LUBBOCK—Before singer/songwriter Josh Wilson received his first guitar, he had to make a promise to his father, David, senior pastor of Southcrest Baptist Church in Lubbock. He pledged to use the instrument for God.

Wilson kept that promise and began leading worship for his youth group. After high school, he attended Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn., where he won the Christian Music Showcase during his junior year.

During his college years, Wilson sensed God leading him into a full-time itinerant ministry.

Josh Wilson

“God had really started laying some things on my heart, and I felt like he wanted me to communicate those things through songs,” Wilson said. “As God started opening some doors for me to write songs and play them for people, it was sort of a realization that I could use music as a way to further his kingdom.”

After graduating from Belmont University in 2006, Wilson signed with Sparrow Records and released his major label debut, Trying to Fit the Ocean in a Cup in 2008. The album was met with critical acclaim and hailed by Christian Retailing as “the future of Christian pop.”

“When I’m writing new songs, it’s pretty difficult to convey everything that I would like to share about God’s beauty and majesty in a song that only lasts a few minutes,” Wilson said. “That challenge is actually where the imagery for the album’s title came from. It’s like trying to fit the ocean in a cup. Trying to say something that hasn’t already been said before about matters of faith or the God of the universe is a huge challenge.

“When I’m writing, I have the church in mind. Our hope is in Christ, and we need to consistently be pressing into the gospel to learn what it really means to be a Christian. I want to encourage believers to hang on through the struggles, because life isn’t always good when we’re living in a fallen world.”

Wilson often uses personal experiences as inspiration for songs. “I keep a journal and put thoughts down for when I can sit down and write a song. Usually, the melody and lyric come about the same time, then I’ll figure out the overall idea for the song and sort of go from there,” he said.

Wilson keeps a busy schedule performing concerts around the country. He performed at Dallas Baptist University’s “Spiritual Rush,” and he has released a new album, Life is not a Snapshot.

“God has been teaching me that this life really does come in seasons. There are ups and downs, and our constant through all of it is the Lord. We’re not always going to have good days and our circumstances won’t always be preferable, but I think we can find true joy and contentment in the Lord, even when things aren’t going well,” he said. 

“I hope that my songs will encourage people, and will also challenge them and make them think about what they believe in. I find that the more honest I am in a song, the more people can connect with it. If people are still searching for the truth when they come to a concert, my prayer is that the songs will point people closer to Jesus. It’s my desire through these songs for people to realize that Jesus is the answer to what they are searching for, and he is the only one who can fill the void in their life and mend all the broken pieces.”

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