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When the holidays feel more like heartache than joy, take heart—God is still near. Find hope and practical ways to reconnect with Him this Christmas season.

We don’t have to walk through this Christmas season alone with a heavy, broken heart. We can harness ourselves to Jesus and let Him carry the load of our heavy hearts. 

When kids are young, we work hard to train their consciences, to teach them God’s commands and how to choose between right and wrong. But as kids get older, they must learn to navigate issues that aren’t black and white. They need wisdom to discern between good choices and those that are best. One of the best ways to train a teenager in wisdom is to talk to him about what Martin Luther called “Christian freedom.” For us, “Christian freedom” brings to mind disputable matters like whether it’s appropriate for Christians to drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes—topics that are important but daunting to bring up with your child as he heads toward his adult years. But while Luther did write about matters of conscience in On Christian Liberty, his treatise accomplished much more. Luther wrote to help believers find wisdom and true freedom by living in accordance with their Christian identity. The twofold path to freedom he described is biblical, and it’s worth teaching to Christian youth today. Freedom from Proving and People-Pleasing Suppose your teenage daughter feels peer pressure to get her hair highlighted. She doesn’t really want to do it, but all her friends are. So she thinks she’ll have to go along. Suppose another daughter wants to dye her hair pink, but a moralistic friend says, “You can’t wear your hair that way and be a Christian!” How would you counsel these girls before their salon trip? Luther wrote to help believers find wisdom and true freedom by living in accordance with their Christian identity. Luther said, “A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none.” If you’ve been accepted by Christ, you don’t need to please people or conform to their cultural vision of what’s stylish or even of what’s Christian. Luther wrote, No external thing has any influence in producing Christian righteousness or freedom. . . . It will not harm the soul if the body is clothed in secular dress, dwells in unconsecrated places, eats and drinks as others do, does not pray aloud, and neglects to do all the . . . things which hypocrites can do. When he wrote about “secular dress,” Luther wasn’t addressing dyed hair or clothing styles but whether it was necessary for clergy to wear vestments during worship. Yet his principle still applies. Nothing done to the body determines the nature of one’s soul; if you belong to Christ, nothing can snatch you from his hand. If you’ve trusted Jesus, you have nothing to prove. It’s God’s justifying declaration over you that makes you who you are. As I’ve written before, “What God says about you as his beloved child is more important than what anyone else says.” That’s the first principle I’d teach my daughters, but I wouldn’t stop there. Luther didn’t either. Freedom for Service and Love While we’re teaching our teens to resist people-pleasing, we must also teach them to resist selfish independence. Luther said it this way: “A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all.” One might think that if faith makes us perfectly free—if it alone is sufficient unto righteousness—then we can simply do whatever we want. Luther wrote, [Some ask], why then are good works commanded? We will take our ease and do no works and be content with faith. I answer: not so, you wicked men, not so. Citing Romans 14:7–8, Luther told his readers they must fight against sin in the body lest the old man hinder the renewed soul: “A man does not live for himself alone in the mortal body to work for it alone but he lives only for others and not for himself. To this end he brings his body into subjection that he may more sincerely and freely serve others.” What does serving others mean for the girls’ decisions about dyeing their hair? The Bible says the way we dress and adorn our bodies affects other people (1 Tim. 2:9). So before deciding, teens should think through how their choices will influence others: Am I making this change because I’m greedy for attention? Is my new style associated with celebrities or cultural movements that reject biblical norms? If so, will my peers (or younger kids who look up to me) be tempted to think I’m affirming that rebellion? Is my choice only about me, or will it serve and build up others? Freedom Under Authority One way teens love and serve is by submitting to their parents’ authority. An adult Christian has the freedom to decide whether or not he can see an R-rated movie. For a teen, it depends on Mom and Dad. At the end of the day, a young girl’s parents may say, “No pink hair. No highlights.” But as parents, even if we make that call, talking with our teens about the reasons behind our decision is important; that’s what prepares them to reason through decisions on their own when they enter adulthood. As we talk to them, we should also teach our teens that Christian freedom isn’t rigid. A mature Christian won’t make the same choice in every instance. Paul, for instance, circumcised Timothy so as not to offend Jews who hadn’t yet come to faith (Acts 16:3), but when Judaizers insisted circumcision was necessary for righteousness, he didn’t allow Titus to be circumcised (Gal. 2:3). A Christian has situational flexibility when determining how to apply God’s unchanging law. Freedom to Align with Reality In all this, it’s important to help teens understand that real freedom means living with the grain of reality. As Tim Keller once recounted: A little boy received a tank of goldfish. Having seen his friends playing with their pets, he happily headed to his bedroom to enjoy his. Later, when his mom asked how he liked his new fish, he said, “Well, Mom, at first they played really well, but now they’re just laying still on the rug.” It’s important to help teens understand that real freedom means living with the grain of reality. Keller asked, “Why didn’t the goldfish enjoy their freedom when they got out of the narrow confines of the aquarium?” The fish lost their freedom because by removing them from the water, the boy violated their nature. The same principle holds true for Christian freedom. Just as fish are made for water, a Christian is made for confidence in Christ and for unselfish love of neighbor. If teens search for freedom in people-pleasing or selfish independence, they’ll be enslaved. But if we teach them to live as God has made them, aligned with their Christian identity as “perfectly free lords” and “perfectly dutiful servants,” they’ll be wise and truly free.

