9  The hands of Zerubbabel
   Have laid the foundation of this temple;
   His hands shall also finish it.
   Then you will know
   That the Lord of hosts has sent Me to you.
10 For who has despised the day of small things?
   For these seven rejoice to see
   The plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.
   They are the eyes of the Lord,
   Which scan to and fro throughout the whole earth.”
(Zechariah 4:9–10; NKJV)

It’s that time again. Another new year. Another season of anticipation for what God has in store for us individually, our communities, and our world. Last year was the first year I published my New Year’s goals. In this post I will continue that habit for 2025.

Last year I made goals for the 7 areas of life suggested by Dave Ramsey. This year my goals cover the 7 domains of stewardship from Reagan Rose at Redeeming Productivity. The groupings are similar and both are helpful resources. I chose Reagan Rose’s approach this year because I find his focus on stewardship and the centrality of the spiritual life helpful.

My sense of a theme for this year is small beginnings. Similar to how Zerubbabel obediently laid the foundation for the new temple when Israel returned from exile, my goal is to obediently lay the foundation for future endeavors, should the Lord tarry and give me life to do so.

Without further ado, here is a summary of my goals for 2025:

Spiritual. The spiritual domain is stewardship of the soul. In my view, this is the foundational domain for a well-stewarded life (Luke 21:19). I have two goals. First, I will finish my devotional journey through the Gospel of Luke. Second, I will develop a life-rhythm of prayer.

Relational. The relational domain is stewardship of the heart. Our hearts function as a kind of rudder that steers our direction in life (Matt 6:21; Luke 6:45). I have two goals. First, I will go on a monthly date night with Megan. Second, I will call or have coffee monthly with a friend.

Physical. The physical domain is stewardship of the body. Caring for our bodies well increases our abilities, capacities, and effectiveness in life and ministry. I have two goals. First, I will exercise for 30 minutes at least three days a week. Second, I will sleep at least 7 hours per night.

Intellectual. The intellectual domain is stewardship of the mind. Our thought life significantly impacts our emotions, mood, and motivation. I have two goals. First, I will publish at least 18 blog posts. Second, I will complete the foundational steps for at least one major project.*

Economical. The economical domain is stewardship of the household, including not only finances, but also time, energy, resources, and relationships. I have two goals. First, we expect to move again this summer. Second, we will pay off our remaining car and personal loans.

 Vocational. The vocational domain is stewardship of work. God created us to work and created each of us to unique works for His glory (Gen 2:15; Eph 2:10). I have two goals. First, I will finish my Master of Divinity program. Second, I will continue pursuing music ministry.

Recreational. The recreational domain is stewardship of rest. God created the physical universe, including people, to live by rhythms of work and rest (Gen 1:5; 2:2; Ex 20:11; Luke 5:16). I have two goals. First, take one week in every eight off from work. Second, go on four family trips.

*I have two large projects in mind that will require a lot of behind-the-scenes work before they launch. One project is a writing venture aimed at helping individuals and small groups develop devotional life rhythms. The other is a musical venture aimed at helping small groups and average-sized churches (60–80 congregants¹) with congregational musical worship.

Do you have any New Year’s goals? A sense of God’s moving in your life heading into 2025? Or questions about an idea I’ve mentioned in this post? Let’s chat in the comments below!

Notes

1. Aaron Earls, “Small Churches Continue Growing—but in Number, not Size,” Lifeway Research, October 20, 2021, https://research.lifeway.com/2021/10/20/small-churches-continue-growing-but-in-number-not-size/.