My 2025 Favorites

As another year comes to a close, I’m continuing a tradition I started in 2009, listing my favorite books I read during the year and my favorite albums and movies of the year. I make these lists to help me remember what I’ve enjoyed, and I share them in case they help someone else discover something meaningful and good.

Favorite Books I Read in 2025

This year felt like a real abundance of good books, several of which came out of a book club I’m in, where we pick one work of fiction to read and discuss each month. My three favorite books I read this year came from it: Theo of Golden, Island of the World, and Watership Down. Through these stories, I was drawn into fascinating worlds and met strong but flawed characters who called me toward something better.

This year, I also made my way through all of Wendell Berry’s Port William stories. I’ve loved the journey and plan to revisit them often.

I’ve also tried to shift some of my reading habits based on sound advice from Alan Jacobs (from The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction). He encourages us to enjoy the book in front of us instead of reading simply to have read (I'm often guilty of this), to reread favorites instead of always chasing what could be great (I loved rereading East of Eden and Harry Potter this year), and to give up on books occasionally rather than forcing our way through (even though I'd heard great things, I gave up on Red Rising and Little Fires Everywhere about halfway through). 

Leaning into this has brought more freedom and enjoyment. Maybe one day I'll be able to heed his advice and stop making lists. Until then, these were my favorites I read this year:

Fiction

1. Theo of Golden by Allen Levi (2023) - brief review
2. Island of the World by Michael O'Brien (2007) - brief review
3. Watership Down by Richard Adams (1972)
4. The Wild Birds by Wendell Berry (1986) - brief review
5. 11/22/63 by Stephen King (2011)
6. The Monster in the Hollows by Andrew Peterson (2011)
7. The Warden and the Wolf King by Andrew Peterson (2014)
8. A Place in Time by Wendell Berry (2012) - brief review
9. A Soldier of the Great War by Mark Helprin (1991)
10. Stoner by John Williams (1965)

Nonfiction

1. The Gift of Being Yourself by David Benner (2004) - brief review
2. Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe (2021) - brief review
3. The Mythmakers by John Hendrix (2024)
4. Steps by John Ortberg (2025) - brief review
5. Rembrandt Is in the Wind by Russ Ramsey (2022)
6. On Writing by Stephen King (2000)
7. The Life You Save May Be Your Own by Paul Elie (2003)
8. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass (1845)
9. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls (2005)
10. The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction by Alan Jacobs (2011)

Favorite Music of 2025

Like reading, I also found this year to be really good for music. My two favorite albums this year came from Jon Guerra and John Van Deusen. I’ve loved both artists for a while, but they've both outdone themselves.

Jon’s album has been such a gift to me since it came out earlier this year. It’s simple and beautiful, and the album as a whole carries a message I need: Do not worry or fear, for God loves you, will provide for you, is with you now, and will be with you always. And getting to see and connect with him at a small house show in April was a delight.

Then John Van Deusen dropped his latest in early October, and I’ve been listening to it nonstop since then. A review I highly recommend reading calls it “a unique, valuable, and tremendously earnest work of worship, one that stands out starkly from its peers.” I very much agree.

I created a playlist of my favorite songs of the year (Apple Music and Spotify). Below are my favorite albums and EPs:

Albums:

1. As Long As I Am In The Tent of This Body I Will Make A Joyful Noise, Pt. 1 by John Van Deusen
2. Jesus by Jon Guerra
3. Everything Must Go by Goose
4. m us eum by Citizens
5. This Is Not The End by The Gray Havens
6. 77 (Pt. 1) by Colony House
7. RUSHMERE by Mumford & Sons
8. When the War Is Over by JOHNNYSWIM
9. The Way of Love by Tenielle Neda
10. All is Love and Pain in the Mouse Parade by Of Monsters and Men

EPs:

1. Miracle Service by Andy Squyres
2. MATIN: Home by Jess Ray
3. Living is proof. by Citizens
4. The Great Exchange by Will Carlisle
5. Asaph’s Arrows II by Kings Kaleidoscope

Favorites on the Screen of 2025

I didn’t watch much TV this year, with the exception of the second season of Severance, which was pretty good. Below are my favorite movies and docs I watched from this year:

Movies:

1. The Ballad of Wallis Island
2. Hamnet
3. Sentimental Value
4. One Battle After Another
5. Train Dreams
6. Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
7. Superman
8. Souleymane’s Story
9. Roofman
10. David

Docs:

1. Billy Joel: And So It Goes 
2. It's Never Over, Jeff Buckley
3. Look & See: Further
4. Counting Crows: Have You Seen Me Lately?

