Worship Music Philosophy
Listen and subscribe to these playlists (Spotify/Apple) to hear some of our favorite KBC worship songs:
Music Playlist
Listen to the songs we sing together on Sundays. Our playlist is a great way to prepare your heart for worship and to keep the truth of the gospel on your lips throughout the week.
We are committed to using music in our worship services that reflects the following principles:
God-Centered
Fundamentally, our worship responds to God's character and self-revelation, guiding our musical choices to highlight His glory and sovereign work in the world.
Ex. 15:1, 21; Ps. 115:1; Ps. 100
Word-Saturated
We believe corporate worship must be shaped by Scripture, using singing to embed God's Word in the heart and let the truths of Christ dwell richly in believers.
Ps. 95, 96; Col. 3, Eph. 5
Gospel-Focused
Because of where we are in God's redemptive plan, we believe our worship to be incomplete if we neglect to exalt God's Son, Jesus Christ.
Ps. 113, Rev. 5
Heart-Oriented
Worship flows from a Scripture-filled heart, expressing love for God and His people, avoiding self-focus and fostering unity.
John 4, Phil. 2:1-4, 1 Cor. 13:1
Intentionally Diverse
Worship honors heritage and new guidance, staying clear and discerning as each generation expresses Scriptural truth through its cultural forms.
all of Psalms, Eph. 5:19
Musically Proficient
We aim to offer our best musical ability, leading with excellence that supports, rather than distracts from, the congregation's worship.
Ps. 33:3
Bottom line:
We’re looking for songs that are...
Correct
In doctrine, theology and philosophy.
Compelling
Invokes an emotional, passionate response and encourages worship in spirit and in truth.
Cultural
Songs that amplify the truths of our historic faith but that are relevant in our modern context; also songs that coincide with our local church culture.
Clear
Not overly poetic or archaic, but language that is easily understood by the majority of our people.
Congregational
Simple melodies, lyrics, and vocal range that can be sung, easily remembered, and embraced by the majority.
Finally...
We think C.H. Spurgeon got it right to emphasize that in striving to be a biblically discerning church that loves truth and rejects error of all forms, we do not necessarily have to separate from songs, artists, and composers who may represent associations marred with error.
At Keystone, we want to sing the best examples of truth-filled, gospel-centric lyrics that move us toward unashamed worship of Jesus Christ. If a song’s lyrics are deemed worthy of such a task, after being held up to appropriate biblical scrutiny, then we are far less concerned about the sources of those songs than we are the truth content that they herald.
C.H. Spurgeon: “The area of our researches has been as wide as the bounds of existing religious literature—American and British, Protestant and Romish, ancient and modern. Whatever may be thought of our taste, we have exercised it without prejudice; and a good hymn has not been rejected because of the character of its author, or the heresies of the church in whose hymnal it first appeared; so long as the language and the spirit of it commended the hymn to our heart, we included it and we believe that we have thereby enriched our collection.”
(page 320 of Spurgeon’s autobiography, which can be viewed here.)