Recommended Books

Here are some books that we recommend for those seeking truth and understanding. We encourage you to make a regular practice of picking a book from our list, getting two copies, and reading it with a friend.

Bibles

1. ESV Study Bible
2. ESV Daily Reading Bible
3. Reformation Study Bible

Devotional Helps

1. For the Love of God (v.1-2) by D.A. Carson
2. Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon
3. A Godward Life (v. 1-2) by John Piper
4. The Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions by Arthur Bennett

Scripture

1. The Old Testament Documents: Are they Reliable & Relevant? by Walter C. Kaiser
2. The New Testament Documents: Are they Reliable? by F. F. Bruce
3. Can We Trust the Gospels? by Mark D. Roberts
4. The Historical Reliability of the Gospel by Craig L. Blomberg
5. Dethroning Jesus by Bock & Wallace
6. Jesus and the Eyewitnesses by Richard Bauckham
7. “Fundamentalism” and the Word of God by J.I. Packer
8. God Has Spoken by J.I. Packer
9. 40 Questions About Interpreting the Bible by Robert Plummer
10. Inerrancy ed. Norman Geisler
11. Ancient Word, Changing Worlds by Nichols & Brandt
12. Taking God at His Word by Kevin DeYoung

Systematic Theology

1. Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine by Wayne Grudem
2. Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Christian Belief by John Frame
3. Know the Truth by Bruce Milne
4. Dug Down Deep by Joshua Harris

Biblical Theology

1. God’s Big Picture: Tracing the Story-Line of the Bible by Vaughn Roberts
2. According to Plan: The Unfolding Revelation of God in the Bible by Graeme Goldsworthy
3. The Unity of the Bible: Unfolding God’s Plan for Humanity by Daniel Fuller
4. Biblical Theology in the Life of the Church by Michael Lawrence

Apologetics

1. The Reason for God by Tim Keller
2. Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
3. Basic Christianity by John Stott
4. The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell
5. Can Man Live Without God? by Ravi Zacharias
6. Who is Jesus? by Greg Gilbert

The Nature & Attributes of God

1. Knowing God by J.I. Packer
2. The Pleasures of God by John Piper
3. Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer
4. The Holiness of God by R.C. Sproul
5. The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God by D.A. Carson
6. Experiencing the Trinity by Darrell Johnson

The Doctrines of Grace (i.e. Calvinism)

1. Chosen by God by R.C. Sproul
2. Easy Words, Hard Chairs by Douglas Wilson
3. The Doctrines of Grace by James Boice and Phillip Ryken
4. Still Sovereign ed. by Thomas Schreiner & Bruce Ware
5. For Calvinism by Michael Horton
6. Five Points by John Piper

The Cross

1. The Cross of Christ by John Stott
2. Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Had to Die by John Piper
3. The Truth of the Cross by R.C. Sproul
4. Pierced for our Transgressions by Jeffery, Ovey & Sach
5. It is Well: Expositions on Substitutionary Atonement by Dever & Lawrence
6. From Heaven He Came and Sought Her ed. Gibson & Gibson

The Gospel

1. God is the Gospel by John Piper
2. What is the Gospel? by Greg Gilbert
3. The Explicit Gospel by Matt Chandler
4. The Prodigal God by Tim Keller

Salvation

1. Redemption Accomplished and Applied by John Murray
2. Justification by an Imputed Righteousness by John Bunyan
3. Faith Alone: The Evangelical Doctrine of Justification by R.C. Sproul
4. Finally Alive by John Piper
5. Counted Righteous In Christ by John Piper
6. Union with Christ by J. Todd Billings
7. Raised with Christ by Adrian Warnock
8. The Bookends of the Christian Life by Jerry Bridges
9. The Cross and Salvation by Bruce Demarest

Discipleship

1. The Mortification of Sin by John Owen
2. The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges
3. The Discipline of Grace by Jerry Bridges
4. The Hole in Our Holiness by Kevin DeYoung
5. Tempted and Tried by Russell Moore
6. Desiring God by John Piper
7. Future Grace by John Piper
8. Don’t Waste Your Life by John Piper
9. The Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard
10. Humility by C.J. Mahaney
11. Counterfeit Gods by Tim Keller
12. Crazy Love by Francis Chan
13. Radical: Taking Back Your Faith From the American Dream by David Platt
14. Follow Me by David Platt
15. Rescuing Ambition by Dave Harvey