Favorites from 2024

Favorites from 2023

Favorite Books from 2022

Favorite Content from 2021

Favorite Content from 2020

My Favorites in 2024

I love reading end of the year lists (David Zahl, Brett McCracken, Ross Byrd have been my favorites this year) and I always enjoy creating and sharing them myself. Here are my favorite things from 2024. 

Favorite Music of 2024

Discovering and listening to new music has waned for me over the years. I find myself listening to less overall and also listening to more from years past. Manchester Orchestra, Andrew Peterson, John Van Deusen, and Jess Ray were the artists I listened to the most. The last two had new albums this year that were great. 

These were my favorite albums of 2024:

1. Anthem Sprinter by John Van Deusen - I've come to really enjoy John's unique style and song-writing over the years. This isn't his best album, but it was the one I listened to and enjoyed the most this year. Favorite Songs: Before You Fade Away, Comeback Writer, Trebuchet. 
2. MATIN: Rest by Jess Ray - Jess has become a staple in our house and on car rides, especially after first seeing her live with Andrew Peterson's Behold the Lamb tour a few years ago. She had a few shorter albums released this year, but this was my favorite. Favorite songs: Morning Song, Lilies & Sparrows, His Eye is on the Sparrow
3. When I Was Younger (10 Years Later) by Colony House - This is technically the re-release of an album from 2014, but somehow I missed it back then so I'm counting it. A mixture of fun and sweeping epics. Favorite songs: Waiting for My Time to Come, Won't Give Up, Moving Forward, Lose Control

Favorite TV of 2024

Not much TV again this year, but I loved the latest season (5) of Fargo. I've enjoyed most seasons of Fargo, particularly 1-3, but this last season might be the best. Amazing cast and well-told story. And I agree with David Zahl, who says, "Those closing minutes rank up there with the most profound, well-earned, and well-executed grace notes I’ve seen televised this side of Friday Night Lights." 

We also watched the final season of The Crown (season 6). While solid, it was probably my least favorite season in a show that has been one of our favorites in recent years.

Favorite Movies I Watched This Year

I wasn't blown away by any movie this year (outside of re-watching a couple of older movies, Arrival and Magnolia). Typically, I get to the end of the year and have a few I thoroughly enjoyed and several I'm anticipating seeing. That's not really the case this year, but these were the movies from the last two years that I appreciated and enjoyed the most:

1. Anatomy of a Fall (2023)
2. The Wild Robot (2024)
3. Wicked (2024)
4. Perfect Days (2024)

Favorite Books I Read This Year

As the previous categories were lower in numbers, this one was higher than normal as I was able to read more this year than any other (55 books). And my love of reading continues to grow, thankfully, due to some really wonderful books out there. 

I'm near the end of my multi-year journey through all of Eugene Peterson's books and I'm back in to Wendell Berry (his fiction, essays, & poetry) after taking a few years off. I ending up reading three books about sailing adventures/disasters and as a family, we made it through 2.5 books of Andrew Peterson's great Wingfeather Saga. And one of my favorite discoveries of the year was Libby, where I can borrow books that get delivered straight to my Kindle (where I do about 30% of my reading)! Not sure how I missed that before.

Here are my favorite books that I read this year:

Top 10:

