A Field Guide on Gender and Sexuality
by Ligonier Ministries

The world around us is rapidly changing. Rejection of the Bible’s teaching on what it means to be human has created widespread confusion about gender and sexuality. Many Christians now face questions that seem to pit love and truth against each other. Should we attend the LGBTQ weddings of our family members and friends? May we address people by their preferred pronouns? And are we unloving if we do not do what the culture demands?

God is not silent on these matters. His unchanging and authoritative Word provides the truth we need to face today’s challenges. Do we have the resolve to speak the truth in love amid the mounting pressure to compromise?

This field guide offers biblical answers to questions about gender, sexuality, and identity. Each answer seeks to help Christians stand firm in their convictions, navigate relationships with true compassion, and proclaim the liberating hope of the gospel.

I highly recommend this concise read for any Christian who wants more biblical guidance on this timely topic.    -- Tim M.

It can be found at Ligonier.org

When Trouble Comes
by Phil Ryken

It's not a question of if, but when -- at some point, everyone faces grief, pain, broken relationships, sin, or persecution.  What hope do we have?

Sharing honestly from his own life and looking at stories of men and women in the Bible who experienced many kinds of trouble, Phil Ryken offers hope from Scripture aimed at reminding us that we're never alone in our pain.  Though hardships and trials will come, God is our very present help in times of trouble.

"With story after story from Scripture, Dr. Ryken shows how the Bible accurately portrays our sufferings and how god meets us in the midst of them.  Since suffering really is a universal human experience between the 'already' and the 'not yet,' this is a book worth getting and living with."
---Paul David Tripp, President, Paul Tripp Ministries; author, What Did You Expect?

It can be found at Amazon.com

Unmissable Church -- Why you need church and church needs you
by Richard Sweatman & Antony Barraclough

How can we juggle all the demands on our time and still make church a priority?  Why is there sometimes such a disconnect between the Bible's captivating vision for church and our experience of it?

"Is it hard for you to be at church, and easier to skip it?  If you want to go to church more regularly and would like help doing that, you have to read this book."
--- Michael Kellahan, Executive Officer, GAFCON Australia

It can be found at matthiasmedia or Amazon.com.

Sound Doctrine
by Bobby Jamieson

How do you feel about Doctrine?  Whatever answer comes to mind, this book will not only convince you that sound doctrine is vital for living a godly life, it will also explain the essential role of theology in the life of a healthy church.

"Scripture is for sound doctrine, sound doctrine is for real life, and real life is for real church growth.  So says Jamieson, and he hits the nail on the head brilliantly every time."
--- J.I. Packer, Board of Governors' Professor of Theology, Regent College

"As Jamieson says, 'Pastors should faithfully nourish their flocks with sound doctrine, and should shape every aspect of their churches around sound doctrine'.  That's enough for me!" --- Tim M.

It can be found at 9Marks.org or Amazon.com.

Predestination: An Introduction
by Andrew David Naselli

For many, the doctrine of predestination is intimidating.  Often tied to personal emotions and heated debate, this topic can be difficult to study -- let alone view as a blessing.  This addition to the Short Studies in Systematic theology series carefully examines God's word to answer fifteen commonly asked questions regarding the doctrines of election and reprobation.  While reading, you will discover what God has revealed throughout Scripture, learn how he saves his people from their sins, and be stirred to respond to him in worship.

"How does one write a simple and clear treatment of one of the most complex and challenging doctrines?  I'm not entirely sure, but that is precisely what Andy Naselli has done."    --- Steven Lee, Pastor for Preaching & Vision, The North Church

Even for a believer who has long-held to this biblical doctrine of predestination, I found the author's explanations refreshing and reassuring -- further reinforcing what a comforting doctrine election truly is!    --- Tim M.

It can be found at Amazon.com.

Lessons from the Upper Room -- The Heart of the Savior
by Sinclair B. Ferguson

What would you give to spend an evening with Jesus, hearing Him teach and listening to Him pray?  This is what we encounter in the Farewell Discourse of John 13-17.  As the shadow of the cross loomed, Christ shared His final hours with the disciples to prepare them for His death, quiet their troubled hearts, and intercede on their behalf before the Father.

In Lessons from the Upper Room, Dr. Sinclair Ferguson draws us into these intimate hours from the night when Jesus was betrayed.  This vivid picture of Christ's ministry, from His washing the disciples' feet to His High Priestly Prayer, shows us the heart of Jesus.  discover His deepest desires for His people and take delight in the suffering Savior who has overcome the world.

It can be found at Amazon.com.

The Pilgrim's Regress -- Guarding against Backsliding and Apostasy in the Christian Life
by Mark Jones

Every Christian has witnessed a brother or sister in the Lord drifting from the faith that he or she once possessed.  We have all witnessed some who were once committed and zealous growing cold, growing distant, growing dissatisfied.  Alarmed, we wonder: Are they backsliding or are they in the process of rejecting the Christian faith altogether.

In The Pilgrim's Regress, mark jones has written about a topic that is both alarming and comforting.  It is alarming in its diagnosis of a spiritual condition that can afflict any of us if we fail to keep watch, if we fail to stay true, if we fail to remain faithful.  It is also comforting because it assures us that our God loves those who are truly his and that he will not let even one be lost.

It can be found at Reformation Heritage Books

Hard Sayings -- Understanding Difficult Passages of Scripture
by R.C. Sproul

God gave us His Word so that we may know Him and live by His truth.  So what should we do when we're reading the Bible and a difficult passage stops us in our tracks?  With the help of an experienced guide, we can overcome the obstacles to our progress and know God's Word more deeply.

In Hard Sayings, Dr. R.C. Sproul applies his wisdom as a theologian and Bible teacher to some of the most challenging verses in Scripture.  By showing us how to navigate tough texts in the Old and New Testaments, he outlines key principles to help us grow in our knowledge of God.

The book is available on Amazon and Ligonier Ministries.


Pastor Tim 

The Creation Answers Book
by Don Batten, David Catchpoole, Jonathan Sarfati, and Carl Wieland

The Creation Answers Book is produced by Creation Ministries International.  It is a mini-encyclopedia of answers to many popular questions.  Included among the 20 bite-sized chapters are biblical answers to more than 60 questions such as:

• Does God exist?
• Six Days?  Really?
• What about carbon dating?
• Who was Cain's wife?
• Was Noah's flood a global event?
• How did the animals fit on Noah's ark?
• What about the Ice Age?
• What about dinosaurs?

The book is available on Amazon and Christianbook.com

Pastor Tim 

No Reason to Hide -- Standing for Christ in a Collapsing Culture
by Erwin W. Lutzer

Dr. Lutzer is the previous lead teaching pastor at The Moody Church, where he served for 36 years.  This is the best book I've read so far in 2023!

"As you read, you'll be equipped to defend your biblical beliefs with confidence and compassion.  You'll also identify how you can respond to the battleground issues of today, including:

• identity-driven social justice ideologies that seek to divide rather than unite
• cultural attacks on the definitions of sex and gender that turn language into a war
• progressive pushes within the church that ultimately desecrate the Bible's teachings"

Notable Quotes:

• "Today, those who claim to be tolerant actually seek to be dominant."
• "Truth is no longer viewed as a search for objective reality, but rather, as an individual choice not subject to outside scrutiny."

I highly recommend this book for adults and teens wishing to see how they are to live biblically in the culture being forced upon us today.

The book is available on Christianbook.com

Pastor Tim