The Church

1. Nine Marks of a Healthy Church by Mark Dever
2. What is a Healthy Church Member? by Thabiti Anyabwile
3. Why Church Matters by Joshua Harris
4. Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
5. The Trellis and the Vine by Colin Marshall & Tony Payne
6. What is the Mission of the Church? by Kevin DeYoung and Greg Gilbert
7. Church Membership by Jonathan Leeman
8. Church Discipline by Jonathan Leeman

Spiritual Disciplines

1. Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald Whitney
2. Disciplines of a Godly Man by Kent Hughes
3. Disciplines of a Godly Woman by Barbara Hughes
4. Prayer by Tim Keller
5. Fifty-Seven Words that Change the World by Darrell Johnson
6. Praying Backwards by Bryan Chapell
7. The Treasure Principle by Randy Alcorn
8. Just Do Something: A Liberating Approach to God’s Will by Kevin DeYoung
9. What’s Best Next by Matt Perman

Marketplace Faith

1. Every Good Endeavor by Tim Keller
2. God at Work by Gene Veith
3. The Gospel at Work by Gilbert & Traeger
4. Work Matters by Tom Nelson

Suffering and Pain

1. If God is Good by Randy Alcorn
2. How Long, O Lord by D.A. Carson
3. Trusting God by Jerry Bridges
4. Walking with God through Pain and Suffering by Tim Keller

Missions and Evangelism

1. Operation World (7th ed.) by Jason Mandryk
2. Let the Nations Be Glad! by John Piper
3. A Holy Ambition by John Piper
4. Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God by J.I. Packer
5. The Gospel and Personal Evangelism by Mark Dever
6. Tell the Truth by Will Metzger
7. Marks of a Messenger by Mack Stiles

Manhood & Womanhood

1. Recovering Biblical Manhood & Womanhood ed. Piper & Grudem
2. What’s the Difference? by John Piper
3. God’s Good Design by Claire Smith
4. God’s Design for Man and Woman by Kostenberger & Kostenberger
5. Radical Womanhood by Carolyn McCulley
6. A Guide to Biblical Manhood ed. Randy Stinson

Marriage

1. The Meaning of Marriage by Tim Keller
2. Love That Lasts by Gary and Betsy Ricucci
3. Each for the Other by Bryan Chapell
4. This Momentary Marriage by John Piper
5. When Sinners Say “I Do” by Dave Harvey
6. Sacred Marriage by Gary Thomas
7. You and Me Forever: Marriage in Light of Eternity by Francis Chan

Parenting

1. Training Hearts, Teaching Minds by Starr Meade
2. Teach Them Diligently by Lou Pirolo
3. Dare to Discipline by James Dobson
4. Family Worship by Joel Beeke
5. Family Shepherds by Voddie Baucham
6. Shepherding a Child’s Heart by Tedd Trip
7. Instructing a Child’s Heart by Tedd Trip

Counseling

1. How People Change by Timothy Lane & Paul David Tripp
2. Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands by Paul David Tripp
3. When People are Big and God is Small by Edward Welch
4. Depression: Looking Up from the Stubborn Darkness by Edward Welch
5. Addictions: A Banquet in the Grave by Edward Welch
6. Encouragement: How Words Change Lives by Gordon Cheng
7. You Can Change by Tim Chester
8. Counsel from the Cross by Elyse Fitzpatrick and Dennis Johnson

Christian Classics

1. Confessions by St. Augustine
2. City of God by St. Augustine
3. On the Bondage of the Will by Martin Luther
4. Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin
5. Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan
6. Religious Affections by Jonathan Edwards
7. Christianity & Liberalism by Gresham Machen
8. The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
9. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
10. The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis
11. The God Who is There by Francis Shaeffer

Biographies

1. Confessions by St. Augustine
2. Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther by Roland Bainton
3. Jonathan Edwards: A New Biography by Iain Murray
4. Jonathan Edwards: A Life by George Marsden
5. George Whitefield by Arnold Dallimore
6. The Forgotten Spurgeon by Iain Murray
7. The Life of Martyn Lloyd-Jones by Iain Murray
8. Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas
9. Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor by D.A. Carson
10. Surprised by Joy by C.S. Lewis
11. John G. Paton: Missionary to the New Hebrides by John G. Paton
12. To the Golden Shore: The Life of Adoniram Judson by Courtney Anderson
13. Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret by Dr. & Mrs. Howard Taylor
14. Peace Child by Don Richardson
15. Bruchko by Bruce Olson
16. Through Gates of Splendor by Elizabeth Elliot

Church History

1. Church History in Plain Language by Bruce Shelley
2. The Story of Christianity by Justo Gonzales
3. The History of Christian Thought by Jonathan Hill