Music Discussions

Mine

August 4, 2010

Dynamic Image Main Point of Discussion:
God promises believers that we are God’s special possessions, and because we are His, He will never abandon us.

Introducing the Song:
Taylor Swift has released another chart topper you’ve probably heard called “Mine.” Swift has a talent for writing life-oriented songs that paint pictures of—and tell stories about—what people commonly experience. She definitely connected with “You Belong to Me,” and now a lot of folks are enjoying and relating to “Mine.”

Song Lyrics:

“Mine”
You were in college, working part-time, waiting tables
Left a small town, never looked back
I was a flight risk, with a fear of falling
Wondering why we’d bother with love, if it never lasts

I say can you believe it
As we’re lying on a couch
The moment I can see it
Yes, yes
I can see it now

[chorus]
Do you remember we were sitting there by the water
You put your arm around me for the first time
You made a rebel of a careless man’s careful daughter
You are the best thing that’s ever been mine

Fast forward and we’re taking on the world together
And there’s a drawer of my things at your place
You learn my secrets and you figure out why I’m guarded
You say we’ll never make my parent’s mistakes

We got bills to pay
We got nothing figured out
When it was hard to take
Yes, yes
This is what I thought about

[chorus]

Do you remember all the city lights on the water
You saw me start to believe for the first time
You made a rebel of a careless man’s careful daughter
You are the best thing that’s ever been mine

And I remember that fight, 2:30 a.m.
You said everything was slipping right out of our hands
I ran out crying, and you followed me out into the street

Braced myself for the goodbye
‘Cause it’s all I’ve ever known
Then you took me by surprise
You said I’ll never leave you alone

You said
I remember how we felt sitting by the water
And every time I look at you it’s like the first time
I fell in love with a careless man’s careful daughter
She is the best thing that’s ever been mine

Hold on
Make it last
Hold on
Never turn back

You made a rebel of a careless man’s careful daughter
You are the best thing that’s ever been mine

Yeah, do you believe it?
We’re gonna make it now
And I can see it
I can see it now

Divide into Small Groups:
Let’s go ahead and split up into our discussion groups, and then afterward we’ll come back together for a final word.

CLICK HERE for a quick training article on how to maximize your small groups using our small group format—a great resource to equip your small group leaders.

Discussion Questions:

AROUND THE CIRCLE: Before we dive in, everybody talk about things in your life that you would label as “mine”—things that mean a lot to you.

ASK A FEW: Do you believe that everyone has some fear when it comes to being left alone or losing what is theirs? Why or why not?

ASK A FEW: Why do you suppose this song is so popular?

ASK A FEW: Why does the subject doubt that love would last?

ASK A FEW: What do you believe makes her “guarded”? (LEADER—answers you may be looking for: past disappointments, parents’ mistakes, fear of abandonment, etc.)

ASK A FEW: In the song what’s the turning point of the relationship? (LEADER—answer you may be looking for: after the fight, the subject thinks the other person is going to leave, then that person promises to never leave)

ASK A FEW: Why do you suppose the subject of the song believes the relationship will “make it”?

ASK A FEW: Are there any parts of the song or lyric lines you can relate to? Why?

ASK A FEW: Do you believe there are a lot of people who’ve only experienced “goodbyes” in relationships? Why or why not?

ASK A FEW: Does the message of this song encourage listeners to believe they can experience real, lasting relationships? Why or why not?

Read the following passage from the Bible:

Hebrews 13:5-6 (Amplified Bible)

…[God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let you down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!] So we take comfort and are encouraged and confidently and boldly say, The Lord is my Helper; I will not be seized with alarm [I will not fear or dread or be terrified]. What can man do to me?

ASK A FEW: Why do you believe God repeats these promises so many times?

ASK A FEW: What is the essence of these verses?

ASK A FEW: Have you ever felt as though God would leave you? Why or why not?

ASK A FEW: How are we “guarded” with God like the subject in the song is in her relationship? (LEADER—answer you may be looking for: we don’t trust God, we fear losing our relationship with God, etc.)

ASK A FEW: How does knowing that God will never leave or forsake us help us deepen our relationship with God?

ASK A FEW: What kinds of potential scenarios cause you to be “seized with alarm”?

ASK A FEW: How does knowing that the Lord is our Helper bring confidence to our everyday lives? (LEADER—the Greek word for “helper” comes from two words: call and run. For example, when we call for help, God runs to assist us).

ASK A FEW: Have you ever experienced these promises in your own life? What happened?

ASK A FEW: How should knowing that God won’t leave or forsake us impact our perspective on earthly relationships?

ASK A FEW: What specific ways can we apply these promises to our lives?

Transitional Statement:
Taylor Swift’s song “Mine” is a great illustration of what God has promised us in Hebrews—that each one of us is the best thing that has ever belonged to God. We can’t do anything to make God love us more, and we can’t do anything to make God love us less. We can live out our faith with great confidence because we belong to a Father who will never relax His hold on us, and God will always run to help us when we call.

Wrap Up:
In the original Greek, Hebrews 13:5 literally reads: I will never, no I will never leave you, and I will never, never, never forsake you! God makes that promise five times! So let’s close with a reflective exercise using the word never.

Give students a pencil and 3X5 card, then ask them to write the word “never” five times in a column. Have them think about (or say out loud) that word as you read them the following questions:

God, will you leave me?
God, will you abandon me?
God, will you forget me?
God, will you ever refuse to forgive me?
God, will you ever stop loving me?

Close in Prayer:
Close in a prayer that gives students a chance to trust Christ, and then ask a few students to offer prayers of thanks to God for His promises.