89 Best 「reformed christian」 Books of 2024| Books Explorer
- Knowing God
- Institutes of the Christian Religion
- God In The Storm
- ESV Reformation Study Bible, Condensed Edition, Navy
- How to Read a Book
- Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity
- Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther
- Holy Bible: Esv Study Bible Buffalo Leather, Deep Brown
- Not Stolen: The Truth About European Colonialism in the New World
- Who Shall Ascend the Mountain of the Lord?: A Biblical Theology of the Book of Leviticus (New Studies in Biblical Theology)
2016 WORLD Magazine's Topping the Top 50 One of the top 50 books that have shaped evangelicals (Christianity Today, 2006) Platinum Book Award, Evangelical Christian Publishing AssociationFor over 40 years, J. I. Packer's classic has been an important tool to help Christians around the world discover the wonder, the glory and the joy of knowing God. In 2006, Christianity Today voted this title one of the top 50 books that have shaped evangelicals. This edition is updated with Americanized language and spelling and a new preface by the author. Stemming from Packer's profound theological knowledge, Knowing God brings together two important facets of the Christian faith― knowing about God and also knowing God through the context of a close relationship with the person of Jesus Christ. Written in an engaging and practical tone, this thought-provoking work seeks to transform and enrich the Christian understanding of God. Explaining both who God is and how we can relate to him, Packer divides his book into three sections: The first directs our attention to how and why we know God, the second to the attributes of God and the third to the benefits enjoyed by a those who know him intimately. This guide leads readers into a greater understanding of God while providing advice to gaining a closer relationship with him as a result.
(Calvin's Own 'Essentials' Edition)Translated by Robert WhiteThe Institutes of the Christian Religion is Calvin's single most important work. Yet, as many who have purchased an English translation of the final Latin edition of 1559 know only too well, the sheer size of the work and the proliferation of technical details and polemical themes do not make for easy reading. It has left many wishing for an edition that avoided such things but yet kept intact the very heart and soul of Calvin's teaching.Such an edition is now available, and it is not the work of an editor or an abridger, but of Calvin himself. The present translation is newly made from the French of 1541. It has been designed and annotated with the needs of a wide readership in mind.
Our lives can change in an instant.A late-night phone call bears tragic news. A doctor's appointment reveals grave test results. Suddenly, with blinding force, storms of suffering and sadness slam into us, knocking us to the ground and leaving us questioning God.Pastor Marc Maillefer draws from biblical wisdom, his own life, and his pastoral experience to provide vivid illustrations and applications of the life of the suffering saint. He reminds us of God's compassionate, merciful sovereignty, and assures us that during our storms, God is still with us, provides for us, and has a purpose for us.
The Reformation Study Bible, Condensed Edition provides concise, trustworthy commentary in a portable format carefully crafted under the editorial leadership of R.C. Sproul and contributions from 75 distinguished theologians and pastors from around the world. Notes have been condensed from the Reformation Study Bible to offer a more convenient solution for study on the go.Faithful CommentaryAn editorial team of 75 pastors and theologians led by R.C. SproulThe best commentary from the Reformation Study BibleConcise & Helpful Study AidsOver 10,000 verse by– verse notesBook introductions that reveal Christ in all of ScriptureA Refined Study ExperienceSingle column scripture for easy readingCross References, concordance, table of weights and measures, and moreThis Bible features Smyth–sewn binding, one reference ribbon, concordance, 8 pages of high–resolution full color maps, and free bonus resources from Ligonier Ministries with registration.
With half a million copies in print, How to Read a Book is the best and most successful guide to reading comprehension for the general reader, completely rewritten and updated with new material.A CNN Book of the Week: “Explains not just why we should read books, but how we should read them. It's masterfully done.” –Farheed ZakariaOriginally published in 1940, this book is a rare phenomenon, a living classic that introduces and elucidates the various levels of reading and how to achieve them—from elementary reading, through systematic skimming and inspectional reading, to speed reading. Readers will learn when and how to “judge a book by its cover,” and also how to X-ray it, read critically, and extract the author’s message from the text.Also included is instruction in the different techniques that work best for reading particular genres, such as practical books, imaginative literature, plays, poetry, history, science and mathematics, philosophy and social science works.Finally, the authors offer a recommended reading list and supply reading tests you can use measure your own progress in reading skills, comprehension, and speed.
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • OVER ONE MILLION COPIES SOLD • A groundbreaking manifesto on living better and longer that challenges the conventional medical thinking on aging and reveals a new approach to preventing chronic disease and extending long-term health, from a visionary physician and leading longevity expert“One of the most important books you’ll ever read.”—Steven D. Levitt, New York Times bestselling author of FreakonomicsAN ECONOMIST AND BLOOMBERG BEST BOOK OF THE YEARWouldn’t you like to live longer? And better? In this operating manual for longevity, Dr. Peter Attia draws on the latest science to deliver innovative nutritional interventions, techniques for optimizing exercise and sleep, and tools for addressing emotional and mental health.For all its successes, mainstream medicine has failed to make much progress against the diseases of aging that kill most people: heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and type 2 diabetes. Too often, it intervenes with treatments too late to help, prolonging lifespan at the expense of healthspan, or quality of life. Dr. Attia believes we must replace this outdated framework with a personalized, proactive strategy for longevity, one where we take action now, rather than waiting.This is not “biohacking,” it’s science: a well-founded strategic and tactical approach to extending lifespan while also improving our physical, cognitive, and emotional health. Dr. Attia’s aim is less to tell you what to do and more to help you learn how to think about long-term health, in order to create the best plan for you as an individual. In Outlive, readers will discover:• Why the cholesterol test at your annual physical doesn’t tell you enough about your actual risk of dying from a heart attack.• That you may already suffer from an extremely common yet underdiagnosed liver condition that could be a precursor to the chronic diseases of aging.• Why exercise is the most potent pro-longevity “drug”—and how to begin training for the “Centenarian Decathlon.”• Why you should forget about diets, and focus instead on nutritional biochemistry, using technology and data to personalize your eating pattern.• Why striving for physical health and longevity, but ignoring emotional health, could be the ultimate curse of all.Aging and longevity are far more malleable than we think; our fate is not set in stone. With the right roadmap, you can plot a different path for your life, one that lets you outlive your genes to make each decade better than the one before.
The authoritative, unforgettable biography of Martin Luther, the great religious leader, who entered a monastery as a youth and who, as a man, shattered the structure of the medieval church. Luther spoke out against the corrupt religious practices that then existed. His demanded that the authority for doctrine and practice be Scriptures, rather than Popes or Councils, echoed around the world and ignited the Great Reformation. Accused of heresy and threatened with excommunication and death, Luther maintained his bold stand and refused to recant. In his crusade to eliminate religious abuses, he did more than any other man to establish the Protestant faith.
Over 1 Million Copies Sold | Winner of the ECPA Book of the Year Award“The scope and theological faithfulness of the ESV Study Bible study notes is breathtaking.” ―John PiperThe ESV Study Bible was designed to help you understand the Bible in a deeper way. Created by a diverse team of 95 leading Bible scholars and teachers―from 9 countries, nearly 20 denominations, and 50 seminaries, colleges, and universities―the ESV Study Bible features a wide array of study tools, including extensive study notes, 200 full-color maps, 40 full-color illustrations, charts, timelines, articles, and introductions, making it a valuable resource for serious readers, students, and teachers of God’s Word. Bestselling: Over 1 million copies sold 20,000 Study Notes: Accessible study notes on every page help readers dive deeper into Scripture’s meaning and application Robust Bible Resources: Includes 200+ charts and timelines, 240+ full-color maps and illustrations, 50+ topical theology articles, 120 Bible character profiles, and more Quality Production: All editions feature smyth-sewn binding, with TruTone and leather editions featuring additional ribbon markers, gilding, and a lifetime guarantee
A renowned historian debunks current distortion and myths about European colonialism in the New World and restores much needed balance to our understanding of the past.Was America really “stolen” from the Indians? Was Columbus a racist? Were Indians really peace-loving, communistic environmentalists? Did Europeans commit “genocide” in the New World?It seems that almost everyone—from CNN to the New York Times to angry students pulling down statues of our founders—believes that America’s history is a shameful tale of racism, exploitation, and cruelty.In Not Stolen, renowned historian Jeff Fynn-Paul systematically dismantles this relentlessly negative view of U.S. history, arguing that it is based on shoddy methods, misinformation, and outright lies about the past.America was not “stolen” from the Indians but fairly purchased piece by piece in a thriving land market. Nor did European settlers cheat, steal, murder, rape or purposely infect them with smallpox to the extent that most people believe. No genocide occurred—either literal or cultural—and the decline of Native populations over time is not due to violence but to assimilation and natural demographic processes.Fynn-Paul not only debunks these toxic myths, but provides a balanced portrait of this complex historical process over 500 years. The real history of Native and European relations will surprise you. Not only is this not a tale of shameful sins and crimes against humanity—it is more inspiring than you ever dared to imagine.
