Superstars Reba, Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley and More Reveal Favorite Scriptures in Book 'Country Faith'
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As someone who has always loved music, my favorite thing about being an entertainment journalist is talking to people about the songs they’ve created that have become the soundtrack of our lives. As a Christian, I’ve always loved talking to other believers about their faith and their relationship with Jesus. Those conversations intersected a decade ago when I was asked to write a book called Country Faith.
My friend Jonathan Clements set up a meeting with Bob DeMoss, a publisher at Zondervan, who was looking for a writer to do a book on country music artists sharing their favorite scriptures. I was immediately excited about the project and thrilled when I got the gig. It became a labor of love.
Our first Country Faith book contained 56 country artists talking about the Bible verses that were most meaningful to them. Just writing it was a huge blessing to me and I prayed it would bless others as well. Over the years, I think it has.
That’s my prayer again as we prepare to release a new edition of Country Faith. Published by DaySpring and on sale now, our new book includes 70 artists. Some favorites from the first book are featured again — such as Alan Jackson, Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Alabama’s Randy Owen, Barbara Mandrell, Wynonna, Neal McCoy and Shenandoah’s Marty Raybon.
But we’ve also included many of the new hitmakers whose careers have exploded since we did the first book, including Chris Janson, Mitchell Tenpenny, Brett Young, Michael Ray, Tyler Hubbard, Joe Nichols and Jordan Davis. DaySpring also wanted to expand the book to include some Christian artists as well and I’m so happy to have Jason Crabb, Steven Curtis Chapman, Mac Powell, Matthew West and Zach Williams.
In the decade since the first book was released, the Country Faith team has been busy. We released a second book, Country Faith Christmas, and launched a music series which includes 10 Country Faith albums that include so many of my favorite songs of faith sung by country artists.
Our last project, Country Faith Bluegrass won a Dove Award and two International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Awards for Dolly Parton’s beautiful rendition of “In the Sweet By and By.”
Producer Jerry Salley and I are beginning work this week on the next Country Faith album and we will have a new Country Faith Christmas book published by DaySpring in October — which will include Christmas memories and favorite recipes from Travis Tritt, Reba, Jason Aldean, John Anderson, The Oak Ridge Boys and many others.
Christian artists talk about their faith every day. It’s almost part of their job description. But country music singers don’t always have the same opportunity to share what God means to them and how He informs their daily lives. Over the years, Country Faith has provided that platform and we are thrilled to do so again.
Just for Woman's World readers, we're sharing a few of my favorite passages in this exclusive preview. It was hard to decide which to show you first — because I love the whole book.
To give you a preview of what to expect when the new book releases, here are 11 memorable moments from the new Country Faith.
1. Reba McEntire: Matthew 7:12 Country Faith
“In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.” - Matthew 7:12
“It always goes back to the Golden Rule. Treat people like you want to be treated. I’d say that’s my favorite one that I try to live by. If I have a situation where I’m having to deal with somebody, I will deal with them the way I wish they would deal with me," Reba says. "Every morning I pray for the Holy Spirit to speak through me. Let me speak with wisdom. Let me think with wisdom. Let me not hurt anybody’s feelings or hurt their hearts. Let me inspire and live as a good example. It’s positive thinking and letting people be their own individual person. God didn’t make snowflakes the same. Why would he make us the same?
“I couldn’t have gotten through life without my faith. I know God has a plan for me. He always has, always will and I trust him 100%. I surrender my soul to Him, my heart and mind, so I give Him total go-ahead. You run the show. You’re the best production manager, stage manager. You’re the manager of my life, so continue on and I’ll just sit back and wait for instructions. It’s His way totally, not my way.
