Jenn Johnson

Is ‘Made For More’ Biblical? A Worship Song Analysis

/ Jason Henry / 1 Comment

I listened to “Made For More” a couple times earlier this year, and I liked it alright, but it didn’t really grab my attention until we sang it at ICYC this weekend. I grew up attending this conference, so it was a neat full-circle moment to be able to come back and play keys in the worship band. Looking out over the students and singing this song, I found myself moved to prayer for them, that they would see that God has made them for more and that they would be raised to new life and new purpose in Jesus.

Josh Baldwin released “Made For More” as a live single featuring Jenn Johnson in January of this year. It has continued to grow in popularity since then, being featured on a single and album from Bethel and accruing over 8,000,000 Spotify streams in its various forms as of November 2024. Baldwin is a songwriter on the track, along with Blake Wiggins, Jessie Early (Nothing Else), and Jonathan Smith (House of the Lord, Glorious Day, Manger Throne).

You and I might be made for more, but is “Made For More” made for worship? Let’s dig in and see if “Made For More” is biblical and if it belongs on your Sunday setlist.

Focus

“Made For More” is about our identity, calling, and purpose, all found in Christ’s death and resurrection. It is both an encouragement and a call to action.

There is a lot of “I” and “my” in this song. I don’t think “Made For More” is self-centered, but it is individualistic. I’ll address both of those below.

We sing this song to God and address him as “You.” The reference to the “cross of salvation” makes it clear that we’re singing to the Christian God, not just any random deity.

Lyric Analysis

VERSE
The first line is the thesis of the whole song; “I know who I am cause I know who You are.” As believers, our identity is in Jesus. Paul teaches in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come,” and again in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” When we become Christians, we join Jesus in his death on the cross and are raised with him to new life. Christ identifies so closely with his church that we are called his body and his dwelling place (Eph 1:22-23, 2:22).

This verse declines to look back to our lost state before the cross, instead focusing on who we are now: chosen (1 Pet 2:9), free (Jn 8:36), forgiven (Ac 10:43), having a future worth living (Jer 29:11). This future is both now and not yet. Yes, we have a glorious eternity to look forward to in the new heaven and new earth that are to come (Rev 21:1-4), but we are also Jesus’ emissaries, witnesses that Christ has come to reconcile the world and that his kingdom is already here! Empowered by his Spirit, we carry this reconciliation with us and provide a foretaste to the world and the whole creation of what the glory of God’s fully realized kingdom will be like (Ac 1:8, 2 Cor 5:18-19, Rom 8:19-23).

CHORUS
In the first two lines of the chorus, I think the songwriters must have been thinking of Luke 9:57-62. Three different people are called to follow Jesus but present various excuses, one of them saying, “let me first go and bury my father.” Jesus replies, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” I don’t know the ins and outs of Jewish funeral customs, and someone else could certainly explain this story better than I, but it seems clear that all three people in this passage are looking back at their old life, finding excuses to remain trapped in the past rather than following Jesus into the new life of his kingdom.

Again, when we follow Jesus, we are baptized into his death and raised to new life with him. We can’t walk in our old, dead ways anymore because we have been born again (Rom 6:2-4).

The verse says this in yet a third way: instead of lying in a bed of shame, we have the opportunity to embrace the fountain of forgiveness, holiness, and grace that flows from Jesus (Zech 13:1). This grace not only give us life, but overflows from us to give life to others (Jn 7:38).

One thing that catches my attention in the chorus is that all the statements about “me” are in the passive voice. (🤓) Instead of “You made me for more,” it’s “I was made for more.” Is Josh trying to take God out of the picture? Why put the emphasis on me instead of God?? In fact, that’s the opposite of what’s going on here. The rhythm and melody place the emphasis on the third syllable of the line, so if we rephrase this line to make God the subject, then the word “me” actual falls on the third syllable and gets the emphasis. “You made me for more.” The way the song is written, it’s “I was made for more,” so the musical emphasis is on God’s act of making. The same is true of “I was called by name.”

