The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith


Timothy J. Keller - 2008
    S. Lewis for the twenty-first century" in a feature on his first book, The Reason for God. In that book, he offered a rational explanation of why we should believe in God. Now, in The Prodigal God, he uses one of the best-known Christian parables to reveal an unexpected message of hope and salvation.Taking his trademark intellectual approach to understanding Christianity, Keller uncovers the essential message of Jesus, locked inside his most familiar parable. Within that parable Jesus reveals God's prodigal grace toward both the irreligious and the moralistic. This book will challenge both the devout and skeptics to see Christianity in a whole new way.Look out for Timothy Keller's latest book, The Songs of Jesus, coming from Viking on November 10, 2015.

PROOF: Finding Freedom through the Intoxicating Joy of Irresistible Grace


Daniel Montgomery - 2014
    Time magazine recently dubbed Calvinism as one of the top ten ideas changing the world right now. And yet most of these discussions center on the issue of predestination or on whether particular people agree with the five points of Calvinism. Daniel Montgomery and Timothy Paul Jones think it's time to rescue the theology of the Reformers from such stale scholasticizing and to declare anew the dangerous and intoxicating joy of the gospel that theyproclaimed. PROOF stands for planned grace, resurrecting grace, outrageous grace, overcoming grace, and forever grace. The authors offer proof of God’s grace upon which people can stand against  the attacks of legalism that have led many of God's people to lose sight of the freedom and joy of the gospel.  And this proof is intoxicating—it’s like a 200-proof drink that will leave you spiritually staggering at its effect on your life. God’s grace not only declares us “not guilty!” in his presence, it changes our relationship with God—forever.?

After You Believe: Why Christian Character Matters


N.T. Wright - 2010
    Nor is it a prescription to "follow your heart" wherever it may lead. Instead, After You Believe reveals the Bible's call for a revolution—a transformation of character that takes us beyond our earthly pursuit of money, sex, and power into a virtuous state of living that allows us to reflect God and live more worshipful, fulfilling lives.We are all spiritual seekers, intuitively knowing there is more to life than we suspect. This is a book for anyone who is hoping there is something more while we're here on Earth. There is. We are being called to join the revolution, and Wright insightfully encourages readers to find new purpose and clarity by taking us on an eye-opening journey through key biblical passages that promise to radically alter the work of the church and the direction of our lives.

Cold-Case Christianity: A Homicide Detective Investigates the Claims of the Gospels


J. Warner Wallace - 2013
    A. County homicide detective and former atheist, Cold-Case Christianity examines the claims of the New Testament using the skills and strategies of a hard-to-convince criminal investigator. Christianity could be defined as a “cold case”: it makes a claim about an event from the distant past for which there is little forensic evidence. In Cold-Case Christianity, J. Warner Wallace uses his nationally recognized skills as a homicide detective to look at the evidence and eyewitnesses behind Christian beliefs. Including gripping stories from his career and the visual techniques he developed in the courtroom, Wallace uses illustration to examine the powerful evidence that validates the claims of Christianity. A unique apologetic that speaks to readers’ intense interest in detective stories, Cold-Case Christianity inspires readers to have confidence in Christ as it prepares them to articulate the case for Christianity.

Church History in Plain Language


Bruce L. Shelley - 1982
    It combines authoritative research with a captivating style to bring our heritage home to us.

Reasonable Faith


William Lane Craig - 1984
    The average Christian does not realize that there is an intellectual war going on in the universities and in the professional journals and scholarly societies. Christianity is being attacked from all sides as irrational or outmoded, and millions of students, our future generation of leaders have absorbed this viewpoint. This is a war which we cannot afford to lose.... "In addition to serving, like the rest of theology in general, as an expression of our loving God with all our minds, apologetics specifically serves to show to unbelievers the truth of the Christian faith, to confirm that faith to believers, and to reveal and explore the connections between Christian doctrine and other truths.... Apologetics... is a theoretical discipline that tries to answer the question, What rational defense can be given for the Christian faith?"This book by respected philosopher and theologian William Lane Craig has been thoroughly revised and updated to equip believers in the successful proclamation of biblical truth claims. The author gives careful attention to crucial questions and concerns, including: How Do I Know Christianity Is True?, The Absurdity of Life Without God, The Existence of God, The Problem of Miracles, and The Resurrection of Jesus.An invaluable scholarly resource for all committed defenders of the Christian faith.

Jesus, the One and Only


Beth Moore - 2002
    In Jesus, the One and Only, Beth introduces them to an intimate Savior as they get a close-up and personal portrait of the life of Jesus the Messiah.But this is far more than just a work on the life of Christ. As He has done in the past, God uses Beth’s words to woo the reader into a romance with the One and Only. The reader comes to know Christ personally, watching and listening as He breaks up a funeral by raising the dead, confronts conniving religious leaders of His day, teaches on a Galilean hillside, or walks on the waves and calms the storm.

Biblical Theology: How the Church Faithfully Teaches the Gospel


Nick Roark - 2018
    One of the most important safeguards against all forms of heresy is a robust appreciation for biblical theology--reading the Bible in a way that takes into account the whole storyline of redemptive history. Exhorting pastors and other church leaders to prioritize biblical theology in their own congregations, this book explains basic principles for reading the Bible that help pastors teach the big story of the Bible from every text. Understanding the Bible in Christ-centered terms shapes the church's teaching and mission, and protects the truth of the gospel around the world.

