Recommended Reading


This compilation of titles and authors, recommended by the leadership at Pacific Hope Church, represents a range of content from foundational works of Scriptural exposition to topical studies. While this is by no means meant to be an exhaustive list of books or topics endorsed by our Church leadership, it is a good place to find sound teaching as you seek to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18).


G.K. BEALE - THE BOOK OF REVELATION: A SHORTER COMMENTARY

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Preserving the essential content and argument from each chapter in revised form, Beale discusses Revelation verse by verse, drawing out the book's profound truths and encouragements concerning Christian life and discipleship. Following each commentary section is a set of "Suggestions for Reflection" to help readers apply that passage in Revelation to their own lives.



THE MASCULINE MANDATE

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In this book, Richard D. Phillips cuts through the cultural confusion, highlights God's mandate for men, and encourages readers to join him on a journey of repentance and renewal. Phillips begins in the Garden of Eden, drawing foundational teaching for men from the earliest chapters of God's Word. This is teaching that reaches into all of life. Christian men today need to examine their hearts and embrace their God-given mandate. Only then will they be able to recognize their high calling, and by God's grace, serve faithfully in whatever context God has placed them.



THE SERVANT KING

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The Servant King will help us enter the richness of God's Word, and we will understand better, not just who Jesus was, but who he is today. The Old Testament, beginning with its very first pages, paints a portrait of the Messiah, the Saviour of the world: where he will come from, what he will be like and what he will do. By the time we reach the New Testament, much of the portrait has emerged, so that the Jesus we encounter is not a stranger. We are able to see, like the first disciples, that he is the Messiah already promised, the Servant King.




THE UNFOLDING MYSTERY: DISCOVERING CHRIST IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

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Have you ever wondered what Christ said to his disciples on the Emmaus road-making their hearts burn? Follow Ed Clowney through the Old Testament as he shows how all the Scriptures point to Christ. As we explore Old Testament characters and events, you’ll be inspired by the many specific insights they give us into Jesus’ character and lordship.




THE TRINITARIAN DEVOTION OF JOHN OWEN

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John Owen lived through one of the most tumultous periods in England's history. Through it all, Owen remained steadfats in his faith in the triune God of the Bible. The Trinitarian Devotion of John Owen explores the life and thought of this remarkable preacher and theologian, with a special focus on Owen's Trinitarian theology.




REDEMPTION ACCOMPLISHED AND APPLIED

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In this enduring study of the atonement, Murray systematically explains the two sides of redemption: its accomplishment by Christ and its application to the life of the redeemed. In Part I Murray considers the necessity, nature, perfection, and extent of the atonement. In Part II Murray offers careful expositions of the scriptural teaching about calling, regeneration, faith and repentance, justification, adoption, sanctification, perseverance, union with Christ, and glorification.



DAVID WELLS - GOD IN THE WHIRLWIND

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Building on years of research, writing, and cross-cultural ministry, renowned author and theologian David Wells calls our attention to that which defines God’s greatness and gives shape to the Christian life: the holy-love of God.

In God in the Whirlwind, Wells explores the depths of the paradox that God is both holy and loving, showing how his holy-love provides the foundation for our understanding of the cross, sanctification, the nature of worship, and our life of service in the world. What’s more, a renewed vision of God's character is the cure for evangelicalism’s shallow theology, with its weightless God and sentimental gospel.

Written by one of evangelicalism’s most insightful minds, this book will help you stand firm in your faith despite the changing winds and raging storms of the modern world.




JERRY BRIDGES - THE DISCIPLINE OF GRACE

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The Discipline of Grace offers a clear and and thorough explanation of the gospel and what it means to be a believer.

Being a Christian is more than the grace of God that brings us to salvation. It's about growing and becoming more like Jesus-it's about pursuing holiness. This book explores how the same grace that brings us to faith in Christ also disciplines us in Christ.

If you've ever struggled with what your role is and what role God takes in your growth as a Christian, this book will comfort and challenge you as you learn to rest in Christ while vigorously pursuing a life of holiness.