Reformation 21's End of Year Review of BooksPreaching's Survey of Bibles and Bible Reference"Who shall ascend the mountain of the LORD?" ―Psalm 24:3In many ways, this is the fundamental question of Old Testament Israel's cult―and, indeed, of life itself. How can creatures made from dust become members of God's household "forever"? The question of ascending God's mountain to his house was likely recited by pilgrims on approaching the temple on Mount Zion during the annual festivals. This entrance liturgy runs as an undercurrent throughout the Pentateuch and is at the heart of its central book, Leviticus. Its dominating concern, as well as that of the rest of the Bible, is the way in which humanity may come to dwell with God. Israel's deepest hope was not merely a liturgical question, but a historical quest.Under the Mosaic covenant, the way opened up by God was through the Levitical cult of the tabernacle and later temple, its priesthood and rituals. The advent of Christ would open up a new and living way into the house of God―indeed, that was the goal of his taking our humanity upon himself, his suffering, his resurrection and ascension.In this stimulating volume in the New Studies in Biblical Theology, Michael Morales explores the narrative context, literary structure and theology of Leviticus. He follows its dramatic movement, examines the tabernacle cult and the Day of Atonement, and tracks the development from Sinai?s tabernacle to Zion's temple―and from the earthly to the heavenly Mount Zion in the New Testament. He shows how life with God in the house of God was the original goal of the creation of the cosmos, and became the goal of redemption and the new creation.Addressing key issues in biblical theology, the works comprising New Studies in Biblical Theology are creative attempts to help Christians better understand their Bibles. The NSBT series is edited by D. A. Carson, aiming to simultaneously instruct and to edify, to interact with current scholarship and to point the way ahead.
It's a quickly changing world out there. A world enamored with anything new. But all that "progress" comes with a price: we now live in a relativistic culture that appears to be missing an anchor. All authority is questioned. Truth has been thrown out with traditional views. And nothing seems sure. Especially not matters of faith.Not even for Christians.So how do we find our spiritual moorings? In environments that seek to undermine faith at every turn, how do we solidify our thinking so that our faith will not waver? By holding fast to the "things that cannot be shaken" (Heb. 12:27), say authors Scott Oliphint and Rod Mays.For every challenge you're likely to face in the dorm, the classroom, even the workplace . . . Is Christianity true? Can faith really help in my struggle against sin? What does God have to do with my relationships? How can I know what's real?Things That Cannot Be Shaken equips you to respond biblically, with certainty and confidence. It will also challenge you to set aside those sins that cling so closely and to let what cannot be shaken become the defining characteristic of your walk with Christ.
This concise introduction to the systematized body of Christian doctrine is presented in clear and simple language, which makes it suitable for high school and college students as well as adult study groups. Includes review questions for further study at the end of each chapter.
John MacArthur's exhaustive study notes provide access to over 50 years of ministry to aid in a better understanding of God's word.Over 4 million readers around the world have had their spiritual lives enriched and their understanding of God’s Word expanded by The MacArthur Study Bible. Drawing on more than fifty years of dedicated pastoral and scholarly work, Dr. John MacArthur’s verse-by-verse study notes, book introductions, and articles display an unparalleled commitment to interpretive precision—with the goal of making God known through His Word.Trusted by readers worldwide, the MacArthur Study Bible has been recognized with the ECPA Platinum Award for selling over 4 million copies across translations.Features include: Fully redesigned second edition with updated study notes and expanded selection of maps and charts Bible book introductions provide an overview of the background and historical context of the book about to be read Nearly 25,000 verse-by-verse study notes for a better understanding of Scripture 190 in-text maps, charts, and diagrams provide a visual representation of meanings, themes, teachings, people, and places of Scripture Outline of Systematic Theology to guide you to study biblical doctrine in a logical order Over 72,000 references allow you to find related passages quickly and easily Concordance for looking up a word’s occurrences throughout the Bible Bible reading plans to guide you through reading God’s Word daily Chronology of Old Testament Patriarchs and Judges Chronology of Old Testament Kings and Prophets Chronology of the New Testament Overviews of Christ’s Life, Ministry, and Passion Week Harmony of the Gospels Introductions to each major section of Scripture Index to Key Bible Doctrines Easy-to-read 9.5-point NASB Comfort Print
World Magazine 2023 Book of the YearWhere Are Critical Theory and the Social Justice Movement Taking Us?Critical theory and its expression in fields such as critical race theory, critical pedagogy, and queer theory are having a profound impact on our culture. Contemporary critical theory’s ideas about race, class, gender, identity, and justice have dramatically shaped how people think, act, and view one another—in Christian and secular spheres alike.In Critical Dilemma, authors Neil Shenvi and Pat Sawyer illuminate the origins and influences of contemporary critical theory, considering it in the light of clear reason and biblical orthodoxy. While acknowledging that it can provide some legitimate insights regarding race, class, and gender, Critical Dilemma exposes the false assumptions at the heart of critical theory, arguing that it poses a serious threat to both the church and society at large.Drawing on exhaustive research and careful analysis, Shenvi and Sawyer condemn racism, urge Christians to seek justice, and offer a path forward for racial healing and unity while also opposing critical theory’s manifold errors.
The dramatic life of William Tyndale, the first person to translate the Bible into English from the original Greek and Hebrew"A massive contribution to the history of the Reformation in England."—J. Enoch Powell, Times Higher Education SupplementWilliam Tyndale (1494-1536) was the first person to translate the Bible into English from its original Greek and Hebrew and the first to print the Bible in English, which he did in exile. Giving the laity access to the word of God outraged the clerical establishment in England: he was condemned, hunted, and eventually murdered. However, his masterly translation formed the basis of all English bibles--including the "King James Bible," many of whose finest passages were taken unchanged, though unacknowledged, from Tyndale's work.This important book, published in the quincentenary year of his birth, is the first major biography of Tyndale in sixty years. It sets the story of his life in the intellectual and literary contexts of his immense achievement and explores his influence on the theology, literature, and humanism of Renaissance and Reformation Europe.David Daniell, editor of Tyndale's New Testament and Tyndale's Old Testament, eloquently describes the dramatic turns in Tyndale's life. Born in England and educated at Oxford, Tyndale was ordained as a priest. When he decided to translate the Bible into English, he realized that it was impossible to do that work in England and moved to Germany, living in exile there and in the Low Countries while he translated and printed first the New Testament and then half of the Old Testament. These were widely circulated—and denounced—in England. Yet Tyndale continued to write from abroad, publishing polemics in defense of the principles of the English reformation. He was seized in Antwerp, imprisoned in Vilvoorde Castle near Brussels, and burnt at the stake for heresy in 1536.Daniell discusses Tyndale's achievement as biblical translator and expositor, analyzes his writing, examines his stylistic influence on writers from Shakespeare to those of the twentieth century, and explores the reasons why he has not been more highly regarded. His book brings to life one of the great geniuses of the age.
Wall Street Journal Top 10 Best Books of 2023“Richard Norton Smith had brought a lifetime of wisdom, insight, and storytelling verve to the life of a consequential president—Gerald R. Ford. Ford’s is a very American life, and Smith has charted its vicissitudes and import with great grace and illuminating perspective. A marvelous achievement!” -- Jon MeachamFrom the preeminent presidential scholar and acclaimed biographer of historical figures including George Washington, Herbert Hoover, and Nelson Rockefeller comes this eye-opening life of Gerald R. Ford, whose presidency arguably set the course for post-liberal America and a post-Cold War world.For many Americans, President Gerald Ford was the genial accident of history who controversially pardoned his Watergate-tarnished predecessor, presided over the fall of Saigon, and became a punching bag on Saturday Night Live. Yet as Richard Norton Smith reveals in a book full of surprises, Ford was an underrated leader whose tough decisions and personal decency look better with the passage of time.Drawing on hundreds of interviews and thousands of documents, Smith recreates Ford’s hardscrabble childhood in Michigan, his early anti-establishment politics and lifelong love affair with the former Betty Bloomer, whose impact on American culture he predicted would outrank his own. As president, Ford guided the nation through its worst Constitutional crisis since the Civil War and broke the back of the most severe economic downturn since the Great Depression—accomplishing both with little fanfare or credit (at least until 2001 when the JFK Library gave him its prestigious Profile in Courage Award in belated recognition of the Nixon pardon).Less coda than curtain raiser, Ford's administration bridged the Republican pragmatism of Eisenhower and Nixon and the more doctrinaire conservatism of Ronald Reagan. His introduction of economic deregulation would transform the American economy, while his embrace of the Helsinki Accords hastened the collapse of the Soviet Union.Illustrated with sixteen pages of black-and-white photos, this definitive biography, a decade in the making, will change history’s views of a man whose warning about presidential arrogance (“God help the country”) is more relevant than ever.
