The Meaning of Marriage
by Tim and Kathy Keller

From the Publisher’s Blurb:
There has never been a marriage book like THE MEANING OF MARRIAGE.

Based on the acclaimed sermon series by New York Times bestselling author Timothy Keller, this book shows everyone-Christians, skeptics, singles, long-time married couples, and those about to be engaged-the vision of what marriage should be according to the Bible.

Modern culture would make you believe that everyone has a soul-mate; that romance is the most important part of a successful marriage; that your spouse is there to help you realize your potential; that marriage does not mean forever, but merely for now; that starting over after a divorce is the best solution to seemingly intractable marriage issues. All those modern-day assumptions are, in a word, wrong.

Using the Bible as his guide, coupled with insightful commentary from his wife of thirty-six years, Kathy, Timothy Keller shows that God created marriage to bring us closer to him and to bring us more joy in our lives. It is a glorious relationship that is also the most misunderstood and mysterious. With a clear-eyed understanding of the Bible, and meaningful instruction on how to have a successful marriage, The Meaning of Marriage is essential reading for anyone who wants to know God and love more deeply in this life.

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By Gary Thomas

Your marriage is more than a sacred covenant with another person. It is a spiritual discipline designed to help you know God better, trust him more fully, and love him more deeply.
Scores of books have been written that offer guidance for building the marriage of your dreams. But what if God’s primary intent for your marriage isn’t to make you happy . . . but holy? And what if your relationship isn’t as much about you and your spouse as it is about you and God?
Everything about your marriage–everything–is filled with prophetic potential, with the capacity for discovering and revealing Christ’s character. The respect you accord your partner; the forgiveness you humbly seek and graciously extend; the ecstasy, awe, and sheer fun of lovemaking; the history you and your spouse build with one another–in these and other facets of your marriage, Sacred Marriage uncovers the mystery of God’s overarching purpose.
This book may very well alter profoundly the contours of your marriage. It will most certainly change you. Because whether it is delightful or difficult, your marriage can become a doorway to a closer walk with God, and to a spiritual integrity that, like salt, seasons the world around you with the savor of Christ.

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In our recent lesson from the life of John Calvin, we recommended reading the Institutes. Here are three current ways the institutes is available.

1. McNeill / Battles Translation of the Institutes – This is widely regarded as the best English translation of the Institutes. It is more pricey, so don’t get this until you have sampled a bit of the other options first.
2. Beveridge Translation of the Institutes – This is the most widely available cheap way to access the institutes. You can buy a very inexpensive one-volume translation of the Institutes or you can access this version for free online through the Christian Classics Ethereal Library.

Share Jesus Without Fear
by William Fay and Linda Evans Shepherd

Publisher’s Blurb:
In recent years, the Share Jesus without Fear book and its growing family of ancillary products have sparked a faith-sharing movement that continues to gain momentum. It began with the jaw-dropping story of William Fay, once a money-driven businessman with Mafia ties who ran a house of prostitution until it was raided by police. Facing the threat of jail time, Fay turned to Jesus Christ for redemption and ever since has been turning others to Him as well. Now featuring a fresh new cover design, Share Jesus without Fear relays Fay’s passionate, effective instructions on how to share the love of Christ with anyone–without feeling intimidated on either side of the conversation. Bold and joyful, the outreach movement continues without fear.

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Living Proof: Sharing the Gospel Naturally

Publisher’s Blurb:
Jim Petersen shares what he’s learned from over 25 years of working with the unchurched. He shows that, although many people don’t want to hear about our faith, they will talk about their own felt needs–needs that can only be met in Christ.

Learn how to develop relationships with the unreached, model the Christian message, and eventually present the Bible’s claims in a non-threatening manner.

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Overcoming Sin and Temptation by John Owen, Edited by Kelly Kapic and Justin Taylor

Review
“The editors of this volume have worked hard to make Owen’s unrivalled insight into the Christian’s inner war with sin accessible to all, and the result is truly a godsend.”
—J. I. Packer, Board of Governors’ Professor of Theology, Regent College; author, Knowing God

“To read Owen is to mine spiritual gold. Unfortunately, as in mining, reading Owen is hard work. Now, Kelly Kapic and Justin Taylor have made Owen’s work accessible to modern readers while still retaining his unique writing style.”
—Jerry Bridges, author, The Pursuit of Holiness

“With brilliant editorial efforts and insightful introductions by Kapic and Taylor, John Owen’s magnificent treatises on sin and sanctification have been made available for a new generation.”
—David S. Dockery, President, Union University

“Sin is tenacious, but by God’s grace we can hate it and hunt it. John Owen provides the master guide for the sin-hunter. Kapic and Taylor bring together three of Owen’s classics, clarifying them in simple ways-but all the substance, the careful, hounding arguments are still there.”
—Mark Dever, Pastor, Capitol Hill Baptist Church, Washington DC; President, 9Marks

