More Than a Song - Discovering the Truth of Scripture Hidden in Today's Popular Christian Music

Send us Fan Mail Lights are a major part of modern-day Christmas decorating traditions. It’s what completes the tree, or lights up small-town streets. The lights of Christmas and Matt Redman’s Christmas song “These Christmas Lights” is our inspiration to explore Scripture all about the Light of the World.     Use the lights of Christmas to remind you that Jesus is the true light. On this episode I...

Send us Fan Mail When you drive up to a traffic circle and encounter a red triangular sign, it triggers a behavior to yield to traffic in the circle. If you're married and gaze upon your wedding band, it may trigger memories of your wedding day or perhaps just bring your spouse's face to mind. There are signs and symbols everywhere that prick our memories or guide our behaviors -- especi...

Send us Fan Mail What do you think of when you think of Christmas? Family traditions? Decorations? Gift giving and receiving? When Hillsong Worship sings "When I Think Upon Christmas" they sing of the greatest gift of all time...Jesus, God with us, Savior of the world. Let's take a close look at the accounts of the birth of Christ together. On this week's episode I discuss: Tak...

Send us Fan Mail How could I miss that? The answer is usually because I'm not paying attention. Dennis Jernigan's song, "Thank You, Lord," might not be a new worship anthem, but it gives us a great structure to linger in some areas of Scripture we've covered in the past few weeks on the podcast. It will do our hearts good to go back over some ground we've covered to s...

Send us Fan Mail Maybe it's too many Hallmark Movies, but I love it when the protagonist leans in and puts her head on the shoulder of the man she's fallen in love with. In that act there is a sense of love, safety, and trust. In the song by The Belonging Co, "Peace Be Still," Lauren Daigle sings about faith rising up and peace reigning. This very thing shows up in another song...

Send us Fan Mail Do you ever feel like you are drowning with seaweed wrapped around your head? It's a pretty descriptive picture of distress that I see in Scripture AND in Avril Lavigne's new song, "Head Above Water." When we're drowning in life let's cry out to God for rescue because "salvation belongs to the Lord!" Let's talk about Jonah, Jesus, and t...

Send us Fan Mail The world today has a way taking good and noble things and twisting them into something God never intended. As we spend time in Scripture inspired by Sanctus Real's song "Confidence," the stark contrast between God's way and the world's way rises to the surface. Join me as we jump into God's Word and combat bad ideas with truth. On this week's ep...

Send us Fan Mail The Psalmist readily acknowledges that all of creation praises God. Humans are mentioned in just two verses that call on God's heavenly and earthly creation to worship Him in Psalm 148. Hillsong United sings of this in their song "So Will I" when they lyrically recognize that our praise is not unique to humankind. Join me as we consider the ramifications of our wors...

Send us Fan Mail What we believe matters. It will impact how we think and how we live. In the song titled "The Way" by Pat Barrett, he sings of a fundamental belief that Christians hold -- that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. As we explore the area of Scripture where this doxology originated we discover this belief is important in so many ways. Join me as we meditate on the wo...

Send us Fan Mail The waters of our soul are deep. The cry of the song "Oh My Soul" by Casting Crowns reminds us that we can bare our souls to the One who created us inside and out. If we spend some time tending to our souls, we can experience the faithfulness of God in the deepest places of our being. The Psalms include many soul-baring moments, and Psalm 42 contains an example of this....

Send us Fan Mail The Rolling Stones really captured the essence of culture when they sang, "I can't get no satisfaction." Our world is in a constant state of discontent. When you weigh the philosophy of this week's song by The Sing Team, "Satisfied In You (Psalm 42)," you discover that our satisfaction doesn't lie in our effort as sung by our friend Mick, but rat...

Send us Fan Mail No matter what, once you truly belong to Jesus, you are HIS, and if you are HIS you will remain HIS. This does not mean a perfect life, but one that is marked with evidence and imperfect progress walking in newness of life and not returning to a life of death. Ryan Stevenson sings of this question in his song "No Matter What" and it leads us to examine a letter from Paul...

