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

Send us Fan Mail Do you praise God amid deep distress? When your circumstances don't change, when the pain doesn't let up, when you feel like you're underwater and can't catch your breath, can you muster a song of praise to God? Rend Collective challenges us to do that in their song "Hallelujah Anyway." A man in Scripture found himself in deep distress and tragic loss...

Send us Fan Mail The effects of sin are ravaging our world. Like the devastating locusts stripping the land bare in the book of Joel, we are stripped of meaningful worship owed to Father God. Let Andrew Ripp's song "For The Love Of God" remind you of God's love and his call to action displayed in this minor prophet book. And let the text lead us to action in our own devastated...

Send us Fan Mail In the beginning. These are the first words of two chapters of the Bible—one in the Old Testament and one in the New. These are also the opening lyrics to Anna Miriam Brown's song "Was The Word" from her musical His Story The Musical . Join me on the podcast as we explore what "beginning" we're talking about, Who was there, and what happened. It'...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Friday With Friends! I have the distinct privilege of meeting incredible followers of Christ who have amazing ministries, fascinating careers, and incredible hobbies and pet projects that flow out of their identity in Christ. While my podcast is a solo show, I still want a venue to introduce you to these friends as examples of the multifaceted ways God works in and thro...

Send us Fan Mail I love singing God's Words back to Him. That's why Matt Maher's song "The Lord's Prayer (It's Yours)" is on my playlist! But the real joy for me was diving into Scripture inspired by this song. There's a lot we can learn from Jesus' teaching on how to pray; let's use this song to remind us of all we've learned. Follow me to Ma...

Send us Fan Mail I believe in the promises of God. I've seen God move in miraculous ways in Scripture and in my own life. But I also know from experience that sometimes things don't turn out how I prayed for or in the timing I had hoped for. Benjamin William Hastings and Blessing Offor actually address this in their song, "That's The Thing About Praise." Join me on the pod...

Send us Fan Mail Sometimes we know what we believe but aren't studied enough to defend it. The chorus of Jon Reddick's song "I Believe It (The Life of Jesus)" inspired me to search for Scriptural evidence supporting what I believe about the life of Jesus. Join me as we use this week's song as inspiration to search the Scriptures for why we believe what we believe. In this...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Friday With Friends! I have the distinct privilege of meeting incredible followers of Christ who have amazing ministries, fascinating careers, and incredible hobbies and pet projects that flow out of their identity in Christ. While my podcast is a solo show, I still want a venue to introduce you to these friends as examples of the multifaceted ways God works in and thro...

Send us Fan Mail How can you step out in obedience regardless of limited understanding, especially when the road ahead looks barren and dry? That's what Casting Crowns sings about in their song "Desert Road" and also what Philip the Evangelist had to do in the book of Acts.   Join me in this thrilling story of the early church as followers show us what it's like to fulfill Chri...

Send us Fan Mail Is it difficult for you to see God’s grace in the middle of what appears to be a disaster? If you place yourself in the shoes of Christ’s followers at His death, burial, and resurrection, they do not see grace. Micah Tyler’s song “I See Grace” inspired me to consider what Christ’s followers saw instead. Join me as we consider the curse they saw in God’s most tremendous expression...

Send us Fan Mail It may seem hopeless. Your life is shattered into a million pieces. You are broken and empty. God is calling you to Himself. He is the master artist who can take your broken pieces and assemble them like a stained glass masterpiece. Amanda Nolan sings about that in her song "Broken Pieces."  Let's explore a "broken pieces" story in the Old Testament. In th...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I have the privilege of hosting Amanda Nolan to talk about her new song "Broken Pieces," her faith and music story, her favorite Scriptures, and the habits that keep her time in God's Word fresh. Purchase your copy of A Seat at the Table today!

Send us Fan Mail What is your natural response to the love, power, and glory of God? Do your lips exclaim hallelujah ? Do you sing with joy? Do you praise with a heart of gratitude? That's what Brandon Lake's song "Gratitude" leads us to do. And it's reflective of another song in Scripture. King David was in a literal wilderness season when he wrote Psalm 63. Let's co...

Send us Fan Mail Let this be an encouragement to you. Don't lose heart, my friend. This life is filled with many afflictions -- some of which feel like they might pull us under. But you're not alone. Just like Steven Curtis Chapman sings in his song "Don't Lose Heart." Paul offers his own words of encouragement in his second letter to the Corinthians. Let's explore Go...

Send us Fan Mail It's true -- God really does love you. But what kind of love is the Father's love? This is the question I explored in Scripture in this episode inspired by Crowder's song "God Really Loves Us." Continue soaking in John's first epistle as we look at it from a different starting point. In this episode, I discuss the following: Taking a B.I.T.E. out of S...

Send us Fan Mail As believers, our position in Christ and the family of God changes everything. We have been transformed; who we were before is not who we are now. But did you know what we will be is not who we are now? I was inspired by Ben Fuller's song "Who I Am" to study what Scripture says is the evidence and responsibility of a child of God. Join me as we plumb the depths of 1...

Send us Fan Mail In his song "Good Lord," David Leonard sings about looking back to see all that God has done, which provides the foundation for his declaration about the goodness of God. This is a celebrated practice throughout Scripture. This week we soak in a Psalm of Remembrance and learn the value of remembering and rehearsing the goodness of God. In this episode, I discuss the foll...

Send us Fan Mail There is comfort and conviction in the idea that we are perfectly loved by God. We can learn about God's perfect love in Scripture and then use Rachael Lampa's song "Perfectly Loved" to remind us of what we've studied. Let's contemplate this area of Scripture together using a meditative practice. In this episode, I discuss the following: Taking a B.I....

Send us Fan Mail One of the main reasons listeners give for not reading the Bible for themselves is distraction. I'm right there with you. I can't tell you the number of times I pick up my phone to do something, and my notifications send me off on the trail of distraction that leads to forgetting what I wanted to do on my phone in the first place. Sean Curran's song "All Praise...

Send us Fan Mail It's a new year, and God longs for you to sit with Him in His Word. He wants to reveal Himself to you. He wants to unveil the mystery of His plan for His chosen people. God wants you to desire Him above all else. And He wants you to look like Him. This week we'll fill your toolbox with Bible Interaction Tool Exercises you can put into practice this year. Rather than bein...

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Send us Fan Mail Reading familiar Scriptures from a fresh perspective helps God's Word come alive for me. Katy Nichole's Christmas song "O What A King" is sung from Mary's perspective and caused me to revisit the details of Christ's birth with her in mind. Let's read these familiar passages together again with a new emphasis. In this episode, I discuss the follow...

Send us Fan Mail During the Christmas season, it's easy to think the story of Christ begins at His birth. The truth is that Jesus is eternal, and His role in humanity and creation is worth meditating on. Michael W. Smith's song "God With God" provides a perfect roadmap to interact with God's Word this week. Let's consider what Scripture teaches us about Christ's...

Send us Fan Mail There is such a sense of expectancy in the Christmas season. We hope our gifts for others are “just right,” we hope everyone gets along at our various gatherings, we hope to make lasting and meaningful memories, and sometimes we hope for that perfect gift. Before Jesus came the first time, all of creation hoped for God to send the One that would rescue the world. Kari Jobe’s song,...

Send us Fan Mail There is a long-held practice in teaching biblical theology. It uses questions and answers to help the student remember the foundations of their faith. Shane & Shane sing a traditional Christmas hymn that asks and answers an important question, "What Child Is This?" Many people in the life of Jesus asked this question (or something similar to it), and this week we se...