“John Owen understood how the gospel makes us well. Three cheers for Kapic and Taylor for introducing a new generation to Owen’s peerless works.”
—Sinclair B. Ferguson, Senior Pastor, First Presbyterian Church, Columbia, South Carolina

“John Owen is a spiritual surgeon with the rare skill to cut away the cancer of sin and bring gospel healing to the sinner’s soul. Apart from the Bible, I have found his writings to be the best books ever written to help me stop sinning the same old sins.”
—Philip Graham Ryken, President, Wheaton College

“No writer has taught me more about the dynamics of the heart and the deceitfulness of sin than John Owen. Read this book carefully; it will help you understand your heart and experience God’s grace.”
—C. J. Mahaney, Sovereign Grace Ministries

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The Christian Life: A Doctrinal Introduction by Sinclair Ferguson

‘Christian doctrine matters for Christian living.’ This is ‘one of the most important growth points of the Christian life’, writes Sinclair B. Ferguson. From this starting point, The Christian Life expounds such key biblical themes as grace, faith, repentance, new birth and assurance with clarity and contagious enthusiasm. ‘Chrisitan doctrines are life-shaping’, explains the author, because ‘they show us the God we worship’.

Study what it means to be a Christian and how God’s Spirit enables us to grow in Christ.

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The Disciplines of Grace by Jerry Bridges

We know we need grace. Without it we’d never come to Christ in the first place. But being a Christian is more than just coming to Christ. It’s about growing and becoming more like Jesus. It’s about pursing holiness. The pursuit of holiness is hard work, and that’s were we turn from grace to discipline. Grace is every bit as important for growing as a Christian as it is for becoming a Christian in the first place. Grace is at the heart of the gospel, and without a clear understanding of the gospel and grace we can easily slip into a performance based lifestyle that bears little resemblance to what the gospel has to offer us. The Discipline Of Grace offers a clear and thorough explanation of the gospel and what it means to the believer, and how the same grace that brings us to faith in Christ also disciplines us in Christ, and how we learn to discipline ourselves in the areas of commitment, convictions, choices, watchfulness, and adversity. The Discipline Of Grace is highly recommended reading for anyone struggling to overcome the world in Christ. — Midwest Book Review

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A masterpiece of the English Puritan tradition, The Pilgrim’s Progress is rich in its imaginative power and its vivid and heartfelt language. It recounts the story of Christian, who appears to the author in a dream, and his journey to Heaven through the trials and tribulations of life. He meets many like-minded pilgrims on his way, such as Faithful and Hopeful, but before they attain their goal they encounter the Giant Despair and the River of Death itself. Translated into more than one hundred languages, The Pilgrim’s Progress continues to have an immeasurable influence on English literature.

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Lectures to My Students
By Charles Spurgeon

One contemporary scholar and authority on Spurgeon says of this work: “Next to Mr. Spurgeon’s great literary work, The Treasury of David, we consider (these) Lectures to My Students his greatest single contribution to the Christian world. There is more practical wisdom, common sense and sage advice packed within these pages than with any other book of similar size or content.” This complete and unabridged edition of Spurgeon’s great work will make it possible for today’s generation to appreciate Spurgeon’s combination of discerning wit and refreshingly practical advice. Included in the 28 chapters of this classic volume on homiletics are such lectures as: – The Call to Ministry – The Preacher’s Private Prayer – On the Choice of a Text – On the Voice – The Holy Spirit in Connection with Our Ministry – Posture, Action, Gesture, etc. – The Blind Eye and the Deaf Ear – On Conversion as Our Aim – Illustrations in Preaching — As were all of Spurgeon’s’ messages to his people, each of these lectures is Scripture-saturated and Christ-honoring. They move swiftly and are fascinating in their content and sage counsel.

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Spurgeon: A New Biography
By Arnold Dallimore

Charles Spurgeon was called “the prince of preachers”. It is no easy task to depict ‘so tremendous a personality’ as that of Spurgeon in a brief volume, but in 250 pages it is here accomplished, and with a large measure of success. It will meet the need of those completely ignorant of Spurgeon and his vast achievements, but will stir also the interest of all who value a unique ministry, yielding 62 volumes of ‘deathless’ sermons and many other highly valuable publicatons.

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Operation World is the definitive global prayer handbook that will help focus your heart and life towards God’s passion for His glory. With over 1 million copies of past versions being sold, this all new 7th edition has been completely updated and revised by Jason Mandryk and covers the entire populated world.

Whether you are an intercessor praying behind the scenes for world change, a missionary reaping the benefits of intercession or simply curious about the world, Operation World will give you the information necessary to be a vital part in fulfilling God’s passion for the nations.

