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Bible Guidelines for Christian Music

Sharing Biblical Truth with Christ Centered Music

What The Bible Says Good Samaritan's Penny Pulpit by Pastor Ed Rice

What The Bible Says Good Samaritan's Penny Pulpit by Pastor Ed Rice

What The Bible Says Good Samaritan's Penny Pulpit by Pastor Ed Rice

What The Bible Says Good Samaritan's Penny Pulpit by Pastor Ed Rice

What The Bible Says Good Samaritan's Penny Pulpit by Pastor Ed Rice

The Brian McBride Family visits bringing great gospel singing and music. FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF OCOEE (FUNDAMENTAL,INDEPENDENT, KING ...

For more old fashioned preaching and gospel music download the Canaan Radio App available now on iTunes and Google Play. AUDIO sermon of Lester Roloff preach...

Words and music by John R Rice Sung by Bill Harvey Produced by the Sword Of The Lord www.swordofthelord.com I have no idea how old this record is.

"Beyond Drink and Drugs" is a DVD interview of Tim Brown with Richard Bennett, which gives a firsthand description of the facts. Tim Brown was born in 1953, and by the age of 14, and a Catholic boy, he was drinking weekly. Along with alcohol, by age

Creation care does more than conservation. It cultivates faith formation, says A Rocha.In the world of high-energy, high-entertainment Vacation Bible Schools and summer kids camps, “Wild Wonder” stands out as an un-flashy alternative, incorporating quiet activities like bird watching and nature observation alongside music and games. Developed by the Christian conservation organization A Rocha USA, Wild Wonder’s new program explores environmental stewardship and spiritual formation in the context of the outdoors.“The main vision behind the camp is that we want kids to know they are beloved creations,” says A Rocha’s curriculum manager Flo Oakes. “We call it creation care camp, but we are God’s creations and we want kids to know that God loves us each deeply.”CT spoke with Oakes to learn more about Wild Wonder’s unique approach to discipleship in the woods.Your curriculum delves deep into theology with kids, from themes of God as the Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer to the idea of the new heavens and the new earth. What drives this theological focus?Among many Christians, there is a lingering idea that goes all the way back to the early heresy of Gnosticism. It’s the idea that earthly things—matter, stuff, our bodies, anything physical—are inferior and that the only thing to hope for is a heavenly place we’ll get to someday. I think some Christians have a hard time with environmental conservation because they’ve been taught to ask, “Well, why does it even matter? It’s just the earth.”To be clear, our motive in creating this camp wasn’t “we’re going to make a green, environmental VBS where we just teach kids how to take care of the earth.” There’s no deeper meaning in that—essentially, ...Continue reading...

Randall Stephens's history pays attention to political and cultural flash points—without losing focus on the music itself.Every few years, it seems, what some call the “mainstream media” rediscover Christian rock. Sometimes it’s treated with reverence and respect, as in John Jeremiah Sullivan’s now-classic 2004 account of tagging along at a Christian music festival for GQ. More often, it’s treated like a sociological oddity: a strange footnote in the history of American pop, a foreign culture to be explained with an anthropologist’s rigorous eye. Just this September, The New Yorker’s Kelefa Sanneh wrote a mini-history of Christian music (“The Unlikely Endurance of Christian Rock”) that took the genre seriously, but still contained whiffs of the incredulous stance preferred by many music writers: Can you believe that band you like—take your pick from among U2, Bob Dylan. Paramore, Evanescence, Switchfoot, Sixpence None the Richer, The Killers, and the list goes on—might actually be Christian?What Sanneh’s piece got right, thankfully, was its attention to just how common Christian pop music is today—how central it is, in sometimes unrecognized ways, to American popular culture. (Though when he says this would have been hard to imagine in 1969, I’m not so sure; “Spirit in the Sky” was a hit single that year, and the previous year saw the release of perhaps the most overtly religious rock record of all time, The Electric Prunes’s Mass in F Minor.)Indeed, Christian rock has had a strange and circuitous journey back to the center of American culture. Randall J. Stephens’s The Devil’s Music: How Christians Inspired, Condemned, and Embraced Rock ‘n’ Roll describes this sometimes paradoxical path. Stephens traces the roots of ...Continue reading...

