December 17, 2024

This edition is sponsored by Proclamation Coalition

weekend reads

As we continue to celebrate Jesus’ arrival during these 12 days of Christmas, many of us are turning our attention to the year ahead. What are God’s plans for us and for our communities in 2025? How will we grow in love and joy and peace and patience and all the rest of the fruit of the Spirit?

Scripture, as always, is a good place to start, whether you’re recommitting to read every day (or listen through a podcast) or starting a more structured “Bible in a year” plan. Check out these ten ideas for encountering the Word anew, including picking up a different translation.

Also: how Christians can think about “time management” hacks (and how to cultivate habits of “higher time”) and why it’s okay to have an unhappy New Year.

You’re Not Too Busy for the Bible

There’s No Such Thing as Time Management

It’s Okay to Have an Unhappy New Year

weekend listen

If you’re hoping to practice deeper spiritual disciplines in 2025, this conversation between Russell Moore and John Mark Comer is for you. The author of Practicing the Way discusses contemplative prayer, the power of friendship, and how churches can cultivate richer discipleship.

“The Sabbath has basically disappeared from modern American life in the last three, four, five decades. … The church went along with capitalism and the internet and 24/7 culture, uncritically at times.” | Listen here.

John Mark Comer’s Call to Practice, Not Performance

paid content

Missing those Awana days when Bible verses stuck in your head like your favorite songs? Bible Memory Project created what might be the most genius Scripture memory hack since the invention of flash cards.

Their acronym wristbands turn verses into simple letter sequences you’ll see hundreds of times a day. Available in three translations, each verse connects to bigger biblical themes. And yes, it actually works. CT readers can start rebuilding their verse library with a free month using code “TODAY.”

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editors’ picks

Ashley Hales, editorial director, print: It’s time to pick out a new color for a yearly Leuchtturm1917 bullet journal. I like to pair it with Muji pens or Blackwing pencils.

Kara Bettis Carvalho, ideas editor: This year, I recommend trying new types of movement. As someone who has dabbled in pilates, yoga, triathlons, CrossFit, running, etc., I’m a big believer in finding a fitness regimen that sticks for you. Maybe it’s long walks, dancing, or swimming. Try something new, and when it gets boring, try something else!

Kate Shellnutt, editorial director, news: When I rushed to pack a bag as we evacuated from Hurricane Helene, I took three books from my desk. One was a Bible, and two were collections of liturgies. You may have heard of Every Moment Holy. If you like those prayers, you’ll also appreciate Prayers for the Pilgrimage by W. David O. Taylor and Phaedra Taylor. I love the specificity, the simplicity, and the range of liturgies, which offer words to pray for first days of school, sick days, and all kinds of occasions.

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prayers of the people

Anxious Bible readers turned to these verses in 2024. In 2025, we’re praying through some of these passages in the Pauline Epistles and the Psalms.
As we make our end-of-year gifts, let’s pray for a spirit of generosity—even when it feels like our meager offerings don’t make a difference.
For habits, fresh starts, for our hands and feet: Ten prayers for a new year.

PAID CONTENT FOR COMPASSION INTERNATIONAL

Empowered to Dream

David and Alex have always been dreamers. As brothers growing up in Esmaraldas, Ecuador, they fantasized about becoming professional soccer players—but the challenges of poverty stood in their way. The…

What Another Year of Routine Teaches Us about God

As G. K. Chesterton reminds us, the Lord is “strong enough to exult in monotony.”

Knowing the Future Doesn’t Cure Anxiety

Our true comfort comes in trusting the one who holds tomorrow.

How Breath Prayers Helped Me ‘Pray Continually’

As a busy mom, I had to find new spiritual disciplines to connect with God.

Are We Missing the Point of Spiritual Disciplines?

The goal isn’t merely getting closer to God, but making a difference in everyday life.

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IN THE MAGAZINE

As this issue hits your mailboxes after the US election and as you prepare for the holidays, it can be easy to feel lost in darkness. In this issue, you’ll read of the piercing light of Christ that illuminates the darkness of drug addiction at home and abroad, as Angela Fulton in Vietnam and Maria Baer in Portland report about Christian rehab centers. Also, Carrie McKean explores the complicated path of estrangement and Brad East explains the doctrine of providence. Elissa Yukiko Weichbrodt shows us how art surprises, delights, and retools our imagination for the Incarnation, while Jeremy Treat reminds us of an ancient African bishop’s teachings about Immanuel. Finally, may you be surprised by the nearness of the “Winter Child,” whom poet Malcolm Guite guides us enticingly toward. Happy Advent and Merry Christmas.

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