Christ Our Mediator: Finding Passion at the Cross (LifeChange Books)


C.J. Mahaney - 2004
    That’s what this book helps you do in a profound, strategic, and life-changing way. Author C. J. Mahaney exposes our human tendency to look at the Savior’s death (and at everything else!) through our own subjective feelings and impressions, rather than from the standpoint of objective truth. By nature we always begin with ourselves rather than with God. But by following the God-first "Divine Order" in how we think—and by asking "What do I believe?" instead of "How do I feel?"—we’re freed up to embrace the right truth in the right way. The right feelings quickly follow, and they’re reliable because they’re anchored in truth.The Secret to Sustaining Joy Do you desire more passion for Christ? Then learn to see His death not from our point of view, but from God’s. Author C. J. Mahaney puts you at our Savior’s side—and into His soul—during the most emotionally wrenching moments of His final hours. As you better understand the true nature of His struggle, you’ll grasp more than ever the staggering significance of why Jesus died…and fully experience His sacrifice as a personal act of love for you. Allow the deepest truths of Calvary to stir your passion for Christ our mediator into a flame that burns your whole life long. Story Behind the BookThere’s nothing more overpowering than to climb Calvary ’s hill in childlike attentiveness and wonder, with all our distractions and wrong assumptions cleared away. This book was written that we might be gripped by gratitude and enflamed in passion for the Savior, Christ our Mediator, who suffered the Father’s righteous wrath for us.From the Hardcover edition.

Humble Orthodoxy: Holding the truth high without putting people down


Joshua Harris - 2013
    We need both. Orthodoxy, for the faithful, evokes what’s cherished and beautiful and eternal. Yet in our day, orthodoxy is too often wielded like a weapon, used to bludgeon others with differing points of view. The word has become associated with behavior like argumentative, annoying, and arrogant. It’s time for God’s people to demonstrate both right thinking and right attitudes. We are called to embrace and defend biblical truth. But that truth includes repeated commands to love our neighbor, love our enemy, and be clothed in gentleness and respect. In Humble Orthodoxy, bestselling author Joshua Harris examines New Testament teachings about the calling of believers to a love-infused courage that ignores foolish controversies, patiently endures evil, and champions truth with generosity of spirit. Without this kind of humility, Harris asserts, we become like the Pharisees—right in our doctrine, but ultimately destroying the cause of truth with our pride.

Chosen for Life: The Case for Divine Election


Sam Storms - 1987
    Does God elect people because they believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, or does God elect people in order that they will believe in Christ? Much of the disagreement and controversy concerning this doctrine proceeds from a fundamental misunderstanding of what it means.This is why Storms begins his analysis of divine election with an attempt to clarify precisely what is at stake and, at the same time, correct misrepresentations of it. He takes a thorough look at the doctrine as it is presented in Romans 9 as well as the rest of the New Testament. He also explores freedom of will and the order of salvation. Appendixes address Three Problem Passages and Who Can and Cannot Pray for God to Save the Lost?

The Practical Implications of Calvinism


Albert N. Martin - 1979
    True Christianity involves a sight of the majesty of God and calls for a godly life.

The Grand Weaver: How God Shapes Us Through the Events of Our Lives


Ravi Zacharias - 2007
    Yet we drift into feeling that our daily lives are the product of our own efforts. This book brims with penetrating stories and insights that show us otherwise. From a chance encounter in a ticket line to a beloved father's final word before dying, from a random phone call to a line in a Scripture reading, every detail of life is woven into its perfect place. In The Grand Weaver, Dr. Zacharias examines our backgrounds, our disappointments, our triumphs, and our beliefs, and explains how they are all part of the intentional and perfect work of the Grand Weaver.Also available: unabridged audio CD.

The Explicit Gospel


Matt Chandler - 2012
    Sure, many will hear about Jesus, and about being good and avoiding bad, but the gospel message simply isn't there--at least not in its specificity and its fullness. Inspired by the needs of both the overchurched and the unchurched, and bolstered by the common neglect of the explicit gospel within Christianity, Matt Chandler has written this punchy treatise. He begins with the specifics of the gospel--outlining what it is and what it is not--and then switches gears to focus on the fullness of the gospel and its massive implications on both personal and cosmic levels. Recognizing our tendency to fixate on either the micro or macro aspects of the gospel, Chandler also warns us of the dangers on either side--of becoming overly individualistic or syncretistic. Here is a call to true Christianity, to know the gospel explicitly, and to unite the church on the amazing grounds of the good news of Jesus!

Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World's Largest Religion


Rebecca McLaughlin - 2019
    But even so, the Christian faith includes many controversial beliefs that non-Christians find hard to accept. This book explores 12 issues that might cause someone to dismiss orthodox Christianity--issues such as the existence of suffering, the Bible's teaching on gender and sexuality, the reality of heaven and hell, the authority of the Bible, and more. Showing how the best research from sociology, science, and psychology doesn't disagree with but actually aligns with claims found in the Bible, these chapters help skeptics understand why these issues are signposts, rather than roadblocks, to faith in Christ.