Complete New Book List
May, 2018
Heaven, So Near—So Far: The Story of Judas Iscariot, by Colin S. Smith. Tim Challies says: “Of all human beings, none passed so close to the gates of heaven on his way to hell as Judas Iscariot…his story is a cautionary tale for each one of us.” Both Judas and Peter denied Jesus, yet each responded to this crisis in a drastically different way.
The Gospel According to God: Rediscovering the Most Remarkable Chapter in the Old Testament, by John MacArthur. The prophecy of the suffering servant in Isaiah 53, which foretells the crucifixion of Jesus, is often hailed as one of the greatest chapters in the Bible. MacArthur goes through it verse by verse.
The Gospel Comes with a House Key: Practicing Radically Ordinary Hospitality in Our Post-Christian World, by Rosaria Butterfield. Calls us to love our neighbors with radical hospitality.
Christ From Beginning to End: How the Full Story of Scripture Reveals the Full Glory of Christ, by Trent Hunter and Stephen Wellum. Graeme Goldsworthy says “this book is a gem for its treatment of the way the OT contributes to our grasp of what it means for Jesus to be the Christ”.
Lloyd-Jones on the Christian Life: Doctrine and Life as Fuel and Fire, by Jason Meyer, with Foreword by Sinclair Ferguson (Theologians on the Christian Life). Lloyd-Jones, commonly referred to as “the Doctor”, had a successful career in medicine before abandoning it all to become a preacher in London. As D.A. Carson says, “Jason Meyer capably emphasizes the extraordinary unity of doctrine and experience in Lloyd-Jones’ life”. His preaching was characterized by theological depth and spiritual power, and had a tremendous impact on a young J.I. Packer.
Eschatological Discipleship, by Trevin K. Wax. Discipleship is eschatological in nature, because the church that makes and receives disciples is eschatological in nature. .As a result, eschatology does not refer only to “last things” doctrines. Mike Bird says this is “a much needed book that teaches that followers of Jesus are shaped in their thinking and actions by Jesus’s kingship and by the coming kingdom”.
Blessed are the Unsatisfied: Finding Spiritual Freedom in an Imperfect World, by Amy Simpson. Shows how an “unsatisfaction” with the quality of our intimacy with Christ can motivate us to pursue a deeper relationship with God and with others, and to make needed changes.
Determined to Believe: The Sovereignty of God, Freedom, Faith, and Human Responsibility, by John C. Lennox. Paul Copan says this book “tackles important questions about freedom and fatalism, salvation and sovereignty, faith and foreordination, regeneration and reprobation”. Lennox has 3 doctorates, is a professor of mathematics at Oxford, and is an engaging writer and speaker. He is the author of Seven Days That Divide the World, and has debated with several of the New Atheists.
Troubled Minds: Mental Illness and the Church’s Mission, by Amy Simpson. Statistics shows us that one in four people suffer from some form of mental illness—from depression to schizophrenia and beyond. Many of these people are sitting in our churches, and Simpson reminds us that they are our neighbors and brothers and sisters in Christ, and we are called to love them too.
Life in Christ: Lessons from Our Lord’s Miracles and Parables, Volume 1, by Charles H. Spurgeon. In this first volume, Spurgeon expounds on eight of Jesus’s miracles.
Finding the Love of Jesus from Genesis to Revelation, by Elyse Fitzpatrick. Aimed especially at women, this book shows how each section of the Bible—the Law, history, poetry, gospels, and epistles—points to God’s eternal love and the good news of redemption through the Son.
Sex, Jesus, and the Conversations the Church Forgot, by Mo Isom. With transparency and vulnerability, Mo Isom shares her own sexual testimony (including her early fascination with pornography) to show that sexual ethics is not just a matter of rule-following, but a way to worship and glorify God.
Streams of Mercy: Prayers of Confession and Celebration, by Barbara R. Duguid, edited by Iain M. Duguid. Inspired by the Puritan classic, The Valley of Vision, this book provides prayers that confess specific sins in response to scriptural calls to confession and then close with an assurance of our pardon in Christ. In this book we learn to pray God’s Word back to him.
God’s Timeline: The Big Book of Church History, by Linda Finlayson. Ideal for family study. Includes vivid illustrations, 16 timelines and a pull-out timeline poster.
Marriage, Divorce, and Remarriage: Critical Questions and Answers, by Jim Newheiser. The author is director of the Christian Counseling program and associate professor of practical theology at Reformed Theological Seminary, Charlotte. Here he explores 40 crucial questions. (Note: Newheiser was baptized by Bob Deffinbaugh at Believers Chapel).
Psalms Old and New: Exegesis, Intertextuality, and Hermeneutics, by Ben Witherington III. In this new volume, Witherington reads the Psalms both backward and forward, that is, in its original context but also in the light of Christ, in a way that illumines both the Psalms and the New Testament. This volume follows Witherington’s similar treatment of Isaiah in early 2017, and anticipates his similar treatment of the Torah later this year.
From Sabbath to Lord’s Day: A Biblical, Historical, and Theological Investigation, edited by D.A. Carson.
COMMENTARIES: Zephaniah, Haggai, Malachi, by Iain M. Duguid and Matthew P. Harmon (Reformed Expository Commentary); 1 Corinthians, by Paul Gardner (Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the NT).
ADULT DVDs: The Tabernacle, from Rose Publishing. Ideal for a group study. DVD with six 30-minute sessions, printed leader’s guide and participants guide, Tabernacle pamphlet with full-color diagram, and one ready-to-use Tabernacle Power-Point with 100+ slides.
ADULT FICTION: Pelican Point, by Irene Hannon (Hope Harbor); Plummet, by Brandilyn Collins; The Masterpiece, by Francine Rivers; If I Live, by Terri Blackstock (If I Run #3); High Treason, by DiAnn Mills (FBI Task Force).