Send us Fan Mail There's no free pass from suffering for Christians. I wish there were. I have dear friends who are wrestling with God during sickness, conflict, strife, and injustice. Habakkuk wrestled, too. In fact, his name means embrace like a wrestler . May we embrace God's character through faith while wrestling through our circumstances. Perhaps Micah Tyler's song "Even...

Send us Fan Mail Stale. Fake. Dead. Dying. Faded. Worthless. Delusional. There are all kinds of hope in this world, but believers in Christ are born again into a living hope. Phil Wickham's song "Living Hope" leads us straight to Scripture where we discover that a Living God gives us a Living Hope through a Living Savior. The original recipients of 1 Peter needed assurance of their...

Send us Fan Mail You are not invisible. You are known. Tauren Well's song "Known" sings about it and so does David in Psalm 139. When you let the truths of this Psalm sink into your being it will change you. Join me this week as we break it all down. On this week's episode I discuss: Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Interaction Tool Exercises include:...

Send us Fan Mail My eyes are different now that I'm older. When something is too close to my face it gets all blurry and I can't see it clearly. That's how suffering is. When we're too close to it we sometimes can't see clearly how God might be able to use it to develop our character or impact His Kingdom. Riley Clemmon's song "Better For It" reminds us that...

Send us Fan Mail Picture the best friend you've ever had. Friendship with Jesus is nothing like that. It's deeper, richer, more meaningful, and more life-giving than the best friendship you've ever had. The effects of being Christ's friend will make you a better person and more useful to the Kingdom of God than you could ever imagine. Matt Maher's song, "What a Friend...

Send us Fan Mail One of my favorite names of God is El Roi -- the God who Sees . While God’s sight is perfect, it’s our spiritual eyes that need attention. We’re going to talk about seeing God in everything using TobyMac’s song “Everything” as our inspiration and Scripture as our teacher. I pray that your eyes will be opened to recognize the magnificent in the midst of the mundane. On this week&ap...

Send us Fan Mail Trouble is inevitable, but I am strengthened by the knowledge that the Lord of Hosts is with us. Shane & Shane take Psalm 46 and help us sing it as a declaration of truth and praise in their song "Psalm 46 (Lord of Hosts)." Walk with me through this Psalm this week. On this week's episode I discuss: Taking a B.I.T.E. out of Scripture - this week's Bible Int...

Send us Fan Mail It is so easy for me to fall into the trap of allowing what others think of me to determine my identity. There is really only ONE who has the authority to tell me who I am...and that is my Creator. Lauren Daigle's new song "You Say" inspired a sort of scavenger hunt through Scripture to discover who we really are in HIM. Let's discover what God's Word has...

Send us Fan Mail I've always wondered how anyone who personally experienced the miracle of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead could just turn and live their lives as always -- some actually allowing it to fuel their hate and rejection of Jesus as the Messiah. How could they witness such immense power and not be changed? Chris Tomlin's song "Resurrection Power" reminds us that...

Send us Fan Mail Some troubles God uses to help us grow and develop endurance. There are obstacles in our lives, however, that we need to overcome...not just endure.  Be sure that the message of Mandisa's song "Overcomer" is one that you can truly proclaim. In 1 John 5, John asks, "Who can overcome the world?"  I want to sing along with Mandisa on your behalf, "You&ap...

Send us Fan Mail Passion. Zeal. Love. Light. These are all characteristics of my Savior, Jesus Christ. This passionate, zealous, loving, Light of the World comes into our hearts to drive out the darkness -- not to condemn us, but to save us. This truth is profound and eternal -- it's worth spending some time to slowly take it all in. Follow me to the gospel of John as we consider a familiar p...

Send us Fan Mail My daughter is in driver's education this week, and after riding with her a few times I can confirm...you steer where you stare. As you become a more seasoned driver you may be able to take your eyes off of the road and not immediately swerve, but you cannot stay straight without fixing your eyes on the path ahead. Scripture confirms this, and King's Kaleidoscope's...

Send us Fan Mail I was raised to dream big. It is part of our culture to want the next generation to have more than we had. So, when I heard the challenge offered by Josh Wilson in his song "Dream Small," I was inspired by the lyrics and this counter cultural idea. Join me in a chapter you may just be tempted to skim over in Nehemiah where we see the significance of individual obedience....