How We Choose Our Music
- Zac Bennett
- May 20
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 26
Why does this matter?
Music is “Take-Home Theology.” The best songs we sing together become 3-minute, easily memorized, biblical summaries of important truths from Scripture. That’s why we’re intentional about choosing songs that are biblically grounded, theologically sound, and aligned with our church’s beliefs and values.
We select music on a song-by-song basis. This means we evaluate each song individually—based on its content, not just its source—and decide whether it’s appropriate for our church to sing. We do not make song choices solely based on the artist or ministry behind them.
Why we feel a song by song approach is best:
1. It keeps the standard high.
We desire to sing songs in church that follow scriptures like Col. 3:16, Eph. 5:19-20, Psalms 33:3; 96:1-3; 40:3, 1 Chr. 16:9. Songs that are Christ-exalting, truth centered, grateful and joyful, edifying, and theologically rich.
Rather than choosing music based on popularity or our own safe lists, we want to actively select songs that bring God glory, accurately reflect the gospel, build up the church, and align with our teaching and doctrine.
2. It judges content, not just association.
Good songs can come from questionable sources (and vice versa).
This method allows us to evaluate what is actually being sung—not only who wrote it.
3. It leans toward grace, not blanket legalism.
A total ban on entire catalogs can lead to unnecessary division and may even sow disunity within the church.
We believe it’s possible to benefit from a biblically rich, Christ-centered song without endorsing the broader ministry behind it. While we do pay for licensing—which provides legal coverage and supports songwriters through royalties—this does not automatically affirm agreement with everything a ministry teaches or promotes. Just as purchasing an iPhone doesn’t mean you affirm all of Apple’s values and practices, using a theologically sound worship song doesn’t mean we endorse the theology of every artist or ministry involved.
Collaboration is common in the Christian music industry. If we imposed a blanket ban on one artist, consistency would require us to avoid every artist they’ve co-written with or even shared a stage with. That quickly becomes an unsustainable and legalistic approach.
4. It models discernment.
It teaches our worship team and our congregation how to think theologically, not just follow labels.
It’s a discipleship opportunity—showing how to filter worship through Scripture.
Our five question “song evaluation tool.”
Is it biblically accurate? No theological confusion or error—does it align with Scripture?
Is it clear in meaning and theology? Can the average person understand what they’re singing and who it’s about?
Is it congregationally appropriate? Is it singable? Does it point toward God, not toward personal experience alone?
Does it align with our church’s doctrine and vision? Does it fit in our church culture and identity stylistically?
Does it serve a clear purpose within the structure of the service and the mission for the day?
In addition to these 5 questions, we also reference thebereantest.com. It’s a tool that analyzes lyrics of Christian songs and recommends if it’s appropriate for corporate worship. We use it as a reference to help us have an external source outside of our own biases.
Our Heart Behind the Process
Our goal isn’t to be “anti” any particular artist or legalistic. We want to lead in love and grace. By taking each song individually, we feel that we honor biblical integrity without unnecessarily cutting songs God can use. We may not always get it right. We’re not perfect, but our desire is to lead with humility, grace, and a commitment to honoring Christ in all we do-especially in what we sing.