BRIDGE
“Hallelujah” is a Hebrew word combining hallel, praise, with Jah, a shortened form of the name of God. It literally means “praise Yahweh.”

Jesus makes a habit of calling his followers by name. Mary, Peter, Zacchaeus, and even Paul/Saul experience the direct, personal attention of the Savior when he says their names. This interaction is transformative, totally changing the direction of their lives. To be called by name is to be known, and God certainly knows us deeply and fully (Psalm 139:1-16). When he brings us into his kingdom, we are not anonymous servants, but we are his children, heirs, and friends (Jn 15:15, Rom 8:17).

How can we respond to this love, this knowing, and this calling but with praise? And having died to sin and been resurrected with Christ, how can we turn back and live in sin and the shame of our past? (Rom 6:2)

Accessibility

Even without knowledge of the Scriptures referenced in the song, the powerful word pictures in “Made For More” invite the worshiper into the new identity, new life, and new purpose of the children of God.

I have two concerns regarding understanding. First, this song is pretty vague about what we were made for. More, yes, but more of what? We get some suggestive words like life, future, grace, praise, and Yours, and together, they sketch an outline of what new life in Christ feels like, but without an understanding of our purpose and mission from Scripture, we can fill that outline in with any dream or aspiration we like. Made for more…money? Nope.

Second, the language in this song is very individualistic. Our individual relationships with God are important, and we are each of us known and called personally, but our calling as a community, as the church is at least equally important. This isn’t necessarily a weakness, I just want to make sure that we aren’t only singing songs about our individual lives; we also need songs that discuss our calling, purpose, and identity as the unified Bride of Christ.

The majority of the melody is within a sixth. When you include the octave jump from the first verse and chorus to the second, the total range is an octave plus a third, so not bad for a contemporary worship song. Rhythmically, the chorus is especially easy to pick up on because of the way the words pulse easily with the beat.

Music

“Made For More” begins with simple piano chords accompanying the voices through the first verse. The rest of the band enters quietly at the first chorus, playing single chords that have the effect of unity and confidence. We jump up to a higher dynamic level for the second verse, now celebrating the words that we sang in quiet faith the first time. What was an expression of hope in the first chorus is now fully claimed as the truth of who we are. We drop back down for a slow build through the bridges which lead to a dramatic dropout for a chorus, really highlighting the voice of the congregation. There’s another loud chorus, then a loud bridge, then a quiet closing chorus. These are pretty standard dynamics for a worship song, but they are standard for a reason, and they communicate this song’s message well.

The only tricky chords are halfway through the post-bridge chorus when the band comes in. There’s a walkdown there that sounds best if it’s played with open 5ths rather than full chords. The rest of the song makes use of frequent alternate bass notes and suspended chords so that it feels a little more interesting than a I, IV, vi, V song.

I would call this an easy-intermediate song for a worship band to play.

Conclusions

“Made For More” is catchy, inviting, easy to learn, and easy to understand. It is both an encouragement to the downcast and a call-to-action for believers. As we sing, God reminds us that we are his dearly loved children, and his Spirit calls us out on mission. If we are made for more, we must take seriously the words and deeds that Christ calls us to; we must be the foretaste of his coming kingdom in this broken world.

I outlined above my two concerns above in the Accessibility section: this song is a little vague about what we are made for, leaving room to import wrong ideas, and it is very individualistic. Neither of these is an error, and no song can fully explain every subject that it touches on. We need to make sure that our song libraries contain more specific calls to share the Gospel, care for the poor, sick, and elderly, and be good news to our friends, neighbors, communities, and the whole world. We also need to make sure we have songs that sing about us and Jesus instead of only me and Jesus.

Having said all that, I think “Made For More” fills an important niche in our church song catalog. The vagueness that I mentioned as a concern is also a strength, allowing it to serve as a sending song connected to any number of scriptural calls to action. It provides encouragement and exhortation without assuming anyone’s emotional state or life story, and it reminds all of us that we have new life in Christ, and that it’s worth living that way.

