Thursday, January 7, 2021

How to Find Scripture Songs

"Are there ways we can find verses set to a tune?"

It was asked in our Scripture memory Facebook group. That's a loaded question for a Scripture memory song enthusiast like myself. Yes, yes, there are ways. It will take a blog post to outline all my thoughts, and it still won't be an exhaustive review of all the artists out there.

First, there are two questions to consider:

1. Do you have certain verses you know you want to memorize?
    If yes, then you can do what I did when I was teaching 4th grade at a Christian school, and my students had weekly memory verses to learn. In YouTube, search for the verse reference plus the word "song." If you have a certain translation in mind, you can add that, too. For example, "Proverbs 3 NIV song." Sometimes, there may be a ton to choose from in all translations. Other times, there won't be any, or it will be in a different translation. If I like the song, I'll often learn whatever translation it's in. Or I'll change the words to fit the translation we're learning. Don't be surprised if you stumble upon one of my videos. I have hundreds on there, mainly to add to the "database" for when people are searching for specific verses.

2. Would you rather find an artist you like and learn verses based on what songs appeal to you?
    If yes, then let me offer several recommendations of some of my favorites over the years.  I first started with Seeds Family Worship, after a Facebook recommendation in a group I'm in. I ended up putting the bundle of all their albums on my Christmas list that year, and I listened to one CD a month the following year and learned all those verses. I've added all their additional albums as they've been released. I love that their music is for families but enjoyed by everyone (in other words, they're not too "kid-y"). 
    Through my YouTube searches for particular verses and through my connections in the Scripture memory world, I've found several others I've been able to use to learn Bible verses. Again, this isn't exhaustive, but it is a lot of information! I'd recommend starting with the ones in yellow unless another translation or description or verse piques your interest:

ESV
  • Corner Room - I don't know where this group has been all my life! I listen to them on Spotify (which has introduced me to other Scripture song artists) but went ahead and purchased their albums and plan on eventually memorizing all the verses. 
    • We learned this one from Isaiah 53:4-7. 
    • When Calvin had to memorize Psalm 23 for AWANA, we all learned it together. 
    • Psalm 139 is one of my favorite psalms. I memorized it in the NIV84 back in college but am re-learning it in the ESV with these awesome songs: Psalm 139:1-6 and Psalm 139:7-16 and Psalm 139:17-24.
    • I often get the first part of this song in my head (Unless the Lord builds the house...) and am looking forward to learning the whole thing: Psalm 127.
  • Melodically Memorizing - This is a new YouTube channel by a young gal named Abigail, who plays the keyboard. I love her heart, and I love her songs. I've memorized 
  • Eric Graef - This is a pastor/dad who plays guitar. 
  • Perimeter Road Baptist Church - This church committed together to learning Scripture by song during 2019, posting a new song every week. The songs are really well-done with lyrics on the screen. I highly recommend their song for Romans 8:18. 
  • Sing Scripture - I've only recently stumbled upon this channel, but the songs are super fun with groovin' beats. Some of them also have rap, if that's your thing (and even if it's not, it's still worth a listen!). 
    • I plan on learning this one: John 15:1-11 
    • This one is a little slower but with a good beat and tight harmonies: James 1:2-4
  • Mark Altrogge - I had recognized his as a songwriter (I'm Forever Grateful, One Pure and Holy Passion, I Stand in Awe). He's also a pastor and has several videos of him singing Scripture songs with his guitar. 
  • Adam Zarn - This is an upbeat song for the protoevangelium: Genesis 3:14-15. 
  • Jason Woolever - This is a couple who posted several songs years ago. When I was learning Hebrews 10:24-25, I used their song. Upbeat with good harmonies. 
  • Josh and Kirsten Shive - I'm not too familiar with this group, but I used their song for 1 Peter 1:3-4. Their songs are more professionally done than some on YouTube.
  • SwordGrip - Stan Blair of NIV Kids Club has teamed up with Scripture Memory Fellowship to provide songs for their SwordGrip program, which is 3 verses from every book of the Bible (OT Vol I and II, NT). My nine-year-old and six-year-old memorized verses from OT Vol I and were able to recite them cumulatively. The only way we made this happen is through songs! Here were some of our favorites:
    • Carter is obsessed with the beat and key of this song: Esther 4:14-16. 
    • This was my two-year-old's first Scripture song: Psalm 34:1-3. (Of course, it needed some translation. "I will bless the Lord..." became "I will bess a Yord..."
    • This one has a regal feel to it: 2 Kings 19:17-19
  • Zac Fitzsimmons - Here's a worship pastor who has put several psalms to music
  • (also note Seeds Family Worship down below in the kids/family section. They may be for kids, but I listen to them even without my kids around!)
NLT
  • Sing through the Bible - one girl took the challenge over the course of 2016 to post 365 original songs straight from Scripture. Each day's song lyrics were pulled from The One Year Bible's daily reading. You would think that with that frequency, the videos and/or songs would be sub-par, but they're excellent. Most of them are of a girl singing, but occasionally her husband joins her.