Easy-to-read, large 11 point font Black letter text with red for book titles, running headers, chapter & page numbers Line matched, single column, verse-by-verse typeset Typesetting by 2K Denmark Over 95,000 cross references and over 14,000 translation footnotes 40 gsm Bible paper 1,696 pages Gold-gilded pages with rounded corners Smyth-sewn, paste-down binding with overcast stitching Rounded page corners Foil stamping and 5 raised hubs on spine Genuine cowhide leather with perimeter stitching Two double-sided satin ribbons A 90-page concordance with over 16,000 Scripture references 8 full-color maps Tables for weights, measurements, and monetary units Printed and bound in Korea
This work supplies a long-standing need in the field of early modern studies by providing a basic introduction to Reformed Scholasticism. Although technical studies abound and interest in the subject continues to rise, until the appearance of this work by Willem van Asselt and his colleagues, students of history have lacked a concise guide to help them navigate the difficult waters of Reformed Scholasticism. This book carefully defines the phenomena of scholasticism and orthodoxy, concisely surveys the era, notes the most significant thinkers together with the various trajectories of thought, and references the relevant secondary scholarship. In short, this Introduction to Reformed Scholasticism surveys the topic and provides a guide for further study in early modern Reformed thought.Table of Contents:1. Introduction: What Is Reformed Scholasticism? -- Willem J. van Asselt and Pieter L. Rouwendal2. The State of Scholarship: From Discontinuity to Continuity -- Willem J. van Asselt and Pieter L. Rouwendal3. 'As the Philosopher Says': Aristotle -- T. Theo J. Pleizier and Maarten Wisse4. The Teacher of the Ancient Church: Augustine -- Maarten Wisse5. The Method of the Schools: Medieval Scholasticism -- Pieter L. Rouwendal6. 'Open Hand and Fist': Humanism and Scholasticisim in the Reformation -- Willem J. Van Asselt7. Distinguishing and Teaching: Constructing a Theological Argument in Reformed Scholasticism -- Willem J. van Asselt and Pieter L. Rouwendal8. Scholasticism in the Time of Early Orthodoxy (ca. 1560-1620) -- Willem J. van Asselt9. Scholasticism in the Time of High Orthodoxy (ca. 1620-1700) -- Willem J. van Asselt10. Scholasticism in the Time of Late Orthodoxy (ca. 1700-1790)11. 'The Abutment against Which the Bridge of All later Protestant Theology Leans': Scholasticism and Today -- Willem J. van Asselt
When it first appeared in 1987, this book was the first full-length life of Jonathan Edwards to appear for almost fifty years. In the meantime the Pastor of Northampton, Missionary to the Indians in Stockbridge, and President of the New Jersey College (later Princeton) has been increasingly recognized as the greatest intellectual figure in eighteenth-century America. Never before has so much material by Edwards or such detailed studies of his thought been available. Yet many of those who have led this renaissance of Edwards studies remain personally out of sympathy with almost every one of their subject's personal convictions. Special interest therefore attaches to Iain H. Murrary's carefully-researched biography. Writing with the easy style, spiritual insight and sympathy with his subject which marks his other biographical works, Murray builds on the older lives of Edwards, but also harvests material from more recent studies. Iain Murray believes that Edwards cannot be understood apart from his faith. Only when seen first and foremost as a Christian do his life and writings make sense.
Often called the “Prince of Preachers,” Charles Spurgeon preached to over 10 million people in his lifetime, and his written sermons have impacted millions more since 1866. The CSB Spurgeon Study Bible features thousands of excerpts from Spurgeon’s sermons as commentary, selected and edited by Alistair Begg to bring the richness of the Prince of Preachers’ insights into your daily study of God’s Word.FEATURES: Introductory biography for Charles Spurgeon Study notes crafted from Spurgeon sermons Extracted sermon illustrations placed on the same page as the associated biblical text Sermon notes and outlines in Spurgeon’s own handwriting “Spurgeon Quotables” inserted throughout each Bible book Book introductions with book overviews in Spurgeon’s own words Elegant two-color design Two-column format Black letter text 10.75-point type size Topical subject headings Smyth-sewn binding with ribbon marker Concordance Presentation page Full-color mapsThe CSB Spurgeon Study Bible features the highly readable, highly reliable text of the Christian Standard Bible® (CSB). The CSB stays as literal as possible to the Bible’s original meaning without sacrificing clarity, making it easier to engage with Scripture’s life-transforming message and to share it with others.
This true crime odyssey explores a forgotten, astonishing chapter of American history, leading the reader from a free-love community in upstate New York to the shocking assassination of President James Garfield.It was heaven on earth—and, some whispered, the devil’s garden.Thousands came by trains and carriages to see this new Eden, carved from hundreds of acres of wild woodland. They marveled at orchards bursting with fruit, thick herds of Ayrshire cattle and Cotswold sheep, and whizzing mills. They gaped at the people who lived in this place—especially the women, with their queer cropped hair and shamelessly short skirts. The men and women of this strange outpost worked and slept together—without sin, they claimed.From 1848 to 1881, a small utopian colony in upstate New York—the Oneida Community—was known for its shocking sexual practices, from open marriage and free love to the sexual training of young boys by older women. And in 1881, a one-time member of the Oneida Community—Charles Julius Guiteau—assassinated President James Garfield in a brutal crime that shook America to its core.An Assassin in Utopia is the first book that weaves together these explosive stories in a tale of utopian experiments, political machinations, and murder. This deeply researched narrative—by bestselling author Susan Wels—tells the true, interlocking stories of the Oneida Community and its radical founder, John Humphrey Noyes; his idol, the eccentric newspaper publisher Horace Greeley (founder of the New Yorker and the New York Tribune); and the gloomy, indecisive President James Garfield—who was assassinated after his first six months in office.Juxtaposed to their stories is the odd tale of Garfield’s assassin, the demented Charles Julius Guiteau, who was connected to all of them in extraordinary, surprising ways.Against a vivid backdrop of ambition, hucksterism, epidemics, and spectacle, the book’s interwoven stories fuse together in the climactic murder of President Garfield in 1881—at the same time as the Oneida Community collapsed.Colorful and compelling, An Assassin in Utopia is a page-turning odyssey through America’s nineteenth-century cultural and political landscape.
This book seeks to throw light on the reasons which have given rise to the superficial image of Spurgeon as a genial Victorian pulpiteer, a kind of grandfather of modern evangelicalism. Even before his death in 1892 newspapers and church leaders disputed over the features of his life which entitled him to fame. Not his 'narrow creed' but his 'genuine loving character' was most worthy of remembrance said one periodical, echoing the general view. When Joseph Parker contrasted the hard Calvinism preached at Spurgeon's Tabernacle with the praiseworthy Christianity exemplified in his orphanage, The Baptist protested that the man about whom Parker wrote 'is not the Spurgeon of history'. But the distortion continued and Spurgeon forecast how the position he help might fare in years to come: 'I am quite willing to be eaten by dogs for the next fifty years but the more distant future shall vindicate me'. This book traces the main lines of Spurgeon's spiritual thought in connection with the three great controversies in his ministry.
It is the 200th anniversary of Newton's death - converted slave-trader, preacher, hymn-writer; one with an incredible grasp of Scripture and a deep experience of God's grace! This title also includes several letters never before published.
Winner of the Bancroft Prize • Finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award for Biography • Finalist for the American Society of Church History’s Philip Schaff Prize“The finest biography of this towering figure. . . . Marsden guides readers through Edwards’s profoundly alien world with authority and fluidity.”—Benjamin Schwarz, Atlantic MonthlyA controversial theologian and the author of the famous sermon Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, Jonathan Edwards (1703–1758) ignited the momentous Great Awakening of the eighteenth century. In this definitive and long-awaited biography, Jonathan Edwards emerges as both a great American and a brilliant Christian. George Marsden evokes the world of colonial New England in which Edwards was reared—a frontier civilization at the center of a conflict between Native Americans, French Catholics, and English Protestants. Drawing on newly available sources, Marsden demonstrates how these cultural and religious battles shaped Edwards’s life and thought. Marsden reveals Edwards as a complex thinker and human being who struggled to reconcile his Puritan heritage with the secular, modern world emerging out of the Enlightenment. In this, Edwards’s life anticipated the deep contradictions of our American culture.Meticulously researched and beautifully composed, this biography offers a compelling portrait of an eminent American.
This best-selling tale is based on the biblical figures of David, Saul, and Absalom. For the many Christians who have experienced pain, loss, and heartache at the hands of other believers, this compelling story offers comfort, healing, and hope. Christian leaders and directors of religious movements throughout the world have recommended this simple, powerful, and beautiful story to their members and staff. You will want to join the thousands who have been profoundly touched by this incomparable story.
