On March 8 we released a second single from the Knowing God album. I was grateful to be a part of writing it, along with Jon Althoff from Redeeming Grace Church in Franklin and Nate Stiff from Sovereign Grace Church of Louisville. It’s a song that reminds us that God often hides his purposes so we can learn to trust him.

J.I. Packer said God is always perfectly wise and "we shall see that hereafter, even where we never saw it here.” The proof of that wisdom is giving us his Son to save us from our sins, assuring us that nothing in heaven or on earth can separate us from his love.

Help us trust when we grow weary

Free us from our anxious thoughts

Give us grace to see more clearly

You are God and we are not

The blog post Coming Soon: A Preview of the Knowing God Album originally appeared on Christ Over All on December 22, 2023 and was reposted with permission.

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2023 marked the 50th anniversary of J.I. Packer’s classic book, Knowing God. What originated as a series of magazine articles has become a tool that God has used to shape, deepen, and ignite the theology of five decades of Christians, including me. Since I first read it in the late 70s, I’ve quoted and referred to it more times than I can count. Kevin DeYoung called it “easily one of the most influential books of the last half century.”

So when my son, Devon, suggested that Sovereign Grace Music write and record an album of songs based on Packer’s book, it was a no-brainer. First, it would be an opportunity to highlight how God has used Knowing God to make theology not only accessible, but delightful. Second, we knew Packer’s book would be a rich resource for songs that connect the head and the heart. Third, we hoped it would cause those who have never read it to do so, and stir those who have already read it to read it again! Finally, good theology always leads to glad doxology. Knowing God isn’t simply a book to read. It’s songs waiting to be sung.

So in early 2022, we began writing them. It would be an overwhelming task to try to write a song for each of the twenty-two chapters, and would also make for an excessively long album. Instead, we based our songs on sentences, paragraphs, or chapters that inspired us. Sometimes the connection was obvious. Other times, Packer’s words served as a springboard for articulating related themes.

It was moving to see the reaction of people who had never read the book. “Where has this book been? . . . This is amazing! . . . Packer communicates such deep thoughts in such a clear and understandable way!” But those familiar with the book responded similarly. “I forgot how helpful this book was . . . His writing is so biblical and affecting . . . Why haven’t I read this every year?”

We ended up with over 100 songs, which isn’t unusual when we’re working on a recording. Here are some of the songs that made the cut after a year and a half of writing.

Sing

Sing is a jubilant call to worship that reflects a single sentence in chapter thirteen, “The Grace of God.” Packer quotes the lyrics to an Isaac Watts hymn and then says, “The people who can sincerely take Watts’ words on their lips will not soon tire of singing the praises of grace.”

So verse three of Sing proclaims:

On the final day when the Lord on high returns in majesty

We will bow in wonder before the Lamb

and evermore the saints will sing

yes, evermore the saints will sing . . .

Morning and evening everything breathing must sing, oh sing

All of creation rise up and praise the King of kings

The One who created and redeemed us is worthy of unending songs of passionate praise. 

Christ Our Wisdom

Christ Our Wisdom is an extended meditation on chapters nine and ten, in which Packer reminds us how God often hides his purposes so we learn to trust his wisdom and not our own. 

“The New Testament tells us that the fruit of wisdom is Christlikeness—peace, and humility, and love (James 3:17)—and the root of it is faith in Christ (1 Corinthians 3:18; 2 Timothy 3:15) as the manifested wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24, 30).”

As we look to Christ as our wisdom, we learn to trust God even when we can’t see the way ahead. 

Christ our wisdom, we are humbled when you hide your ways from us

You have purposes unnumbered, each one good and glorious 

Help us trust when we grow weary, free us from our anxious thoughts 

Give us grace to see more clearly You are God and we are not    

We Are Yours Forever

We Are Yours Forever was an attempt to capture one of the most impacting chapters in Knowing God, “Sons of God.” Few have written so eloquently or powerfully on the privilege, reality, and effect of being adopted into God’s family. 

“Adoption is a family idea, conceived in terms of love, and viewing God as father. In adoption, God takes us into his family and fellowship—he establishes us as his children and heirs. Closeness, affection, and generosity are at the heart of the relationship. To be right with God the Judge is a great thing, but to be loved and cared for by God the Father is a greater.”

We tried to express the greatness of that family relationship in this chorus:

Oh, what a love you have lavished on us 

To call us Your children, daughters and sons

One with the Savior, bought by his blood 

We are yours forever

All Things

All Things is a simple song that reflects this section from chapter twelve, “The Love of God.” 

“As believers, we find in the cross of Christ assurance that we, as individuals, are beloved of God; ‘the Son of God . . . loved me and gave himself for me’ (Gal. 2:20). Knowing this, we are able to apply to ourselves the promise that all things work together for good to them that love God and are called according to his purpose (Rom. 8:28). Not just some things, note, but all things!”

The last verse of the song directs our eyes to the faithfulness of God in all things, even to the end:

Til the day you come in power or I reach my final hour

You will keep me

You’re the Author of my story,

You are faithful, you are for me 

I will praise you, I will praise you

Additional Songs

The rest of the album includes some revised and modern hymns, a communion song, and songs that focus on living to pleasing the Lord, the Spirit’s work in helping us see Christ, and the final judgment. And as a bonus, we’ve included a new version of Before the Throne of God Above.

The album isn’t out yet, but we’ll be releasing a single a month starting in February 2024, and Lord willing, the rest of the album in July.

We pray that as you listen to and sing these songs from Knowing God you’ll appreciate more than ever how our best theology will always lead to passionate praise.

