Does It Matter Who Wrote the Worship Song?

We’re talking about the ultimate litmus test for worship songs—because we can’t just let any melody into our setlist.

Step One

It must be biblical. And by biblical, we mean it needs to quote Scripture directly—at least 90% in the original Greek or Hebrew (because transliterations are sus).

Step Two

It must be about the gospel. If your lyrics wander more than 7 words (God’s number, obviously) away from the cross, it’s automatically out.

Step Three

Every songwriter must attend weekly accountability meetings with David Paul Tripp. No exceptions.

Step Four

All writers and band members must actively practice at least four spiritual disciplines per week, rotating one out monthly. And if they haven’t ruthlessly eliminated hurry from their lives, they must enter a mandatory 7-day (God’s number, again) digital fast.

Want to know the final three steps? Good! That means you actually take your faith seriously. But let’s be real—figuring out what worship songs belong in a church setlist is tricky.

Should we sing songs from ministries we don’t align with? Does playing a song mean endorsing the theology (or the lifestyle) of its writers? And what do we do when a worship song is great, but the songwriter later walks away from the faith? Jimmy and Kelly dive into these questions, breaking down biblical wisdom, church history, and personal experience to help us think critically—without overcomplicating worship.

Resources Mentioned:

📖 Worship Matters by Bob Kauflin – Get the book

📖 Rhythms of Grace by Mike Cosper – Get the book

🎧 Jimmy's Sermon on Worship: The Life of a Disciple: Worship – Listen here