Included in the updated and revised 7th edition:

All the countries of the world featured
Maps of each country
Geographic information
People groups within each country
Economic information
Political information
Religious make-up of each country
Daily Prayer Calendar
Answers to prayer
Challenges for prayer

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By Frank Morison

‘I owe Morison a great debt of gratitude. ‘Who Moved the Stone?’ was an important early link in a long chain of evidence that God used to bring me into his kingdom. Morison’s stirring intellectual exploration of the historical record proved to be an excellent starting point for my spiritual investigation.’ — Lee Strobel

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By: Ron Blue & Jeremy White
Forward by: Charles Swindoll

Finally…a financial planning book that presents concepts in an easy-to-understand format. Do you know if you have enough? Do you know how much is enough? If you can’t answer these questions, The New Master Your Money is for you. Ron Blue extracts principles from God’s Word and applies them to your financial portfolio. Ron’s professional experience in financial planning will be an asset to you and to your family for generations to come. This new edition includes important updates and new content you won’t want to miss.

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By Larry Burkett

Larry Burkett has organized an invaluable collection of relevant Scriptures into one easy-to-reference volume. Topically arranged Bible passages and a concordance focus attention on key issues of finance and stewardship.

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By Ron Blue & Jeremy White

Finish well. That is what we are called to do in Scripture, but where will our money and possessions finish? The Bible has the principles that provide answers to the challenge of parenting and passing along an in heritage. Within the next decade, over ONE TRILLION DOLLARS will change hands from one generation to the next. Individuals with adult children will need to transfer that wealth without ruining their heirs’ lives.Ron Blue, an authority on personal and business finance, will help:~Identify exactly how much money would be transferred were the reader to die today~Identify the need for creating a will~Identify tax-wise financial planning~Teach the way to leave money without creating an unhealthy dependence

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By Randy Alcorn

“When you discover the secret joy of the Treasure Principle, I guarantee you’ll never be content with less.” So claims Alcorn in the introduction to this small gift book on Christian generosity. Noting that fifteen percent of Christ’s teachings in the New Testament deal with money and possessions-more than his teachings on heaven and hell combined-Alcorn compares heavenly treasure, which is eternal, with earthly riches, which “will always be lost” after death. Alcorn encourages Christians to understand that everything they believe they own is actually God’s; they are merely managers. He is a compelling storyteller, whether drawing on Scripture, accounts of others who have lived generously, or recounting his own experiences; all of his book royalties and a large portion of his salary go to charity. Analyzing the pervasive disease of “affluenza” and the fact that Americans’ unprecedented wealth does not seem to be bringing extraordinary happiness, he says that he and other people who have discovered the secret of unfettered giving know that they are storing up treasures in heaven, their true home. Alcorn’s writing here is more akin to a motivational speech (including an overabundance of rhetorical questions, italicized words and exclamation points for emphasis) than a book. However, many Christians will appreciate his countercultural messages that “giving is the only antidote to materialism” and the “health and wealth gospel dishonors Christ.” Indeed, for many, this could be a life-changing book.

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- The Bondage of the Will – Buy it at Amazon!
- Luther’s Small Catechism – Read free online.
- Luther’s Large Catechism – Read free online.
- Table Talks – Read free online.

“I cannot.. I will not… recant! Here I stand.” This authoritative and inspiring story paints a vivid portrait of the crusader who spearheaded the Reformation. Considered one of the most readable biographies of Martin Luther, this volume is an illustrated look at the German religious reformer and his influence on Western civilization.

Martin Luther entered a monastery as a youth and as a man shattered the structure of the medieval church. Luther spoke out against the corrupt religious practices that then existed. His demand that the authority for doctrine and practice be Scriptures, rather than Popes or Councils, echoed around the world and ignited the Great Reformation. Accused of heresy and threatened with excommunication and death, Luther maintained his bold stand and refused to recant. In his crusade to eliminate religious abuses, he did more than any other man to establish the Protestant faith. With sound historical scholarship and penetrating insight, Roland Bainton examines Luther’s widespread influence. He re-creates the spiritual setting of the sixteenth century, showing Luther’s place within it and influence upon it. Richly illustrated with more than 100 woodcuts and engravings from Luther’s own time, Here I Stand dramatically brings to life Martin Luther, the great reformer.

“Of the many superlative treatments, a half-century old study by Roland Bainton, Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther, has justly won a reputation as a classic work on a classic subject.”

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Christian Beliefs: Twenty Basics Every Christian Should Know

Christian Essentials Made Plain and Simple:

God doesn’t call every Christian to go off to seminary, but there are certain matters of doctrine—that is, the church’s teaching—that every Christian simply must know. Theology is important because what we believe affects how we live. If you’re a relatively new believer in Jesus, or if you’re a more mature Christian looking for a quick brush-up on basics of the faith, Christian Beliefs is for you. This readable guide to twenty basic Christian beliefs is a condensation of Wayne Grudem’s award-winning book on systematic theology, prized by pastors and teachers everywhere. He and his son, Elliot, have boiled down the essentials of Christian theology for the average layperson and made them both clear and applicable to life. You will learn about the Bible, the characteristics of God, what it means that we are created in the image of God, what God has done for us in Christ, the purpose of the church, and much more.

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