The CCM pioneer used to talk faith with George H. W. Bush and Billy Graham. This year, he performed at both of their memorial services.Michael W. Smith’s hit song “Friends” has been sung thousands of times over the decades, but never quite like today’s performance at the funeral service for President George H. W. Bush at the National Cathedral in Washington.Not only was Smith backed by a full orchestra and a 150-person choir, but he also sung it as a personal farewell to the leader who, to his surprise, became his longtime friend and fan. Bush died on Friday at age 94.“First and foremost, I hope the song is very honoring of the president because he loved the song,” Smith said in an interview with CT. “The last time I saw him, when we said goodbye, he gave me a hug, pointed his finger in the air, and with a twinkle in his eye, said, ‘Friends are friends forever.’”The contemporary Christian music (CCM) chart-topper first played for President Bush in the White House after a Christmas special in 1989. They struck up a friendship that led to regular visits to the late president’s home in Kennebunkport, Maine; relationships with the rest of the Bush family; and even travel together.“He’s just been an inspiration to me,” the three-time Grammy winner said. “We didn’t talk about politics much. But we did have a lot of conversations about God and faith.”“One thing that tied us together was his relationship with Billy Graham. There were times we would get Billy Graham on the phone and talk,” Smith said, remembering them standing on the deck conversing with the late evangelist, whose memorial service and funeral the singer performed at earlier this year.Bush requested “Friends,” his favorite song of Smith’s, for his funeral. Smith sang ...Continue reading...

Let me begin by saying I am young in the pastorate, and some would quickly point out that I have no business attempting to share counsel about music in the church. I am somewhat of an enigma because I am soon to be fifty years old, but I have only been a pastor for less than seven years. So I am an older guy with very little experience in the pastorate! My goal is to be biblical in these thoughts!With that in mind, here are five truths that have been helpful in our ministry.1. The Purity of the Vessel Is PrimaryLet the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.—Colossians 3:16Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:—Isaiah 29:13This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.—Matthew 15:8Even while singing, the singer's heart may be many miles away from the words on his lips! We would do well to ask the question, “Do they see Jesus in me?” When the vessel is pure, the song can then be pleasing to our holy God!2. The Date of the Selection Is Not a DisqualifierSing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise.—Psalm 33:3And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.—Psalm 40:3O sing unto the LORD a new song: sing unto the LORD, all the earth.—Psalm 96:1O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.—Psalm 98:1I will sing a new song unto thee, O God: upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee.—Psalm 144:9Praise ye the LORD. Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.—Psalm 149:1Sing unto the LORD a new song, and his praise from the end of the earth, ye that go down to the sea, and all that is therein; the isles, and the inhabitants thereof.—Isaiah 42:10And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;—Revelation 5:9And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.—Revelation 14:3There seems to be some validity to singing new songs! There may be some (I say this “tongue-in-cheek”) who will be in a corner with arms crossed and a scowl on their faces as Revelation 14:3 becomes reality!It is certainly true that every song was once new! On the other hand, older songs that are in hymnbooks have arrived there through longevity associated with quality. They have survived because of their brilliance!3. The Excellence of the Delivery Is EssentialAnd it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place: (for all the priests that were present were sanctified, and did not then wait by course: Also the Levites which were the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, being arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets:) It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD; So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.—2 Chronicles 5:11–14From appearance to performance, excellence was on display! “Winging it” may sound real, but it can be lacking in excellence. “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might!” Interestingly, the glory of God arrived after the excellence was on display!4. The Critique of the Writer Is Not CompulsoryAlthough I do not advocate for completely disregarding the source of our music, it is worth observing that some of our favorite hymns were written by those who would never be asked to speak in our churches.� Their songs have been preferred because of the beauty of the words, but the writer and his or her doctrinal beliefs are not always identical to ours! It has been said and bears repeating that the greatest songwriter of all time (David) was an adulterer, liar, murderer, and polygamist!5. The Direction of the Praise is a DistinguisherColossians 3:16 indicates that we are to sing “to the Lord.” When our singing is to bring praise to our name, we have lost our purpose! The goal is to draw people closer to God with prepared hearts for the preaching of God's Word.We should pray more often than we criticize! It is not easy to prepare and sing publicly! Pray that every service is marked by songs that lift the name of Jesus and glorify His great name!To God be the glory!Unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.—Ephesians 3:21

DO plan well in advance and lock everything down in good time with the leaders DO choose and circulate your music/key choice well ahead of rehearsals.� Christmas is often the one time of year when you have orchestral and brass instruments joining the band. They tend to prefer a musical score (which doesn't tend to come […]The post 28 Do's and Don'ts of Christmas service planning appeared first on Musicademy.