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

Send us Fan Mail Go all in. It looks good on a t-shirt. It looks good on a Christ-follower, too. Unfortunately, we are really good at half-way when it comes to our devotion to the Lord. I find myself going in spurts. I'm all in for awhile and then I get distracted. I'm gung-ho in one area, but not in another. Brandon Heath's new song, "Whole Heart" reminds us to love God t...

Send us Fan Mail We are broken people. As children of God we are stuck in this "already, but not yet" zone where we are new creations and can still respond from our brokenness. Matthew West's song "Broken Things" brings us great encouragement that God uses damaged people. But Scripture is clear that God wants to redeem and restore us, which will require a mending of our br...

Send us Fan Mail You are divinely loved. You need to get a grip on that because we have some very important tasks ahead of us as followers of Christ. Jordan Feliz' song "Beloved" reminds us of this truth, and Scripture gives us clear responsibilities as those loved by God. We have a role to play. It's time to embrace the truth that you are beloved. On this episode I discuss: Ta...

Send us Fan Mail Challenges in our lives will never stop coming. Like waves that ebb and flow in strength and number, our trials and suffering come in and go out, but they never stop coming. The solution is to fix our eyes on God and the hope revealed in His Word. Ellie Holcomb's song "Find You Here" reminds us that He is in the midst of each ordeal...even the darkest ones. Peter kn...

Send us Fan Mail You get up, you put on the armor of God , you clock in, clock out, come home, and the walls against you are still towering above you. How much longer can this persist? For longer than seems reasonable or of sound-thinking. This is when you need to remember God's faithfulness and Elevation Worship's song "Do It Again" does just that. Let's join the men arme...

Send us Fan Mail It is difficult to worship God in an appropriate and authentic way when you think you are just like Him. Hollyn's new song, "In Awe," leads us all over God's Word to discover truth. It is here we begin to see God clearer, and thus put ourselves "in our place" so-to-speak. The Psalms teach us, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.&quot...

Send us Fan Mail In South Louisiana, where I live, there is a quirky question people often ask, "Who's your mama, and can she cook a roux?" This question will ultimately lead you to a family name determining who is related to who, and whether or not you are a Cajun. (Roux, pronounced "roo", is the base for a common Cajun dish called gumbo.) This question leads to the famil...

Send us Fan Mail I often talk about Scripture changing the way you think. Well get ready, because Shane and Shane's song, Psalm 51 (Wisdom in the Secret Heart), leads us to a Psalm of David where it is obvious he has begun to think differently about his sin. I was crying out for God's cleansing alongside David after spending a week here. Get ready to get uncomfortable...in a good way. On...

Send us Fan Mail Stories inspire us. That's why we are drawn in by good books, powerful movies, documentaries, and even ESPN specials. There is something about seeing someone else overcome the odds that gives us hope that maybe, just maybe, we could do the same. Danny Gokey's song "Rise" reminds us that our Creator has a plan for us that is higher than our broken past or sordid...

Send us Fan Mail How do you built a solid foundation of hope? Make sure you base it on something real and true...like God's Word. Tenth Avenue North sings of truth in their song "I Have This Hope." Their lyrics come from Scripture, but their hope comes from God. You can deepen your hope by going deeper into God's Word. Don't stay on the surface! Spend time in Isaiah 43 thi...

Send us Fan Mail For some reason I was operating in the assumption that when God instructs us to "be still and know that I am God," He meant it was supposed to be quiet. However, a closer look at Psalm 46 reveals total chaos, not quiet. Hillary Scott in her song titled "Still" reminds us that God is indeed asking us to be still in the midst of our chaos. Grab a friend and head...

Send us Fan Mail You know you "own" the story when you can tell it and re-tell it in your own words and not lose the meaning. This is what Jon Foreman's song "Your Love Is Strong" inspired me to do with Scripture this week. Not only that, but it sent me straight to Jesus' Sermon on the Mount and a very special model for prayer. Let's not waste any time jumping ri...