JC Ryle was a faithful evangelical Christian and prolific writer as well as Bishop of Liverpool; his larger works such as Holiness and Practical Religion have never been out of print since they were written in the later nineteenth century. But Ryle also wrote shorter works that are of great value. In this new series these have been lightly updated and produced for the twenty-first century church. The needs that Ryle identified and that led him to write have not changed! Do You Pray? challenges all Christians in a day when prayer meetings are in decline and personal serious prayer is increasingly rare. Ryle's approach is simple and straight- forward and easily understood by both young and old.
In his own day the dominant personality of the Western Church, Augustine of Hippo today stands as perhaps the greatest thinker of Christian antiquity, and his Confessions is one of the great works of Western literature. In this intensely personal narrative, Augustine relates his rare ascent from a humble Algerian farm to the edge of the corridors of power at the imperial court in Milan, his struggle against the domination of his sexual nature, his renunciation of secular ambition and marriage, and the recovery of the faith his mother Monica had taught him during his childhood.Now, Henry Chadwick, an eminent scholar of early Christianity, has given us the first new English translation in thirty years of this classic spiritual journey. Chadwick renders the details of Augustine's conversion in clear, modern English. We witness the future saint's fascination with astrology and with the Manichees, and then follow him through scepticism and disillusion with pagan myths until he finally reaches Christian faith. There are brilliant philosophical musings about Platonism and the nature of God, and touching portraits of Augustine's beloved mother, of St. Ambrose of Milan, and of other early Christians like Victorinus, who gave up a distinguished career as a rhetorician to adopt the orthodox faith. Augustine's concerns are often strikingly contemporary, yet his work contains many references and allusions that are easily understood only with background information about the ancient social and intellectual setting. To make The Confessions accessible to contemporary readers, Chadwick provides the most complete and informative notes of any recent translation, and includes an introduction to establish the context.The religious and philosophical value of The Confessions is unquestionable--now modern readers will have easier access to St. Augustine's deeply personal meditations. Chadwick's lucid translation and helpful introduction clear the way for a new experience of this classic.About the Series: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the broadest spectrum of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, voluminous notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.
“It is vital for every Christian to know how to study the Bible. My prayer for you is that you study the Word of God. Fight for it. Obey it. Love it. Honor it. And believe it.” –Dr. John MacArthurThis book will help you do it.How to Study the Bible is a nonintimidating guide that answers both the “why” and “how” of Bible study. In this revised work, Dr. John MacArthur examines various Scripture passages in the Old and New Testaments. Drawing from years of experience, he clearly lays out biblical truths and follows them with practical steps.Complete with questions for review and thoughts for reflection at the end of each section, this thorough, insightful, and concise reference will serve as an excellent resource for personal or group Bible study.
An urgent call, with practical guidelines, for believers to commit themselves to regular and systematic heartfelt prayer as an essential spiritual discipline of the Christian life.
The autobiography of John G. Paton contains everything necessary to make it a missionary classic. Born into a Christian family near Dumfries in 1824, Paton's early years were marked by a struggle against poverty. He was self-educated, and the training ground for his life's work was the slums of Glasgow where he laboured with success as a city missionary. With 'the wail of the perishing heathen in the South Seas' continually sounding in his ears, he prepared himself to serve overseas and was ordained as a missionary to the New Hebrides in 1858. This group of thirty mountainous islands, so named by Captain Cook, with its unhealthy climate, was then inhabited by savages and cannibals. The first attempt to introduce Christianity to them resulted in John Williams and James Harris being clubbed to death within a few minutes of landing in 1839. The difficulties that confronted Paton were accentuated by the sudden death of his wife and child within months of their arrival. Against the savagery and the superstition, despite the trials and the tragedies, Paton persevered and witnessed the triumph of the gospel in two of these South Sea islands. His life is almost without parallel in missionary annals and his account of it is moving and gripping.
A spiritual biography of the "father of modern missions,"Hudson Taylor's Spiritual Secret poses one question: What empowered Hudson Taylor's ministry in China?The answer is unfolded in these pages. Written by Taylor's son and daughter-in-law, it shows us a man with fierce faith who believed that God truly would fuflill all He promises in Scripture.For Christians longing for the inward joy and power that Hudson Taylor had, they can find the secret to it here. The secret, it turns out, is available to any who call on Christ's name."An easy, non-self-denying life will never be one of power," Taylor said. "Fruit-bearing involves cross-bearing. There are not two Christs—an easygoing one for easygoing Christians, and a suffering, toiling one for exceptional believers. There is only one Christ. Are you willing to abide in Him, and thus to bear much fruit?"Now with a new foreword by George Verwer
"All Christians know they should pray, but sometimes it’s hard to know how—especially if the minutes start to drag and our minds start to wander. Offering readers hope, encouragement, and the practical advice they’re looking for, this concise book by professor Donald Whitney outlines a simple, time-tested method that can help transform our prayer lives: praying the words of the Bible. Praying the Bible shows readers how to pray through portions of Scripture one line at a time, helping us stay focused by allowing God’s Word itself to direct our thoughts and words. Simple yet profound, this resource will prove invaluable to all Christians as they seek to commune with their heavenly Father in prayer each and every day."
A Chance to Die is a vibrant portrayal of Amy Carmichael, an Irish missionary and writer who spent fifty-three years in south India without furlough. There she became known as "Amma," or "mother," as she founded the Dohnavur Fellowship, a refuge for underprivileged children.Amy's life of obedience and courage stands as a model for all who claim the name of Christ. She was a woman with desires and dreams, faults and fears, who gave her life unconditionally to serve her Master.Bringing Amma to life through inspiring photos and compelling biographical narrative, Elisabeth Elliot urges readers to examine the depths of their own commitment to Christ.
“Our Father, who art in heaven….”The opening words of the Lord’s Prayer have become so familiar that we often speak them without a thought, sometimes without any awareness that we are speaking at all. But to the disciples who first heard these words from Jesus, the prayer was a thunderbolt, a radical new way to pray that changed them and the course of history.Far from a safe series of comforting words, the Lord’s Prayer makes extraordinary claims, topples every earthly power, and announces God’s reign over all things in heaven and on earth. In this groundbreaking new book, R. Albert Mohler Jr. recaptures the urgency and transformational nature of the prayer, revealing once again its remarkable, world-upending power. Step by step, phrase by phrase, The Prayer That Turns the World Upside Down explains what these words mean and how we are to pray them.The Lord’s Prayer is the most powerful prayer in the Bible, taught by Jesus to those closest to him. We desperately need to relearn its power and practice. The Prayer That Turns the World Upside Down shows us how.
What are the best things I could pray for my family, my church, and myself?So many of us struggle with prayer. Many books have been written on the subject and there’s a reason for that. Prayer comes hard to most of us, in most seasons. And when we do pray, we often don't know what to say. What is it that my Father loves to hear about? What are the best things I could pray for my family, my church, and myself?This short book by renowned Bible teacher Alistair Begg combines warmth, clarity, humour, and practicality as he examines Paul’s prayers for his friends in the church in Ephesus.Paul clearly enjoyed prayer, and was excited about it. He expected his Father in heaven to hear what he said, and to act in other people’s lives accordingly. The truths that underpin and shape his prayers will motivate us to pray and set us an example.So be inspired by the Apostle Paul to pray bigger and better prayers as we look to our heavenly Father to do more than all we ask or imagine!
Life’s inevitable difficulties and disappointments can discourage us from praying, but our response should be to pray anyway and keep praying. Whatever we seek, God invites us to come to Him with confidence, believing that He is able to answer—and He will answer.We can pray for: Forgiveness like David Wisdom like Solomon Healing like Hezekiah A child like Hannah Deliverance like Jonah Mercy like the 10 lepers Salvation like the thief on the crossBut are you convinced that prayer works, even when you don’t get the answers you want? In It Happens After Prayer, Pastor HB Charles, Jr. motivates and encourages us to respond to the challenges of life with prayer, to pray without ceasing, and to pray with great expectations.Are you ready for a new level of earnest, passionate, God-size prayers? Don’t let another day go by without praying and seeking the face of God, because it happens after prayer.
A Quest for Godliness explores the depth and breadth of Puritan spiritual life. Drawing on a lifetime of study, Packer surveys the lives and teachings of great Puritan leaders such as John Owen, Richard Baxter, and Jonathan Edwards. He examines the Puritan view of the Bible, spiritual gifts, the Sabbath, worship, social action, and the family. The Puritans’ faith, Packer argues, stands in marked contrast with the superficiality of modern western Christianity.In a time of failing vision and decaying values, this powerful portrait of the Puritans is a beacon of hope that calls us to radical commitment and action, both desperately needed today. Beautifully written, A Quest for Godliness is a moving and challenging exploration of Puritan life and thought. Here is J. I. Packer at his very best.