NIV(84)
  • Sons of Korah - This is a group based out of Australia that put whole psalms to music (back before it was cool). I've purchased three of their albums, and I love the variety of music styles and of psalms 
  • Greg Stultz - Great guitarist and vocalist who writes songs for extended passages (like the first half of Romans!). I'm pretty sure he uses the NIV, and it's from over a decade ago, so probably NIV84.
NIV(2011)
  • Truth Songs - This is another one of my favorites. There have been a few times that I've used their songs when I had specific verses to memorize, but other times, I just find a song I like and learn those verses. It's a couple named Zander and Janine who are originally from Samoa. He plays guitar, she plays keyboard, and their harmonies are rich. They've been doing this for awhile, and they've incorporated their kids over the years since they were babies. Now their four daughters join them on some of the songs.
    • Philippians 4:8 - I already had this verse memorized with a different song and still decided to learn this one. So good! (Whatever is true...)
    • 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 - I memorized this one when I needed to remind myself that "we demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God." This is an anthem to take your thoughts captive.
    • 2 Corinthians 12:9 - This is a beautiful one with Zander and their two oldest girls. 
    • Jeremiah 29:11-13 - We're currently learning this one during our homeschool time.
    • 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17 - I haven't finished learning this one yet, but I absolutely love it. A worshipful song about heaven straight from Scripture.
    • This is a great one with the whole family: Ephesians 1:3-7
  • Lantern Music - This is a children's pastor named Andy who was discouraged when the kids in the children's ministry weren't retaining their memory verses. So, he started writing songs! His videos are really well done and could be incorporated into children's worship at church. My 5th grade class loved learning this one: Ephesians 2:8-9
  • Scripture to Song - These songs include lyrics on the screens and Michelle singing awesome acapella harmonies with herself.
    • I learned this one last summer: Proverbs 4:25-27 (Let your eyes look straight ahead...)
    • and this one: 2 Cor 1:3-4 (Praise be to...the God of all comfort who comforts us...) 
    • I love this version of John 15:5 (I am the Vine, you are the branches...)
    • I also learned this one: 1 Timothy 1:13. Michelle's husband is Indonesian, so the first part of the video is her singing in Indonesian. 
  • Mr. Pike - I stumbled upon this fellow 4th grade Christian school teacher when I was searching for songs for our memory verses (they use the same curriculum -- Purposeful Design). He had the same idea I did of putting all the verses to songs, and his students have remembered their verses for years. He became a bit of a celebrity in our class. We sent some messages back and forth, and my students were soooo excited to hear from Mr. Pike! 
    • This one has his class singing along with him: Matthew 3:16-17 (Jesus' baptism)
    • I love this one about His divine power giving us everything we need: 2 Peter 1:3 
    • and this one: Galatians 6:9 (Let us not become weary...) 
  • His Sheep Am I - This is a gal based in Singapore. She plays the piano and then often the second half of her song is just the piano accompaniment to test yourself. She also has several songs in Chinese.
    • I like this one about different people planting and watering but God making it grow 1 Cor 3:6-7 
    • I learned this one last summer about living at peace with others: Romans 12:18 
    • My class learned this one and loved trying to sing with her accent: Hebrews 11:1
  • Psalms4Guitar - This couple hasn't posted in awhile, but I LOVE their song for Psalm 99:5. This is one that my one-year-old can finish. When I sing, "Exalt...the Lord...our ___" he can finish with "God."
KJV
  • Scripture Songs - I see this gal pop up all the time when I'm searching for verses. I don't typically memorize in KJV, but I know many of you do, so I wanted to include her. 
  • I was looking for a song for Isaiah 43:18-19 and stumbled upon this one. Apparently, during a Friday night worship service, people were put into groups to create a Scripture song in 20 minutes. This was the result of one group's time. I LOVE it, and the ukulele sounds great with their voices. 