Christian music had a banner year in 2024. It’s one of music’s fastest-growing genres, with surprising gains especially among younger listeners. I pondered possible explanations for this in a recent commentary article, including the fact that Christian music has simply gotten better in quality. More global and diverse than it’s ever been, it appeals to tastes across various genres, styles, and cultures. This has been evident as I’ve put together the lists below, which include wildly diverse styles from artists around the world, with one commonality: Each is a musical expression of Christ-loving, God-glorifying, Scripture-inspired faith. What follows are my picks for the best Christian music released in 2024: best songs, best albums, and best EPs. Undoubtedly, these picks reflect my tastes and won’t resonate universally. But as someone who loves celebrating and sharing quality Christian music, I commend these to you as musically rich and devotionally edifying works. Give them a listen. 100 Best Christian Songs You can find my picks for the best Christian songs of the year in a 100-song playlist on either Spotify or Apple Music. 8 Best Christian Albums Here are my picks for the eight best overall album releases under the broad umbrella of “Christian music” (plus 10 honorable mentions). 1. Skye Peterson, All the Difference Skye Peterson (daughter of Andrew Peterson) continues to be one of the brightest young artists in Christian music. Her debut album, Where the Winter Was, made my list last year, and her 2024 follow-up, All the Difference, is even better. Christian music needs more singer-songwriter music like this, with poetic lyricism that’s both personal and worshipful. With concrete imagery from everyday life, Peterson’s songs work through big ideas in life and faith. “Sound and Silence” stands out as a representative example: a song that explores the nature of music (which her choir director defined as “sound and silence”) as a way to understand suffering and seasons when God seems silent. 2. The Corner Room, Remember and Proclaim, Vol. 2: Scripture Songs for Little Ones Alabama-based Adam Wright (a.k.a. The Corner Room) has a knack for making Scripture sing with memorable melodies in various genres. He keeps churning out quality albums, year after year. His latest release, the second volume in the Remember and Proclaim series, is especially good. The album sets Scripture to song in fun ways that’ll appeal to kids. But make no mistake: It’s also highly enjoyable for grown-ups. My favorites include an ingenious jazz setting of 1 John 4:7–12 and a foot-stomping, whistle-happy, pop-folk rendition of Jeremiah 29:11–13. This is an album for family car rides, preservice church foyers, and everything in between. 3. Antoine Bradford, Like Flowers in the Sun I’ve been a fan of Antoine Bradford since first hearing his song “Promises” in 2019. His smooth, soulful voice is consistently a vehicle for personal, devotional, honest lyrics that stir the heart in gratitude to God. His 2024 release, Like Flowers in the Sun, is his most musically and lyrically rich offering yet. Of many standout songs on the record, my favorites include “Find My Way Home,” “Carry Me,” “Living in the Promised Land,” and “Nothing I Can Do” (a collaboration with Tekoa’s Rory McKenna). This album has an inviting musical vibe and relatable lyrics about our desperate need for God in a fragile and faith-challenging world. 4. Ellie Holcomb, All of My Days I’m a sucker for Psalm-based songs that set the ancient biblical text to contemporary music. We’ve seen a welcome resurgence of this in recent years, from Poor Bishop Hooper’s EveryPsalm Project to the excellent Psalms albums of Sandra McCracken, Caroline Cobb, and others. This year, Ellie Holcomb added an offering of her own with All of My Days. It’s a beautiful collection of seven beloved and familiar biblical psalms set to beautiful folk-country melodies that make full use of Holcomb’s vocal talents. The album’s first three tracks, covering Psalm 23, Psalm 139, and Psalm 121, are among the best opening sets of songs on any Christian album this year. 5. Nick Smith, Help My Unbelief Some music features elaborate, “big sound” production and impressively clever lyrics yet still feels empty. Other music is sonically pared down and lyrically simple yet quietly pulsates with life and resonance. In this type, the emotion of the song’s delivery feels authentic and connects with listeners on a soul level. This is how I feel listening to Nick Smith’s debut album, Help My Unbelief. The Oregon-based artist has a soulful, almost lounge-music vibe. Applied to the simple melodies and devotional lyrics of songs like “He Is Lord” or “My Jesus, I Love Thee,” Smith’s style feels fresh and pure. The album comes across like an extended worship set in a living room: intimate, raw, and