The Death of Death in the Death of Christ is a polemical work, designed to show, among other things, that the doctrine of universal redemption is unscriptural and destructive to the gospel. Those who see no need for doctrinal exactness and have no time for theological debates which show up divisions between Evangelicals may well regret its reappearnace. Some may find the very sound of Owen's thesis so shocking that they will refuse to read his book at all. It is to those who share this readiness that Owen's treatise is offered, in the belief that it will help us in one of the most urgent tasks facing Evangelical Christendom today - the recovery of the gospel. 'It is safe to say that no comparable exposition of the work of redemption as planned and executed by the Triune Jehovah has ever been done since Owen published this in 1648.' - J. I. Packer
More teens are turning away from the faith than ever before: it is estimated that 75 to 88 percent of Christian teens walk away from Christianity by the end of their freshman year of college. Something must be done.Family Driven Faith equips Christian parents with the tools they need to raise children biblically in a post-Christian, antifamily society. Voddie Baucham, who with his wife has overcome a multigenerational legacy of broken and dysfunctional homes, shows that God has not left us alone in raising godly children.This bold book is an urgent call to parents―and the church―to return to biblical discipleship in and through the home. This paperback edition includes a new preface and a study guide to facilitate interaction in small-group settings and to help parents put principles into practice.
Ten African-American leaders in the church tell their stories of how they embraced Reformed theology and what effect it has had on their lives and ministries.The ten men who have contributed to this book are often asked, "How did you come to embrace Reformed theology?" With the recent surge in popularity of Reformed theology in the broader evangelical world and the growing interest among African-Americans, it shouldn't seem curious that more and more African-American churchmen are embracing Reformed theology. But the question remains, and Glory Road provides an answer, using personal accounts tracing their conversion to Christianity, their introduction to and embrace of Reformed theology, and this theology's effect on their lives and ministries. Ultimately, Glory Road is about the glory of God in providentially bringing men and women to the truths of salvation.In addition to the book's editor, Anthony J. Carter, Glory Road includes contributions from such notable pastors as Thabiti Anyabwile, Ken Jones, Michael Leach, and Eric Redmond.
It’s hard to overestimate the importance of the family, and that of fathers in particular. We’ve heard it said, “As the family goes, so goes the nation.” But it can also be said that “as the father goes, so goes the family.” Consequently, Voddie Baucham has set out to teach men how to faithfully shepherd their families.Derived from Baucham’s monthly meetings with men in his church, Family Shepherds calls men to accountability for their God-given responsibilities in their homes. Baucham’s clear style and practical approach will spur men to protect their marriage, raise kingdom-minded children, value the synergy between church and home, and navigate difficult family dynamics.Family Shepherds is a book for any husband or father looking to lead well, and it will serve as an excellent resource for churches looking to equip the men in their congregations.
This volume contains Edwards’ most mature and persistent attempt to judge the validity of the religious development in eighteenth-century America known as the Great Awakening. In developing criteria for such judgment he attacked at the same time one of the fundamental questions facing all religion: how to distinguish genuine from spurious piety? The Awakening created much bitter controversy; on the one side stood the emotionalists and enthusiasts, and on the other the rationalists, for whom religion was essentially a matter of morality or good conduct and the acceptance of properly formulated doctrine. Edwards, with great analytical skill and enormous biblical learning, showed that both sides were in the wrong. He attacked both a “lifeless morality” as too pale as to be the essence of religion, and he rejected the excesses of a purely emotional religion more concerned for sensational effects than for the inner transformation of the self, which was, for him, the center of genuine Christianity.
THIS BOOK IS COMPRISED OF FAMILY WORSHIP THOUGHTS EXTRACTED FROM THE REFORMATION HERITAGE STUDY BIBLE.Leading and nurturing your family as you seek to glorify God and encourage spiritual growth in your home is both God's command and your privilege. One of the best and most effective ways to do this is through intentional, worshipful, daily family devotions where the truths of God's life-changing Word are openly discussed chapter by chapter.Hand in hand with your Bible, this Family Worship Bible Guide presents rich devotional thoughts on all 1,189 chapters in the Bible, including searching questions to promote conversation, to help you with this responsibility.Use this resource every day alongside Scripture to read each chapter's major takeaways aloud and then discuss them with your family. With the Holy Spirit's blessing, this book will transform you and your family!
Pastor Jason Helopoulos calls parents and church leaders to reclaim the practice of family worship. This indispensable means of grace directs our children to seek Christ daily, preparing them to go out into the world as fully functioning Christian adults, who love Christ and see all of life in relation to Him.
Named a "Book of the Century" by Christianity Today "If Jesus was not God in human flesh, Christianity is exploded," writes John Stott. "We are left with just another religion with some beautiful ideas and noble ethics; its unique distinction has gone." Who is Jesus Christ? If he is not who he said he was, and if he did not do what he said he had come to do, the whole superstructure of Christianity crumbles in ruin. Is it plausible that Jesus was truly divine? And what would that mean for us? John Stott's clear, classic book, now updated, examines the historical facts on which Christianity stands. Here is a sound, sensible guide for all who seek an intellectually satisfying explanation of the Christian faith.
The work of a lifetime, from one of the world's most influential thinkers, about the heart of the Christian faith. "I could never myself believe in God, if it were not for the cross. . . . In the real world of pain, how could one worship a God who was immune to it?" With compelling honesty John Stott confronts this generation with the centrality of the cross in God's redemption of the world -- a world now haunted by the memories of Auschwitz, the pain of oppression and the specter of nuclear war. Can we see triumph in tragedy, victory in shame? Why should an object of Roman distaste and Jewish disgust be the emblem of our worship and the axiom of our faith? And what does it mean for us today? Now from one of the foremost preachers and Christian leaders of our day comes theology at its readable best, a contemporary restatement of the meaning of the cross. At the cross Stott finds the majesty and love of God disclosed, the sin and bondage of the world exposed. More than a study of the atonement, this book brings Scripture into living dialogue with Christian theology and the twentieth century. What emerges is a pattern for Christian life and worship, hope and mission. Destined to be a classic study of the center of our faith, Stott's work is the product of a uniquely gifted pastor, scholar and Christian statesman. His penetrating insight, charitable scholarship and pastoral warmth are guaranteed to feed both heart and mind.
Winner of the ECPA Book of the Year Award for Christian LivingOver 100,000 Copies in PrintWhat is your calling as a parent?In the midst of folding laundry, coordinating carpool schedules, and breaking up fights, many parents get lost. Feeling pressure to do everything “right” and raise up “good” children, it’s easy to lose sight of our ultimate purpose as parents in the quest for practical tips and guaranteed formulas.In this life-giving book, Paul Tripp offers parents much more than a to-do list. Instead, he presents us with a big-picture view of God’s plan for us as parents. Outlining fourteen foundational principles centered on the gospel, he shows that we need more than the latest parenting strategy or list of techniques. Rather, we need the rescuing grace of God―grace that has the power to shape how we view everything we do as parents.Freed from the burden of trying to manufacture life-change in our children’s hearts, we can embrace a grand perspective of parenting overflowing with vision, purpose, and joy.
New issue of a theological classic on the atonementOriginally published in 1955 and reprinted dozens of times over the years, John Murray’s Redemption Accomplished and Applied systematically explains the two sides of redemption -- its accomplishment through Christ’s atonement and its application to the lives of believers.Murray explores the biblical passages dealing with the necessity, nature, perfection, and extent of the atonement in order to establish its relationship to our justification, sanctification, and glorification. He goes on to identify the distinct steps in the Bible’s presentation of how the redemption accomplished by Christ is applied progressively to the life of the redeemed, including the role of faith and repentance.Concise, precise, and accessible, Murray’s classic doctrinal study will now reach and benefit a new generation of readers.
Our boys are not simply boys; they are future men who will shape the world with their resilience. Immerse yourself in the pages of this book, where Douglas Wilson’s wisdom about true gospel-based parenting points to scripture for how to raise our boys into strong, faithful men. Embark on a profound journey with "Future Men," a remarkable Christian parenting book meticulously curated for dedicated moms and dads. Elevate your family's faith voyage through the time-honored principles of growing kids God’s way. Douglas Wilson begins with a call to fathers, and then addresses the importance of things such as athletics and intellectual tenacity, respecting girls, developing a robust work ethic, avoiding money traps, fighting idols, and secret sin. This book pushes scriptural patterns for masculinity into all the corners of a boy’s life. With “Future Men,” forge a legacy of Christ-centered parenting values that echo through generations. Elevate your parenting with this beacon of wisdom amid a sea of books on raising boys. "Future Men" invites you to rewrite the narrative of boyhood, molding it into a robust foundation for faithful manhood. As you embark on this gospel powered parenting journey, your son’s future family will thrive, a testament to the profound impact of a faith driven family. As much as it may distress us, our boys are future men. When Theodore Roosevelt taught Sunday school for a time, a boy showed up one Sunday with a black eye. He admitted he had been fighting and on a Sunday too. He told the future president that a bigger boy had been pinching his sister, and so he fought him. TR told him that he had done perfectly right and gave him a dollar. The stodgy vestrymen thought this was a bit much, and so they let their exuberant Sunday school teacher go. What a loss. Unbelief cannot look past surfaces. Unbelief squashes; faith teaches. Faith takes a boy aside and tells him that this part of what he did was good, while that other part of he did got in the way. "And this is how to do it better next time."