2. Carrie Underwood: Romans 8:38-39 Country Faith
"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 8:38-39
"This Scripture says that you are always loved no matter what. I love all the commas in these verses—neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor demons. It’s so powerful. Nothing in the world can separate us and that’s so comforting. The thing that draws me to it as an adult is the way it reminds us of God’s unconditional love. I love it because it basically says, “You can make a mistake and it’s okay.” There’s nothing that can separate us from God’s love. Just knowing that in my heart brings comfort. When I’ve messed up or when I need to know that I’m loved no matter what, I can think of that Scripture and feel peace," Carrie tells Country Faith.
"They are important verses for everyone to hear. I feel like there are probably so many people out there that stay away from God and from God’s love because they think: “I’m not good enough.” To me, that’s the devil talking and getting in your head saying, “You’re not good enough. Look at all these things that you do. There’s too many things in your past and in your present, too many things in the world that make you not good enough for God’s love.” That’s just NOT true because this Scripture tells us absolutely nothing can separate us. Look at all of the examples that it uses—neither the present, nor future, nor powers, nor height, nor depth. It’s just knowing that your creator loves you unconditionally."
3. Jo Dee Messina: Psalm 139:13-14, 16 Country Faith
"For You did form my inward parts. You did weave me in my mother's womb. I give thanks to You, for I'm fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it well... Your eyes have seen mine unformed substance, and in Your book there were written the days that would be ordained for me." - Psalm 139:13-14, 16
"Psalm 139 talks about the closeness of God and the dependency on God in the womb. That's all we need. When you're in the womb, you're not like, "Oh, I better get here. I better do this. I better do that. Oh, if I only looked like this." It's that intimacy with God. We're born into this world and long for that every day of our life until we get back with Him again," Jo Dee tells Country Faith.
"This is really something that I've been hanging onto for the last few years in the sense of, who are you really? Especially with all the social media coming out and kids comparing themselves and people comparing themselves. It's like, who are you? I used to think that my job was who I am, but it really isn't my identity. It's what I do. Who I am is that very soul that God stitched together and created perfectly and loves dearly. Before we even took our first breath, He loved us. And so that's why I go back to that, the simplicity of that moment or that time we spent with God in the womb, as He created us perfectly the way He wanted us to be, and just the intimacy of that."
4. Jeannie Seely: Matthew 7:12 Country Faith
“In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.” - Matthew 7:12
"That is truly what I believe and if I may just be honest, sometimes I get disillusioned with the church because sometimes I think they get away from that. I just feel like we’re all called upon to do different things. I try to set an example of the kind of person I think we’re supposed to be caring about others. I look and if I see a need, I try to be there to fill it however I can," says Jeannie.
"Those are the kinds of things I believe that as a Christian I should be doing. The older I get, the more the values I was taught as a child mean to me and at 83, I think there are few things more important than kindness. I believe that is speaking God’s word as much as anything that you can say.
"For example, I was in the grocery store and I saw this lady going through right behind me. I was still helping put the things in my basket. I heard her ask how much something was and she said, ‘Well I’ll need to put that back.’ I just turned around to the clerk and handed her my card and I said, ‘Put hers on here. Leave that on there and put hers on mine.’ The lady looked at me and said, ‘You don’t have to do that’ and I said, ‘I know I don’t have to. I’m not good at doing things I HAVE TO,’ and I laughed. She said, ‘I really didn’t expect it. Why would you do that for me?’ And I said, ‘Because I can and I feel like I’m supposed to.’ That to me is actually living what the Bible teaches is what I believe. that’s as good as any sermon or speech you can make. I believe that that is a gift you are given that you are meant to use."
5. Travis Tritt: Romans 8:38-39 Country Faith
Getty/Stephen J. Cohen
"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither heights nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." - Romans 8:38-39
"In the time that I spent running away from God and running away from the teachings that I grew up with, I always felt like there was a little voice inside that was calling me back, saying, ‘Son, I’m still here. I still love you and I died for your sins because I love you so much.’ That always was just a sort of a nagging thought that I had in the back of my mind. I would ask myself from time to time ‘Why are you running?’ because you are running away from somebody that actually loves you more than anyone else ever possibly could," Travis says.
