Five SUBSTACK ARTICLES I'll keep thinking about in 2026
The first list in series on evergreen content for the new year
As promised, I am back to writing in 2026. December was hectic, and it was good to take a break. We traveled to see family, had family travel to see us, spent a few days by a lake, watched a lot of football (how about that Ole Miss game?!), and played much Settlers of Cataan. We are entering a cool parenting stage where our kids are now old enough to participate in more of the adult oriented things we like to do, such as play board games, watch classic movies, or stay up late to enjoy sports.
We are having blast.
But all that said, I am glad to get back to normal rhythms. Writing over the last year has become an important cadence in my life - helping me to organize an otherwise frantic inner life, prioritize my content consumption, and exercise my teaching gift during a ministry season where I am publicly preaching less. I have a few projects churning which I hope will be fruitful and helpful to many of you later this year. But before rushing onward to new things (a built-in tendency of mine), I want to take January to consciously bring along the best of last year. Over the course of this month I’ll talk about books, podcasts, and more I deem worth remembering and revisiting - but today in honor of the platform which has become such a great development venue for myself and others, I thought I’d highlight my favorite substack articles of 2025.
These aren’t in any particular ranked order - just great content and some reasons why each will stay on my mind.
Eddie LaRow is an acquisitions editor with Baker Publishing and a sharp thinker, let alone an expert communicator. This particular article was helpful to me because it artfully describes the philosophical, spiritual, and relational rootlessness modern people experience - and sketches out a bit of “the why.” Folks like myself are doing our best to present hearty spiritual community as a meaty alternative to society’s nutrient deficient substitutes. But our attempts are at times poorly received by deeply consumerist people who seem to need a constant sugar high of stimulation and affirmation in order to maintain interest. This can be confusing and discouraging, but articles like Eddie’s provide an encouraging frame.
Benjamin Kandt pastors New City Orlando, a thriving PCA church in my city. He also happens to be a great friend. His mind is wonderful, and his writing gives you a window into his rich inner life and spirituality. While he’s a veritable expert on Augustine and the Psalms, he doesn’t throw his weight around in a way that makes either feel inaccessible. I chose to feature this article because it’s so practical. You could use it today to help you engage the songs of scripture more deeply. Later this year I plan to do exactly that.
I’ll be honest, I think the main reason I loved this piece is because I love the movie Fight Club: a high point of Gen X cultural canon that has somehow transcended into lasting relevance. But Josh Nadeau is also an excellent writer, so that helps. This article also pairs really well with Eddie’s if you read that one already and are looking for a chaser.
Griffin Gooch’s substack persona is like Ferris Bueller with a M.Div. I am not sure how Griffin will feel about that comparison, but he’s a good sport and I think will appreciate the pop culture reference. He’s an interactive writer who uses ironic humor to draw readers into profound theological discourse. In a field where painful dryness tends to characterize most the writing, Griffin is a cup of cool water. I really liked the balance of this article and sent it to a number of folks in my network. I’ve even saved it as an obsidian note to revisit when teaching from Luke 4 later this winter.
AJ Augur is my good friend and a key leader in our church. So I am a bit biased in recommending her writing. But this particular post happens to be her testimony, which is awesome. She is a trophy of grace and I’ve grown in my own understanding of spiritual dynamics through absorbing her story.
Ok, I lied. Here’s a sixth one. But would you have even noticed if I hadn’t said something? O. Alan Noble is a fellow at the Keller Center for Apologetics among other illustrious things. There has been plenty of good writing about our society’s over emphasis on therapy as the cure for every ill, and the overapplication of counseling-type language into every sphere of life. But Noble is a great person to hear it from afresh, however, since he himself struggles with O.C.D. and is extremely open about the ways in which medical and cognitive-behavioral interventions have made a real difference. So, his take is far from reactionary. This article feels pertinent in a whole new way with the recent resurgence of Christian diet culture, alongside other wellness trends that tend to elevate personal peace, health, and happiness here on earth as ultimate outcomes of the Christian life.
I noticed #6, ha! And I really appreciate this whole list—so much good, thoughtful writing here.