Podcast Summary: “Beginning a New Year Well”

Podcast: Things Unseen with Sinclair B. Ferguson
Host: Sinclair B. Ferguson (Presented by Ligonier Ministries)
Date: January 5, 2026

Overview

This episode launches a new series of devotional reflections with Sinclair B. Ferguson, focused on the importance of beginning a New Year by renewing our commitment to God. Drawing from personal experience and Christian tradition, Ferguson explores the significance of covenant renewal and invites listeners to join in rededicating themselves to the Lord for the year ahead.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction to “Things Unseen” Podcast

• Ferguson welcomes listeners to the podcast, expressing gratitude for the opportunity.
• The series promises daily (Monday–Friday) reflections on themes vital to the Christian life.
• [00:09] “I am very grateful to Ligonier Ministries for giving me the privilege of hosting this series, and I hope you'll be able to join me each week...”

2. A Memorable New Year’s Experience

• Ferguson recalls attending a Methodist New Year Covenant Renewal service as a student in a fishing village in northeast Scotland.
• He was unfamiliar with Methodist traditions and didn’t expect a covenant renewal—a ritual more closely associated with Presbyterians and Puritans.
• [01:07] “The service left an indelible impression on me because it was the church's annual New Year Covenant Renewal service... after the sermon, the whole congregation in unison, committed themselves afresh to the Lord...”

3. Christian Traditions of Covenant Renewal

• Ferguson notes his surprise at finding this Puritan-inspired tradition in a Methodist church, having associated it with Wesley’s reading of Puritan writers.
• [01:39] “I was quite surprised, actually, because I associated Covenant theology with Presbyterians and the Reformed tradition... not the Methodists and certainly not the Wesley brothers. But in fact, John Wesley had borrowed the idea of a living Covenant from some of the Puritans that he had read...”

4. Introducing Covenant Renewal in Ministry

• Inspired by the Methodist service, Ferguson adopted the covenant renewal practice in the churches he subsequently pastored.
• He humorously remarks on objections about using someone else’s words in commitment to God, pointing out that congregants regularly sing hymns written by others.
• [02:11] “Occasionally I find people objecting... that it wasn't really sincere to commit themselves to the Lord using someone else's words... which, to be honest, slightly amused me because I watched them heartily every Lord's day, morning and evening, singing other people's words of commitment...”

5. The Power of Corporate Commitment

• Ferguson shares that participating in a public, shared commitment—using the words of a historic covenant—deepened his own faith and those of his congregations.
• [02:41] “The vast majority of us, I think, found it very helpful, and I personally found it deeply moving to join with people I loved and to whom I was committed, as we committed ourselves afresh to the Lord for another year.”

6. An Invitation to Renew the Covenant

• Ferguson transitions to invite listeners to begin their year with him, praying the covenant together and seeking God’s help.
• He recites the classic Covenant Prayer attributed to John Wesley.

Notable Quote: The Wesleyan Covenant Prayer

[03:05]
“I am no longer my own, but yours.
Put me to what you will, place me with whom you will.
Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be employed for you, or laid aside for you,
exalted for you, or brought low for you.
Let me be full, let me be empty,
let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and heartily yield all things to your pleasure and disposal.

And now, O glorious and blessed God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
you are mine, and I am yours.
May it be so, and may the covenant which I have just made here on earth be confirmed in heaven.
I hope you want to say amen and amen.”
— Sinclair B. Ferguson [Reciting the Wesleyan Covenant Prayer at 03:05]

Memorable Moments

• Ferguson’s gentle humor about “singing other people’s words” in church ([02:20]).
• The heartfelt invitation to make a purposeful, deliberate commitment for the year ahead ([03:05]).

Conclusion

Ferguson’s inaugural episode sets a tone of thoughtful reflection, communal faith, and spiritual renewal. By linking personal anecdote, Christian tradition, and a practical call to action, he guides listeners into purposeful dependence on God as the New Year begins. The episode’s central message is clear: while “seeing is believing” may be the world’s motto, the Christian way is to walk by faith, starting with a deliberate and prayerful rededication to the Lord.