NKJV 
  • Esther Mui - "This channel is dedicated to worshiping YHWH with songs written straight out of the Bible." Esther is from Malaysia. She plays the keyboard and sings, usually slower ballads and often longer passages. Here are some I've committed to memory:


Other/Various Translations
  • Integrity - Perhaps one of my greatest ever thrift store finds was stumbling upon the "God's Grace" album from Integrity Scripture Memory Songs. I have since bought two other albums from iTunes (although I still occasionally check the CDs at Goodwill). Each CD has a theme and incorporates various translations. They sound like 90s Christian music because, well, they are. Here are some of my favorites:
  • Glory Revealed - Folksy Scripture songs from various Christian artists such as Mac Powell from Third Day. Here are two of his songs I love: By His Wounds and Restore to Me
  • Scripture Lullabies (Hidden in my Heart Vol I-III) - My oldest sons have been listening to these CDs on repeat throughout the night for years! I like that they have full orchestration. Here are two examples:
  • Leah Carolan - This is a worship leadin' mom who has become very prolific in writing Scripture songs over the past couple years. She has completed several projects and uses various translations.
  • Jason Silver - This is a guy who posts videos multiple times a week thanks to his Patreon supporters. He has done all the psalms and hopes to eventually have songs for the whole New Testament. I'm planning on re-learning Philippians using his songs to help me remember them better long-term. 
  • Bible Song Word for Word Ministries - David is currently adding a song for each 1st chapter of the New Testament books. He doesn't use a specific translation, from what I can gather -- more of a combination of several.
  • The Psalms Project - "In 2006, singer/songwriter Shane Heilman felt inspired to set the Psalms to music in a way few had heard before." He uses a combination of Bible translations to put the lyrics together. He doesn't follow any specific translation word for word, but tried to balance faithfulness to the literal text with the aesthetic quality of the song.
  • Scripture Snacks - "Throw away your flash cards. Scripture Snacks fills the gap by memorizing scriptures in the form of a song." Some have kids vocals and some are only adults. These songs are acapella with "pop-driven melodies and low bass vocal percussion." I've saved many to my "to learn" playlist, but I'll probably start here: 1 Corinthians 1:31 and Jeremiah 9:23-24
  • Ralph Merrifield/New Hope Music - Ralph has written over 750 original Scripture-based songs and over 300 hymns. All are free to download, copy, and share with others. I learned these last summer: Ecclesiastes 7:10 and 2 Cor 7:5-6.
  • Me! I have 345+ YouTube videos with songs that I've either written or adapted from other translations (giving credit to the original songwriter in the description). My songs have come from my own Scripture memory projects, such as Psalm 119 (NIV), James (NIV), and Titus (ESV). I've also made playlists of all the K-8 weekly memory verses (NIV) from the Christian school where I taught. And now I'm working on songs to help my boys remember their verses for AWANA (ESV) and SwordGrip (ESV). Always more to learn! Here are some of my favorites that I have written
    • James 5:13-20 - this was the finale of my James project
    • The Fasting Song (Scriptures from Psalms, Joel, Luke, Acts, Nehemiah, Daniel)
    • Genesis 3:22-24 - This is one of Calvin's all-time favorites, which makes me laugh. We call it "He drove out the man"
    • John 3:3 - normal, then in different, silly voices
    • Galatians 5:14 (For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command...)
    • 2 Chronicles 7:14-16 (If my people, who are called by my name...)