LOVING THE WAY JESUS LOVES

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Loving the Way Jesus Loves by Phil Ryken is a fresh look at what is commonly known as "The Love Chapter," I Corinthians 13. Ryken's exposition is no light and fluffy "God is love" message so common in American evangelicalism. Although the passage is most famous for being read at weddings, it was not written specifically to describe a romantic relationship. Taking the great statements on biblical love from 1 Corinthians 13 as his point of departure, Ryken then turns to the life of Jesus to illustrate and explain true Christian love. Rather than working straight through 1 Corinthians 13, Ryken takes these themes and works through the life of Christ chronologically. The standard for love is Christ himself. There is not greater example of what true love is than the Savior.



BRUCE WARE - THE MAN CHRIST JESUS

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What does it mean for Jesus to be Human?

Theologian Bruce Ware takes us back to the biblical text, where we meet a profoundly human Jesus who faced many of the same difficulties and limitations we experience today and learn how we can follow in His steps.



THE TRELLIS AND THE VINE

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All Christian ministry is a mixture of trellis and vine. There is vine work: the prayerful preaching and teaching of the word of God to see people converted and grow to maturity as disciples of Christ. Vine work is the Great Commission. And there is trellis work: creating and maintaining the physical and organizational structures and programs that support vine work and its growth. What's the state of the trellis and the vine in your part of the world? Has trellis work taken over, as it has a habit of doing? Is the vine work being done by very few (perhaps only the pastor and only on Sundays)? And is the vine starting to wilt as a result? The image of the trellis and the vine raises all the fundamental questions of Christian ministry: * What is the vine for? * How does the vine grow? * How does the vine relate to my church? * What is vine work and what is trellis work, and how can we tell the difference? * What part do different people play in growing the vine? * How can we get more people involved in vine work? In The Trellis and the Vine, Colin Marshall and Tony Payne answer these urgent questions afresh. They dig back into the Bible's view of Christian ministry, and argue that a major mind-shift is required if we are to fulfill the Great Commission of Christ, and see the vine flourish again.




THE REFORMERS AND THEIR STEPCHILDREN

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One bad apple spoils the whole bunch! That phrase as we use it today, means that one person (or faction) doing wrong can affect a whole group of people. It can mean that the person (or group) doing wrong can have a negative influence on those around him or her, causing them to do wrong as well.

One Chinese proverb goes like this "One mouse dropping ruins the whole pot of rice." While that sounds a little gross, in essence it has the same meaning as "one bad apple spoils the whole bunch." Both of those sayings pale in comparison to what has been said of a group who was rebelling against medieval church order. A group who truly stood unwaveringly on the ground of Sola Scriptura.

During the time of the Reformers stood a group of fearless men of whom (today) far too many reformed believers remain, or insist on remaining, ignorant of. This group received much derogatory treatment from the classical reformers. This courageous front became the recipients of a smear campaign; portrayed as “Donatists” “Radicals” or “faction-makers.” You may know them as “the heretics” or “Anabaptists.”

Leonard Verduin (from the reformed family) goes deep into the archives to expose these men for who they truly were. Revealing that those referred to as the second front or stepchildren weren’t bad apples; but rather, imitation bad apples for the peace of mind of the classical reformers who were still struggling with standing on scripture plus unbiblical tradition.

The stigma that has held these men down for centuries was derived by some of our very own heroes: Luther, Calvin, and Zwingli. As a result, many reformed believers today, not knowing their history, have simply repeated the embarrassing misgivings against these so-called stepchildren. Verduin reminds us that these men; as great as they were, were no less flawed than the rest of us, and sadly mistaken

Written almost fifty years ago, Verduin concludes: "In this volume the Radicals of the Reformation times receive more sympathetic treatment than they are wont to get, especially in the Reformation tradition. There are two reasons for this sympathetic treatment. One is that the time seems to have come to reverse the derogatory treatment to which these Stepchildren have been traditionally subjected. One can speak very well of them indeed before he becomes guilty of a bias as pronounced as that of those who have so long spoken evil of them; one can let these stepchildren play the role of the hero and he will be at least as near to historic truth as is the tradition that has so long assigned to them the role of rogue. A second reason for the sympathetic treatment given these Radicals of the Reformation is that history has to a large extent demonstrated that they were in a large way right."

