Biblically Sound Offering Songs

[kodacolor]

Ok, so the Musician's Leader at the church I attend is having trouble finding offering songs and asked me to help.  So I found a few (partly thanks to LGM).  I was listening to some of them and some of the lyrics make me go 

I feel that it's my responsibility to check for biblical soundness in a song before I present it and some of these lyrics aren't sitting right with me.  I'm asking for your help because I know I don't have THE most Bible knowledge in the world but the little bit I have is throwing up a red flag.  Hopefully I'm not over reacting:

Tithes and Offering by: Shirley Caesar

If you want to be blessed,
pay your tithes and your offerings

You're being obedient when you give, but that "if-then" statement really makes me go    I'm blessed anyway, but...I'll continue

IF YOU WANT MORE,
give it to the poor.(repeat)

Giving to the poor is something nice to do, not something you do to get more or blessings.

And the Lord will give it back to you.(2 times)

Ok

He said He'd open up the windows of Heaven,
Pour you out a blessing:
He will supply you every need
according to his riches in glory
Give and you shall receive(2 times)

Ok.

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Song 2: Give to the Lord by: Ron Kenoly

Chorus
Give and it will
Come back to you
Good measure pressed down
Shaken together and
Running over
Give and it will
Come back to you
When you give
Give to the Lord

Verse 1
Give in love
Give in faith
Give the joy and the
Smile on your face
Give as the Lord
Has given to you
How you give is a
Reflection of your gratitude

Verse 2
From you heart
Give your best
Give unto God
And you will be blessed
Don't be stingy
And don't be tight
Learn from the widow
In the Bible
Who gave her last dime

Verse 3
People rob God when they
Don't give tithes and offerings
And they don't understand why
They've been cut off
From heavenly blessings
But abundant life and prosperity
Begins when you prove
Your love to God by
Giving to Him

When you give
Give to the Lord


My favorite part was the chorus.  What do you think about verse 3?  I went back and forth like "Eh...well..no...yes...uh... ....I guess...well that's right.. ..is that part right....ehh....um...."  You get the picture.  Lol!  Also the part about the woman who gave her last dime made me do the same thing.  True she gave through faith, but I don't want that to be misinterpreted.  Well it's not like he used it out of context.  I guess if someone misinterprets it that's their fault, right?

The reason why I'm being so picky is because I know people cling to what they hear in songs.  We've had a few threads around here about popular phrases in gospel music that aren't, necessarily, biblically sound.  (Ex: "Hosanna (WHAT'S HIS NAME?!?!)  I feel that as head of the ministry it's part of my responsibility to make sure that I'm bringing bibically sound songs to the table.

[sjonathan02]

Your responsibility is to be commended especially considering that's how we approach ANY song we do at my church...it MUST be biblically based or we don't sing it.


For example, as much as I love Jonathan Nelson and his 'My name is victory' that's just not Bible.


We GOT the victory; we're victorious (if we endure til the end); but, that is NO ONE'S name in the Bible. And, in our opinion, music must be direct as opposed to left up to interpretation.



The Ron Kenoly song could work. Must you sing Verse 3, since you're wrestling with the text?


What about 'Running Over' by Joe Pace? Great song and biblically sound. 

[kodacolor]

The Ron Kenoly song could work. Must you sing Verse 3, since you're wrestling with the text? 

I suppose not since we're a pretty small church and our offering doesn't last that long.  At my old church they did this song, but they only sang the chorus over and over again and everyone loved it.

What about 'Running Over' by Joe Pace? Great song and biblically sound. 

Yeah.    I really like that song.  That's on the CD that I'm going to give to our ML.  The songs I was considering giving for offering were:

Tithes and Offering
Give to the Lord
Running Over
Thank You Lord (For All You've Done for Me)

The last two are the ones I really really like.  One plus is that the ML was at the other church with me and he knows "Give to the Lord" (well...he knows the chorus.  Lol) so hopefully he'll stay in that tradition.

[betnich]

I think these kind of 'give to get' lyrics are common in Gospel and CCM, especially Southern Gospel and quartet-style songs, and have been for quite a few years. Why more popular now? Not just because of Word-Faith doctrine, but perhaps they appeal to our fleshly desires.

     Yes, the Bible does speak of blessing one's giving - but we have to be careful to rightly divide the Word...

[JoanHall]

Maybe you can also find some songs that don't specifically refer to giving but would still set the right tone.  Songs about our gratefulness to God and how much we value Him.  Or songs about giving ourselves, rather than just our money.