Tiny But Mighty Second John: Lesson 5 - Love One Another

Read 2 John 1:4-6.

Focus on 2 John 1:5-6.

 

Knowledge

Answer the following questions from the text:

v. 5 Of whom does John make a request?

What does he ask of her?

What is this request not?

Rather, how long have we had this?

v. 6 What is love?

Therefore, what is the commandment? (Combine info from v. 5-6)

When was the command heard?  

Why was the command given?

 

Understanding & Wisdom

In verse four, John expresses his joy that some of the lady’s children are walking in truth. Such behavior is in accordance with the Father’s commandment, and therefore gladdens the old apostle’s heart. But not all of the lady’s children are living in this way, and perhaps that concern is what prompts John’s request in verse 5.

John’s Request

First, John says he is making a request of the lady. There are many words John could have used here, but the one he chose implies familiarity and equality, that he does not see the lady as either superior or inferior to himself, as he easily could have.

Second, John insists that what he is writing is nothing new. This doesn’t refer primarily to time (there’s another Greek word for that), but more significantly, this newness is different in nature or quality from the “old.” This is important because during this period, a group of false teachers (possibly the Gnostics) were justifying their teaching in part by claiming that it was “new and improved,” and therefore superior to previous teaching.

Rather, John insists what he is asking for is the same as has been properly taught from the beginning. Many see this as a reference to Jesus’ words in John 13:34: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” While this teaching may have been circulated verbally, the gospel of John, according to many scholars, would not have been written by this time, and so it may or may not have been known to the readers. 

So the Upper Room discourse may have been in John’s mind, but I wonder if his mind didn’t go even further back. After all, he was Jewish, schooled in the Torah (the first five books of the Bible). He would have known that the command for God’s people to love each other had existed from the very beginning of God setting aside a people for Himself, and that the very first commands God gave the new nation of Israel included “love your neighbor as yourself.” (Leviticus 19:18)

For God has not changed His expectations for His people. He expected them to love each other when He first set Israel apart at Mt. Sinai, and that did not change with the advent of Jesus or the rise of the church. Indeed, what made Jesus’ command new in John 13 was not the command itself, but the depth of our understanding of the command’s meaning because we have Jesus’ example to follow.

Therefore, John says his request is rooted in a command that existed from the beginning, rebutting a common element of false teachers, that they claim their teaching isn’t false; it’s merely new, progressive, more enlightened.

This problem didn’t end with the first century but carried on through to us in the 21^st century. The most obvious manifestation of this is the “new revelation” that creates cults. But even in our regular churches this attitude can infiltrate in other, more insidious ways, so we must always be on the guard against this.

Question to ponder: What are some of the ways that our churches end up ditching the old for the new, theologically speaking?

Finally, we reach the commandment and John’s request: That we love one another.

The love commanded here is the agape love that we discussed earlier. This love is specifically said to be expressed for “one another.” Again, love for each other has always been God’s intention for His people, in both the Old and the New Testament. It was always one of the major ways His people were to be distinguished from all other people. As Jesus noted, this love for God’s people was one of the dominate ways people will know we are His disciples (John 13:35). So while we are to love the non-Christian, it is not our love for the outsider that sets us apart. It is how we love other Christians that sets us apart, that marks us as Christ’s followers.   

Question to Ponder: Why is it our love for other Christians, not non-Christian, that sets us apart?

Love & Commands

John must have also known that some—perhaps even those children who were not walking in truth—would claim that they were loving each other as commanded. The problem, however, was that they were apparently loving as they wanted to love.

So how are we to love each other? This is often a point of great contention, and this command to love each other has been used as justification for many actions—and the argument against many others.

In the midst of these debates, we often forget it’s not up to us to define love. We don’t get to choose how to apply this command. That’s God’s job, and He hasn’t left us in the dark about His expectations. He doesn’t leave it to us determine what it means. Rather, He has clearly made known exactly what He means when He commanded, “Love one another.” Which brings us to verse 6, where John wastes no time clearly and precisely defining love: It is walking—that is, conducting our lives—according to God’s commands. No more. No less.

