In the Bible, hope is inextricably linked to hardship. In Jeremiah 29:11, the “hope and a future” we all love to quote is promised after a lengthy exile. In Romans 5:3-5, hope comes at the end of a process that includes suffering, perseverance, and character. In Psalm 42:5, hope in God is the remedy for a downcast soul. All of … Read More
3 Reasons Your Church Needs a Children’s Worship Choir
Over the course of my childhood, children’s choir was an important part of my introduction to singing, leading worship, and faith. My debut performance in a church children’s musical was in No Fibbin’ Mephibosheth as the eponymous character, the biblical “Tiny Tim.” Then there was the somewhat insensitively titled Fat, Fat Jehoshaphat where I played the priest Jahaziel. But this … Read More
New Release: Battle Belongs
“Oh God, the battle belongs to you!” Every time I sing these words I think about what a powerful statement of trust it is. In 2 Chronicles 20, King Jehoshaphat and the Israelites were facing a fearsome enemy, but God sent this message to them through His prophet: This is what the Lord says to you: “Do not be afraid … Read More
Coming Soon: Battle Belongs
Battle Belongs releases Monday, February 1! This powerful song by Phil Wickham is such a perfect statement for this moment in time. We are super pumped to create a version that is easy for kids to sing and will be perfect for your children’s worship or kids choir, or even a multi-gen service. The video will be available on our … Read More
Why Fathers Cry at Their Daughters’ Weddings
It wasn’t until after our daughter was born that I realized exactly why fathers cry at their daughters’ weddings. I was rocking our daughter late one night as the rest of the world slept and I realized that one day as we walked down an aisle together I would be remembering this moment. I would be remembering her tiny fingers … Read More
4 Reasons We Sing “Reckless Love”
I lead worship at Salem Lutheran Church in the Houston area. Recently, like many of you, we began singing the song “Reckless Love.” It’s a provocative image – calling God’s love “reckless” – that comes out of the parables Jesus tells in Luke 15, most specifically the Parable of the Lost Sheep. If you haven’t heard it, take a listen: … Read More
5 Places to Find Great Bible Songs for Kids
Bible songs are an awesome way for kids – and adults – to learn Scripture! Songs have a unique ability to get stuck in your head, which makes them great for helping us remember important information. That’s why the very first step in teaching kids to read is singing their ABCs. In fact, you can probably think of several important things you learned … Read More
Wonderfully Made: Choosing Life
I watched this video for the first time with tears streaming down my cheeks in the lobby of an Orlando hotel. We have been so blessed over the years to have our songs travel all over the nation and even occasionally around the world. (I’m not exactly sure how it happens, I just know that my ASCAP statement includes royalties from Norway.) … Read More
Worship Leader Magazine: Best of the Best
We are incredibly honored to be selected this year as an Editor’s Pick for Worship Leader Magazine’s annual Best of the Best issue in the category of Worship for Kids. Each year, Worship Leader’s November/December issue includes a Best of the Best resource guide with their favorite resources in a variety of categories. A big thank you to our friends at … Read More
Don’t Let Non-Believers Write Your Worship Songs
This morning I read a thought-provoking blog by Daniel Darling called “Don’t Let Non-Christians Write Your Liturgy.” The core message of the article is that we should be careful how far we go in attempting to make our worship services attractive and accessible to non-believers. There are certainly important steps we can take in this area, for instance: Making everyone feel welcome … Read More