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Bob Kauflin is a pastor, songwriter, worship leader, and author with over thirty-five years of experience. After serving as a pastor in Sovereign Grace Churches for twelve years, he assumed the role of Director of Sovereign Grace Music in 1997. Through conferences, seminars, and his blog (www.worshipmatters.com), he seeks to equip pastors, musicians, and songwriters in the theology and practice of congregational worship. He is currently one of the pastors at Sovereign Grace Church in Louisville, KY, led by C.J. Mahaney. Bob and his wife Julie are blessed with six adult children and an ever-growing number of grandchildren.

I can imagine several possible responses to an article with a title like this one.

• “Oh great. Another extrovert clueless to the fact that God made people different.”

• “Yes! A word of admonishment to the frozen chosen.”

• “Come on. Just let people worship God undisturbed.”

• “Why do we keep talking about this, anyway?”

It’s that last question I feel aware of most as I write another article on what we do with our bodies in congregational worship. Haven’t we talked about this enough? Aren’t people just going to do what they’ve always done? Isn’t it more important to focus on what’s happening in our hearts than what we do with our bodies?

Good questions. But the Bible doesn’t give us the option of minimizing or ignoring what we do physically when we gather as his people in his presence. It matters.

But why? Whether you lift your hands high on Sunday mornings or keep them below your waistline, God gives us at least three reasons why it’s important to display the worth of Christ with our bodies.

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This article written by Bob Kauflin, Director of Sovereign Grace Music, was originally published on Desiring God, September 21, 2023.

More than a few women have asked us how we should view a woman's role in leading music on Sundays in light of Scriptures like 1 Corinthians 11:33-35 and 1 Timothy 2:11-15. So recently on the Sound Plus Doctrine podcast, we invited Jeff Purswell, dean of the Sovereign Grace Pastors College, to join us for a conversation on how we can think about this topic in a way that seeks to honor God's Word as well as the significant role women play in our gatherings.

If you’d like to know more, listen to the podcast below with additional recommended resources.

David Zimmer and I recently had the joy of visiting Sovereign Grace Church Sydney and Paramatta, led by Dave Taylor and Riley Spring.

We arrived Friday morning, 28 April, and spent the day in Sydney. On Saturday, we led a workshop for musicians from both churches in the morning, rehearsed in the afternoon, and led a 'Gathering Around the Gospel' event that night for about 300 people. On Sunday we were with Sovereign Grace Church Sydney. 

We spent most of Monday with Colin Buchanan, a humble songwriter/artist who is known in Australia for his kids' music. He also recently co-authored the song “Jesus, Strong and Kind” with CityAlight. On Tuesday we met with pastors from both churches to talk about priorities in our Sunday gatherings, and that night we met with the leaders and wives to talk about marriage, parenting, and ministry.

On Wednesday through to late Saturday we led a Worship Matters Intensive for musicians from our churches as well as churches in Sydney, Perth, Tokyo, and Manila. It was a feast of fellowship and encouragement.

On Sunday, we served at Sovereign Grace Church Paramatta, and after lunch with the church, spent the evening debriefing with Dave and Riley. We left the next day, but not before squeezing in a trip to a wildlife park where we could pet a koala and feed some kangaroos.

Of the many takeaways from our time in Sydney, here are four that deeply impacted us.

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Bob Kauflin is the Director of Sovereign Grace Music

Sovereign Grace Music Español is Growing!

Sovereign Grace Music recently released its 5th Spanish album, En Ti Esperamos (We Hope in You). The project contains 12 translated Sovereign Grace songs, some from our most recent albums, Unchanging God: Songs from the Book of Psalms, Vol. 1 & 2. Almost all the songs chosen focus on the theme of suffering. They remind us that in the midst of our darkest nights and deepest sorrows, those who trust in Christ will never be without hope.

Since the release of two albums recorded with La IBI in the Dominican Republic in 2013 and 2014, Sovereign Grace Music has had an increasing impact in the Spanish speaking world. So much so that currently 13 of the top 20 Sovereign Grace Music YouTube videos are in Spanish. En Ti Esperamos is a long overdue response. 

The primary musicians on the album (Bob Kauflin, David Zimmer, Peter Scrufari, Gaby Estupinian, and Fabrizio Rodulfo) are from Sovereign Grace churches. We were joined by our good friends, Jonathan and Sarah Jerez, to produce the album. The Jerezes have collaborated with Sovereign Grace on three other projects, and recently helped lead a bi-lingual main session at the WorshipGod conference. 

Along with seeking to provide more theologically driven, gospel-centered, musically accessible songs for Spanish churches, En Ti Esperamos was recorded with minimal instrumentation. It’s common for Latin American churches to emphasize production and performance in a way that can distract from the words being sung. Simplifying the arrangements counteracts that impulse, but also makes it easier for smaller churches to replicate. 

 In light of all that God is doing in the Spanish-speaking world, we recently hired Fabrizio Rodulfo as an Intern for Video and Spanish Resources. He has done a fantastic job overseeing the translation team and started an Instagram account (@sovgracemusicespanol) which has gained over 5600 followers in only two months. 

 While we’re grateful for the opportunities to provide excellent translations of Sovereign Grace songs, our eventual hope and prayer is that God would raise up individuals to write original songs in Spanish. We took a significant step towards that goal when, at the recent Fieles a Su Llamado conference, we met with 15 songwriters interested in writing for a future project. Our next step will be a songwriting retreat in Mexico some time next year.

We’d appreciate your prayers that God would enable us to steward these resources well for the good of the Spanish speaking church and the glory of our Savior!

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Bob Kauflin is the Director of Sovereign Grace Music

sovereigngracemusic.org + worshipmatters.com + sovereigngrace.com + sgclouisville.org