Will it worship? You betcha.

Image by Courtney Cook on Unsplash

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.

SEND ME – Bethel Music, Jenn Johnson, Chris Quilala

/ Jason Henry / 1 Comment

Image by Se Nuno from Unsplash

I heard this song for the first time this week, and I’m not sure how I missed it up to this point! “Send Me” is from the 2021 Bethel release Homecoming, and is the product of songwriters Jenn Johnson, Brandon Lake, and Kari Jobe Carnes. The recording features the voices of Jenn Johnson and Chris Quilala, which is fine with me; I could listen to Chris sing all day. At its heart, “Send Me” is a simple song of longing to serve and follow the Lord. Let’s dive in together and see how the song applies Scripture and whether it will serve your congregation well in worship.

Focus

The focus of this song is a commitment to serve God. The singer asks to be sent wherever the Lord wants, no matter the cost. This surrender is fueled by the singer’s love for Lord. This song doesn’t name Jesus or God as such, but the whole song addresses him by the title “Lord” over and over again (one of the New Testament’s favorite ways to refer to Jesus), and the clear biblical references leave no room for misunderstanding who we’re singing to.

Lyric Analysis

The tag we will hear throughout this song is a simple prayer, “here I am Lord, send me” These words find their origin in Isaiah 6, when God calls Isaiah to be a messenger for him. Before the call, God gives Isaiah a vision in which he cleanses him from his sin and guilt. God says he wants to send someone, and Isaiah’s immediate response is “Here I am! Send me.” (Isa. 6:8) The Lord goes on to describe the task he has for Isaiah, and it’s not a pleasant one. The people will refuse to listen, and indeed, Isaiah’s words will harden their hearts further. They will suffer greatly, and in the midst of it, God’s words through Isaiah will provide a glimmer of hope.

VERSE 1
Bandaging the broken is part of the example set for us in Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:34). It’s also something God expects of those who would shepherd his people (Ezek. 34:4). I think this idea applies not just to physical injuries, but also mental, emotional, spiritual, and relational wounds. When we seek to help heal people, we are serving God and showing his love.

Jesus washes his disciples’ feet in John 13. Washing feet was a necessary task in first century Middle-Eastern culture, and it also symbolized hospitality, service, and humility. The striking image of God washing the feet of mere men, who should have been serving him, and his accompanying words “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet,” have made foot washing an enduring symbol within Christianity of humble, self-sacrificing service.

In John 13:34, Jesus says, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” This command surely extends to times when we disagree with one another. That addition feels appropriate and timely, after a particularly fractious couple of years in the U.S. with regard to politics, Covid, and race relations.

VERSE 2
Contented service to God in poverty or in wealth is what Paul is actually talking about in the oft-quoted Philippians 4:13, not winning a sports game. Similarly, mountains often represent the experience of God’s presence (Ex. 15:17) while valleys represent feeling like he’s far away (Ps. 23:4). In either circumstance, we can and should choose to praise and serve him.

CHORUS
“If I’m known by how I love // let my life reflect how much I love You”

We already referenced Jesus’ command to love one another in John 13:34, and now we sing about the natural result of that love. Jesus says in verse 35, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” At first glance, it seems like the chorus of “Send Me” is misapplying this Scripture. It’s how we love one another that shows that we are his disciples, not how much we love God, right? In my opinion, part of the brilliance of this song is in how it blurs the distinction between the two, much like Jesus does. Look at how he gives the same command in a different way in Matthew 22:27-40:

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

So loving our neighbor is like loving God. He goes even further in describing the final judgment and the separation of sheep and goats, where he says “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” So loving one another isn’t just like loving God; it’s a big piece of how we love God (Matthew 25:40).

How else does Jesus say we can express love for him? “If you love me, keep my commands.” (John 14:15) That’s why I love the second half of the chorus. We’re expressing a willingness to say yes to Jesus’ instructions, even before we know what they are, just like Isaiah did when he experienced his call. He said “Here I am! Send me,” and then God told him what he wanted him to do. When I sing these words, I’m praying that god will give me that same level of trust and obedience to him.

