Books To Read
Books are amazing! For me, they have served as a source of encouragement and conviction, information and entertainment. There is such a comfort to have a resource which helps me feel that I am not alone in my faith in Christ or that I am the only one dealing with a particular problem.
Here I’ve recommended just a sampling and far from exhaustive (which will be frequently updated). There are many more books, but I tried to limit myself to only books I’ve read or can personally endorse without having read. This doesn’t mean I 100% agree with the author or content, but I find these books especially valuable for every Christian. Hopefully this allows you to explore more books from these authors!
“What is the Christian Faith?”
The Explicit Gospel by Matt Chandler
Christian Beliefs: Twenty Basics Every Christian Should Know by Wayne Grudem
Knowing God by J.I. Packer
“What is Reformed theology? What do Presbyterians believe?”
Predestined for Joy by Jonathan Shirk
Does God Really Desire All to Be Saved? By John Piper
Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Christian Belief by John Frame
The Christian Faith: A Systematic Theology for Pilgrims on the Way by Michael Horton
What is Reformed Theology? by R.C. Sproul
Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin
“I or someone I know is depressed”
Depression, Anxiety, and the Christian Life: Practical Wisdom from Richard Baxter by Michael S. Lundy
Preventing Suicide: A Handbook for Pastors, Chaplains, and Pastoral Counselors by Karen Mason
Encouragement for the Depressed by Charles Spurgeon
Someone I Know is Grieving by Ed Welch
Spurgeon’s Sorrows: Realistic Hope for those who Suffer from Depression by Zack Eswine
Commentaries to Help Interpret Scripture
Volume Sets:
ESV Expository Commentary Series
Preaching the Word Commentary Series
Reformed Expository Commentary Series
Commentaries by John Calvin (free online)
https://www.ccel.org/ccel/calvin/commentaries.i.html
Commentaries by Charles Spurgeon (free online)
https://www.romans45.org/spurgeon/misc/c&c.htm
All-in-Ones:
The Tony Evans Bible Commentary
Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
Matthew Poole’s Commentary on the Holy Bible
Books About How To Read The Bible
The Most Misused Verses in the Bible by Eric Bargerhuff
The Most Misused Stories in the Bible by Eric Bargerhuff
Misreading Scripture Through Western Eyes: Removing Cultural Binders to Better Understand the Bible by E. Randolph Richards and Brandon O’Brien
How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth by Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart
Christian Life
Crazy Busy: A (Mercifully) Short Book About a (Really) Big Problem by Kevin DeYoung
Do Not Be True to Yourself: Countercultural Advice for the Rest of Your Life by Kevin DeYoung
Finding the Right Hills to Die On: The Case for Theological Triage by Gavin Ortlund
Disciplines of a Godly Man (Updated Edition) by R. Kent Hughes
The Exemplary Husband by Stuart Scott
Safeguards: Shielding Our Homes and Equipping Our Kids by Julie Lowe
Loving Your Adult Children: The Heartache of Parenting and the Hope of the Gospel by Gaye Clark
Finishing Well to the Glory of God: Strategies from a Christian Physician by John Dunlop, MD
Culture and Other Hot Topics
Bloodlines: Race, Cross, and the Christian by John Piper
Can You Be Gay and Christian?: Responding With Love and Truth to Questions About Homosexuality by Michael Brown, PhD
Five Lies of Our Anti-Christian Age by Rosaria Butterfield
Live Your Truth and Other Lies: Exposing Popular Deceptions That Make Us Anxious, Exhausted, and Self-Obsessed by Alisa Childers
Christless Christianity: The Alternative Gospel of the American Church by Michael Horton
The Call to Follow: Hearing Jesus in a Culture Obsessed with Leadership by Richard Langer and Joanne J. Jung
What the Bible Says about Birth Control, Infertility, Reproductive Technology, and Adoption by Wayne Grudem
Digital Liturgies: Rediscovering Christian Wisdom in an Online Age by Samuel James
Christian Unity by Richard Baxter
Recovering Our Sanity: How the Fear of God Conquers the Fears that Divide Us by Michael Horton
Counter Culture: Following Christ in an Anti-Christian Age by David Platt
Scrolling Ourselves to Death: Reclaiming Life in a Digital Age by Brett McCraken
“I want to learn more about church history”
Luther on the Christian Life: Cross and Freedom by Carl Trueman
Spurgeon on the Christian Life: Alive in Christ by Michael Reeves
When Christians Disagree: Lessons from the Fractured Relationship of John Owen and Richard Baxter by Tim Cooper
5 Minutes in Church History: An Introduction to the Stories of God's Faithfulness in the History of the Church by Stephen Nichols
Church History in Plain Language (Updated 4th or 5th Edition) by Bruce Shelley
Liberty in Non-Essentials: The Story of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church by Donald Fortson III
Books Read Over the Last Five Years
Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity by Nabeel Qureshi
Rediscovering Jonah: The Secret of God's Mercy by Tim Keller
The Insanity of God: A True Story of Faith Resurrected by Nik Ripkin
Contemporary Worship Music: A Biblical Defense by John Frame
The Imperfect Pastor: Discovering Joy in Our Limitations Through a Daily Apprenticeship with Jesus by Zack Eswine
Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices by Thomas Brooks