So true love cannot exist apart from obedience to God’s commandments. A life characterized by disobedience cannot be loving. Agape love cannot coexist with a lifestyle of sin.

Positively, this means we have been given precise instructions on how to love one another. For yes, the two greatest commandments sum up the Law and the Prophets. What we forget is that Jesus’ statement about the greatest commands goes two ways.

For the two greatest commandments don’t eradicate the other commandments found in the Law and the Prophets, leaving us to define how we do/express those two things. The greatest commandments summarize all the others. Everything in the Law and the Prophets exist as an explanation of how we’re to love God with our whole self and how we love our neighbor as ourselves. For every command in Scripture explains either 1) how to love God or 2) how to love people. Which means all commands are important, and to ignore them is to fail to love.

Question to ponder: What are some of the commands which are expressions of loving one another? 

This means obedience is not one expression of love among many. It is not merely one aspect or attribute of love. We’re told here that obedience is love. You cannot separate love and obedience. Therefore, our ability to love is directly tied to our willingness to obey. This is why God can command us to love, since obedience is an act of the will.

This applies equally to us as a collective church as it does to us individually. A church conducting itself in defiance of God’s commandments cannot love each other as we have been commanded. And if it is not loving in this way, it will lose its distinctiveness as God’s people.

This connection between love and obedience is also why we saw with verse one that agape love cannot exist apart from Truth. Love is to obey God’s command. God’s commandments are found in Truth alone.

So are you unsure how we are to love one another? Many people must be, for I once received a catalogue, whose cover advertised a book entitled, Loving People Who Are Hard To Love. I don’t know what answers the book provides to that question, but John provides the basic answer here. We don’t have to drum up feelings of compassion or warmth, pity or affection. We don’t have to like how a person is living or even the person himself. We don’t have to please them or make them like us or cause them to feel good about themselves. Rather, God has left us a complete instruction manual explaining exactly how to we are to love each other. All we have to do is obey what God has already written. And at least for me, that is immensely relieving when dealing with difficult people.

So sometimes people ask if we must love everyone. Let me ask this in return: Are we obligated to obey God’s commands? Are we obligated to obey those commands no matter with whom we’re dealing? Then yes, we must love everybody in this way.

Questions to ponder: In view of all this, what is loving one another not? If we are truly loving our fellow-Christian according to God’s commands on a consistent basis, and this is what makes us distinct, what should characterize our fellowship?

Finally, John ends verse six by reiterating again what he has already said:

• It is a command, not a suggestion or a recommendation or something God merely desires of us. It something we are obligated to obey.
• This command is not new, but what we’ve had from the beginning—God has not changed His rules mid-stream.
• The purpose of the command is not that we might analyze it or consider its benefits, but that we might live in it—that is, this command forms the boundaries within which we are to live, work and dwell, day in and day out.

So to summarize John’s point in verses 5-6, the commandment is we are to love one another by living according to God’s commands. This is what was taught by Moses at Mt. Sinai to the people of Israel. This is what Jesus taught His disciples while He walked the earth. This is what the apostles taught the early church. Therefore, this should define all our behavior, how we conduct ourselves on a consistent basis.

Book Recommendation: Secrets in the Attic

Secrets in the Attic (Mysteries, Mischief & Marshmallows #2) by C.C. Warrens

Genre: Midgrade mystery

The Story: Two kids try to banish the “ghosts” from a neighbor’s attic.

Content Notes: Light violence (dealing with bullies) and questions raised (though addressed) about ghosts

Why I loved this book: This book has all the vibes of the old Boxcar Children series, which I adored as a kid. There’s a mystery without getting overly scary. There’s heart and humor and quirky characters. There are also some good discussions of hard topics (grief, friendship/marriage, ghosts) at age-appropriate levels.

Pair with Deuteronomy 22:1-4.

Ponder the value of doing the little thing in front of you.

Pray for ideas of how to help a neighbor.

Tiny But Mighty Second John: Lesson 4 - Walking in Truth

Read: Second John 1:4-6

Focus: Second John 1:4

 

Knowledge

Answer the following questions from the text:

Whom was John glad over?

Why was John glad?

What have we received?