Using kings of the Old Testament as character studies, Steve Farrar examines the critical role a father plays in preparing his son to become a godly man. What separated the good kings from the bad kings was a father who made time commitments to mentor his son, by modeling biblical manhood. Do you want your son to become a man of regal character? Then this book is for you!
A classic work on contentment in a Christian by the Puritan Jeremiah Burroughs.
Every father knows failure. It comes with the territory. One generation to the next, imperfect men chip away at God's original design for daddies, leaving a flawed pattern for their sons to follow. Overwhelmed by their failures, it's easy for fathers to feel they have blown it for good and can't redeem themselves.Within these pages, Tim Bayly offers a frank and hope-filled path to overcoming the inherent failures of imperfect fathers--and to reclaiming manhood and dignity for the man called Daddy. Drawing from decades of his own journey as an imperfect son, father, and pastor, Bayly makes it clear there are no quick fixes. The road to recovery is paved with blood, sweat, and tears, but our Savior walked this path before us.Daddy Tried makes no apologies for being a book for men. Its subject is the male-only club of fatherhood. It takes the only perfect Father as our guide. Bayly stares the sins of fathers past, present, and future squarely in the face and clears a path to overcoming them--a path that begins with faith in our heavenly Father who tells us He knows our weaknesses.
Reflecting on forty years of marriage, John Piper rivets our attention on its Christ-exalting, covenant-keeping essence―the rich soil for genuine growth."An instant classic. It is at once biblical and devotional, the fruit of seasoned theological reflection and four decades of 'momentary' marriage." ―Andreas J. Köstenberger, Director of the Center for Biblical Studies and Research Professor of New Testament and Biblical Theology, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary; Founder, Biblical FoundationsThe chasm between the biblical vision of marriage and the common human conception is―and has always been―gargantuan.Reflecting on over forty years of matrimony, John Piper exalts the biblical meaning of marriage over its emotion, exhorting couples to keep their covenant as a display of Christ’s covenant-keeping love for the church. He aims to lift the church’s low view of marriage to something infinitely greater, namely, a vision of Jesus’s unswerving allegiance to and affection for his bride.This Momentary Marriage unpacks the biblical vision, its unexpected contours, and its weighty implications for married, single, divorced, and remarried alike.
the Bestselling Chronicles Of Narnia Rack Box Set Now Has Movie Still Images Form The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader Live-action Film On The Box! All Books Inside The Box Feature Cliff Nielsen's Cover Art.school Library Journalgr 4-8-in The Third Book In C.s. Lewis's Chronicles Of Narnia (but The Fifth Installment In Focus On The Family's Radio Theatre Production), Edmund And Lucy Pevensy Along With Their Bratty Cousin, Eustace, Are Transported Through A Painting Into Narnia Where They Join Prince Caspian On A Voyage To The West. The Children Are Tested On This Voyage, And Visit Strange Lands And Encounter Unusual Creatures. Eustace Is Turned Into A Dragon, And Then Helped To Return To Human Form By Aslan, The Lion God. This Outstanding Full-cast Dramatization Adheres Closely To The Book's Text. Recorded In London, Actor Paul Scofield Is The Storyteller, And Other Parts Are Dramatically Read By Other British Actors. The Production Features Sound Effects And Background Music, Which Sometimes Becomes Obtrusive. While Adults Might Find The Story A Little Dated At Times And The Religious Elements Somewhat Heavy Handed, Children Will Not Notice And Will Enjoy The Story. This Is A More Complete Version Of The Story Than The Excellent Bbc Production Available From Bantam Audiobooks (1998).-louise Sherman, Formerly Anna C. Scott School, Leonia, Nj Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
From communication to sex, from divorce to the sanctity of marriage, Sproul leads you past potential problems into joyous communion with your spouse in Christ.
Hailed by Washington Post Book World as “the best [translation] currently available" when it was first published, this second edition of Crime and Punishment has been updated in honor of the 200th anniversary of Dostoevsky’s birth. • ONE OF TIME MAGAZINE'S 100 BEST MYSTERY AND THRILLER BOOKS OF ALL TIMEWith the same suppleness, energy, and range of voices that won their translation of The Brothers Karamazov the PEN/Book-of-the-Month Club Prize, Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky offer a brilliant translation of Crime and Punishment, Dostoevsky's astounding pyschological thriller, newly revised for his bicentenniel.In Crime and Punishment, when Raskolnikov, an impoverished student living in the St. Petersburg of the tsars, commits an act of murder and theft, he sets into motion a story that is almost unequalled in world literature for its excruciating suspense, its atmospheric vividness, and its depth of characterization and vision. Dostoevsky’s drama of sin, guilt, and redemption transforms the sordid story of an old woman’s murder into the nineteenth century’s profoundest and most compelling philosophical novel.
Marriage is a profound and marvelous mystery established by God for his glory-and that is for our good. So many marital relationships never reach their greatest potential because they have the fatal limitation of being focused on one another. When our focus is solely on God, our marriages have the potential to thrive and not merely survive.
You hold in your hands a guide to spiritual maturity and an opportunity to embrace God’s plan for you as a woman, a wife, a mentor, and a mother. In this book of instruction for women of all ages, Carolyn Mahaney explores seven virtues from Titus 2 that have transformed her life and the lives of countless other women. Learn how to live with true feminine appeal and become a woman who lives for God and helps others to do the same.
Instead of teaching men how to hone their aggressive traits, modern society tells us to “smash the patriarchy.” Modern churches offer the meek servant-leader as the only model for manliness. In most contexts today, men who display signs of independence are simply shown the door.This leaves most young men lost. They don’t know what to do or how to improve, so they watch Jordan Peterson clips on YouTube in an attempt grow in their masculinity and sense of mission. In this book, Michael Foster and Bnonn Tennant remind men that their natural aggressive instincts are gifts from God that are meant to be used for the kingdom. Men are supposed to found households, join brotherhoods, and work towards a mission.God made men to be strong and to be risk-takers. This is a feature, not a bug. It's Good to Be A Man is a handbook for men showing where you are and how to find out where you should be going. Foster and Tennant will show you why it is good to be a man.This book is published by Canon Press. At Canon Press, we’re gospel outfitters: no matter who you are or what you do, you’re called to be increasing in Biblical faithfulness. That’s because Jesus’s death and resurrection changed everything: All of Christ, for all of life, for all the world.As the wisest man said, “Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has already accepted your works” (Eccl. 9:7).We believe reformation and revival start from faith in the Lord with joyful obedience to the Bible, and that is what makes everyday tasks significant and transforms culture. Because of these beliefs, we offer books on Christian living, encouragement, contentment, raising kids, healthy marriages, educational choices, classical education, homeschooling, politics, government, feminism, identity, manhood, womanhood, singleness, virtue, and so much more.
J. I. Packer's Classic Resource on EvangelismIf God is in control of everything, can Christians sit back and not bother to evangelize? Or does active evangelism imply that God is not really sovereign at all?J. I. Packer shows in this new edition to the popular IVP Classics how both of these attitudes are false. In Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, readers will find: A careful review of the biblical evidence, Packer's explication of how a right understanding of God's sovereignty is not so much a barrier to evangelism as an incentive and powerful support for it, and Powerful illustrations and applications that bring biblical wisdom into everyday life.With over 100,000 copies in print, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God is truly a classic that should be read by every Christian.
What should a church do?Look at your church’s calendar and you will learn something of its mission. But how do you know it’s the mission Jesus gave?In The Life of the Church, Joe Thorn explains the mission of the church and the three rhythms for fulfilling it. The result is a simple, memorable model for church life and ministry, grounded in Scripture and aligned with historic practices. Useful for training in membership class, discipleship groups, and elder boards—and even for devotional reading—The Life of the Church is at once theological, practical, and experiential. Readers will not simply be informed, but led to a deeper conviction about their role in the body of Christ. Pastors will be equipped to refocus their ministries, and Christians to fulfill their purpose: be and make disciples.If you wonder what it means to be saved into a body of believers, why the various parts of a worship service matter, and how to engage in the world as a citizen of heaven, then The Life of the Church is for you. It answers this critical question: “Why does the church exist, and how does it shape my life?”