Take up and read, be enlightened and grow to refuse the free sample imitation "bad apples" for your peace of mind that have been offered over the centuries. Allow yourself the education of Leonard Verduins’ thorough research regarding the stepchildren of the reformers; who have been sadly misrepresented for desiring to stand on Sola Scriptura!

Endorsement for The Reformers and Their Stepchildren:

"Careful study of this book by pastors and in lay study groups will contribute greatly to sounder preaching, more loyal churchmanship, and a purer witness to the honor of the Name of Jesus Christ."

-Franklin H. Little, Chicago Theological Seminary

September 1, 1964

It is difficult for me to speak in restrained terms about this most excellent study. Verduin has done a thorough job of research. He writes obviously out of a background rich in historical information and understanding. This book is all the more significant since it comes from the pen of one of the Reformers’ family and not from among the offspring of the ‘stepchildren.’ It is axiomatic that some books are to be scanned, others read, and few digested. The Reformers and Their Stepchildren belongs in the last category. Even though this book is a historical study, readers will find it among the most relevant and pertinent publications of our times.

-W.R. Estep, Jr., Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary



RC SPROUL - THE HOLINESS OF GOD

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Pacific Hope Church is a San Diego church that recommends the The Holiness of God by RC Sproul. Please read the book description:

Central to God’s character is the quality of holiness. Yet, even so, most people are hard-pressed to define what God’s holiness precisely is. Many preachers today avoid the topic altogether because people today don’t quite know what to do with words like “awe” or “fear.” R. C. Sproul, in this classic work, puts the holiness of God in its proper and central place in the Christian life. He paints an awe-inspiring vision of God that encourages Christian to become holy just as God is holy. Once you encounter the holiness of God, your life will never be the same.

About RC Sproul:

Dr. R.C. Sproul is the founder, chairman and president of Ligonier Ministries, an international Christian education ministry located near Orlando, Florida. His teaching can be heard on the program Renewing Your Mind, which is broadcast on hundreds of radio outlets in the United States and in 40 countries worldwide. He is the executive editor of Tabletalk magazine and general editor of The Reformation Study Bible, and the author of more than seventy books and scores of articles for national evangelical publications. Dr. Sproul also serves as president of Ligonier Academy of Biblical and Theological Studies and Reformation Bible College. He currently serves as senior minister of preaching and teaching at Saint Andrew's in Sanford, FL.



A.W. TOZER - KNOWLEDGE OF THE HOLY

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Pacific Hope Church is a San Diego church that recommends A.W. Tozer - Knowledge of the Holy

An Inspiring Classic on the Nature of God

What is the nature of God? How can we recapture a real sense of God's majesty and truly live in the Spirit? This beloved book, a modern classic of Christian testimony and devotion, addresses these and other vital questions, showing us how we can rejuvenate our prayer life, meditate more reverently, understand God more deeply, and experience God's presence in our daily lives.

Informative and inspiring, The Knowledge of the Holy illuminates God's attributes'from wisdom, to grace, to mercy'and shows through prayerful and insightful discussion, how we can more fully recognize and appreciate each of these divine aspects. This book will be treasured by anyone committed to the Christian faith. It bears eloquent witness to God's majesty and shows us new ways to experience and understand the wonder and the power of God's spirit in our daily lives.

About A.W. Tozer

The late Dr. A. W. Tozer was well known in evangelical circles both for his long and fruitful editorship of the Alliance Witness as well as his pastorate of one of the largest Alliance churches in the Chicago area. He came to be known as the Prophet of Today because of his penetrating books on the deeper spiritual life.



J.I. PACKER - KNOWING GOD

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Pacific Hope Church is a San Diego church that recommends Knowing God by J.I. Packer. In 2006, Christianity Today voted this title to be one of the top 50 books that have shaped evangelicals! During the past 20 years, J. I. Packer's classic has revealed to over one million Christians around the world the wonder, the glory and the joy of knowing God. This anniversary edition is completely retypeset, with Americanized language and spelling, and a new preface by the author.

