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Recommended Bible Study Resources

We are happy to recommend Bible study resources and books by trusted authors. We hope these recommendations help each household to carefully choose from the many resources available today, spending their own resources of time and money wisely. All believers should remember that it is only the holy Word of God which is infallible and inerrant. All other works are written by human authors. Their works, while valuable, are still prone to error. They should be closely examined and evaluated to see where there is correspondence and agreement with the holy Scriptures and where there is not.
 
“…for they [the Bereans] received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.” (Acts 17:11)
 
All believers bear the responsibility for having discernment about the world in which they live and the context in which God has placed them. The Holy Spirit is ultimately responsible for our safety in this area, and we trust His omnipotent hand to keep us.
 
Pastor Johnathan or Elder Steve are happy to discuss Bible study resources or recommendations, or to make further recommendations based on needs and interests.

Bible Study Resources

Getting Started: Bible Study Resources
Please consider these Bible study resources as essential for every household. The two recommended texts of the Scriptures (NASB 1995 and KJV) should be used together for all Bible study (click here to find out why). The other Bible study resources listed in this section should also be considered highest priority.
English Biblical Texts: New American Standard Bible (1995 version) and Authorized Version (King James Version, 1611)
Study Bible Notes: Reformation Study Bible, 2015 (ESV; not currently available in the NASB) and Reformation Heritage Study Bible (KJV)
English Language Dictionary: Webster’s American Dictionary of the English Language (1828 edition; also available online here)
Exhaustive Concordances (for each version) or Computer Software: Accordance or WORDsearch
Additional Resources
Study Bible Notes: MacArthur Study Bible (NASB, 1995 version) and Matthew Henry Study Bible (KJV) or Henry’s commentary series
Periodicals: World Magazine and Tabletalk
English Bible Dictionary: New Bible Dictionary
Bible Atlas: New Moody or Zondervan or Holman
Topical Bible: Topical Analysis of the Bible (by Walter Elwell) and The MacArthur Topical Bible
Church History: Zondervan Handbook to the History of Christianity, by Jonathan Hill and Christianity through the Centuries, by Earle Cairns
London Baptist Confession: Exposition of the 1689 London Baptist Confession, by Samuel Waldron
Devotional Reading: The Valley of Vision and The Puritans: Daily Readings, edited by Randall Pedersen
Systematic Theology or Doctrines of Grace: A number of excellent titles on these topics are available. Please see Pastor Johnathan for specific recommendations based on your current Bible study needs.

Recommended Books

Apologetics and Culture
  • Ashamed of the Gospel: When the Church Becomes Like the World, by John MacArthur
  • Christless Christianity: The Alternative Gospel of the American Church, by Michael Horton
  • Defending Your Faith: An Introduction to Apologetics, by R.C. Sproul
  • Escape from Reason, by Francis A. Schaeffer
  • No Place for Truth: or Whatever Happened to Evangelical Theology?, by David F. Wells
  • The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and the Road to Sexual Revolution, by Carl R. Trueman
  • We Believe: Recovering the Essentials of the Apostles’ Creed, by Michael Horton (available in our church library)
Christian Life
  • Contagious Christian Living, by Joel Beeke
  • The Doctrine of Repentance, by Thomas Watson
  • Hard to Believe: The High Cost and Infinite Value of Following Jesus, by John MacArthur
  • Holiness: Its Nature, Hindrances, Difficulties, and Roots, by J.C. Ryle
  • Knowing God, by J.I. Packer (available in our church library)
  • Overcoming Sin and Temptation, by John Owen
  • The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment, by Jeremiah Burroughs
Marriage
  • The Intimate Marriage: A Practical Guide to Building a Great Marriage, by R.C. Sproul
  • Living in a Godly Marriage, by Joel R. Beeke and James A. La Belle
Missions and Evangelism
  • Evangelism: How to Share the Gospel Faithfully, by John MacArthur
  • The Gospel Commission: Recovering God’s Strategy for Making Disciples, by Michael Horton (available in our church library)
Parenting
  • The Duties of Parents: 17 Practical Ways to Successful Parenting, by J.C. Ryle
  • Family Driven Faith: Doing What It Takes to Raise Sons and Daughters Who Walk with God, by Voddie Baucham, Jr.
  • Instructing a Child’s Heart, by Tedd and Margy Tripp
  • The Legacy: Ten Core Values Every Father Must Leave His Child, by Steven Lawson
  • Shepherding a Child’s Heart, by Tedd Tripp
  • What the Bible Says About Parenting, by John Macarthur
Reformed Theology
  • The Holiness of God, by R.C. Sproul (available in our church library)
  • Chosen by God, by R.C. Sproul (available in our church library)
  • The Doctrines of Grace: Rediscovering the Evangelical Gospel, by James Montgomery Boice (available in our church library)
  • What is Reformed Theology? by R.C. Sproul (available in our church library)
  • In Christ Alone: Living the Gospel-Centered Life, by Sinclair Ferguson
  • Putting Amazing Back into Grace: Embracing the Heart of the Gospel, by Michael Horton
  • On the Freedom of the Will, by Jonathan Edwards
 
Please see our additional resource pages: Elder’s Teachings and