From whom?

Understanding & Wisdom

With the salutation of verse 1-3 complete, John now moves into the body of his letter, where the core of his instruction is contained. Here is the heart of his message and why he felt compelled to write. Starting with verse 4-6, John affirms what is right and encourages the lady and her children to continue along that path.

A Spiritual Divide

So in verse 4 John expresses his great delight to discover that some of the lady’s children were walking in truth, a statement that reveals four important truths.

1. Godly environments don’t guarantee godly offspring.

Here we read that John is glad to hear some of the lady’s children are walking in truth. So what does it mean some were “walking in truth”? 

Walking is a word that is defined more specifically as “to wander about to and fro.” Therefore, this word came to mean figuratively one’s conduct—the overall comportment, activity, and behavior of one’s life. Some of the lady’s children were conducting themselves, overall, “in truth”—that is, their behavior belonged to the realm of truth. So their conduct was done with open integrity, one which is rooted in the Truth of God, as the reference to the commandment of God in the following phrase indicates.

Therefore, John is glad because some of the lady’s children were conducting themselves with the integrity that springs from God’s Truth. However, implicit in that statement is that some of the lady’s children weren’t walking in truth.

This tells us that environment is not wholly responsible for the spiritual outcome of a child. Whether this refers to a family or a church, the principle is the same. Multiple kids can be raised in a godly home, and some may walk in truth while others don’t. A church can do everything “right” to foster spiritual growth, yet some members will rebel and refuse to do what is right. While a godly environment increases the odds of children walking in truth, it by no means guarantees it. 

Question to ponder: What are some of the erroneous assumptions we make about the connection between godliness and environment?

Reputation Known

2. Our conduct will become known.

John most likely lived miles away from his readers, for otherwise he would have simply visited the lady and spoken directly to her about his concerns. John also lived in a world where travel and communication tended to be slow and unreliable. It wasn’t like he could hop onto Facebook and see the posts of the lady’s children. He couldn’t do a Google search and discover an article in an obscure newspaper about their behavior. He wouldn’t get a telephone call or text update from a friend who bumped into the lady’s children.

Yet despite the distance and unreliability, John still heard about what was going on. He heard about the good that the lady’s children were doing. He heard about the bad. The conduct of both became known, so much so that John, as far away as he was, heard of their doings.

This shows that how we conduct ourselves will become known to those around us. Our consistent pattern of behavior can’t be hidden long-term. Our lives will bear visible fruit, and that fruit will reveal to others what kind of tree we are, just as Jesus warned. (Matthew 7:16-20)      

Rejoice in Good

3. We ought to rejoice over those who are doing right.

When John heard about how the lady’s children were doing, he doesn’t jump in and chide those who did wrong. Nor does he lament their failure to walk in truth; he doesn’t let that override his joy nor does he overlook the good.  Rather, he deliberately focuses on those who are doing right and declares his joy over the ones who are walking in the truth.

Sometimes, when we see the divide between those walking in truth and those who are not, the latter consumes our attention. We weep over their disobedience. We grieve their distance from God. We continually pray for their return. We ponder how we ought to confront them (or if we should), and we vacillate over what we should or shouldn’t say to them.

While these are normal and even good responses, John’s response shows us that we shouldn’t neglect affirming and rejoicing over the good in the midst of that.

Question to ponder: How can we remember those who are walking in the truth—especially when we’re also dealing with those who aren’t?

Mandatory Truth

4. Walking in truth is not optional.

While our behavior or conduct does not determine our eternal destiny, this does not make our obedience and integrity optional. We don’t get to pick and choose how we want to live. We aren’t free to determine our lifestyle. Look at how John puts it at the end of verse 4: These children were walking in truth according to the Father’s command.

A command implies a standard, an expectation, a requirement, an obligation. It is something we are to do, something we are obey and follow, regardless, whether we want to or not, whether we like it or not. There is no choice involved, just as a soldier, given a command, are to follow any order given to them—even if it should cost them their lives. So a command tells us what we are to do, no ifs, ands, or buts. And since this command comes from God the Father, it comes with the highest authority which will not be and can never be revoked, reversed, rescinded, or overridden.

