As I have for the past several years, I want to share with you some of my favorites from 2016 in a variety of categories. These are all items that were released or took place in 2016 except for books; I include my favorite books of the 62 that I’ve actually read during 2016.  My top 20 books include three each by Sinclair Ferguson and Tim Keller and two by Bryan Chapell.  Enjoy, and please let me know what you think of my list and share some of your favorites.

Favorite Music Album:  Never Lose Sight by Chris Tomlin. Here’s my review.

Here are the rest of my top 20 favorite albums, listed in order:

2. Where the Light Shines Through – Switchfoot
3. Church Clothes 3 – Lecrae
4. Keep Me Singing – Van Morrison
5. Spirit – Amos Lee
6. All at Once – Phil Keaggy
7. American Prodigal – Crowder
8. The Waiting Room – Trip Lee
9. These Christmas Lights – Matt Redman
10. Fallen Angels – Bob Dylan
11. Facing a Task Unfinished – Keith and Kristyn Getty
12. Hard Love – NEEDTOBREATHE
13. Wow to the Deadness (EP) – Steve Taylor and the Danielson Foil
14. This Time Around (EP) – Tedashii
15. Blue and Lonesome – Rolling Stones
16. Hymns II – Michael W. Smith
17. Worship and Believe – Steven Curtis Chapman
18. I Still Can – Eric Clapton
19. Stranger to Stranger – Paul Simon
20. Acoustic Christmas – Neil Diamond

Favorite Song:  Yes and Amen by Chris Tomlin

Here are the rest of my top 10 favorite songs, listed in order, along with one bonus song from Trip Lee:

2. Running Out of Time – Amos Lee
3. My Victory – Crowder
4. Jumped Out the Whip – Tedashii
5. Float – Switchfoot
6. My Worth Is Not In Not In What I Own – Keith and Kristyn Getty with Fernando Ortega
7. Testify – NEEDTOBREATHE
8. Children Go Where I Send Thee – Neil Diamond with the Blind Boys of Alabama
9. I’m Good – Tedashii
10. I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine – Eric Clapton

Bonus song: Clouds – Trip Lee

Favorite Artist of the Year: Obviously Chris Tomlin is my top artist for the year. He has my top album – Never Lose Sight – and song “Yes and Amen” and his song “Good Good Father”, though released in October, 2015, still topped 2016’s Billboard’s Christian Digital Songs chart.

Favorite Concert: Paul McCartney at Summerfest in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Here is my review.

Other concerts I’ve enjoyed this year were:
Andrew Peterson’s “Behold the Lamb of God Tour” in Champaign, Illinois
Lecrae in Peoria, Illinois
Keith and Kristyn Getty in Peoria, Illinois

Favorite Book:  Devoted to God by Sinclair Ferguson.  Here’s my review.

Here are the rest of my 20 favorite books, listed in order:

2. The Whole Christ – Sinclair Ferguson
3. Unlimited Grace – Bryan Chapell
4. What Grieving People Wished You Knew – Nancy Guthrie
5. Making Sense of God – Tim Keller
6. Prayer – Tim Keller
7. The Gospel According to Daniel – Bryan Chapell
8. Unashamed – Lecrae
9. Hidden Christmas – Tim Keller
10. Core Christianity – Michael Horton
11. Ichthus: Jesus Christ, God’s Son, the Saviour – Sinclair Ferguson and Derek Thomas
12. Jesus Outside the Lines – Scott Sauls
13. J.C. Ryle: Prepared to Stand Alone – Iain Murray
14. For the Glory – Duncan Hamilton
15. Every Season Prayers – Scotty Smith
16. The Ideal Team Player – Patrick Lencioni
17. Simply My Window – P.K. Hodel
18. Hillbilly Elegy – J.D. Vance
19. Alexander Hamilton – Ron Chernow
20. Intentional Living – John Maxwell

Author of the Year:  My author of the year, and it’s a “no doubter” is Sinclair Ferguson. He has my top two books – Devoted to God and The Whole Christ, and also number 11, Ichthus: Jesus Christ, God’s Son, the Saviour, which he wrote with Derek Thomas.

Favorite Movie:  Fences. Here’s my review.

Here are the rest of my top 10 movies, listed in order, along with one bonus pick that not many saw, but which was excellent:

2. Hacksaw Ridge
3. Dr. Strange
4. The BFG
5. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
6. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
7. Zootopia
8. Risen
9. Captain America: Civil War
10. Sully

Bonus movie: The Birth of a Nation

Unfortunately, there have been a number of poor movies we’ve seen as well.
Here is the list of my worst movies this year:

Hail, Caesar!
Mother’s Day
Batman v. Superman
Elvis & Nixon
A Hologram for the King
Kung Fu Panda

Favorite Podcast: Albert Mohler’s The Briefing. Each weekday morning, Albert Mohler hosts a podcast providing worldview analysis about the leading news headlines and cultural conversations.  This is required listening for me. Check out Dr. Mohler’s website.

Two new podcasts that I’ve enjoyed this year have been:
Revisionist History – Malcolm Gladwell
Unlimited Grace – Bryan Chapell

Favorite Blog: Tim Challies’ Ala Carte. This is required reading for me each Monday through Saturday. Challies includes helpful Kindle deals, links to a good variety of helpful articles and a quote.  Check out Tim’s website.

Another blog that is required reading for me each day is:
HeadHeartHand – Informing Minds. Moving Hearts. Directing Hands. by David Murray

The Book of Job by Derek Thomas

Sermon on the Mount by Sinclair Ferguson

Dispatches from the Front videos by Tim Keesee and Frontline Missions.

“Dispatches from the Front highlights the marvelous extent, diversity, and unity of Christ’s Kingdom in our world. The journal format of each episode underscores the daily unfolding of God’s activity on the “frontlines,” bringing viewers up-close with sights and sounds from distant corners of the Kingdom.”

The Babylon Bee, “Your Trusted Source for Christian News Satire” from Adam Ford has been a welcome addition. Check out their website.

Please share your favorites by clicking on ‘Leave a Comment’ in the upper left hand side.