December 22, 2025

This edition is sponsored by Aspen Group

weekend reads

A very old winepress. A wall that surrounded Jerusalem. An inscription on pottery. A new road map.

“2025’s archaeology stories highlight discoveries that have helped us learn more about the biblical world and the context that gave us the Bible,” writes our go-to archaeology correspondent. “Some are controversial. Some are serendipitous.” Find the full list here.

10 Striking Biblical Archaeology Stories of 2025

weekend listen

Professor N. T. Wright joins Russell Moore to walk through his new book, The Vision of Ephesians: The Task of the Church and the Glory of God. Wright argues that Paul’s language about predestination is vocational before it’s destinational: The church is chosen to live for the praise of God’s glory in the present.

“Ephesians gives you this amazing panoramic view: Here we are, from the start to the finish. … That’s why this book is called The Vision of Ephesians.” | Listen here.

N.T. Wright on ‘The Vision of Ephesians’

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editors’ picks

From all of us: Read your Bible more this year! This week on our site, one Bible teacher offers tips for engaging with Scripture afresh in 2026. (Relatedly: Check out our copy editor Elise’s timely essay on habit formation.)

Kate Lucky, senior editor, culture & engagement: As you prepare to head back to work or school after the holiday break… One of my favorite meal-prep templates is this recipe for “meatballs with any meat” from Melissa Clark at NYT Cooking. I’ll make a big batch for the week on Sundays, usually with ground chicken or turkey and whatever spices, herbs, and alliums I have on hand. Meatballs + vegetable + starch = dinner. Great for meal trains too!

Mia Staub, senior editorial project manager: I love these Shorthand planners. My favorite highlighters are Zebra Mildliners and Altitude. Neither smudge, which I appreciate as a lefty.

Because Christ Reigns, The Church Can Flourish

Isaiah tells us of the coming Messiah, “Of the greatness of His government and peace there will be no end.” At Christianity Today, we believe that because Christ reigns, the Church can flourish—even in a world that still aches for His peace.

Through in-depth journalism, redemptive storytelling, and resources that disciple believers, CT helps the global Church live faithfully in this “already and not yet” Kingdom—seeing the world through the lens of Christ’s truth and hope.

As one reader shared, “CT helps us learn to be faithful and see the world in a faithful way.”

Will you join us with a tax-deductible gift before December 31 to help our ministry strengthen the Church for generations to come? Give now.

prayers of the people

For the Christians featured in our 2025 global reporting—caring for rape victims in Congo, pastoring small churches in Japan, loving their enemies in India, and experimenting with spiritual formation in Europe.
In praise of these 2025 testimonies from a former Neo-Nazi, a woman who sought salvation in New Age psychedelics, and a child of Romanian orphanages.

CT’s Best Ideas of 2025

From AI to K-pop to medical missions, our essays on culture, ethics, sociology, and more tackled the year’s most discussed topics.

10 Notable Christians We Lost in 2025

Remembering Kay Arthur, John MacArthur, Jennifer Lyell, and others.

CT Stories You May Have Missed in 2025

From a Christian chess detective to spiritualized gambling to hymns in the Alaskan wilderness.

Christianity Today’s Top News Stories of 2025

From the massive policy shifts under the second Trump administration to violence taking off in Nigeria, Ukraine, and Gaza, we rank the biggest developments we covered this year.

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IN THE MAGAZINE

As we enter the holiday season, we consider how the places to which we belong shape us—and how we can be the face of welcome in a broken world. In this issue, you’ll read about how a monastery on Patmos offers quiet in a world of noise and, from Ann Voskamp, how God’s will is a place to find home. Read about modern missions terminology in our roundtable feature and about an astrophysicist’s thoughts on the Incarnation. Be sure to linger over Andy Olsen’s reported feature “An American Deportation” as we consider Christian responses to immigration policies. May we practice hospitality wherever we find ourselves.

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