VERSE 3
“If the truth cuts like an arrow // I will say it anyway”

Now we come to the only line in this song that gives me cause for concern. There’s nothing wrong in it; it just seems like it could be easily misapplied. The Bible says that God’s word does indeed cut like a sword (Heb. 4:12), and I’m not at all concerned with the poetic license of changing a sword to an arrow. And if we read the book of Isaiah, we see that this was a theme of his ministry. God gave him a hard message of judgment to deliver to a stubborn people who ignored and persecuted him. Sometimes the truth is sharp. But we must be kind in how we present the truth. John 1:14 says that Jesus was full of grace and truth. 1 Peter 3:15 says that when we present the Gospel, we must do it with gentleness and respect. Ephesians 4:29 says that our words should be helpful for building others up according to their needs. So yes, sometimes we must speak truth that cuts deep, but we shouldn’t swing that sword around willy-nilly, careless of who we hurt with it. There are helpful and harmful ways to present truth.

Jesus says that when we carry his name, we will face rejection (Luke 6:22). It’s also what Isaiah and many of the prophets faced, as well as the persecuted New Testament Church. For someone who stood firm and declared God’s truth despite the danger to his life, see the story of Stephen in Acts 6-7.

VERSE 4
Those who use the gifts and resources God has given them to serve him will one day hear him say the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” (Matthew 25:14-30) In the same chapter, Jesus makes it clear that the visible difference between those who will inherit the Kingdom with him and those who are banished from his presence forever is whether or not they chose to serve him by caring for people in need (Matt. 25:31-46).

Accessibility

This song has a lot to say, and many of the lines have at least a couple layers of meaning. I think the top layer is very accessible, even to people who aren’t churched or trained in Scripture. For more seasoned saints, I think the scriptural context of some of these words will be apparent, giving deeper meaning.

Like I said earlier, there’s not really any room for confusion about who we’re singing to. This song somehow manages to say “oh I love you” several times while staying firmly out of “Jesus-is-my-boyfriend” territory. That’s hard to do!

Music

“Send Me” is a simple song designed for congregational singing. Some minimalist finger picking on an electric guitar is the main accompaniment to the first half of the song, which completely lacks drums. Instead, we let the prayerful lyrics and the singing of the people carry the song forward. Synths and bass layer in gradually, and in the second chorus we get some cymbal swells. We drop back down for a reverent, longing fourth verse that builds through the tag, “here I am Lord, send me!” This leads into the final two choruses, where we finally get some toms to undergird the declarative lyrics. The recording continues for another 1:45 of ad libs and repeating the tag, but I typically stop it at about 4:45.

The chord rhythm of this song is a little trickier than most praise and worship songs, so be very sure that you have the chord sheet exactly how you want it before handing it out to your players. Watch out for the atypical length of the instrumental between verses one and two. The Ab/C pickup chords at the beginning of each line of the chorus are easy to miss. But with a little practice, the chords are still fairly intuitive and it’s not a difficult song to play. The electric guitar picking that plays under nearly the whole thing also sounds like it wouldn’t be too difficult to pick up. I think the hardest part of this song is going to be restraint. Building volume or adding instruments too early is going to kill the dynamic arc of the song and suck the life out of the final choruses.

One of the real strengths of this song is its singability. The tag line is easy to learn and repeated frequently. The chorus rhythm is straightforward and the melody is mostly stepwise and easy to sing along with, even on a first or second hearing. The song is even pitched for maximum congregational involvement, a relative rarity in worship recordings. its medium-low range should be comfortably within the tessitura of nearly everyone in your church.

Conclusions

Will it worship? 100%

This is a very direct “sending” song designed to prayerfully mobilize congregations for a life of service to Jesus and the Gospel. The lyrics are grounded in Scripture, especially Isaiah’s call to ministry and Jesus’ commands to love God by loving one another. I’m introducing it to my congregation this week, so I’ll have to let you know how it goes!

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. May not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.