spiritually rich. 6. Forrest Frank, Child of God Though his reputation has been building for the last several years largely due to social media buzz, Texas-based Forrest Frank took mainstream Christian music by storm in 2024. The Baylor graduate was named the New Artist of the Year at the 2024 Dove Awards. He received ample attention in the secular music press because of his chart-topping album Child of God and his role in Christian music’s rapid growth as a genre. But it’s not just hype. Child of God is a really good album: joyful, vibey, God-centered, well-produced. If a Gen-Z-led revival is on the horizon (and there are rumblings of it), something tells me artists like Frank will be part of it. 7. Psallos, A Sure Hope: Hymns of Romans Who knew Paul’s epistle to the Romans could be this musically fun? Leave it to Psallos to bring such rich theology to vibrant musical life. A more singable, popular-level companion album to Psallos’s 2015 Romans album, A Sure Hope is a great resource for any church going through a sermon series on Romans. Most of these songs feature old, less familiar hymn texts set to melodies designed for congregational singing. To help churches utilize these songs in their worship services, Psallos has chord charts on its website, along with explanatory videos unpacking the lyrics and how to best play the music. 8. Jimmy Clifton, I Love You All the More Evoking Josiah Queen both in Appalachian-folk style and social media marketing savvy, Jimmy Clifton has carved a niche for himself in indie Christian music. The North Carolina–based Gen Z artist creates songs that are a refreshing mix of biblical, confessional, sometimes low-key, sometimes aggressive, frequently pastoral, and even prophetic. I’m impressed by his songwriting’s ability to traverse a range of emotions, all while feeling authentic and unpretentious—and ultimately worshipful. It’s all on display in his 2024 release, I Love You All the More. Honorable Mentions: Jon Foreman, In Bloom; Eliza King, The Pressing In; Nobigdyl., The People We Became; Josiah Queen, The Prodigal; Scripture Hymnal, Scripture Hymnal Vol. 1 and Vol. 2.; Joshua Luke Smith, Liberated; Starflyer 59, Lust for Gold; John Van Deusen, Anthem Sprinter; Young Oceans, Somehow I Know It’s Love; Domas Žeromskas, Meditations on Providence and Perseverance, Vol. 1. 9 Best Christian EPs EPs in the streaming era are a format in flux. They’re occasionally standalone concept releases, but increasingly EPs are simply avenues for artists to slow-drip new release songs from larger projects. Of the countless EPs released by Christian artists in 2024, these were my favorites. 1. Jess Ray, MATINS. One of the most unique recording projects in Christian music this year, Ray’s trio of MATINS EPs can be experienced in audio but are even better on Youtube, where each can be experienced as a 30-minute devotional worship concert filmed at sunrise. Watch: MATIN 1: Rest, MATIN 2: Love, MATIN 3: Turn. 2. Jon Guerra, American Gospel. Guerra is a Dylanesque folk troubadour unafraid of speaking hard truths. He’s also one of this generation’s most lyrically talented Christian artists. It’s all on display in his election-year-timed new EP. 3. CityAlight, Rise My Soul (Live). The newest release from Sydney’s CityAlight—the church-based worship group changing Christian songwriting—Rise My Soul offers four new tracks you should consider adding to your church’s worship repertoire. 4. Liturgical Folk, Three Gifts. A brilliant concept for an EP, these three songs explore the theological virtues of “faith,” “hope,” and “love,” with the help of Jon Guerra and Tenielle Neda. Beautiful stuff. 5. Caroline Cobb, Close to Home. A more vulnerable, personal collection of songs for Cobb, this lovely EP explores the textures of everyday life—friendship, death, vocation, anxiety—through a lens of gospel hope. 6. Braille, Push It Down. Bryan “Braille” Winchester (of Beautiful Eulogy) has a new full-length album in the works (yay!), but in the meantime, we can enjoy this stellar collection of five new songs exploring gospel hope in a world of sin and suffering. 7. Josh Garrels, Seek Hi Seek Lo. Containing the first four singles from Garrels’s next full-length album (release TBD), this EP shows that the Michigan-based singer-songwriter is still one of the best talents in Christian music today. 8. The Gray Havens, The Magic. The three songs on this EP likely contain the first singles from The Gray Havens’s forthcoming album. If these are any indication, we’re in for a treat when the next full album drops. 9. Poor Bishop Hooper, The Lord’s Prayer. The most famous prayer in Scripture gets fascinating musical treatment in this three-song EP. A musical triptych of sorts, the EP features three diverse interpretations of the Lord’s Prayer.

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