2025 Reading Recap

 

I'm excited to announce that I reached my goal of reading 24* books this year. This included 12 non-fiction books (mostly theology and Christian living) and 13 fiction books (mostly children's fantasy). Find the full stats here. (note: all Amazon links below are affiliate links)

Fiction

My new all-time favorite series has got to be The Wingfeather Saga (finally displacing the Chronicles of Narnia). I think part of why I love this series so much is that it has everything I loved about Narnia (epic adventure, interwoven theology, imaginative world), but written with a more modern story-telling style. At times it can be quite whimsical such as with the origin story of Aerwiar or the mythical beasts that Peterson has invented for this tale (beware of toothy cows!). At other times it can be quite insightful, such as how Peterson reveals the beast inside of us or the numerous ways he weaves Gospel strands through the story. One of my favorite parts is how Janner Iggaby leans on knowing his identity to help him escape the monstrous fork factory. If you have not read this series, I highly recommend it. And, if you haven't listened to Andrew Peterson's music (another place his story-telling shines), I highly recommend that as well. 

Several of my other fiction reads also fall in this middle school age bracket (partly because I've been trying to gather a list of books I can recommend to my kids and my Jr Youth class at church; partly because I just really enjoy this type of fiction). The Green Ember series would come next on my recommended list with a solid 4.5 stars. This tale of two young rabbits caught in a war against the predatory wolves and birds is full of adventure and chivalry. The Jack Zulu books were also good reads, though I wouldn't rate them quite as high as the others.

Outside of that, I read the classic The Wizard of Oz and finally finished the first arc of Sanderson's Stormlight Archive. Sanderson wins major points from me for both his world building and the way he approaches themes of mental health in his series, though I'm still not quite sure where he's going philosophically. Stephen Lawhead has some really good Christian sci-fi and fantasy out there, but In the Hall of the Dragon King was not one of them (I believe this is one of his earlier works). I would instead point people to either The Song of Albion trilogy (Celtic fantasy), the Bright Empires series (historical / sci-fi), or Dream Thief (sci-fi).

Non-Fiction 

Probably the book that most challenged me theologically was Hearing God by Dallas Willard. As someone who has typically been skeptical of the idea of hearing God's "still small voice", I appreciated the way Willard addressed my concerns and offered practical advice for learning to hear His voice.

As far as books I would recommend to others, I would highlight A Praying Church (but read A Praying Life first) by Paul Miller. Miller's down to earth approach to prayer was refreshing and encouraging.

Nothing really stands out among the other books. I wanted to be able to recommend Unspoiled Endings as a gentle approach to Revelation (and, for the most part, it is), but liberal leanings in the book keep me from being able to recommend it wholeheartedly. Show Them Jesus is a good reminder to always keep Jesus and the Gospel in the forefront in children's ministry (and includes some helpful example of how he does that). Beale, as always, has excellent insights (like his idea that the notion of tradition in the New Testament stands within the thread of idolatry so often spoken of in the Old Testament), but can get quite wordy. Christopher Wright is becoming another favorite (I'm currently reading his Mission of God) for his approach to theology.

Next Year

I'm hoping for another 24 books next year (split roughly between fiction and non-fiction). As noted before, I've already started Wright's Mission of God. I also plan to re-read the Lord of the Rings trilogy with my daughter. As I start trying to exercise my own creative muscles (I've got ideas for this series about animals in space), I've added Andrew Peterson's Adorning the Dark to my reading list as well.

What about you? What were your highlights from the past year's reading journey? What do you look forward to reading in the coming year? 

 

*I actually hit 25, though for some reason the image dropped one of the Green Ember books.

Who is this Jesus? — Cross and New Creation (Matt 26-28)

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Finally, we come to the end of the story. But, this is not just one story, but three—a story within a story within a story. These chapters form the climax not just for the story of Jesus, but also the story of Israel and the story of creation.

Perfect Obedience — The Story of Jesus

We began this story with God entering our world as a human, entering into our frailty as a newborn baby. We have seen him tempted as we are tempted. We have seen him suffer as we suffer. All of this culminates with Jesus sharing in the final inevitability of every human life—death.

Who is this Jesus? — End Matters (Matt 23-25)

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Coming into Matthew 23-25, we see Jesus deliver one more discourse, divided into three main sections—each reflecting on end matters and judgment.

Woes

First, Jesus launches into a series of seven woes against the scribes and Pharisees. This serves as a contrast to the beatitudes in the sermon on the mount—seven beatitudes and seven woes. Whether or not there is a one-to-one correlation is debatable, though there are certainly some parallels. For example, the first beatitude and woe both make reference to the kingdom of heaven. The fifth of each make reference to mercy, and the sixth both reference inner purity¹. Finally, both lists conclude with reference to persecution—the beatitudes blessing those who are victims of persecution and the woes pronouncing judgment on those that are perpetrators of persecution.

Who Is This Jesus -- God Dwelling With Us (Matt 21-22)

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Who is this Jesus? That is the question we are asking as we explore the Gospel of Matthew. By meditating on His words and actions as recorded by the apostles, we can come to know the one we call Savior a little bit better.

Even the most holy of objects can become an idol. In Matthew 21-24, the judgement of Jesus reaches a climax in one of the most scathing passages against the temple and its leadership. But, you’ll miss it if you don’t take the time to explore the old testament passages imported into this narrative.