1. The Memory of Old Jack by Wendell Berry (1974) - My seventh of Berry's Port William fictional series, and probably my second favorite behind Jayber Crow. Through his writing, Berry helps reshape my imagination by depicting the beauty of being rooted to a place, interconnected in community, along with all the pain and joy of life (brief review)
2. Endurance by Alfred Lansing (1959) - About the incredible voyage of Ernest Shackleton and his men trying to reach the South Pole in the early 1900s, this is now one of my favorite narrative non-fiction books. I was mesmerized by the perseverance of these men in the face of such hardship. And I loved the leadership of Shackleton, whose confidence was said to "set men's souls on fire." (brief review)
3. The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown (2013) - I never saw the movie and I'm not sure I want to now. This book was so good on it's own. I've thought about it a lot since reading it early this year, about the beauty and pain of rowing, about the camaraderie, synchronization, and trust needed to row with excellence, about the personal adversity many of these young men went through, and about the incredible feat they all pulled off together. 
4. Faith, Hope, and Carnage by Nick Cave (2022) - Before this book, I had little knowledge of Nick Cave. And in trying to listen to a few of his songs early on, I discovered his voice and musical style were not really for me. However, Nick's thoughts and story in this book, which is a series of interviews between Nick and journalist Sean O'Hagan, changed all that. The Red Hand Files is now one of my favorite newsletters and I've loved listening to his 2019 album Ghosteen, the album he wrote shortly after his son Arthur tragically died. Nick has profound thoughts about grief's role in our lives, how pain can draw us to God, the transcendent power of music, and the wonder and preciousness of life.
5. The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt (2024) - After The Righteous Mind and The Coddling of the American Mind, this is my third Haidt book and I consider them all must reads. This one is a must read for parents of young kids. Here, he's discussing how Gen Z has become the anxious generation because of how phones and social media dominated their childhood. I appreciate how he insightfully diagnoses the problem, but doesn't leave the reader without hope as he provides four clear reforms we can collectively take to reverse the trend. And I love that how this book is tangibly making any impact around the world.
6. What Are People For? by Wendell Berry (1990) - An excellent collection of essays by one of my favorite writers. The strongest essays are in the last half of the book: Economy and Pleasure, The Pleasures of Eating, The Work of Local Culture, Why I am not Going to Buy a Computer, and Feminism, The Body, and the Machine. (brief review)
7. Let Your Life Speak by Parker Palmer (2000) - A great, short book on understanding our vocation, what we were meant to bring to the world. I love how Palmer calls out the difference between our ego, that looks for identity and vocation externally, and our true self, a deep identity rooted in the image of God within each of us. Instead of asking ‘What ought I to do with my life?, he encourages us to ask 'Who am I?'. This deep self-understanding can lead to a fuller life for yourself and others, echoing what Frederick Buechner says about vocation, "the place where your deep gladness meets the world’s deep need."
8. Practicing the Way by John Mark Comer (2024) - I think I slightly preferred Comer’s previous two books (Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, Live No Lies), but there was a lot of good stuff here. Great thoughts on how spiritual formation happens and the importance of paying attention to the way of Jesus’s life. I think what I’ll remember most is how Comer defines contemplation as looking at God, looking at you, in love.
9. Empire of the Summer Moon by S.C. Gwynne (2010) - After re-reading Lonesome Dove this year, this was a great read to better understand the context for the creation of the Texas Rangers and why the Comanches were so feared. This book does a good job of describing the complicated history of Americans displacing natives from their land out west while also showing the brutality that the Comanches displayed in pushing back against this effort, in large part due to their mastery of being able to fight while on horseback. 
10. How Far to the Promised Land by Esau McCaulley (2023) - beautifully written and moving memoir.

Next 10:

    11. Home by Marilynne Robinson (2008)

    12. Remaking the World by Andrew Wilson (2023)

    13. A World Lost by Wendell Berry (1996)

    14. The Angel Knew Papa and the Dog by Douglas Kaine McKelvey (1996)

    15. Habits of the Household by Justin Earley (2021)

    16. Bury the Chains by Adam Hochschild (2005)

    17. In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick (2000)

    18. Tell It Slant by Eugene Peterson (2008)

    19. Piranesi by Susanna Clarke (2020)

    20. Lila by Marilynne Robinson (2014)

Favorite Books I Re-read This Year

1. Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry (2000) - I think re-reading this for the 2nd time cemented this as my favorite book ever. I love the world and characters Berry creates here. It's hard to read this book and not want to give up on the hurriedness of our technology-saturated lives, to be immersed in a more restful existence, where community and the land hold more value, and where "getting ahead" is rarely considered.
2. Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry (1985) - This one is also of my favorite books. McMurtry's writing style is simple yet he's created characters here that are relatable, flawed, and have great depth. It's a remarkable book about friendship, relational longing, and being on mission together. 
3. Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard (1974) - I appreciated this more the 2nd time through, but to quote an NYT review, "I honestly do not know what she is talking about at...times." I do love how she marvels at the world around her and encourages the reader to pay attention to the beauty, intricacy, and extravagance of the world around us.