"So, when I found that scripture some years ago, it just reminded me that you can run all you want to, but there’s a verse in the Bible that says, ‘Teach your children about the Lord when they are young and when they are old they will not depart from it’ (Proverbs 22:6).
"It reminded me so much of how much I am loved by God and how much He sacrificed for me. In the King James version it says, ‘For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life no angels not principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Jesus Christ our Lord.’ For somebody that was brought up in church and taught the word of God and then tried to run from it for a period of time and to come back to it, that verse means everything in the world to me because none of those other things were able to ultimately separate me from the fact that Jesus Christ loves me and He died for my sins.
"He wants me to just love Him and show appreciation for it and I am very thankful for that. I’m thankful for the teachings that I received and I’m thankful for the relationship that I have with Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I don’t always do everything that He wants me to do and I’m aware of that. I may not be perfect, but I am forgiven."
6. Jimmy Fortune: Romans 8:28 Country Faith
"We know that in all things God works for the good for the ones who love him and then it says, who have been called according to his purpose." - Romans 8:28
"We always say, ‘All things work for the good for those who love the Lord,’ which is great, but it seems like nobody ever finishes it and says, ‘Who have been called according to his purpose,’ and I think that is so important because I feel like I’ve been called to a purpose of letting people hear about God and the miracles He has done, not just in the world, but just in our everyday lives. I’m a walking billboard for miracles if there ever was one. In 2023, I had heart surgery and had five bypasses. My doctor said it’s a rare thing to have five. When people come to a concert, they want to hear songs they want to hear, but I just want to shout, ‘Do you know what just happened to me?’ I just want o tell people about what God has done for me. People realize what had happened and they look at me like, ‘This dude ain’t supposed to be here. He literally is a walking miracle.’
"Through this I’ve learned to try to trust God even more. Trust and obey. Those two words are two of the most important words. Without trust you won’t obey, but if you have trust and don’t obey then you’ve defeated the whole purpose. If you have those two things and you live by those two things, those are two words that can really change your life for the better," Jimmy says.
"I have always tried to obey God and follow His calling on my life. I used to sing with the Statler Brothers and when they retired in 2002, it was a very emotional time in my life. I made God a promise that whatever I did with my music would be to honor Him and He’s given me songs that really make a difference in people’s lives."
7. Mac Powell: Acts 20:24 Country Faith
"However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me — the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace." - Acts 20:24
"This verse is Paul talking and it basically says my life is worth nothing unless I finish the race that God has given me and the job to share Jesus with people. I read that the other day and I just went, ‘That’s me!’ Even if I’m not there fully, I want to be able to speak that verse in truth and say my life is not worth anything except to finish the race that God has given me and to complete the task of testifying to God’s grace. That’s what I want to do in my life," Mac says.
"I’ve read that verse many, many times and for some reason it never hit me. I turned 50 in 2022 and I think there’s something about turning that age, looking back on life, and just knowing I’ve got less years ahead of me than I do behind me. It makes you start thinking about what’s important in life.
"When I boil stuff down in my life, what does it boil down to? For me, I want it to be not really caring about anything for myself, but really living for others, living for God and living for others, and like Paul says at the end of that verse, testifying to God’s grace. I’ve been doing that for years in these songs that I’ve sang and hopefully in the life that I’ve lived, but at the same time I want to kick that up to the next level. I want it to be more important for me to die to myself and to live for others and for the Lord."
8. Joe Nichols: Psalm 91:1-2 and Isaiah 11:11 Country Faith
"Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.” - Psalm 91:1-2
It shall come to pass in that day That the Lord shall set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people who are left, From Assyria and Egypt, From Pathros and Cush, From Elam and Shinar, From Hamath and the islands of the sea." - Isaiah 11:11
"I’ve got a few favorite verses that are very personal to me and have attached themselves to my heart. Psalm 91 and Isaiah 11:11 have meant a lot of me in my recovery [from addiction]. Those verses have nothing to do with each other, but the first part in Psalm 91 is stop and seek refuge in me and I will make you feel rested and then I felt the Lord say over and over again, ‘I will recover you.’ Isaiah is talking about the Israelites being scattered throughout Egypt and everywhere else as slaves and he is saying the Lord is going to set out his hand and make them whole again and get them out of slavery," says Joe.
