Abe & Liza Philip are modern hymnwriters with a passion for lyrics that are saturated with Scripture. 

Their guiding verse is Colossians 3:16: "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God."

In keeping with hymnwriters of centuries past, every line of their hymns draw from the riches of the Holy Bible (but not always in a word-for-word approach). Some of their most loved hymns include "My Savior's Love is Greater Still," "There is a Place" and "O Teach My Heart to Love Your Word." They live in the Chicago suburbs with their three children. 

If you would like Abe & Liza Philip to share music at your church or conference, please click here.

Songs and hymns from Scripture help us to better know and love God by meditating on His Word.  

What if a pastor were to stand behind a pulpit and tell some great stories, motivate you and make you laugh but never spoke from the Word of God? Should the words we sing in church be any different? Just as Word-centered preaching is so critical to the health of a church, so is Word-centered singing. Songs from Scripture help us to meditate and focus on the life-giving Word. (And memorization is almost inevitable when words are set well to music.)

Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night... (Joshua 1:8)  /  I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. (Psalm 119:11)  /  Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. (Mark 13:31)

What we sing shapes and expresses what we truly believe about God and what He has said. 

Songs from the Bible teach us to think and pray with the Scriptures that have guided the people of God for over three thousand years. God has not revealed everything that there is to know in this vast universe He created. But everything we need to know for life and salvation, He has graciously revealed in His Word.

 ...from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:15-17)

We treasure the hymns of past centuries for their faithful love and devotion to God's Word. But that same Word calls us, over and over, to "sing to the Lord a new song" (Psalm 33, 96, 98, 149, Isaiah 42:10) 

We don't often think about it, but in the end, even the greatest hymns of past centuries are valuable only as far as they are faithful to God’s Word. We believe the healthiest worship values both the ancient and modern, the old and the new, all rooted in the Word that will never pass away.

[Jesus said], “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.” (Matthew 13:52)  /  I will sing of the steadfast love of the Lord, forever...(Psalm 89:1)

To re-center our worship of God away from trite platitudes to the surprising, refreshing and deep honesty of God’s very words. 

The Bible welcomes rather than avoids difficult, uncomfortable questions and emotions that are a very real part of this life.

Why, O LORD, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? (Psalm 10:1)  /  My eyes will flow unceasingly, without relief, until the LORD looks down from heaven and sees. (Lamentations 3:49-50)

To come alongside biblical preaching and personal study to help correct the misunderstandings we all sometimes have and to grow ever more familiar with the words of the Bible.

Songs and hymns from Scripture encourage us to know the Word, love the Word and sing the Word. 

Jesus replied, "You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God." (Matthew 22:29)  /  …faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. (Romans 10:17)  /  Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord. (Ephesians 5:19)

We are changed as we worship God with the sanctifying power of His Word.

As our hearts and minds are saturated with Scripture, it comforts us, challenges us and changes everything.

You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. (John 15:3)  /  Sanctify them by the truth; Your word is truth. (John 17:17)  /  …My word that goes out from My mouth: It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:11)

But our focus is not ultimately on the letters filling the pages of our Bibles, though they are God’s own words [not worship of scripture].

The purpose of the written Word is to reveal the Word made flesh, Jesus Christ, to whom the Bible is always pointing  [worship from scripture].

Many unfortunately think of the Bible as mostly a book of rules, regulations and random stories. But the Gospel of Luke ends with Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, saying something extraordinary: that the Bible is all about Him. Jesus unambiguously underscores the point by saying it twice in Luke 24: in verse 27, "...beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself," and in verses 44-45, "...everything written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled. Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures...”

You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about Me, yet you refuse to come to Me to have life. (John 5:39-40)  /  Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. (Colossians 2:2-3)  /  And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)