Favorites from 2023

Favorite Books from 2022

Favorite Content from 2021

Favorite Content from 2020

My Favorites in 2023

As another year comes to a close, I'm here again doing one of my favorite things: compiling a list of my favorite books and other media I enjoyed during the year and sharing it with others. See below for my favorites in 2023.

Favorite Album of the Year

I didn't listen to a lot of new music this year. The only stand-out album for me was Jon Guerra's Ordinary Ways. While I didn't love at as much as his album Keeper of Days from 2020, it was still excellent. 

Favorite TV of the Year

I also didn't watch a lot of TV this year, but I thoroughly enjoyed the latest seasons of The Bear and The Crown.

Favorite Movies I Watched This Year (from the last two years)

I was able to watch a few more movies this year than I typically do, including playing catch up on some great movies from last year. Here are my favorites:

1. Living (2023)
2. Past Lives (2023)
3. Oppenheimer (2023)
4. Tar (2022)
5. The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)
6. The Holdovers (2023)
7. Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)
8. Glass Onion (2022)

Favorite Books I Read This Year

I was not as diligent at keeping up with book reviews this year, so I'll be abstaining from having a dedicated post for my favorite books. However, I was still able to get to 46 books and enjoyed quite a few. Here are my favorite books that I read this year: 

1. The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk (2014) - brief review
2. The Genesis of Gender by Abigail Favale (2022) - brief review
3. Living Into Focus by Arthur Boers (2012) - brief review
4. Remembering by Wendell Berry (1988)
5. Shadow Divers by Robert Kurson (2004)
6. Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck (1962)
7. Surrender by Bono (2022)
8. The Other Half of Church by Jim Wilder & Michel Hendricks (2020) - brief review
9. A Testament of Devotion by Thomas Kelly (1941) - brief review
10. How to Stay Married by Harrison Scott Key (2023)
11. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman (2014)
12. Timothy Keller by Colin Hansen (2023)
13. Where the Light Fell by Philip Yancey (2021)
14. Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese (2009)
15. Under the Unpredictable Plant by Eugene Peterson (1992)
16. A Fever in the Heartland by Timothy Egan (2023)
17. The Second Mountain by David Brooks (2019)
18. Anam Cara by John O’Donohue (1997)
19. Mansions of the Heart by Thomas Ashbrook (2009) - brief review
20. The Complete Stories by Flannery O’Connor (1971)

Favorite Books from 2022

Favorite Content from 2021

Favorite Content from 2020

Favorite Content of 2021

Yes, I love lists (making them, organizing them, sharing them, intaking them from others) and I'm glad the trend of making year-end lists exists. Creating this particular type of favorites list was strongly inspired by Brett McCracken, whose end of the year list of favorites is something I look forward to every year.

My intake on most everything, except for books, has decreased a good bit. The drop-off has been particularly steep for movies. Since having kids, it's been hard to find many 2 - 2.5 hour windows of time. And when I do and want to see a movie, I'm generally still catching up from the best of previous years (e.g., watching Sound of Metal this year, discovering it was DEFINITELY my favorite movie of 2020). However, I was glad I went to the theater (by myself) to see Dune a few weeks ago. It was incredible.

With music, I've thoroughly enjoyed 7 by JUDAH all year. It took me a few listens before The Million Masks of God grew on me, but once it did, and after seeing Manchester in concert several weeks ago with my friend Robert (so good!), I've grown to really love that album. 

With podcasts, I've enjoyed my weekly rhythm of Bill Simmons, Relevant, This American Life, Holy Post (new this year), and Gospel in Life, but once The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill started dropping in June, I was hooked to the end. I think I found it particularly interesting because I was in Dricoll's orbit, listening to and watching him from afar during the late 2000s and early 2010s. I also went through a church blow-up situation with some parallels (minus the fame and tens of thousands of people) to Mars Hill. 

I think Mike Cosper did an incredible job crafting and telling this tragic story. I hope it helps those who were part of this particular mess and others like it process their pain and experience healing. And I hope everyone else can learn to not empower or become a toxic leader, where charisma is outpacing character. I'd rather follow and be like Eugene Peterson, whose life, as Andy Crouch says in my favorite episode (which inspired one of my only blog posts during the year), "mattered long before The Message."

