Most of the following were initially written to help our church congregation engage with a particular theme or passage of Scripture while using the melodic framework of a hymn they were already familiar with. However, since hundreds of hymns share the same meters (that is, the number of syllables per line), I’ve listed the meter under each verse below in case you’d like to use a verse from one hymn in a different hymn with a matching meter. Here is a good tool for searching hymns by their meter.

Feel free to use these freely with proper credit, and contact me to write or co-write.

—————

Verses for Doxology
8.8.8.8.
(On the Holy Spirit/Pentecost; 2019)
Praise God who sent His only Son
Who rose but sends another One
“It’s good I leave that He may come”
Praise God the Spirit, now among!

Praise Him who came in tongues of light
Now tongues unknown are heard aright
Old guest of kings, now yours and mine
Praise He who lives and speaks inside!

(On the Shepherd’s Voice, 2021)
Praise God, thou helpless and harassed
Each one in Christ is fully blessed
Though sin and Satan still accost
How thin their voice before the cross

 

—

1 John 4:7–12 verse for How Deep The Father’s Love For Us (2021)
8.7.8.7.
Behold the family He has wrought;
The sisters and the brothers—
Though none have seen the face of God—
Have love for one another
How strong the cords of covenant
His blood the blest guarantor
Though hell accuse it cannot fade
A bride arrayed in splendor

 

—

Justice Verse for Come Thou Long Expected Jesus (2020)
8.7.8.7.
Come with justice e’r increasing
Just as we have heard from old
Lift the needy from the ashes
Bring the orphan safely home
Though we hear the whisper faintly,
“Lo, I’m making all things new”
Every tribe and tongue and race
Will shout “His word has all been true!”

 

—

Christian Friendship Verse for Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (2020)
8.7.8.7.
Hail the triune God of love
Holy Friendship, far above!
Now on earth, our Savior sows
Friendships from His furrows grow
In His death our spirits rise
In His life our lives entwine:
Man to God is reconciled
Men for men walk second miles
Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”

 

—

Verses for O Come All Ye Faithful (2020)
(On Matthew 11:28–30)
O come all ye weary
Come ye heavy-laden
Come ye who long to see you’ve labored enough
Jesus is lowly
Jesus is sufficient!

(On Spiritual Hunger)
O Come all ye hungry,
Longing for transcendance
Come ye who call to things that cannot respond
“Come!” says the Godhead
“Christ will make you bretren”

 

—

Delighting in God’s Creation Verse for Joy to the World (2020)
8.7.8.7.
Joy to the eye and heart of man
His planet to enjoy!
Its heights and depths, are unknown yet
How beautiful its God, how beautiful its God
How beautiful, beautiful is its God

 

—

Exodus/Passover Verse for Praise To The Lord The Almighty (with Joel Limpic) (2019)
14.14.4.7.8.
Praise be to Christ who parts seas to deliver and save thee
Drowning His enemy, leading you onward to glory
Passed o’er in Him, spared from the judgment of sin
Children redeemed to be holy

 

—

Exodus/Passover Verse for Blessed Assurance (with Joel Limpic) (2019)
9.10.9.9
Promise to sinners: “Deliverance is nigh!”
Freedom for captives, darkness to light
Drawn out in power, showing Your might
Led through the water, into Your life

—

Psalm 110:1/Hebrews 10:11–14 Verses for 8.6.8.6 hymns (ex. O For A Thousand Tongues, Auld Lang Syne?) (2018)
O Thou great heavn’ly seated King
Deserve-d rest now take
Thy Spirit goes throughout the earth
To all Thy brethren make

Aaronic rites performed each year
Could not a family form
But all at once, Your holy blood
Prevailed to made us Yours

Now we all wait below the skies
Adoring Thee in heart
O bringeth soon Thy holy hour;
Return and ne’er depart!

—

1 Peter 4 Verses for 7.6.7.6 hymns (ex. No More in Earthen Vessels) (2018)
Since Christ Himself once suffered
Before ascending high
The Church eternal triumphs
In taking the same mind
For every soul who suffers
In Christ’s exalted name
Their lures to sin prove severed;
Their will with God’s replaced

The day is done for drinking
The night, for sexual sin
As death is dead in Jesus
Join not death’s flood again
For those who ford it freely
And scorn when you refuse
Make answer to the Anchor
The flood, as old, their doom

The dusk of days is on us
Pray sober; self-controlled
As Jesus in the garden,
Not those whose eyes were closed
The saints that flew before us
Too learned the lofty Word
Though subject brief to Fall-sleep
Like God they e’er endure

(Possible refrain:)
Let those those who suffer as
God would choose
Do with entrusted souls
Only good

—

Church Identity and/or Church Mission Verse for How Great Thou Art (2017)
4.7.4.6
Your very Church
On earth your image-bearer
Your bride betrothed
Awaiting Your return
Until that day
We seek to be made like You
And bid the lost
That they might turn and say
(Then sings my soul…)

 

—

Advent Verse for Here is Love (with Joel Limpic) (2017)
8.7.8.7.
Here is love, a love incarnate
Christ the very Son of God
Word that made all things created
Now made flesh to dwell with us

For this King, prepare a highway;
In your heart, His place to dwell
Father’s glory now revealed in
Heaven’s gift, Emmanuel

—

Church Identity and/or Church Mission Verse for Holy, Holy, Holy (2016)
6.6.7.6; 6.6.5.5.
Holy, holy, holy
Fill the earth with glory
Through the Church, Your chosen Bride
Community of Thee
Holy, holy, holy
Head of Thy body
Ruling and reigning in
All authority