FINAL THOUGHTS ON 2025, AND HYMNS TO SING ON NEW YEAR'S DAY

From the 1st annual Missions Fair at Northside Baptist Church

Yes, I'm doing my look back at '25 on the first day of '26. Sorry. My original goal was to have my list of favorite books posted on Tuesday, Dec. 30th, this blog done yesterday, and part one of a two part look at '26. Unfortunately, I didn't have enough computer time to keep up with the plan. So the look back is today, the look ahead is now one part and will be tomorrow, and the favorite book lists will be on January 3rd.

This year had several things going on. I judged NCFCA speech and debate contests on-line and at a live location in Fishers, IN, and the year ended judging the first of three on-line tournaments in the '25-'26 cycle. I celebrated my 25th anniversary at MACL/Quest in March. I won the women's Final Four pool by having a perfect final four (meaning I correctly picked the four final teams, the two semi-final, and UConn winning it all). I got to attend my 3rd Kingdom Come Festival. I helped with the 1st Annual Missions Fair at Northside Baptist Church in September.

There are five people who went home to be with the Lord that saddened me. These were Author/Pastor/Lightning Rod John MacArthur, Chuck Girard of Love Song, Author/Pastor Voddie Baucham, Political Activist Charlie Kirk, and novelist Jackie Zack. Of course, Kirk got the most attention. Three weeks after his death, there were a trio of musicial tributes on my Spotify Release Radar. Jackie was the only one I had any interaction with, and in this case it was in on-line writing groups. 

But now, let's move to this year. Or more technically, let's move on to New Year's Day 2026. Becky and I have been singing hymns together since '98, and today, she suggested that we sing "Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus" every New Year's Day. I agreed that was a great choice, and suggested my all-time favorite hymn to join it: "I am Resolved." Becky agreed with me. After all, one is looking at great resolutions for any year and the other is looking at Christ's coming.

But what about what lies ahead? Well, I'll save that for tomorrow. Then, I'll have my book reviews on January 3rd.

 

SOME THOUGHTS ON MARTIN LUTHER KING JR'S BIRTHDAY

 Yesterday, about this time, I realized Sanctity of Life Sunday was the next day (i.e. the day I'm writing this), and I hadn't written a blog. Well, today I realized the same was true for Martin Luther King's Birthday. So I'm going to give some thoughts I have on the day and the issues of racism and racial reconciliation.

Let me start with saying that I believe racism and other racial prejudices are alive and well in the country today, much more than most whites realize. On the other hand, I also think activists are calling things racism that are nowhere close, such as those who considered it to be racist to oppose President Obama's political agenda.

One other point. Six out of seven years, MLK Day is the day after Sanctity of Life Sunday. Coincidence? Probably. But do they fit together? Absolutely. Both days focus on human dignity. 

I can give more thoughts, but I'd rather recommend some good books dealing with the issues of Social Justice, Racial Reconciliation, the alternative of Critical Race Theory and the like. So that's how I'll end this blog.

Fault Lines: The Social Justice Movement and Evangelicalism's Looming Catastrophe by Voddie Baucham

Confronting Injustice Without Compromising Truth: 12 Questions Christians Should Ask About Social Justice by Thaddeus J. Williams 

The Gospel and Racial Reconciliation by Russell Moore and Andrew T. Walker

The Dignity Revolution by Daniel Darling and Rich Stearns

Cynical Theories: How Activist Scholarship Made Everything about Race, Gender, and Identity - and Why This Harms Everybody by Helen Pluckrose and James Lindsay 

BOOK REVIEW: EXPOSITORY APOLOGETICS BY VODDIE BAUCHAM

 

Is apologetics solely the job of trained intellectuals who can stand toe to toe to the philosophers and scientists? Voddie Baucham doesn't believe so. This book deals with how pastors, teachers, parents, and any other believer can defend their faith.

The concept of the book started when a friend of Voddie asked about one technique he uses in preaching and if he could teach it. That method is bringing up questions skeptics/unbelievers would ask and then answering them. Voddie commented that he's not the first to use this approach - Paul does the same thing in Romans.

I highly recommend this book.

Have you ever had the opportunity to defend the faith? What books have you read about apologetics?