As I have done for several years now, I am sharing my favorites for this year in a variety of categories. All items listed were released or have taken place during 2024, except for books, which reflect books that I read in 2024, regardless of publication date. I hope you enjoy this list!
Movies
Top Pick: A Complete Unknown
Other movies that I’ve enjoyed, in order, were:
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- The Boys in the Boat
- The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
- Conclave
- Reagan
- Am I Racist?
- Juror #2
- Inside Out 2
- Let it Be (2024 version)
- Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice
Books
Top Pick: Ask Pastor John: 750 Bible Answers to Life’s Most Important Questions by Tony Reinke
Other books that I’ve enjoyed, in order, were:
- The Shepherd Leader: Achieving Effective Shepherding in Your Church – Timothy Z. Witmer
- Five Lies of our Anti-Christian Age – Rosaria Butterfield
- What a Fool Believes: A Memoir – Michael McDonald with Paul Reiser
- O Sacred Head, Now Wounded: A Liturgy for Daily Worship from Pascha to Pentecost – Jonathan Gibson
- 2084 and the AI Revolution, Updated and Expanded Edition: How Artificial Intelligence Informs Our Future – John Lennox
- Shepherds for Sale: How Evangelical Leaders Traded the Truth for a Leftist Agenda – Megan Basham
- The Life of Peter: Molded in the Master’s Hands – Derek Thomas
- Let Earth Receive Her King: Daily Readings for Advent – Alistair Begg
- Recapturing the Glory of Christmas: A 25-Day Advent Devotional – Albert Mohler
- Finding My Vocation: A Guide for Young People Seeking a Calling by William Boekestein.
- Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis – J.D. Vance
- Ephesians: An Expositional Commentary – R.C. Sproul
- The Boys in the Boat – Daniel James Brown
- Yogi: A Life Behind the Mask – Jon Pessah
Music
Songs
Other songs that I have enjoyed, in order, were:
- Rise My Soul – CityAlight
- Beautiful, Scandalous Night – Shane and Shane
- How Great is the Greatness of God – Matt Boswell, Bryan Fowler and Matt Papa
- How Can I Keep From Singing – Fernando Ortega
- His Glory and My Good – CityAlight
- Fully Known, Fully Loved – Matt Boswell and Matt Papa
- How Great Thou Art (Until That Day) – Matt Redman, Matt Maher and friends
- Grave Robber – Crowder
- Run and Run (Christ is All My Righteousness) – Matt Boswell and Matt Papa
- Servants of a Gracious King – Jon Troast
- God of Every Grace – Bryan Fowler, Shane and Shane and the Worship Initiative
- Picture of You – U2
- People are People – Russ Taff
- Darkest Places – Amos Lee
- Better is One Day/Facedown – Matt Redman
- Lead Me On – FOR KING & Country and Amy Grant
- Somebody Prayed – Crowder
- Come Unto Jesus – Shane and Shane and The Worship Initiative
Albums
Other albums that I have enjoyed, in order, are:
- The EXILE – Crower
- Rise My Soul (EP) – CityAlight
- For All The Saints (EP) – Fernando Ortega
- How to Re-Assemble an Atomic Bomb – U2
- Sing! The Great Commission World Tour – Keith & Kristyn Getty and Friends
- Transmissions – Amos Lee
- Modern Hymns – Shane and Shane, The Worship Initiative
- I Love Jesus – Mac Powell
- Vintage Vol. 2 – Shane and Shane
- Coming Back To the Heart (Live) – Matt Redman
- Pilgrims by Faith – Jon Troast
- The Still Point – Sandra McCracken and Ben Shive
- One Hand Clapping – Paul McCartney and Wings
- To The Limit: The Essential Collection – Eagles
Concerts
Top Pick: Eagles at the Sphere in Las Vegas
Other concerts that we enjoyed, in order were:
- Eagles “The Long Goodbye Tour” with Steely Dan in St. Louis
- Crowder at the Brown County Music Theater in Nashville, Indiana
- Keith and Kristyn Getty with Matt Boswell and Matt Papa at Grace Presbyterian Church in Peoria, Illinois
- Sebastian Maniscalco “It Ain’t Right Tour” at the Peoria Civic Center
- Steven Curtis Chapman “Acoustic Christmas Tour” at the Bloomington Center for Performing Arts in Bloomington, Illinois
- Mike Birbiglia “The Good Life Tour” at the Virginia Theater in Champaign, Illinois
Television
Other shows that I have enjoyed, in order were:
- All Creatures Great and Small
- Your Friend, Nate Bargatze
- Sherwood
- Ridley
- Grace
- Blue Lights
- Van der Valk
- The Day of the Jackal
- Full Swing
- A Gentleman in Moscow
- Tom Papa: Home Free
- Bates vs. the Post Office
- Rolling Along: Bill Bradley
- Your Honor
Disappointments, based on the high expectation I had for these shows:
- The Bear
- Yellowstone
- Slow Horses
Blogs
Top Choice: Tim Challies’ Ala Carte
This blog is required reading for me each Monday through Saturday morning. Challies includes helpful Kindle deals, links to a wide variety of helpful articles and quotes using SquareQuotes (that he encourages you to share). Check out Tim’s site and subscribe here.
Top Pick: The Briefing
This podcast is required listening for me each weekday morning. Mohler hosts a podcast featuring worldview analysis about leading news headlines and cultural conversations. The podcast runs about 25 minutes and is usually posted by 5:00am. Check out Dr. Mohler’s website and subscribe here.
Other podcasts that I have enjoyed, in order, were:
Things Unseen – Sinclair Ferguson
Ask Pastor John – John Piper and Tony Reinke
5 Minutes in Church History – Stephen Nichols
Open Book – Stephen Nichols
Music and Meaning – Charlie Peacock
Top Pick: Ligonier Ministries
This app is like carrying a vast theological library on your devices, filled with thousands of discipleship resources that you can read, watch, and listen to anytime. Find resources from R.C. Sproul, the Ligonier Ministries Teaching Fellows, and more of your favorite pastors, authors, and teachers.
Other apps that I have enjoyed, in order were:
- ESV Bible app from Crossway
- Ask Pastor John (Desiring God)
- Truth for Life (Alistair Begg)
- Ref Net (Ligonier Ministries)
Recommended Resources
Top Pick: (Tie)
Conferences
Top Pick: 2024 Ligonier Ministries National Conference
You can watch or listen to all of the messages from the conference here.
These are my favorites in a variety of categories for 2024. I hope it gives you some ideas on books to read, music to listen to, and movies and television series to watch.
What were some of your favorites in 2024? Please share.