Send us Fan Mail Do you ever feel trapped by your past? Defined by your heritage? Have you ever experienced such trouble and distress that you felt out of options? The chains that bind you are not too heavy for our Rescuer. TobyMac's song, "Love Broke Thru" tells the story of his conversion. It leads us to discover a story of a man in the Old Testament who was a "hopeless fool&...

Send us Fan Mail It took some raw (and sometimes ugly) probing into my heart this week, but conceding to my own imperfections may just help me pray for my "work in progress" friends. Mandisa's song "Unfinished" inspired me to seek out how Paul prayed for his friends in Philippi. I think you'll find the truths we delve into this week will encourage and challenge you. O...

Send us Fan Mail The Russian proverb "doveryai no proveryai" is translated "trust but verify" in English. This is how we should approach our trusted preachers, teachers, and even Christian music. However, when you can verify that the lyrics you are singing through your favorite songs come from Scripture, you can now use the song to help you meditate on truths that God has gifte...

Send us Fan Mail Has life ever sent you reeling such that it causes you to question your faith in God? Paul has this beautiful list in Romans 8 that if you're in the middle of any of the scenarios he presents, you may feel that God's love has "left the building." However, Paul goes on to teach us something that Steven Curtis Chapman's song reminds us of -- not only can the...

Send us Fan Mail We can hide behind convenient truth when things are swell, but when our feet are to the fire the deep truth tends to come out. Will we be willing to log years of faithfulness such that our circumstances no longer define God's ability or position in our minds? "Even If" by MercyMe leads us to a powerful "even if" moment in Scripture. What can we learn from...

Send us Fan Mail Over and over in the Bible people seem to "get it all wrong" when it comes to God and His ways. You see offenders in both the Old Testament and the New. When will we learn that our thoughts and ways are nothing like His thoughts and ways? "The Cure," by Unspoken, points us to an important scene with Jesus. Not only is Jesus the cure for our brokenness, but He h...

Send us Fan Mail We can learn so much through the study of the names of God. Hillsong Worship's song, "What a Beautiful Name," puts the name of Jesus front and center in a moving song of worship. How much more powerful will this song be when you invest some time in discovering and contemplating a few names revealed in God's Word? Let's go to the beginning with Jesus, shall...

Send us Fan Mail Perspective. I sure need more of it. How about you? I need more perspective when I'm impatiently waiting in line at the grocery store, when I get cut off in traffic, or when I get a snarky email or social media comment from a friend. Moses had a unique perspective because of his intimate relationship with God and his front row seat to the demise of an entire generation of peo...

Send us Fan Mail When was your last battlefield experience? I'm not talking about a military exercise, rather the battlefields of life. Francesca Battistelli's song, "Giants Fall," led me to 1 Samuel 17 to see David turning a food run into a battlefield story for the ages. I wonder if we, like David, may be more prepared than we realize. On this episode I discuss: Taking a B.I....

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever been in so much pain (physically or emotionally) that you practically howl? King David wrote what many theologians refer to as the "Howling Psalm" in Psalm 13. Shane & Shane has put this song of David to their own melody and titled it "Psalm 13" in their album of Psalms. This song will help us meditate on this short and powerful Psalm this wee...

Send us Fan Mail We all want freedom. After all, who wants to live in bondage? The irony is that freedom has been purchased for us by Christ and we accept it heartily and then immediately take steps that place ourselves in bondage again. This is what the churches in Galatia were doing in the days of Paul. This week's featured song, "No Longer Slaves" as sung by I Am They, leads us t...

Send us Fan Mail How often have I tried to squeeze God into the smallest of boxes? One way to take Him out in our own minds is to fixate on His greatness. Natalie Grant's song "King Of The World" points us to Scripture where we can be reminded of God's greatness. This week I hope to lead you through exercises that will keep God's position in perspective. On this episode I...

Send us Fan Mail Do we boldly approach the throne of God and forget how ASTONISHING that throne is? "Revelation Song" by Jennie Lee Riddle and famously sung by Kari Jobe leads us into the throne room of heaven. But before the song pointed to it, Ezekiel and John brought us there in Scripture. Are you ready? Are you really ready to slow down and take in the stunning throne of God? On this...