So walking in truth isn’t a nice bonus or a good suggestion or a strong recommendation. It is not just something God desires us to follow because it will benefit us or even glorify Him. It is a command. God expects, requires, demands us to do this. Yes, we’re saved by grace, but that doesn’t nullify God’s commands. Having Christ’s imputed righteousness doesn’t change the requirement for me to live righteously.

Rather, we remain obligated by the Father Himself to walk in truth and in the Truth, to conduct ourselves with integrity and behave according to God’s Truth. Now, failing to do so will not lose us our salvation. But it will come with negative consequences, painful reprimands, and potentially devastating punishment.   

Question to ponder: What do we do that reveals we’re treating walking in truth as optional rather than as the absolute command it is?

Some Anticipated Reads of 2026

So many books, so little time—yet I can’t help get excited for some of the books arriving this year. Here are ten books I’m eagerly anticipating the release of, in no particular order:

A Brewed Awakening by Pepper Basham (contemporary rom-com)

Deadly Currents (Hidden Bay #3) by Elizabeth Goddard (contemporary romantic suspense)

Of Dawn and Embers (Fireborn #3) by Gillian Adams (YA epic fantasy)

The Restitching of Camille Dulaine (The Rivenlea Sphere #2) by Lindsay A. Frankling (YA fantasy)

Firebreak (Firebird Interlude #1) by Kathy Tyers (adult science fiction)

Crossbones (A Holly novel) by C.C. Warrens (adult suspense)

The Bachelor Spy (Freddie & Grace Mysteries #5) by Pepper Basham (adult historical mystery)

The Bird of Bedford Manor by Michelle Griep (adult historical romantic suspense)

A Lady’s Handbook to Gadgets & Guile by Angela Bell (adult whimsical historical romance)

Perplexity (The Sceptre & the Stylus #2) by Chawna Schroeder (YA fantasy)

What books are you looking forward to seeing this year? Leave a comment and let me know! Because you might just introduce me to my favorite book of the year.

Book Recommendation: The Unraveling of Emlyn Dulaine

 

The Unraveling of Emlyn Dulaine (The Rivenlea Sphere #1) by Lindsay A. Franklin

Genre: YA Portal Fantasy

The Story: A teen searches for her missing sister in a world she once though imaginary.

Content Notes: Moderate fantasy violence (no gore), light and clean romance subplot, extensive unexplained supernatural elements.

Why I loved this book: I loved the whole premise of magical libraries and the ability to jump into storybook worlds. This whimsical foundation was then coupled to a world that felt vibrant and fresh, offbeat characters, great dialogue, a strong narrator voice, a dizzying plot that kept me guessing, and some great humor. What is not to like?

Pair with 1 Corinthians 12-13.

Ponder what gifts God has given you and how to use that for others’ benefit.

Pray for affirmation for a current area of service or clarity for a new direction of service.

Tiny But Mighty Second John: Lesson 3 - The Truth & Beyond

Read: Second John 1:1-3

Focus: Second John 1:2-3

 

Knowledge (What does the text say?)

Answer the following questions from the text:

v. 2 Why does the Elder and those who know the truth love the readers?

Where is the truth found?

How long will the truth be with us?

v. 3 What else will be with us? (Three answers)

Where do these come from? (Two answers)

How is Jesus described?

Where is that triplet gift found?

Understanding & Wisdom (What does the text mean and how does it apply?)

In the previous lesson we looked at John’s first presentation of love in truth, which is such a dominant theme in this letter.

First, we recognized John’s love as agape love, the divine, unconditional love with which God first loved us. This is important because agape love is not based on any external circumstances, but pours forth out of its own fullness, regardless of the worthiness of its recipient. We, being finite and cracked vessels, have no such boundless flow. Therefore, God continually pours His love from His limitless spring into us, which then allows us to pour that out to Him and others.

But John did not merely love his readers. He loved them in truth. Truth, generically, refers to that awareness that sees beyond the surface to the unchanging reality and thus produces transparent and reliable integrity. So when John says he loves in truth, he is assuring his readers (among other things) that he is not only acting for their best interest, but he is doing so in a way that is clear-eyed, open, and trustworthy.