Kids/Family
  • Seeds Family Worship. As I've mentioned, I am a huge fan! When they began, they used NIV word-for-word. When the NIV updated in 2011, they switched to ESV.  I have memorized all the verses from all the albums (except maybe the newest one). It is very difficult to narrow down to a list of favorites, but here are some:
    • Isaiah 41:10 - really upbeat. This is a pump up song. I love to raise my fist in the air when the drum punctuates "with...my...riiiighteous riiiight hand"
    • John 10:9 - this one is more folksy with a female vocalist. I wouldn't mind if this gal did a whole album in this style.
    • Lamentations 3:22-23 - on their lullaby album. Currently working on it for homeschooling.
    • 1 Timothy 4:12 (Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young...)
    • Romans 8:38-39 - This is from their first album. When I taught music, I made this album into our spring concert. I especially loved incorporating sign language into this one. And when I switched schools, I had my 4th graders do this for the talent show (For I am convinced that neither death nor life...) 
  • Slugs and Bugs - Randall Goodgame is known for his silly songs like "Tractor, Tractor" and his Slugs and Bugs show on Right Now Media, but he also has a couple albums with Scripture songs. 
    • I stumbled upon this one the other day and adapted it for the translation I needed. Galatians 4:4-7 (When the fullness of time had come, God sent his son...)
    • I also love his song for learning the Old Testament books
  • Psalmist Laura - "Laura Lonero is singing scripture to help plant God's word into the hearts of children." I found her when I was searching for memory verse songs for our K and 1st graders. Apparently, they use the same curriculum (not sure if she teaches at the school or just supports them with songs). She often includes puppets and plays the ukulele. Here are some I've used:
  • NIV Kids Club/Stan Blair - I didn't grow up with these, but I sure wish I did! I purchased the mp3s on his website for $2 per album. What a deal! The songs are soo fun and singable! My boys LOVE them! There's an album for Proverbs, Psalms, Colossians, and The Family of God. It's kind of hard to find the songs on YouTube, but I included a link to his website and for the video of Proverbs (be prepared for 90s clothes and hair!).
  • Corner Room Kids (ESV) - so fun! I'm a new fan of The Corner Room music, and I also purchased their kids album.
    • Psalm 106:1 - I like cranking up this song and dancing around the house.
    • We used this one in homeschooling to learn Isaiah 9:6-7.
  • Jump Start 3 - "JumpStart3 meets an immediate need in the Christian world by combining modern music in the styles with lyrics straight from the Bible! Our goal is to create an exciting and innovative way for kids to memorize and hide God's word in their hearts so they can evangelize and share God's love."
  • Hillsong Kids - These are well-done for kids ministry:
    • Jeremiah 29:11 - My class loved watching the kids dance on this video so much that we ended up making their own music video singing and dancing to this song.
    • John 1:1-3 (In the beginning was the Word...)
  • Spencer Family Music - This is one of those bunch-of-kids singing families. They have high quality recordings, and their videos feature various combinations of their children (I can't keep track of how many they have!). I've learned Psalm 34:8 (Oh taste and see...).
  • Steve Green - I think there are two Hide 'Em in your Heart albums for kids. They are a little dated now, but I LOVE this version of Psalm 34:13 (Keep your tongue from evil)
  • The Rizers - upbeat with fun videos. Here's an example: 2 Peter 3:18
  • Doorpost Songs - This is another group focused on family worship. I like their songs, but I already had many of the verses memorized, so I opted not to purchase any albums.
[Whew! That was a labor of love! See why I couldn't "just" post a comment when she asked if there were ways to find verses set to a tune? Please let me know if there are any broken or incorrect links]

Oh, and one final note: 
If you can't find a song for the verse you want in the translation you want, 
or if you just aren't crazy about an existing song, 
"Sing a new song to the Lord (Psalm 96:1)"  
It doesn't have to be fancy or in-tune or with an instrument. 
It doesn't need a YouTube video or blog post. 
It doesn't even have to be shared beyond your living room! 
If it helps you worship the Lord and remember his Word, it IS a success!
(and who knows, you may find that you really love it!).

However, as it is written:
"What no eye has seen,
what no ear has heard,
and what no human mind has conceived" --
the things God has prepared
for those who love him.
-1 Corinthians 2:9
at
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