Non-Fiction
Featured
“A small leak will sink a great ship, and a small spark will kindle a great fie, and a little allowed sin in like manner will ruin an immortal soul.” - J.C. Ryle
“It is only when self is nothing and Christ is all our confidence, it is then only that we shall do great exploits.” - J. C. Ryle
“But still every age and condition has its own peculiar snares and temptations, and it is well to know them. He that is forewarned is forearmed.” - J.C. Ryle
I am growing old myself, but there are few things I remember so well as the days of my youth. I have a most distinct recollection of the joys and the sorrows, the hopes and fears, the temptations and the difficulties, the mistaken judgments and misplaced affections, the errors and the aspirations, which surround and accompany a young man's life. if I can only say something to keep some young man in the right way, and preserve him from faults and sins, which may mar his prospects both for time and eternity, I shall be very thankful. - J.C. Ryle
In No Place for Truth Wells looks at how the modernization of America as impacted the evangelical church.
Evangelicalism Divided Murray is taking a look at evangelicalism and the changes from 1950-2000.
Jonathan Leeman’s book One Assembly is just that, a biblical case for a church being one assembly.
Enjoy a blog post that is just me giving you Andy Johnsons’ chapter outline and a few quotes!
“For this reason, it is our conviction that churches that are content to merely provide material assistance to needy people are missing an opportunity to minister to them at a deeper level.” - Mez McConnel
“The mission of the church is to go into the world and make disciples by declaring the gospel of Jesus Christ in the power of the Spirit and gathering these disciples into churches, that they might worship and obey Jesus Christ now and in eternity to the glory of God the Father” - DeYoung and Gilbert
In Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, J.I. Packer helps us wrestle with how divine sovereignty and human responsibility are both true.
“Evangelism is teaching (heralding, proclaiming, preaching) the gospel (the message from God that leads us to salvation) to persuade (convince, convert).” - J. Mack Stiles
Murray weaves biographical accounts into the narrative, trying to follow how revivals shifted to revivalism.
This may be the best of the 9Marks booklet series. If not the best it is the most central. I think many of us take for granted the theology of conversion.
Basically, you have structures for leadership, trellis work, and you have true gospel growth, vine work. I love this picture and it gives great language to think through the questions, is my leadership structure focused on helping the vine grow?
We all desire community. We were created to live in community. We know this and our churches know that there is a need to worship God as the church. But what is godly community?
Dever defines discipling as, “helping someone follow Jesus by doing deliberate spiritual good in his or her life” (p. 47).
This book is a great resource for pastors and members of churches that already have a view of church discipline.
If you are considering whether you should be an elder this book would go a long way in figuring that out.
Leeman’s book is great for understanding why church membership matters and what it looks like.
This book by Matt Smethurst could be one of if not the most underrated booklets in this 9marks series.
I would recommend this book specifically to pastors or those thinking about pastoring.
I would recommend anyone wanting to understand what the Bible teaches about elders and what the role of an elder is to read this book.