About J.I. Packer - J.I. Packer currently serves as the Board of Governors' Professor of Theology at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia. An ordained Anglican minister, he hold a D.Phil. from Oxford University. Dr. Packer's many published works include "Rediscovering Holiness, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God," and the best-selling "Knowing God."



J.I. PACKER - EVANGELISM & THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD

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Pacific Hope Church is a San Diego church that recommends J.I. Packer - Evangelism & the Sovereignty of God. If God is in control of everything, can Christians sit back and not bother to evangelize? Or does active evangelism imply that God is not really sovereign at all? J.I. Packer shows in this classic study how both of these attitudes are false. In a careful review of the biblical evidence, he shows how a right understanding of God's sovereignty is not so much a barrier to evangelism as an incentive and powerful support for it.

About J.I. Packer - J.I. Packer currently serves as the Board of Governors' Professor of Theology at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia. An ordained Anglican minister, he hold a D.Phil. from Oxford University. Dr. Packer's many published works include "Rediscovering Holiness, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God," and the best-selling "Knowing God."



RICHARD PHILLIPS AND GABRIEL FLUHRER - THESE LAST DAYS: A CHRISTIAN VIEW OF HISTORY

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Pacific Hope Church is a San Diego church that recommends These Last Days: A Christian View of History by Richard Phillips and Gabriel Fluhrer. This is a book about an evil age. Specifically, it is about the present evil age that we live in right now. For many Christians, the expression these last days refers to the time right before the second coming of Christ but according to the apostles, the last days started with the first coming of Christ and continue even today.

How do we biblically understand our time as the final age of world history? What does this mean for our faith?

Reformed Christians have often avoided the field of eschatology but it was this doctrine of history that thrilled the first disciples. They realized that with the coming of the last days they had entered the time of the kingdom, and this understanding will strengthen our faith too.

About the Richard Phillips and Gabriel Fluhrer: Rick Phillips was raised in an Army family an grew up on posts around America. After graduating from the University of Michigan, he followed his father and grandfather by serving as a tank officer. While in graduate school in Philadelphia, his mother urged him to start attending church again, so Rick visited nearby Tenth Presbyterian Church. The message he heard that night changed his life, a sermon from the Old Testament book of Hosea about God's redeeming love for sinners through the cross of Jesus Christ. Surrendering his life to the love of Christ, Rick became active in Officer's Christian Fellowship during the years he was teaching leadership at West Point. He began leading a Bible study for students, then was asked to write a daily devotional, and then to preach at Christian meetings. Through these experiences, he and his wife concluded that God was calling Rick into a full-time pulpit ministry, so they left the Army and embarked on fulfilling God's call to the ordained ministry.

Rick tries the write the kind of books that have ministered so powerfully in his own life. Mainly, these are books of biblical exposition. His writing heroes are James M. Boice, Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, and similar writers of biblical teaching. Some of his books seek to provide clear biblical teaching to important matters of practical living, such as manhood and relationships. He is grateful to God for the privilege of ministering to so many people through his books, desiring above all that God's Word would be clearly, faithfully, and passionately set forth.

Dr. Phillips serves as senior minister of Second Presbyterian Church in downtown Greenville, SC. Previously, he pastored in Coral Springs, FL and Philadelphia, PA. He usually preaches morning and evening and his sermons can be heard on Sermon Audio and on the church website: www.secondpca.org. (Live services are also available on video.) Rick frequently speaks at conferences on the Bible and theology and is active in overseas missions, especially in East Africa. In addition to his ministry duties, Rick likes to spend time with his wife and five children. He is a loyal follower of his alma mater, the Michigan Wolverines, and is an avid fan of the Boston Red Sox.



JOHN FRAME - SALVATION BELONGS TO THE LORD: AN INTRODUCTION TO SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY

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Pacific Hope Church is a San Diego church that recommends John Frame - Salvation Belongs to the Lord. John Frame makes a remarkably clear teaching tool by exploring all the major biblical truths, explaining key terms of systematic theology, and reflecting on their implications and connections under the lordship of Christ.

About John Frame - John M. Frame (born 1939, Pittsburgh, PA) is an American philosopher and Calvinist theologian especially noted for his work in epistemology and presuppositional apologetics, systematic theology, and ethics. He is one of the foremost interpreters and critics of the thought of Cornelius Van Til.

