We believe having a healthy discipline of reading good books is asset in growing as disciples of Jesus Christ. Below are some suggested reading as well as other topical recommendations. It is not an exhaustive list but reading that we have found helpful. Although we believe these resources will be edifying to you, we may not necessarily agree with every point they make. Always read with care and discernment.
Pastor Jake's Recommendations:
- Redemption, Accomplished & Applied (John Murray) - A deep and rich study of the significance of Christ’s atoning work on the cross.
- Confessions (Augustine) - Part autobiography, part theological reflection… set in the form of prayer to God, a moving classic of God’s sovereign grace at work on a resistant sinner.
- Holiness: Its Nature, Hindrances, Difficulties, and Roots (J.C. Ryle) - A comprehensive and convicting exploration of the essential need for holiness in the Christian life.
- Desiring God (John Piper) - A passionate argument for the joyful centering of one’s whole life on God for His own sake.
- Habits of Grace: Enjoying Jesus Through the Spiritual Disciplines (David Mathis) - A very helpful primer to grow in one’s faith through the simple daily habits that put us in the path of God’s rich grace.
OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS
Theology
- Institutes of the Christian Religion (John Calvin)
- Reformed Systematic Theology (4 vols.) (Joel Beeke)
- Concise Theology (J.I. Packer)
- The Bondage of the Will (Martin Luther)
- Everyone’s a Theologian (R.C. Sproul)
- The Holiness of God (R.C. Sproul)
- The Sovereignty of God (A.W. Pink)
Christian Living
- Holiness: Its Nature, Hindrances, Difficulties, and Roots (J.C. Ryle)
- The Mortification of Sin (John Owen)
- Habits of Grace: Enjoying Jesus Through the Spiritual Disciplines (David Mathis)
- Spiritual Disciplines of the Christian Life (Donald S. Whitney)
- The Pursuit of Holiness (Jerry Bridges)
- Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands: People in Need of Change Helping People in Need of Change (Paul David Tripp)
Christian Biography
- Confessions (Augustine of Hippo)
- Fistful of Heroes: Christians at the Forefront of Change (John Pollock)
Apologetics
- Tactics (Greg Koukl)
- Presuppositional Apologetics: Stated & Defended (Greg L. Bahnsen)
- Cold-Case Christianity (J. Warner Wallace)
- The Ultimate Proof of Creation (Jason Lyle)
Salvation
- What is the Gospel? (Greg Gilbert)
- The Death of Death in the Death of Christ (John Owen)
- Redemption, Accomplished & Applied (John Murray)
Prayer
- The Valley of Vision (Arthur G. Bennett)
- Piercing Heaven: Prayers of the Puritans (Robert Elmer, ed.)
- Prayer: How Praying Together Shapes the Church (John Onwuchekwa) [9 Marks]
- On Prayer (E.M. Bounds)
Fellowship/Hospitality
- Iron Sharpens Iron (Micheal Haykin)
- The Gospel Comes with a Housekey (Rosaria Butterfield)