Why the Songs We Sing Matter: Choosing Songs That Form Disciples and Glorify God

I grew up in the 80s and 90s in a denominational church that was healthy, growing, unified, mission-driven—and we loved to sing. Really sing. I can feel the texture of a hymnal in my hand, and hear the blend of piano and organ filling the room. Over time, those hymnals gave way to PowerPoint slides and a mix of hymns and praise choruses, on Sunday mornings. 

Our youth group was big and thriving, and worship through song was a core part of our identity. We sang whatever was led and enjoyed it, but we especially lit up when our songs made it into the Sunday morning service—early Passion stuff, the first waves of Hillsong, Maranatha! Music. “Open the Eyes of My Heart,” “We Fall Down,” “Better is One Day,” “Shout to the Lord,” “Lord I Lift Your Name on High,” “Did You Feel the Mountains Tremble” - it energized the room.  

I don’t remember there being a “worship war” in our church. Maybe it happened behind closed doors. But if there was tension, it never made it to us teens. We just worshiped. But when I headed off to college and started leading music in churches myself (2000–2004), I became much more aware of the generational transition from traditional to contemporary styles. And it wasn’t just about instruments or volume. It was about replacing songs that had stood the test of time—some for decades, others for centuries—with songs that often had simpler lyrics, more repetition, and a heavier emotional lean. I remember Lindsey’s grandmother once called them “7/11 songs”—seven words, sung eleven times. We laughed, but behind that joke was a real concern: were we trading theological depth for emotional reaction? 

The truth is, I was an early adopter of the new, but I never had a real problem with the old. Even in college, when I traveled and led worship for camps and disciple nows, I’d blend “Trading My Sorrows” and “I Could Sing of Your Love Forever” with “Doxology” and “Holy, Holy, Holy.” The tension wasn’t about preference—it was about purpose. Now, decades later, planning services and in having the opportunity to lead musical worship for the youth group over the past 18-months…I’m still asking the same question: WHAT KIND OF DISCIPLES ARE WE FORMING BY THE SONGS WE SING? 

When Worship Music Gets Industrial  

Over the past decade, it feels like new songs get released every week—many from a handful of powerhouse churches and networks. Their production quality is impressive. Some of the songs are beautifully written, powerful, and God-honoring. But there’s also a clear trend: a disproportionate number of these songs are about me and how I feel, and what God does for me, rather than being written to God, for God, and about God. 

That’s not a new issue. But it’s become a defining one. Even when a new album drops with a couple of God-centered songs, they often get buried beneath the tracks that hit harder emotionally and sound better in a car. And I get it—people gravitate to what moves them. That’s true in every genre of music, not just worship. But when we start importing setlists based on what’s trending instead of what’s forming, we’re no longer curating spiritual formation. We’re just riding waves. 

Self-Awareness Matters  

I don’t want to be the old guy who rolls his eyes at every new thing. I’ve had enough of that on the other side to know how it stings. And I don’t believe every new worship song is shallow. But I do think we need to exercise some pastoral self-awareness. 

Case in point: I was recently talking to my teenage daughters about worship through music, and they mentioned how much they’d love to sing Garden in Manhattan or Can’t Steal My Joy in corporate worship. I love those songs too. They’re honest, emotionally raw, and sonically compelling...but I found myself asking: Are these songs congregational? Or are they personal expressions better suited to the car or the concert? And if I hesitate—am I being old, or am I being faithful? Maybe it can be a little of both. But maybe it’s also because singing in the church is more than musical taste. It’s formation. 

Worship Through Song Is Discipleship  

Here’s the core conviction behind all of this: Liturgy is spiritual formation, and the choosing of songs is part of disciple-making. 

If that’s true, then the songs we sing week after week should:
1. Bless the Lord (Psalm 103)  
2. Encourage each other’s faith (Ephesians 5:19)  
3. Form our minds and hearts in the truth of the gospel (Colossians 3:16) 

I was recently in a conversation with our LWC Director about the kinds of songs we find in Scripture—especially in the Psalms. She shared something that’s stuck with me. She said, “In the Psalms, you see songs that are 1) to God about God, 2) to God about us, 3) to us about God, and even 4) to us about us—with a view of God.” 

That’s a wise observation. There’s biblical precedent for singing with different voices and perspectives. Sometimes we’re adoring God’s greatness. Sometimes we’re crying out in weakness. Sometimes we’re exhorting one another with truth. Sometimes we’re reminding ourselves who we are in Him. 

The issue isn’t variety—it’s imbalance.  

If the majority of our worship music tilts toward how we feel or what we receive, without anchoring us in who He is, we begin to form Christians who are emotionally sincere but spiritually shallow. 

So yes, we should sing songs of response…sing songs of testimony, but we can’t neglect songs of adoration, exaltation, and proclamation—because those are the songs that lift our eyes, renew our minds, and shape our theology. 

That’s why we need songs that are singable, theologically rich, Christ-centered, and culturally thoughtful—songs that form us, not just move us. 

So, What Now?  

As we evaluate worship music and plan worship services, let’s keep a few factors in mind:  
• Theological Integrity – Is this song grounded in Scripture and true about God?  
• Congregational Singability – Can the whole church actually sing it?  
• Spiritual Formation Value – What kind of believer does this song help shape? 

And one additional important consideration: the church is multigenerational. The songs that reach the next generation don’t have to abandon the last. The goal isn’t nostalgia. It’s unity. And music has always been one of the church’s most powerful unifiers—when we get it right. At the same time, young people today have brains that have quite literally been formed differently that any generation before them. The pace of life, the digital world, and constant connectivity have shaped their attention spans, their emotional rhythms, and their way of processing information. This doesn’t mean we must bend fully in that direction, but we must lead with wisdom. If we want to hand off a faith that lasts, we’ll need to meet them in their world. Musical styles may flex, but substance must never shrink, and attention to the specific context and needs of our own people must be considered. 

No, I don’t think we’re destined to be told what to sing by Elevation or Bethel or any one voice. But I do think local churches, led by thoughtful pastors and leaders, have to stop outsourcing discernment. We can’t afford to be passive in formation. 

And let’s never forget: worship through song is not a sound. It’s a response. And our job as leaders is to help the church respond to the glory of God with songs that last longer than the latest chart. 

The songs we sing will either disciple people toward depth or distract them with noise.  So, let’s be wise. Let’s be anchored. Let’s be led by the Spirit, informed by the Word, and sensitive to what our people need—not just what they like.