What makes a church a church?Is it "where three or more are gathered"? Is it songs and a sermon on Sunday? Does it require structure and leadership? How do you know?The Character of the Church dispels confusion by describing the five elements of a biblical church. Concise, accessible, and historically informed, it teaches God’s design for church so you know what to look for in one—or even how to lead one.Useful for training in membership classes, discipleship groups, and elder boards—and even for devotional reading—The Character of the Church is at once theological, practical, and experiential. Readers will not simply be informed, but led to a deeper appreciation of the church of God and its essential marks: The word of God is faithfully preached The sacraments are rightly administered Leadership is biblically formed and functioning Discipline is practiced with grace The mission of the church is shared by allThis book will bring churches and Christians back to the biblical picture of a local body, perfect for any believer eager to grow and help others do likewise.
What does the church believe?Every church has a driving confession, but what is the confession of a true and biblical church?The Heart of the Church answers with the gospel. It explains the story of the gospel, its basic doctrines, and God’s work in salvation. Fresh yet consistent with classic expressions, it helps churches reclaim their essential identity and return from distracting pursuits.Useful for training in membership classes, discipleship groups, and elder boards—and even for devotional reading—The Heart of the Church is at once theological, practical, and experiential. Readers will not simply be informed, but led to believe in, rejoice in, and be transformed by the truth of God for His gathered people.Without the gospel, the church does not exist. This book is Thorn’s full and detailed exploration of the message that is indispensable to the church’s life and identity. For any church lacking power, any Christian feeling dry, or any person seeking truth, The Heart of the Church brings relief, direction, and light, leading to worship.
Nestled in a few verses in Luke’s Gospel is a Jesus who would not have been tolerated today: He was not politically correct and He certainly did not try to save people’s feelings. Steven Lawson unpacks these few verses, looking at the unashamed honesty, passion, and urgency with which Jesus explains the life–long cost involved in choosing to follow Him. True Christianity is the biggest sacrifice any person ever makes … but it is in pursuit of the most precious prize ever glimpsed.
Pastor Mark Dever seeks to help readers understand the biblical foundations of evangelism and challenge them to develop a culture of evangelism in their lives and their local churches.
What is an ideal church, and how can you tell?How does it look different from other churches? More importantly, how does it act differently, especially in society? Many of us aren't sure how to answer those questions, even though we probably have some preconceived idea. But with this book, you don't have to wonder any more.Author Mark Dever seeks to help believers recognize the key characteristics of a healthy church: expositional preaching, biblical theology, and a right understanding of the gospel. Dever then calls us to develop those characteristics in our own churches. By following the example of New Testament authors and addressing church members from pastors to pew sitters, Dever challenges all believers to do their part in maintaining the local church. What Is a Healthy Church? offers timeless truths and practical principles to help each of us fulfill our God-given roles in the body of Christ.
A famed historian once noted that, regardless of what you think of him personally, Jesus Christ stands as the central figure in the history of Western civilization. A man violently rejected by some and passionately worshipped by others, Jesus remains as polarizing as ever. But most people still know very little about who he really was, why he was really here, or what he really claimed.Intended as a succinct introduction to Jesus’s life, words, and enduring significance, Who Is Jesus? offers non-Christians and new Christians alike a compelling portrait of Jesus Christ. Ultimately, this book encourages readers to carefully consider the history-shaping life and extraordinary teachings of the greatest man who ever lived.
Nearly 200,000 copies sold!Chosen by God by Dr. R. C. Sproul is a contemporary classic on predestination, a doctrine that isn’t just for Calvinists. It is a doctrine for all biblical Christians. In this updated and expanded edition of Chosen by God, Sproul shows that the doctrine of predestination doesn’t create a whimsical or spiteful picture of God, but rather paints a portrait of a loving God who provides redemption for radically corrupt humans.We choose God because he has opened our eyes to see his beauty; we love him because he first loved us. There is mystery in God’s ways, but not contradiction.
"Sometimes a single misapprehension or sticky question stands in the way of an honest believer's examination of the doctrines of grace. John Samson answers those questions with a pastoral heart, yet with biblical fidelity." - Dr. James White, Alpha & Omega Ministries. One man said, "This book helped me enormously. My understanding of God's grace has soared to new heights." Another said, "This is the one book I wish had been placed in my hands as a new Christian. There is a lifetime of insight here." Still another revealed, "There were times reading this when I just had to stop, fall to my knees and thank God for His measureless grace in my life." Whether you are brand new to the subject, or still wrestling with these weighty concepts, Twelve What Abouts will prove to be an indispensable resource in your search for the truth.
Do Christians choose to have faith, or is faith a supernatural work of God? Far from an abstract intellectual exercise, this question has vast implications for the hope, joy, and assurance of the Christian life. When the truth of God’s sovereign grace breaks into our minds and hearts, it changes everything.In What’s So Great about the Doctrines of Grace? Dr. Richard D. Phillips takes us on a tour of the doctrines of grace, also known as the five points of Calvinism. With clear biblical exposition, he helps us to see the extent of our corruption in sin, to anchor our faith in the fullness of grace, and to trust in God’s promise to finish what He started—the salvation of His people. When we rely on God’s all-sufficient grace, we can truly live for His all-consuming glory.
If the Church is to rise up full of people who don't give a damn about the fleeting pleasures of this life and who care only for the glory of Jesus and His Kingdom, we must once again grasp what made Jesus so eminently killable. If Jesus had been born in our day, the council that condemned Him would have included a couple of well-known evangelical pastors, a few outspoken pro-life leaders, a conservative-libertarian-leaning politician, and at least one Bible-thumping fundamentalist. Jesus was murdered by church people, for churchy reasons.In Blood-Bought World, Toby J. Sumpter pinpoints the raw spots where modern-day Christians have allowed respectability, comfort, fear, love, fitness, authenticity, or other idols to become "fig leaves" to shield us from the Persons of the Trinity. We have relegated God to Sunday school presentations instead of following Jesus on the path to real authority and power: the cross.God's undiluted sovereignty demolishes every false human claim of autonomy. Men and women who know Jesus have no patience for a polite social club with religious jargon. The real Christian faith, delivered to God's people and driven by the Holy Spirit, is a wild, rambunctious, healing force set on the redemption of the world. That is what "being Christian" means: Hello, World! Jesus bought this place with His blood. Deal with it.
Christian, meet your conscience.What do you do when you disagree with other Christians? How do you determine which convictions are negotiable and which are not? How do you get along with people who have different personal standards?All of these questions have to do with the conscience. Yet there is hardly a more neglected topic among Christians. In this much-needed book, a New Testament scholar and a cross-cultural missionary explore all thirty passages in the New Testament that deal with the conscience, showing how your conscience impacts virtually every aspect of life, ministry, and missions. As you come to see your conscience as a gift from God and learn how to calibrate it under the lordship of Jesus Christ, you will not only experience the freedom of a clear conscience but also discover how to lovingly interact with those who hold different convictions.
Bitterness often grows out of a small offense - perhaps a passing word, an accidental shove, or a pair of dirty socks left in the middle of the living room floor. Yet when bitterness takes root in our hearts, its effects are anything but small. As the Apostle Paul says in Ephesians, we have been called to leave the bitterness and anger of the world and instead embrace the love and compassion of our God. Therefore, the bitterness must go. The authors remind us that we are to forgive others just as we have been forgiven, pointing to Scriptural admonitions and examples as they offer sound teaching on the trials and temptations of everyday life.With more than 300,000 copies in print and translations in 23 languages, this book has helped thousands to overcome their bitterness since its first publication in 1990. Read it today, and be free.Contents:1. How to Be Free from Bitterness2. Forgiving Others3. Man’s Anger4. Fits of Rage5. Taking Offense6. Bridling the Tongue7. Introspection8. How to Receive Bitterness9. Relationships with Parents10. Saturation Love11. How Does a Woman Become Secure?12. The Responsible Man13. Q&A on Becoming a Christian14. The Gospel
“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” —1 Peter 5:5A battle rages within every one of us every day. It’s the clash between our sense of stubborn self-sufficiency and God’s call to recognize that we’re really nothing without Him. It’s pride versus humility. And it’s a fight we can’t win without looking repeatedly to Christ and the cross. C. J. Mahaney raises a battle cry to daily, diligently, and deliberately weaken our greatest enemy (pride) and cultivate our greatest friend (humility). His thorough examination clarifies misconceptions, revealing the truth about why God detests pride and turns His active attention to the humble. Because pride is never passive, defeating it demands an intentional attack. The blessing that follows is God’s abundant favor.“This is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit.”—Isaiah 66:2, ESVGod clearly states that He is drawn to the humble. He’s also clear that He opposes the proud. These two, humility and pride, cannot coexist. Where one is fostered, the other is defeated. Which will you pursue? When you acknowledge the deception of pride and intentionally humble yourself, you become free to savor abundant mercies and unlikely graces. You will find a new life is yours—a life God richly favors. A God-glorifying life you don’t want to miss.