Then John informs his readers that he was not alone in his love. The readers are also loved by all who know the Truth. That is, those people who have a growing comprehension of the Truth by which all true things are measured, the truth of Christ and His word. This showed us that truth, and specifically God’s Truth, are the waters in which agape love flourishes and binds us together as Christians, whether we know each other or not. Remove agape love from the pool of God’s Truth, and it will die like a fish removed from water.

Because of the Truth

All this brings us to verse 2, which provides us further insight into the Truth which provokes agape love.

First, we learn that our motive to love is the Truth. Love does not merely flow from the Truth. Truth is the cause to love’s effect. Like a fire requires a spark to be ignited, as a waterwheel requires flowing water to turn it, or yeast requires warm water and sugar to grow, so agape love requires Truth. You can’t choose one over the other.

Moreover, God’s Truth is the reason we bother loving at all. For the possible reasons for loving one another are plentiful:

We can love others because of our relationship to them, because they are family or friends or coworkers or fellow Christians. We can love others on the basis of the benefits they bring, because they can help us or provide us something or make us feel a certain way. We can love others because of their abilities or position, because they are powerful or rich or talented or famous. We can love others because of their character, because they are kind or gracious or generous or compassionate. We can love them because of their needs, because they are poor or needy or sick or broken or lost or hurting.  

While some of these motives may be more selfless than others, at least on the surface, Second John makes it clear we have a motive that should rise above all that: We, who know the Truth, love because of that Truth.

Question to ponder: What is it about the Truth that should compel us to love?                

Next John provides us some additional insight into the Truth, of why Truth is such a powerful motivator.

First, the Truth abides in us. Abides is a common Greek word for staying where one is placed. This is then coupled with a tense that tells us the abiding is a continuous state. So the Truth has been placed in us and will continually stay there. There is stability in that statement. The Truth won’t be in us one day and gone the next. We won’t misplace it or accidentally lose the Truth. It can’t be stolen. For the Truth has been planted in us (James 1:21), and it will remain with us because we’ve been given the Spirit of Truth (John 16:33). Therefore, the motive and the means to love each other are always available, never fluctuating, never changing, ever dependable.

Second, the Truth will be with us forever. Not only is the Truth in us, where no one can touch it or steal it away, but John also declares it will be with us. That is, Truth will accompany us wherever we go, for all time. No matter what we encounter, what predicaments we find ourselves, what places we travel to, what situations we face, the Truth will be right there alongside us, guiding us, helping us, enabling us to love with God’s love. Not just today. Not just tomorrow. Not just next week, next month, or next year, but throughout the age into eternity.

These two realities tell me that once we know the Truth, we can’t un-know it. Memory may fail, the mind may grow dim. But we need not worry about losing the Truth. The Truth—and the Spirit of truth—abides in a place that cannot be touched by disease or dementia or Alzheimer’s. Its presence cannot be amputated or surgically removed. Therefore, this makes the Truth a treasure worth pursuing as well as a spiritual essential necessary to fulfilling the greatest commands to love.

Question to ponder: In view of this, what questions can we ask ourselves to see if we’re handling the Truth—both Scripture and the Person—rightly?

Grace-Mercy-Peace

Next, in verse three, John proceeds to give a slightly unusual salutation.

The first thing that sets apart his salutation is its form; it is a statement of fact. In most of the other epistles, you’ll read, “Grace and peace to you,” or “May the grace of God be with you.” These are expressions of wishes—the articulation of an author’s desire for his readers. But there is no wishing here in John’s words. He states his salutation as an established fact. Grace, mercy and peace will be ours. There is no question, there is no doubt. We can expect to receive grace, mercy, and peace from God, to have them with us, to accompany us on our way.

The second oddity isn’t obvious in most English translations. First, in the Greek, no and separates mercy from peace. It simply reads, “grace, mercy, peace will be.” Second, the verb will be is singular, even though it has three subjects. Three subjects should have a plural verb, not a singular one. This tells me that John sees grace, mercy, and peace, not as three separate things, but as one complete package: The grace-mercy-peace gift will be with us. Each one will be found with the other two.

