Great Songs: “Magnificent Obsession” by Steven Curtis Chapman

I’m kicking off the “Great Songs” series with the song that has meant a great deal to me over the last couple of years: “Magnificent Obsession” by Steven Curtis Chapman. Steven is a tremendous singer, guitarist and songwriter, and this one is a gem. The song was released on his 2001 album “Declaration,” on my personal favorites. If I could choose one song to take with me to a desert island, this would be it; it represents my heart perfectly because I want my life to be defined by the pursuit of Jesus.

What makes this song great? The honesty, poetry of the lyrics, artistry and performance, the music, message – it’s the whole package.

Below is the album recording as well as a low-fi concert version. Enjoy!

But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3.7-11)