Introducing the First Biography of the Life and Ministry of R. C. SproulR. C. Sproul (1939–2017) was a pastor, a professor, an author, and the founder and president of Ligonier Ministries. His contributions in the areas of biblical studies, theology, worldview and culture, Christian living, and church history continue to be held in high regard.In this book, Stephen J. Nichols offers an in-depth look at Sproul’s life and ministry―his childhood; his formative seminary education; his marriage and partnership with his beloved wife, Vesta; his influence on broader American evangelicalism; and his many friendships with key figures such as James Montgomery Boice, John MacArthur, John Piper, J. I. Packer, and Chuck Colson. This biography details the profound impact Sproul had on the lives of many during his lifetime, and highlights the various ways his legacy continues to influence countless pastors and students worldwide.
Ken Sande, author of the bestselling classic The Peacemaker, has long been a trusted resource on the topic of conflict resolution. In Resolving Everyday Conflict, Sande distills his message to the essentials, quickly equipping readers with the tools they need to bring peace to their relationships. Everyone encounters conflict--whether it be with a coworker, family member, friend, or complete stranger. And yet we all desire harmony in our relationships. Resolving Everyday Conflict is a practical, biblical, concise guide to peacemaking in everyday life that can turn tumultuous relationships into peaceful ones.
Suffering often seems to catch us by surprise. One day we are healthy, comfortable, and happy. The next we find ourselves ill or injured, struggling, and distraught. The pain that invades our lives may come from our own suffering or that of a loved one. But no matter the source, we didn’t see it coming. All too often, our perplexity prompts us to suspect God of wrongdoing.In this classic book, republished in a revised and expanded edition, Dr. R.C. Sproul argues that we should not be surprised by suffering; instead, we should expect pain and sorrow in this life. Some are actually called to a “vocation” of suffering, and all of us are called to undergo the ultimate suffering of death. God promises in His Word that difficult times will come upon us, but He also promises that He allows suffering for our good and His glory, and He will never give us more than we can bear with His help.Dr. Sproul offers solid biblical counsel and comfort for those undergoing suffering and for those who minister to the suffering, counsel that helps believers stand in times of trial with faith in a God who is both loving and good.
Overly concerned about what people think of you? Welch uncovers the spiritual dimension of people-pleasing and points the way through a true knowledge of God, ourselves, and others.
Long-Awaited Systematic Theology by Well-Known Pastor, Author, and President of the Master's SeminaryDoctrine isn’t just for theologians―it’s important for every Christian because it shows us who God is and how we should live. Systematizing the robust theology that has undergirded John MacArthur’s well-known preaching ministry for decades, this overview of basic Christian doctrine covers topics such as God the Father, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Bible, salvation, and more. Comprehensive in scope yet written to be accessible to the average reader―with non-technical vocabulary, minimal footnotes, and a helpful bibliography―this volume offers Christians a solid foundation for what they believe and why.
Apologetics is for everyone.The Bible is clear that all believers are called to defend their faith. However, if apologetics is the formal process that we have come to expect, this sounds like an impossible task. But what if apologetics could be part of natural, normal conversation―both from the pulpit and in everyday life?Aimed at preparing you to clearly and confidently defend your faith, Expository Apologetics sets forth an approach to apologetics that is rooted in Scripture and eminently accessible. Filled with real-world examples and practical advice, this book will equip you with the tools you need to think biblically and converse persuasively―offering unbelievers “a reason for the hope that is in you.”
In one systematic volume, James Montgomery Boice provides a readable overview of Christian theology. Both students and pastors will benefit from this rich source that covers all the major doctrines of Christianity. With scholarly rigor and a pastor's heart, Boice carefully opens the topics of the nature of God, the character of his natural and special revelation, the fall, and the person and work of Christ. He then goes on to consider the work of the Holy Spirit in justification and sanctification. The book closes with careful discussion of ecclesiology and eschatology. This updated edition includes a foreword by Philip Ryken and a section-by-section study guide. Both those long familiar with Boice and those newly introduced to him will benefit from his remarkable practicality and thoroughness, which will continue to make this a standard reference for years to come.
Professor Berkhof died in 1957, at the age of 83. He was an outstanding American teacher and the author of some 22 books. After two pastorates, he began his long career as professor at Calvin Seminary, Grand Rapids, in 1906. Here he remained for 38 years, devoting his talents and immense stores of knowledge to the training of men for the ministry. His 'Systematic Theology' was his magnum opus, being revised and enlarged during his lifetime until it reached its present final form. Berkhof's loyalty to the well-defined lines of the Reformed Faith, his concise and compact style and his up-to-date treatment have made this work the most important twentieth century compendium of Reformed Theology. 'The work seemed particularly important to me', writes the author, 'in view of the widespread doctrinal indifference of the present day, of the resulting superficiality and confusion in the minds of many professing Christians, of the insidious errors that are zealously propogated even from the pupits, and of the alarming increase of all kinds of sects.
This new edition of Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem may be the most important resource you can own for helping you understand Scripture and grow as a Christian.The most widely used resource of the last 25 years in its area, Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem has been thoroughly revised and expanded (all 57 chapters) for the first time while retaining the features that have made it the standard in its field: clear explanations, an emphasis on each doctrine's scriptural basis, and practical applications to daily life.Praise for the second edition:"After a quarter century of remarkable usefulness globally . . . it remains remarkable. I thank God for this precious gift to Christ's people worldwide." - John Piper"Stands out for its clarity and accessibility." - Thomas R. Schreiner"One of those rare works that can challenge the scholar and instruct the beginner . . . It is simply indispensable." - Jack DeereWith nearly 250 pages of new content and revisions that took several years, this new edition now includes the following distinctive features, making it even better: Updated, fuller analysis of several recent controversies within evangelicalism, including the eternal relationship between the Father and the Son in the Trinity, the question of God's atemporal eternity, the role of women in the church, "seeker-sensitive" churches, miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit, and contemporary worship music. New, thoughtful critiques of open theism, the "new perspective on Paul," Molinism (or "middle knowledge"), "Free Grace" theology, and the preterist view of Christ's second coming Completely revised, stronger chapter on the clarity of Scripture Completely revised, stronger chapter on creation and evolution, including a longer critique of theistic evolution and an extensive discussion on the age of the earth New discussion of how biblical inerrancy applies to some specific "problem verses" in the Gospels Additional material respectfully explaining evangelical Protestant differences with Roman Catholicism (with extensive interaction with the Catechism of the Roman Catholic Church), Protestant liberalism, and Mormonism Completely updated bibliographies All Scripture quotations updated from RSV to ESV An explanation of why monogenes in John 3:16 and elsewhere should be translated as "only begotten" rather than merely "only" (this is a change from the first edition) A contemporary worship song added at the end of each chapter (while retaining the traditional hymns as well) New discussion on the impassibility of God An extensive discussion on the eternal submission of the Son to the Father, taking into account controversies in recent years Updated section on contemporary worship music A discussion of recent criticisms of the penal substitutionary view of the atonement Numerous other updates and corrections that have be prompted by letters and emails from people around the world and by interaction with the students Wayne has taught over the last 26 years both at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and at Phoenix SeminaryPart of the brilliance of Systematic Theology over the years has been its simplicity and ease of use. Each chapter follows the same structure. First, there is discussion of the doctrine being considered, such as justification or the Trinity or the deity of Christ. An explanation of that doctrine's biblical support and possible objections follow. Personal application and key terms to know for personal growth are then provided. Chapters also include a Scripture memory passage, references to other literature on the topic, and suggested hymns and worship songs.If you are someone who thinks theology is hard to understand or boring, then this new edition of Systematic Theology will likely change your mind.
"Systematic Theology" is the culmination and creative synthesis of John Frame's writing on, teaching about, and studying of the Word of God. This magisterial opus at once biblical, clear, cogent, readable, accessible, and practical summarizes the mature thought of one of the most important and original Reformed theologians of the last hundred years. It will enable you to see clearly how the Bible explains God's great, sweeping plan for mankind.
Central to God’s character is the quality of holiness. Yet, even so, most people are hard-pressed to define what God’s holiness precisely is. Many preachers today avoid the topic altogether because people today don’t quite know what to do with words like “awe” or “fear.” R. C. Sproul, in this classic work, puts the holiness of God in its proper and central place in the Christian life. He paints an awe-inspiring vision of God that encourages Christian to become holy just as God is holy. Once you encounter the holiness of God, your life will never be the same.