This is emphasized when we realize that the order of these three words is also intentional. When appearing in salutations in the New Testament, they always appear in the same order. Grace always is listed before mercy or peace. Mercy always follows grace and proceeds peace. Peace always follows grace or mercy or both. This order shows that each part of this gift enables the one that follows it.

So we start with grace, God’s generous, no-strings-attached favor which He pours out on us. Without this favor, God would have no reason to show us mercy, which is His pity and kindness expressed in His noticing and meeting our needs out of His abundant resources. And only once God has met our needs due to His mercy can we experience the wholeness, harmony, and well-being of peace.

Now the reason we can know that these gifts belong to us is because they flow directly from the presence of the Father and from the presence of His Son, Jesus Christ. There is no post office to lose them. There is no distributor to misplace them. There is no deliverer to break them or steal them. We can know with complete certainty that these will be ours.

Finally, John circles back around to his theme of truth and love. He concludes the third verse by telling us this grace-mercy-peace gift comes in a special wrapping—it’s packaged inside of truth and love. As if to emphasize his point of verse one, John places truth first, in the place of greatest importance and dominance.

So we see these five things come in concentric circles. Truth is in the outermost ring. Love resides in truth. Grace, mercy, and peace are found in truth and love. Grace must precede mercy. Mercy must precede grace.

 What does all this mean for us?

First, truth is foundational. You remove truth, and everything crumples.

Second, these five things—truth, love, grace, mercy, and peace—are a gift. We don’t earn them. We don’t acquire them. We can’t buy them. They are a gift that God chooses of His own free will to bestow upon us, and apart from Him we have no way to gain them. And because God does choose to give them to us, they’re always available to us.

Third, God provides everything we need. He knows we can’t experience peace apart from His mercy. He knows we can’t receive His mercy until He gives us His grace. And He won’t show us the favor of grace unless He loves us, and agape love cannot exist apart from the Truth. So in Jesus, God gives us it all.

Question to ponder: In light of all this, how then should we live?    

My Favorite Reads of 2025

In 2025 I read seventy-three books. So while I’m hardly a super-reader, obviously books remain something I love and regularly indulge in. 

This year I enjoyed a bumper crop of good stories. Most of them earned a four- or five-star rating for me. What does that mean?

For me, a four-star read is one I enjoyed and would be quick to recommend. The book is well-crafted and contains clean to edifying content. A five-star usually means a book clicked with me personally in some way or is truly extraordinary in craft and content.

This makes picking out my favorites from this past year unusually difficult, because I have so many I want to recommend. But that would make this newsletter unwieldy. So, doing my best to pare it down, here are seven of my top reads of 2025.

Favorite Picture Book

Because by Mo Willems, illustrated by Amber Ren

Genre: Contemporary

The Story: How a little girl becomes inspired to become a composer-conductor.

Content Notes: This is a secularly published book.

Why I loved this book: This was truly a right story and the right time. I needed very much the reminder that small actions are important and that our actions can have an unseen impact.

Honorable Mentions:

Do Great Things for God series (nonfiction biography)

Pippa and the Singing Tree by Kristyn Getty (rhyming)

 

Favorite Midgrade (8-12 years) Novel

Secrets in the Attic (Mysteries, Mischief & Marshmallows #2) by C.C. Warrens

Genre: Midgrade mystery

The Story: Two kids try to banish the “ghosts” from a neighbor’s attic.

Content Notes: Light violence (dealing with bullies) and questions raised (though addressed) about ghosts

Why I loved this book: This book has all the vibes of the old Boxcar Children series, which I adored as a kid. There’s a mystery without getting overly scary. There’s heart and humor and quirky characters. There are also some good discussions of hard topics (grief, friendship/marriage, ghosts) at age-appropriate levels.

Honorable Mentions:

Beneath the Swirling Sky (The Restorationists #1) by Carolyn Leiloglou (magical realism)

The Sapphire Sword (The Sapphire Saga #1) by Robert Fuller (science fiction)

The Tiny Cyborg (RoboTales #3) by Jill and Luke Williamson (science fiction)

 

Favorite Young Adult

The Unraveling of Emlyn Dulaine (The Rivenlea Sphere #1) by Lindsay A. Franklin

Genre: YA Portal Fantasy

The Story: A teen searches for her missing sister in a world she once though imaginary.