Speaking of Eugene Peterson, he shows up a number of times in my list of favorite books I read this year. And I have a feeling he'll be showing up again quite a bit in future years. I reviewed my top 10 books here recently, but wanted to share several more as the excellence factor was very high this year.

Here are my favorite pieces of content (music, movies, TV, podcasts, books) this year:

Favorite Albums

1. The Million Masks of God by Manchester Orchestra
2. 7 by JUDAH
3. I Don't Live Here Anymore by The War on Drugs
4. Star-crossed by Kacey Musgraves
5. Milk & Honey by Crowder
6. Justice by Justin Bieber
7. Never Land II by Andy Mineo
8. 24 by Swoope
9. The Ballad of Dood and Juanita by Sturgill Simpson
10. in defense of my own happiness by Joy Oladokun

Favorite Things on the Screen (Movies and TV combined since I watched little of each this year)

1. Dune
2. Pig*
3. Get Back
4. The Chosen Season 2
5. Mare of Easttown
6. Encanto

Favorite Podcasts series/episodes

1. The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill (16 episodes, June - December 2021)
2. Life and Books and Everything: Tim Keller on Reformed Resurgence (2/1/21)
3. Language of God: 70. Amy & Andy Crouch / Finding the Off Switch (3/11/21)
4. The Holy Post: Episode 478: Foreign Policy, Adoption, & Race with Esau McCaulley & Jamie Ivey (10/13/21)
5. The Tim Ferriss Show: #502: Jordan Peterson on Rules for Life, Psychedelics, The Bible, and Much More (3/2/21)

Favorite Books I Read This Year

1. The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom (1971)
2. Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry (1985)
3. The Pastor: A Memoir by Eugene Peterson (2011)
4. Live No Lies by John Mark Comer (2021)
5. Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer (1997)
6. A Long Obedience in the Same Direction by Eugene Peterson (1980)
7. Rocket Men by Robert Kurson (2018)
8. Walden by Henry David Thoreau (1854)
9. The Wisdom Pyramid by Brett McCracken (2021) 
10. The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self by Carl Trueman (2020)
11. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer (1996)
12. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (2021)
13. Every Good Endeavor by Tim Keller (2012)
14. The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead (2016)
15. Dreamland by Sam Quinones (2015)
16. Shoe Dog by Phil Knight (2016)
17. Strong and Weak by Andy Crouch (2016)
18. Leadership in Turbulent Times by Doris Kearns Goodwin (2018)
19. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens (1859)
20. Traveling Light by Eugene Peterson (1982)

Here are my favorite things from 2020.

*edited 1/2/21

Favorite Things in 2020

2020 has been difficult in many ways. However, thankfully, people continue to bring creativity and beauty into the world through writing and the arts. See below for my favorite pieces of content that came out this year. 

Favorite Albums

1. Keeper of Days by Jon Guerra (my review)
2. folklore by Taylor Swift
3. mama's boy by LANY
4. Changes by Justin Bieber
5. Shore by Fleet Foxes
6. Women In Music Pt. III by Haim
7. His Glory Alone by KB
8. Twenty Four by Jonathan Ogden
9. Notes on a Conditional Form by The 1975
10. Color Theory by Soccer Mommy

Favorite Movie

1. A Hidden Life - I'm cheating a little bit here, as this movie was officially released (limited) last December. However, the wide release was in January and I haven't seen a movie that has come out since. Brett McCracken, one of my favorite connoisseurs of goodness and beauty in culture, first made me aware of it through his excellent review here, where he calls it a faith-based masterpiece. Lauren and I both loved it and it's now among our favorite movies ever. 