"I think that’s what addiction is. It’s slavery and so I turned my energy over to God and rested. It was a longer process. This just didn’t happen in 10 minutes, but I turned my energy and my will over to God and I felt immediately relief. I believe that his prophecy is true that we’re all scattered. I’m scattered. Everybody is scattered in some form of slavery or not and so Isaiah 11:11 is the Lord will keep reaching out for you to pull you together over and over again when you scatter yourself.
"He will regroup you and pull you back together out of slavery. So take refuge in Psalm 91 and then believe that the Lord will pull you together when you are pulled apart. I attempted to get sober many times and I’d get sober for a little bit, a year here and there, but it wasn’t until I humbly got on my knees and talked to God and did the things that they teach you to do in recovering programs. I gave myself over to God and that obsession, that addiction was ripped right out of my mind. I have never been more firm in my belief in God and the miraculous power of God until I got sober the last time October 1, 2018. It’s just one step in His direction. That’s how it worked for me. I just took one step in His direction and there He was."
9. Joe Bonsall of The Oak Ridge Boys: Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 Country Faith
Getty/Jason Kempin
"Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!" - Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
“I made it to 71 without any health issues. I could run through a wall as many of you know. The last several years though have been more challenging for me as I have dealt with some crippling leg issues. I still believe my Jesus can heal me if it be His will but if not … I have lived a life like few have as a 50-year member of the Oak Ridge Boys. I am fortunate and blessed to have had a ton of love and support from my family and my friends so this verse has become so relevant to me!
I am thankful that I am NOT alone. I am constantly lifted UP!”
10. Brett Young: Jeremiah 29:11 Country Faith
Getty/Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin
"For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." - Jeremiah 29:11
"I have Jeremiah 29:11 tattooed on my arm because it speaks to how I see my life. God has always been pointing me in the right direction. When I felt like he was closing doors, He was really opening them," Brett says.
"It says, Baseball was something that I thought was going to be my whole life and it didn’t end up being that. I had an injury and I thought that was — for lack of a better phrase — God forsaking me, but it was because He was pointing me to music. I’ve always loved that scripture. I think it applies to everybody. God is not saying, ‘No,’ He’s saying, 'Wait.' It’s something that once I kind of locked onto, I’ve lived by it."
11. Wade Hayes: Romans 8:23 Country Faith
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." – Romans 8:28
"You could read all of Romans 7 and that would be my favorite book out of the whole Bible. I think it explains the problems we all face, but as far as looking at my life over the last 10 years, I would say Romans 8:28 would be my favorite verse," says Wade Hayes.
"Sometimes things are bleak, and you go through things you don’t understand at the time, but it can turn to the good for you if you do indeed belong to God and are called according to His purpose. When I went through all of my trouble [having stage four colon cancer twice] I learned some things that I needed to learn and I’m thankful because I certainly took my life for granted.
"When I was going through all that stuff and asking why is this happening to me? I stumbled across a verse that answered my question. We go through bad stuff because as believers, as the body of Christ, we’re supposed to bear one another’s burdens. How are you going to do that unless you’ve actually had experience with it yourself? How are you going to go to your brother and sister and say, ‘I understand what you’re going through,’ and genuinely mean it unless you’ve been there. It hit me over the head when I read that.
"I had been so upset and sad, wondering why is this happening to me? Well that’s exactly why because you’re supposed to take these experiences and help someone down the road. That’s exactly why. If you’re a believer, Jesus said, ‘This is not going to be easy. You will have trouble in this life,’ (John 16:33) and we certainly have. You are meant to learn lessons and I’m very hard-headed. It takes a lot to get my attention, and He certainly did. If you do love God, He turns all things to the good."
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