 



THE CHRISTIAN LIFE - SINCLAIR B. FERGUSON

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Pacific Hope Church is a San Diego church that recommends The Christian Life - Sinclair B. 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'.

About Sinclair Ferguson - Sinclair Ferguson (born 1948) is a Scottish theologian known in Reformed Christian circles for his teaching, writing, and editorial work. He is currently a professor at Redeemer Seminary in Dallas.



JOHN CALVIN - INSTITUTES OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION

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Pacific Hope Church is a San Diego church that recommends John Calvin - Institutes of the Christian Religion. Hendrickson offers a one-volume hardcover edition of one of Western Christianity's foundational works. Re-typeset into a clean and modern typeface, this edition is easy to read for the modern eye. This book will appeal to libraries, seminarians, pastors, and laypeople. Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin is an introduction to the Bible and a vindication of Reformation principles by one of the Reformation's finest scholars.

At the age of twenty-six, Calvin published several revisions of his Institutes of the Christian Religion, a seminal work in Christian theology that altered the course of Western history and that is still read by theological students today. It was published in Latin in 1536 and in his native French in 1541, with the definitive editions appearing in 1559 (Latin) and in 1560 (French). The book was written as an introductory textbook on the Protestant faith for those with some learning already and covered a broad range of theological topics from the doctrines of church and sacraments to justification by faith alone. It vigorously attacked the teachings of those Calvin considered unorthodox, particularly Roman Catholicism, to which Calvin says he had been "strongly devoted" before his conversion to Protestantism. The over-arching theme of the book--and Calvin's greatest theological legacy--is the idea of God's total sovereignty, particularly in salvation and election.

About John Calvin - John Calvin (1509-1564) was a French Protestant theologian during the Protestant Reformation and was a central developer of the system of Christian theology called Calvinism or Reformed theology. In Geneva he rejected the authority of the Pope, established a new scheme of civic and church governance, and created a central hub from which Reformed theology was propagated. He is renowned for his teachings and writings.



LOUIS BERKHOF - SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY

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Pacific Hope Church is a San Diego church that recommends Louis Berkhof - Systematic Theology . Completely updated with a new introduction and preface, Berkhofs Systematic Theology now treats the essential subjects of theological prolegomena that were lacking in earlier editions: the nature and character of dogmatics, the methods and history of theological systems, and the foundations of God and Scripture. The standard systematic treatment of Reformed faith has just gotten better!

About Louis Berkhof - Louis Berkhof (1873 – 1957) was a Reformed systematic theologian whose written works have been influential in seminaries and Bible colleges in the United States and Canada and with individual Christians in general throughout the 20th century.



THE DOCTRINE OF GOD - JOHN FRAME

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Pacific Hope Church is a San Diego church that recommends - The Doctrine of God - John Frame. The second volume of Frame's Theology of Lordship series; here he examines the attributes and names of God in connection with a full spectrum of relevant theological and ethical truths.



THE ATONEMENT - LEON MORRIS

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Pacific Hope Church is a San Diego church that recommends -The Atonement by Leon Morris. Why is the cross the crux of Christianity? What are the meaning and significance of the atomement? The Bible uses a host of terms to illuminate the answers to these questions: covenant, sacrifice, the Day of Atonement, Passover, redemption, reconciliation, propitiation, justification. In plain English Leon Morris explains each of these words, thus opening up for students, pastors and teachers the fuller biblical dimension of God's great salvation.

About Leon Morris - Leon Lamb Morris (15 March 1914 — 24 July 2006) was an Australian New Testament scholar. Born in Lithgow, New South Wales, Morris was ordained to the Anglican ministry in 1938. He received his Ph.D. at the University of Cambridge in England on the subject which became his first major book, The Apostolic Preaching of the Cross. He served as Warden of Tyndale House, Cambridge (1960-64); Principal of Ridley College in Melbourne (1964-1979), Australia (where they have named a library in his honour); and Visiting Professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.



REVIVAL AND REVIVALISM - IAIN MURRAY

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Pacific Hope Church is a San Diego church that recommends -Revival and Revivalism - Iain Murray.