The Donkey Speaks

The passage opens up with Jesus asking his disciples to bring him a donkey, to fulfill the passage in Zechariah, “Behold your king is coming to you, humble and mounted on a donkey” (Zech. 9:9) Read on its own, this might seem like not much more than another proof text. What was really going on was that Jesus was making a prophetic statement.

Who Is This Jesus -- The Servant (Matt 17-20)

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Who is this Jesus? That is the question we are asking as we explore the Gospel of Matthew. By meditating on His words and actions as recorded by the apostles, we can come to know the one we call Savior a little bit better.

In the last post, I left off two important points that help set the stage for the following chapters. My focus there was on what was revealed about Messiah. But, there was still an aspect of Jesus’ identity that remained concealed to the disciples. Even as Peter recognized Jesus as the Messiah, the son of the Living God, in the very next verses it becomes clear that he didn’t fully grasp what that meant. He was still expecting a conquering king. But, Jesus declared that this battle would be won through humility. What’s more, he expected his followers to do the same. “Take up your cross and follow me.”

The following chapters expound upon this point showing how the disciples brush up against it again and again. Several stories will help illustrate this point.

Who is this Jesus? -- Water Walking (Matt 14-16)

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Who is this Jesus? That is the question we are asking as we explore the Gospel of Matthew. By meditating on His words and actions as recorded by the apostles, we can come to know the one we call Savior a little bit better.

As we turn toward the second half of the book (many commentators consider chapter 13 the pivot point of Matthew), our passage opens up once again with a note about John–this time about his death. This marks a turning point in the story. Up until now, Jesus had been preaching kingdom, kingdom, kingdom. His focus had been centered squarely on the people of Israel. But here we will notice several key shifts.

Who is this Jesus? -- Parables of the Kingdom (Matt 13)

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Who is this Jesus? That is the question we are asking as we explore the Gospel of Matthew. By meditating on His words and actions as recorded by the apostles, we can come to know the one we call Savior a little bit better.

As the tension in the narrative begins to ramp up between those who choose to follow Jesus and those who oppose Him, Matthew turns our attention to a set of parables that Jesus told His disciples. These parables serve both to explain the varying responses to Jesus' ministry and to reveal a few characteristics of the Kingdom.

Parable of the Sower

For me this first parable is something of a map, giving a heads up concerning the obstacles ahead in the life of a disciple. Rather than seeing four distinct categories here, I see four stages of growth.

Who is this Jesus? -- Our Rest (Matt 11-12)

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Who is this Jesus? That is the question we are asking as we explore the Gospel of Matthew. By meditating on His words and actions as recorded by the apostles, we can come to know the one we call Savior a little bit better.

Chapters 8-10 come to a conclusion with a question from John in chapter 11. "Are you the one?" Jesus responded by pointing to the evidence, citing prophecies from Isaiah that He was fulfilling^[1]. The works of Jesus testify--this is the Messiah.

After this, Jesus goes into a soliloquy, expounding on the role of John, denouncing those who had seen these works and rejected Him, and finally promising rest to those who choose to draw near to Him. Signs, judgement, and rest will be the themes of these two chapters.

Who is this Jesus? -- Kingdom Invasion (Matt 8-10)

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Who is this Jesus? That is the question we are asking as we explore the Gospel of Matthew. By meditating on His words and actions as recorded by the apostles, we can come to know the one we call Savior a little bit better.

As Jesus finished His sermon on the mount, the crowds were amazed. Matthew tells us that "great crowds followed him." Matthew then shifts to focus to one particular individual who seems to have connected with Jesus' invitation--a leper. This man has heard this Jesus speak of an upside down Kingdom where the outcast can find hope, and he responds: in worship ("Lord"), prayer ("If you will"), and faith ("you can make me clean"). Through this man's response, the Kingdom begins to come. In power.

Who is this Jesus? -- Kingdom Vision (Matt 5-7)

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Who is this Jesus? That is the question we are asking as we explore the Gospel of Matthew. By meditating on His words and actions as recorded by the apostles, we can come to know the one we call Savior a little bit better.

Matthew 5-7 are some of my favorite chapters. This is Jesus' first real meaty sermon. In this one section we have the encouragement of the beatitudes, the challenge to be a light, the heart of the Torah, the exhortation to seek God's Kingdom, the example of the Lord's prayer, the giving of the golden rule, and the parable of the house on the rock. That's quite a bit of material to unpack found in these 3 chapters. Far too much for a single blog post. So we will focus our attention by remembering our question: Who is this Jesus that speaks with such authority?

Who Is This Jesus? -- Kingdom Mission (Matt. 3-4)

Who is this Jesus? That is the question we are asking as we explore the Gospel of Matthew. By meditating on His words and actions as recorded by the apostles, we can come to know the one we call Savior a little bit better.

In the first few chapters of Matthew we saw where Jesus came from--His family history and where he fits in the story of Israel. You know, background. Now, in chapters 3 and 4, we will see Jesus enter the public scene for the first time. Here, we will begin to discover what Jesus came to do.

Who is this Jesus? -- King, Redeemer, Immanuel (Matt 1-4)

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Who is this Jesus? That is the question we are asking as we explore the Gospel of Matthew. By meditating on His words and actions as recorded by the apostles, we can come to know the one we call Savior a little bit better.

The book of Matthew begins with a genealogy. Not exactly the riveting "hook" that they teach you to start with in creative writing class. In fact, the very first line of Matthew introduces the book as "The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham." What does this tell us about Jesus?