Content Notes: Moderate fantasy violence (no gore), light and clean romance subplot, extensive unexplained supernatural elements.

Why I loved this book: I loved the whole premise of magical libraries and the ability to jump into storybook worlds. This whimsical foundation was then coupled to a world that felt vibrant and fresh, offbeat characters, great dialogue, a strong narrator voice, a dizzying plot that kept me guessing, and some great humor. What is not to like?

Honorable Mentions:

The Chaos Grid (Book #1) by Lyndsey Lewellen (dystopia)

Echo Nova by Clint Hall (dystopia)

Squire of Truth (Blood of Kings: Legends #1) by Jill Williamson (Romantasy + Mystery)

Darkfell (Book #1) by Amanda Wright (Fantasy)

 

Nonfiction

The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt

Genre: Adult psychology (secular)

The Story: A look at the impact of digital childhood on kids.

Content Notes: This book is written by a non-Christian.

Why I loved this book: This was a fascinating and thought-provoking read. The author communicates in a clear, easy-to-understand language and with a level-headed sensibility about the growing documentation concerning the impact of social media and the digital realm on our everyday lives. He primarily focuses on children and young adults, but much of what he says equally applies, in varying degrees, to adults as well.

Honorable Mentions:

Waiting On the Word by Malcolm Guite (Advent devotional/poetry)

An Annie Johnson Flint Compendium by Annie Johnson Flint/Roland V. Bingham (poetry/biography)

George Müller: The Guardian of Bristol’s Orphans by Janet & Geoff Benge (biography)

 

Favorite Adult Novels (Tie)

Tea With Elephants (Suitcase Sisters #1) by Robin Jones Gunn

Genre: Adult women’s fiction

The Story: Two women struggling with the crossroads in their lives take a trip of lifetime to Africa.

Content Notes: Emotionally poignant and potentially tough topics

Why I loved this book: The gentle pacing and thoughtful spiritual content of this story is a soothing balm to the soul. Plus the joy of travelling to and being immersed in another place/culture.

To Love a Beast (Once Upon a Time in Texas, Book 1) by Karen Witemeyer

Genre: Adult historical romance

The Story: A western retelling of Beauty and the Beast.

Content Notes: Sweet and clean romance, with some light violence (no gore)

Why I loved this book: Plain and simple, I’m a huge fan of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. So, all the Easter eggs and head nods to that movie kept me smirking throughout the book. And while this may not be the most original retelling, it was presented in a way that I found comforting rather than annoying, probably because there are enough unique aspects to make the story enjoyably its own, between the delightful characters, a sweet romance, and a beautifully integrated spiritual thread.

Honorable Mentions:

Protector (Susa Chronicles #1) by Megan Schaulis (dystopia)

26 Below (Alaskan Cyber Hunters #1) by Kimberley Woodhouse (suspense)

Injustice for All by C.C. Warrens (suspense)

 

Favorite Christmas Novella

Christmas on the Goblin Express by J.J. Fischer

Genre: Christmas magical realism novella

The Story: A burned-out medical student boards a magic train to escape Christmas

Content Notes: Sweet & clean romantic subplot, light fantasy violence, high supernatural (due to non-human characters or magical objects).

Why I loved this book: This story felt completely Christmas-y, hitting all the right feels, without feeling like a Hallmark rom-com or a knock-off of another famous Christmas story, like It’s a Wonderful Life or A Christmas Carol. This book was its own unique story filled with great humor and sprinkled with poignant moments that added a beautiful emotional depth with weighing it down. Add in quirky but complex characters, some action-packed adventure, and a large dose of whimsy, and the result was Christmas-perfect.

Honorable Mentions:

Christmas at Sugar Plum Manor by Roseanna M. White (historical romance)

Holly Jolly Christmas by C.C. Warrens (contemporary/suspense)

 

What were some of your favorite reads of 2025 and why?