Sound Plus Doctrine

In previous epidosdes, we’ve talked about having hard conversations with your pastor, musicians, and church members. But conversations with yourself may be the hardest conversations of all. Why do we do what we do? What motivates us to do better? What’s going on when we aren’t excited about serving the church anymore? In this episode, […]

If you’re a leader in the church, at some point you’re going to have people who have problems with the way you’re doing things. It might be the music, the song choices, or the volume. It might be people in your church who just don’t like to sing. Or it might be the overly enthusiastic […]

Some leaders love to know and plan every detail of the Sunday service in advance. Others prefer finding out what God will do spontaneously in the course of the meeting. Wherever we fall on the spectrum, both planning and spontaneity are an important part of engaging with God genuinely as we gather. In this episode, […]

Christians who come out of a hyper-charismatic or pentecostal background are often wary of any talk about God’s presence. But Psalm 105:4 encourages us to “seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually!” What does it mean to “seek God’s presence continually” and how can we be committed to the authority, sufficiency, and […]

God’s people are uniquely defined by God’s presence. It’s a sign of his favor, mercy, and covenant love. But bad things happen when we start to speak about God’s presence in a way that makes it sounds like we can control it, or worse, profit financially from it. In this episode, Bob Kauflin and David […]

There is something profound about a church that faithfully carries out its meetings with a steady consistency, week after week, month after month, year after year. It testifies to the unchanging truths we trust in, rely on, and cling to. But what happens when leaders realize there’s something they could do something better or differently? […]

It can be discouraging to attend a worship conference where everyone seems to assume your church has a large staff, several music teams, and an unlimited budget. For most of us, that situation is far from reality. In this episode, Bob and David talk about how to make the most of limited resources, maintain a […]

We’re grateful for every person who wants to write songs for their church. But how do you avoid the common mistakes that many beginning songwriters fall into? At a recent songwriter camp, we developed a list of potential errors to avoid, and thought it might be helpful to share with others. We hope it’s an […]

If you lead a team of musicians in your church, you’ve no doubt dealt with problems that need fixing. Lack of skill. Musicians who don’t practice. Vocalists who look disengaged when they sing. Or worse, character issues that need to be addressed. Those conversations can be difficult. In this episode, Bob, David, and Devon talk […]

What do you do when you lead the singing in your church, but it’s obvious that you and your pastor have disagreements? “My pastor isn’t involved.” “My pastor micro-manages everyone around him.” “My pastor wants me to lead songs I’m not very excited about.” In this episode, David, Devon, and Bob take some time to […]

Season 10 of Sound Plus Doctrine kicks off with a question from a listener who had to step down from leading congregational worship for a longer period than he expected. Bob, David, and Devon discuss how God often uses times when we don’t serve to help us better understand how we view our role and […]

Music can be a massive blessing and encouragement to a local congregation. But when musicians begin to think their contribution is more important than everything else, it leads to conflict. A podcast listener wrote in to ask how they might resolve that kind of tension between their music department and the rest of the church. […]

If you lead the music in your church you’re bound to encounter the well-meaning member who enthusiastically suggests a song your church should be singing. What do you do when for various reasons that particular song may not be an ideal addition? That’s the topic David and Bob address in this episode of Sound Plus […]

Sol Fenne, along with his wife Carlie, leads His Estate, “a music ministry from UK council estates from where we write and produce word-centered songs for the narrow way.” In this episode of Sound Plus Doctrine, we had the joy of talking to Sol, who has a heart for bringing the hope of the gospel […]

In the mid-90s, Bob Kauflin went through a 2 year period of depression, anxiety, confusion, and panic attacks, all accompanied by physical symptoms and a constant feeling of hopelessness, all while he was serving as a pastor in a church plant. In this episode, David interviews Bob about some of the things he learned from […]

Churches will often allot a portion of their Sunday service for “special music.” We’re talking about music that is performed, either by a soloist, a group, a choir, or some other makeup of musicians. At times it can be a massive blessing. But not always. In this episode, Bob and David explore how we might […]

Churches often use recorded arrangements of songs as the template for what they do on Sunday rmoning. In this episode David and Bob talk about the advantages and drawbacks of that approach, looking at it through the lens of what best serves our congregations.   Have a question about this episode? Send us an email […]