Favorite Television

1. Ted Lasso (AppleTV+)
2. The Chosen (ChosenTV app)
3. The Last Dance (Netflix)
4. Better Call Saul (Netflix)
5. The Queen's Gambit (Netflix)
6. The Crown (Netflix)
7. The Good Place (Netflix)
8. Dark (Netflix)

Favorite Podcasts episodes/series

1. Rabbit Hole (8 episodes, April - June, 2020) - About how the internet, Youtube specifically, is changing us and helping to create silos of thought and division.
2. The Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast: 355: John Eldredge (7/21/2020) - conversation about slowing down, encouraging pauses throughout the day, and embracing the beauty of nature (The good stuff really starts at 28:00).
3. Bill Simmons: DeRay McKesson on Ending Police Brutality, Plus ‘Flying Coach’ With Steve Kerr, Pete Carroll, and Gregg Popovich (6/3/20)
4. The Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast: 339: Tim Keller (5/12/20)
5. RadioLab: Graham (6/6/20)
6. The Joe Rogan Experience: #1554 - Kanye West (10/24/2020)
7. RadioLab: The Flag and the Fury (7/12/20)
8. The Tim Ferris Show: 444: Hugh Jackman (6/30/2020)
9. ReplyAll: #158: The case of the missing hit (3/5/20)
10. This American Life: 693: Abdi the American (2/10/20)

Favorite Books I Read This Year

1. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck (1939)
2. The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer (2019)
3. Dominion by Tom Holland (2019)
4. The Tender Bar by J.R. Moehringer (2006)
5. Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard (2011)
6. The Seven Storey Mountain by Thomas Merton (1948)
7. Eat This Book by Eugene Peterson (2006)
8. Daring Greatly by Brene Brown (2012)
9. The Martian by Andy Weir (2014)
10. The Lion's Gate by Steven Pressfield (2014)
11. The Stand by Stephen King (1978)
12. Gentle and Lowly by Dane Ortlund (2020)

See more detailed thoughts on these books here.

A Reflection on Keeper of Days, My Favorite Album of 2020

It’s been a while since I have loved an album as much as I love “Keeper of Days”, put out by Jon Guerra this past May. I can’t get over how good it is. I want to listen to it over and over and over again. It is truly a breath of fresh air in this crazy year. 

I first ran across it when when Brett McCracken (who, by the way, has become one of my favorite recommender of good things) published an excellent interview with Jon about the album. In the interview, Jon points out that the genre for this album is “devotional music”...”music birthed in quiet, and intended to be listened to in quiet.”

When you listen to this album, that last line makes a lot of sense. There is a depth and beauty to the melodies and the lyrics that must come from a place of stillness and rest. Jon says, "The world is so loud. Our minds are so loud. But 1 Thessalonians 4:11 says, “Aspire to live quietly.” How lovely would it be if we, as Christians, were known as the “quiet ones”?"

And because of this, it invites the listener to be still, to rest, to be caught up in beauty, and to pray. And that’s ultimately what this album is, a collection of prayers. Jon elaborates as he further explains the devotional music style: “The music, language, style, and personal expression are, ideally, all alive with prayer. It takes cues from the Psalms. There’s room for darkness, doubt, ugliness, and self-exposure.”

The first song, “Kingdom of God”, is a prayer infused with longing: "Oh that I could see your face. How I’m longing for that day…Make my heart a holy place.” He goes on to remind himself and us that it’s the poor and the mourners and the guilty that are blessed: "For their hearts have a road to the kingdom of God. And their souls are the songs of the kingdom of God. And they will find a refuge, for theirs is the kingdom of God.” And the bridge is a beautiful, soaring melody quoting Psalm 23.

The second song, “Citizens”, is equally as powerful, as he explores what is mean to be “Christian in this American life.” I continue to be thankful for this song in the midst of this election year, as it reminds us where our true citizenship lies: "I need to know there is justice. That it will roll in abundance. And that you're building a city. Where we arrive as immigrants. And you call us citizens. And you welcome us as children home.”

It also doesn’t hold back in its prophetic voice to many in the church:

"There is a wolf who is ranting. All of the sheep, they are clapping. Promising power and protection. Claiming the Christ who was killed. Killed by a common consensus. Everyone screaming “Barabbas”. Trading their God for a hero. Forfeiting Heaven for Rome...Love has a million disguises. But winning is simply not one.”

Love Goes On is another one of my favorites. I’m a sucker for a song that builds and this one does it wonderfully. During the bridge, Jon belts out some lines from Psalm 139: “Where can I go from your presence? Where can I flee from your Spirit? Your goodness and your mercy will follow me forever, God"

Besides listening to the album (in order, in one sitting, if possible), I also recommend his YouTube channel where he has some stripped down versions of the songs. Outside of the above songs/videos mentioned, these are a few more of my favorites:

• Hiding Lord
• Teach Us That One Song
• My Truest Praise