Many bloggers take advantage of this time of the year to reflect on their most popular posts. Now we know there is a time to follow the crowd (Zech 8:23), and a time not to follow the crowd (Ex 23:2). And I believe the present time to be akin to the former and not the latter. So here we go.
This post lists the top 10 viewed posts this year, from among the posts we published this year. Next week, we’ll list the top 10 viewed posts from the full KW archive. May these lists enable you to be warm and well fed while you celebrate the season with joy and delight.
10. Announcing the 2026 Bible Reading Challenge
This year’s Bible reading challenge is underway. Maybe this is your year to read the entire Bible in 90 days. You could win a premier book rebinding as a result. See the announcement for the official rules.
9. Wisdom in Disappointment
This year, I’ve continued revising and editing an old blog series on Proverbs 1-9. This post kicks off the study of Proverbs 3:1-12, which is one of those key texts where it’s crucial to understand how misleading is the conventional wisdom that “proverbs aren’t promises.”
8. Context Matters: The Lord’s Prayer
The rest of this list belongs almost exclusively to Ryan, who provided (and republished) much wonderful content this year. This first piece on the list considers that most famous of prayers in light of the context within which it was given. The Lord’s Prayer is an illustration of what it looks like to pray to a heavenly Father who knows what you need before you ask him. It is an example of how to pray in secret, how not to practice your righteousness before men, and how to seek reward from God. And it is a reminder that our relationship with God cannot be divorced from our relationship with other people.
And if you enjoy Ryan’s writing—as I sure do—you should also check out the Substack newsletter he just launched this year as well.
7. No Good Tree Bears Bad Fruit
You’ve probably heard this; it’s one of Jesus’ most famous metaphors. But can you explain what it means? If your answer is not “do you mean the Matthew 7 version or the Luke 6 version,” then you don’t really understand it! You’re in danger of reading one of those into the other text and missing the point.
6. Three Important Contexts for Bible Study
Your Bible study won’t have much teeth without consideration of the context. But which context? Because there are a few different kinds that all should be considered. This post tackles historical, literary, and personal. That doesn’t even exhaust the categories, but will certainly get you started in the right direction.
5. Reading the Bible for the First Time
In this masterful post, Ryan considers what you might want to say to a friend who wants to start reading the Bible for the first time. In our generation, such people are all around us. Most have no basic understanding of the facts or structure of the Bible. This brief post will help you get them started quickly.
4. Context Matters: Count the Cost
Before diving into this post, perhaps you should count the cost of shaking off dusty old metaphors. In other words, perhaps we shouldn’t just toss our Christianese phrases around so much that they lose their meaning. That way, when we come upon them in the Scripture, we can hear them as the author intended. Have you counted the cost of following Jesus? There is no discount, and the bill is extreme. But Jesus supplies what you lack and gives joy along the path.
3. What We Miss When We Skip the Prophets
Ryan enjoys motivating people to give attention to the obscure parts of the Bible. In this post, he explains how the New Testament makes constant use of the prophets to explain what Jesus has now done for his people. Skip them, and you might not really understand. For insight into other books you wouldn’t want to skip, see: Leviticus, Ezra, Nehemiah, Lamentations, and Numbers.
2. Just Do Nothing, and You’ll Ruin Everything
When people think that “proverbs aren’t promises,” they lose interest in the book of Proverbs. Why study a book that says stuff you can’t really bank on? But come to see the book rightly, and it’s treasures pay quickly and often. Such as a consideration of this rather obscure passage in Proverbs 1:20-21 (the prelude to the section of Prov 1:20-35). The point is simple: Wisdom is available. It is everywhere. We think we can’t change. We believe no one understands us. We assume we’re on our own. However, we’re surrounded by people with decent advice on important topics. We have no excuse for remaining immature.
1. Reading the Bible for the Ten Thousandth Time
Ryan wrote this post as a companion to #5 on this list. This one is not just for your “friend,” but for you who have grown familiar with the Bible. Familiar enough that the glow of it has long since faded. Ryan provides five great ideas to help you stave off your Bible weariness, and he reminds you that you never outgrown your need for the help of God’s Holy Spirit.
Previous years’ top tens: 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017
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