In this episode, we sit down with Fabrizio Rodulfo to talk about Himnos, our latest Spanish album with Gracia Soberana Música. We reflect on the journey from our first Spanish projects to this new record, and discuss the heart behind translating timeless hymns for the church in Latin America. Fabrizio shares about the dynamic of […]

There are various reasons why musicians who play and sing for their church on Sunday mornings might choose to use their musical gifts in contexts outside the church. Is it always wrong? It is always right? What kinds of questions can we ask about our hearts to help us make wise decisions? Bob, David, and […]

Some worship songs move us emotionally but contain little that actually feeds our minds, while others feel like systematic theology set to music. In this episode, Bob, David, and Devon respond to a question from a listener who wonders if we need more theologically driven songs that contain simpler lyrics. We had a great time […]

Are you afraid you’ll be too emotional when you lead? What if you don’t feel anything? What is the place of emotions when leading congregational worship? A listener wrote in to ask about how much self-control leaders should exercise when it comes to expressing their emotions while leading. How do we avoid being manipulative? How […]

Those who know Sovereign Grace Music, recognize the voice, if not the face, of McKenzie Fuller, Bob’s youngest daughter. In this episode, Bob & David talk with McKenzie about a dark season in her life characterized by depression, eating disorders, and self-destructive behavior, and how the Lord has redeemed it for her good and his […]

More than a few churches have different people leading the singing on different Sundays. If not handled wisely, that can make it difficult for a congregation to learn songs or grow in a unified voice. In this episode, Bob and David talk about specific ways those situations can be avoided and multiple leaders can be […]

One Sound Plus Doctrine listener wrote in to ask how we handle adding new members to the music team. In this episode, David and Bob talk about how we interview potential musicians at Sovereign Grace Church of Louisville and highlight principles you can put into practice in your church. Have a question about this episode? […]

It’s been ten years since the release of our Christmas album, Prepare Him Room. In this episode, Bob and David take time to look at the history of the album and the story behind some of the songs, including He Who is Mighty and Who Would Have Dreamed. We also talk about why we changed […]

Musicians are sometimes stereotyped as scattered, overly sensitive, lazy, emotionally driven, and more. Unfortunately, those stereotypes often have their roots in reality! Worse, we musicians can tend to use morally neutral words to justify our behavior, thinking that it just goes along with being an artist. In this episode, Bob and David pull the curtain […]

Through the years we’ve had quite a few people ask how you go about getting your church to sing songs that are more biblically faithful and theologically rich. Of course, a lot depends on what kind of role you play in your congregation. In this episode of Sound Plus Doctrine we explore some of the […]

We tend to associate worship with our church singing together on Sunday mornings. But what if we viewed it from a bigger, more biblical perspective as seeking to live our lives in a way that drew attention to the worth, authority, and beauty of God’s glory in Christ? How might that affect the way we […]

God seems to be blessing the church with an increasing number of songs for churches to sing. How do you know if you or your church should contribute to the thousands of songs already being written? What kinds of songs should you be writing? What processes can you put in place to insure you’re writing […]

In God’s kindness, Sovereign Grace Music has been producing songs for the church for 40 years now. People have often asked us where those songs come from. In this episode, Bob, David, and Devon do a deep dive into the people, purpose, and processes behind the songs we write. Resources: https://sovereigngracemusic.com/training/resources/how-we-write-sovereign-grace-songs-wg24/ Have a question about […]

Josh Scott is the founder and owner of JHS pedals, used and loved by guitarists throughout the world. In this second of two episodes (listen to the first one if you haven’t already!), David and Bob had the joy of hearing Josh talk about the importance of listening to a variety of musical sources, what […]

Josh Scott is the founder and owner of JHS pedals, used and loved by guitarists throughout the world. In this first of two episodes, David and Bob had the delight of sitting down with Josh to talk about his obsessive curiosity, how he came to know Christ, and the importance of finding out what really […]

We love to get questions from our listeners! In this episode Bob and David answer three questions from recent emails they’ve received. The first addresses how to know when someone should step off the music team. The second explores whether it’s ever a good idea to auto-tune your vocals on Sundays. Finally, they talk about […]

