen to, but the lyrics do matter. If someone doesn’t like the way a Christian rapper raps, then he doesn’t have to listen to it. Just like T-Bone said, don’t preach a watered-down gospel. Give them the real thing.
—Josh Mondy, Centralia, Ill.

A CHANGED LIFE

I grew up knowing about God, but I never knew Him. This changed a year ago at a youth group retreat. We read 1 John that weekend, and I decided that I wanted to change my life. I had been living in the darkness. I was smoking marijuana almost every day and taking pills. I spoke with our youth minister. He used a pendulum to describe how it might feel to change from living in darkness to finding the light. And he said I would feel a letdown as I stopped using and gave up my friends who I was using with.

I hit the bottom. I had no friends and felt “deprived” of my drugs. Then I started to pray every night, and I felt like I at least had something to look forward to. As I started my swing upward, I started to gain more friends who were good influences on me. Everything is much clearer now. I’m getting good grades and have a solid relationship with my friends and my family. I hope that you will share my story with other teens who are in a world of darkness and are having trouble finding the Lord through whatever may be restraining them.
—Lee Hinton, via e-mail

GUT CHECKED

Hey, I really loved the article “Gut Check” (September). I chose not to drink soda for one month. I realized I wasn’t as tired and didn’t get tired as easily when running cross country. For the month of October, I tried out the 25 push ups for one month to develop even more self-discipline. It's a mission for success. To all you Breakaway guys out there: Developing self-discipline may be hard at first, but in the end it’s worth the effort.
—Jake D., Spring, Texas

THUMBS UP FOR ISRAEL

This is a letter in response to Caleb Wallace (September) who said that Christians should be loving Jews and supporting Israel if for no other reason than the fact that Jesus himself was a Jew. I am a Jewish believer myself, and I greatly appreciate such sentiments from my Gentile brothers. I give a huge thumbs up, Caleb, and bless you greatly, dude!
—Jamie Neugebauer, Vaughan, Ontario

PUNK PREACHES PEACE

In the September issue there were two letters criticizing Christians who objected to tattoos and dressing punk. I agree with the writers that Christians should not be judging each other and that we should always be accepting and loving of each other (nonbelievers too!). But Jesus is about so much more than tattoos, hairstyles, wealth, body piercings, status, jobs, dress and so on. If we focus on and vigorously defend all these things, it shows an unhealthy preoccupation with self. Jesus said to come out of ourselves, be His, love Him and show His love to the world.
—Mike Burns, Baltimore

MICROPHONE CHECK

Hey, guys, when you’re trying to decide whether or not to purchase the new hit CD, run the music through these filters:
1. Your parents approve of this CD (Ephesians 6:1-3).
2. The CD is free of all unwholesome talk, including sexual references (Ephesians 4:29-5:7).
3. The music doesn’t present a deceptive philosophy. (Colossians 2:8).
4. This music helps you become a more godly person (Philippians 3:7-8).
—Jordan Kleinhans, Mount Joy, Pa.