“How much repetition is too much in a song? Is there ever a time when repetition can be helpful? When does it become harmful? Bob Kauflin and David Zimmer try to sort through those questions and more in this episode. John Piper on Repetitive Worship Songs   Have a question about this episode? Send us […]

Colin Buchanan is widely known in Australia both as a country musician and a writer of Christian songs for kids. He is extremely funny and a joy to be around, but more importantly loves introducing children to the riches of God’s Word and the gospel through song. We had the opportunity to record two podcasts […]

Colin Buchanan is widely known in Australia both as a country musician and a writer of Christian songs for kids. He is extremely funny and a joy to be around, but more importantly loves introducing children to the riches of God’s Word and the gospel through song. We had the opportunity to record two podcasts […]

Many, if not most, churches today project lyrics on a screen to enable congregational singing. But technology has given us a variety of options for lyric projection that require biblical discernment, thoughtfulness, and intentionality. In this first episode of Season 8, Bob Kauflin and David Zimmer explore what our aim is in lyric projection, suggest […]

If you’ve ever been anxious, nervous, insecure, fearful, jittery, or apprehensive about leading your congregation on a Sunday, this episode is for you! Of course, it’s relevant to other situations in as well. Bob and David talk about the difference between good anxiety and bad anxiety, and explore means God has given us in his […]

For more than 20 years, Sovereign Grace Music songs have been administrated by Integrity Music. In that relationship we’ve had the joy of working with Jonathan Lane, the Vice President of Music Administration and Contracts for Integrity, who has been an invaluable resource for questions related to contracts, licensing, royalties, and CCLI. In this second […]

For more than 20 years, Sovereign Grace Music songs have been administrated by Integrity Music. In that relationship we’ve had the joy of working with Jonathan Lane, the Vice President of Music Administration and Contracts for Integrity, who has been an invaluable resource for questions related to contracts, licensing, royalties, and CCLI. In this first […]

For those in public ministry, especially musicians in the church, social media can be a convenient way to let others know what we’ve been doing. But when does the desire to communicate ways we’ve been serving become more about us than Jesus? In this episode, Bob and David explore that topic and suggest ways we […]

It’s easy for leaders and band members to think of themselves as different, separated from, or even above the members of their congregation. In this episode of Sound Plus Doctrine, Bob and David suggest reasons we might think that way, why it’s unhelpful and unbiblical, and ways we can start seeing ourselves a members of […]

In this second part of our interview with Josh Blount, we get into more details about what difference being made male and female makes as we think about our Sunday gatherings. Josh serves as a pastor of Living Faith Church in Franklin, WV, and wrote his doctoral dissertation on issues related to gender. Below are […]

The world is more confused than ever about the distinctions between men and women and why they even exist. Do those differences matter? Are there problems if we neglect them? And what does gender have to do with our Sunday meetings? To help us answer those questions and learn why God’s design for men and […]

Church musicians and sound teams aren’t always on the same page. Sometimes they rarely talk to each other! In this Sound Plus Doctrine episode, Bob, David, and Devon dive into practical ways bands and tech teams can work together to serve their churches more effectively for the glory of Christ. Have a question about this […]

In this episode, Bob, David, and Devon answer questions that have been sent in to the podcast. We revisit singing songs from questionable sources, how to respond when someone encourages you for your leading, the appropriateness of asking God for mercy, and how long rehearsals should be. Send us an email at [email protected] Follow us […]

When we first became aware of it in 2020, COVID-19 had a significant impact on churches throughout the world. For some, it brought to the forefront questions about who decides when the church can gather. For others, it revealed a deficiency in our understanding of why the church meets. For everyone, it caused us to […]

Every week church leaders plan their Sunday gathering. How do we measure whether or not those meetings have been effective? More importantly, how do we know if they’ve been pleasing to the Lord? Join Bob, David, and Devon as they talk about various standards we can use to determine if our meetings are being faithful […]

We often find it easy to trust God when things are going well and difficult to trust him when our world is falling apart. But Scripture assures us we can “trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock” (Isaiah 26:4, ESV). In this very personal episode David Zimmer and Bob […]

We gather each Sunday as the church to hear from God and worship him as he has revealed himself to us in Jesus Christ. But we can subtly shift our worship to secondary matters like music, liturgy, or skill and end up engaging in idolatry. This is the part 2 of two episodes where David […]