Aboutr Iain Murray -

Iain Hamish Murray (b. 1931; Lancashire, England) was educated in the Isle of Man and at the University of Durham. He entered the Christian ministry in 1955. He served as assistant to Martyn Lloyd-Jones at Westminster Chapel (1956–59) and subsequently at Grove Chapel, London (1961–69) and St. Giles Presbyterian Church, Sydney, Australia, (1981–84). In 1957 he and Jack Cullum founded the Reformed publishing house, the Banner of Truth Trust, where he has periodically worked full-time and remains the Editorial Director.



EVANGELICALISM DIVIDED - IAIN MURRY

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Pacific Hope Church is a San Diego church that recommends -Revival and Revivalism.

About Iain Murray -

Iain MurrayIain Hamish Murray (b. 1931; Lancashire, England) was educated in the Isle of Man and at the University of Durham. He entered the Christian ministry in 1955. He served as assistant to Martyn Lloyd-Jones at Westminster Chapel (1956–59) and subsequently at Grove Chapel, London (1961–69) and St. Giles Presbyterian Church, Sydney, Australia, (1981–84). In 1957 he and Jack Cullum founded the Reformed publishing house, the Banner of Truth Trust, where he has periodically worked full-time and remains the Editorial Director.



D. MARTYN LLOYD-JONES - GREAT DOCTRINES OF THE BIBLE

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Pacific Hope Church is a San Diego church that recommends D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones - Great Doctrines of the Bible. Theology isn't just for scholars-it is for everyone. For that reason Martyn Lloyd-Jones gave a series of lectures at WestminsterChapel to help ordinary people understand and apply theology totheir own lives. This book is the fruit of those lectures.

Previously published in three separate volumes, they are nowcombined into one work-a complete systematic Christian theology. Among others, the book covers Christian beliefs about Scripture,the attributes of God, the life and work of Jesus, the Fall,redemption, the person and work of the Holy Spirit, the nature ofthe church, and last things. The book is written in clear languageand contains guidance for application. Anyone who wishes to learnmore about the great doctrines of the Bible but doesn't want towade through lengthy academic works should read this book.

About D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones:

David Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981), minister of Westminster Chapel in London for thirty years, was one of the foremost preachers of his day. His books include Spiritual Depression, Joy Unspeakable, The Cross, The Heart of the Gospel, and his series on John 17.



D. MARTYN LLOYD-JONES - SPIRITUAL DEPRESSION

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Pacific Hope Church is a San Diego church that recommends -D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones - Spiritual Depression. Spiritual Depression is one of the great classics of the modern Church and tackles the big question: If Christianity is such 'good news' why are its followers often unhappy? Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones was possibly the greatest Christian preacher and teacher of the twentieth century. A medical doctor by training, Spiritual Depression draws together his professional understanding of the mind with a profound understanding of Christian teaching and the Bible. Spiritual Depression diagnoses the causes of the ill feeling that many Christians experience. It prescribes the practical care that is needed to lift people's spirits and bring them freedom, power and joy. Spiritual health is possible and this book explains how everyone can grasp it for themselves.

About David Martyn Lloyd-Jones:

David Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981), minister of Westminster Chapel in London for thirty years, was one of the foremost preachers of his day. His books include Spiritual Depression, Joy Unspeakable, The Cross, The Heart of the Gospel, and his series on John 17. (1899-1981), minister of Westminster Chapel in London for thirty years, was one of the foremost preachers of his day. His books include Spiritual Depression, Joy Unspeakable, The Cross, The Heart of the Gospel, and his series on John 17.



JOHN MACARTHUR - SLAVE

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Pacific Hope Church is a San Diego church that recommends the Slave by John MacArthur. A cover-up of Biblical proportions.

Centuries ago, English translators perpetrated a fraud in the New Testament, and it's been purposely hidden and covered up ever since. Your own Bible is probably included in the cover-up!

In this book, John MacArthur unveils the essential and clarifying revelation that may be keeping you from a fulfilling-and correct-relationship with God. It's powerful. It's controversial. And with new eyes you'll see the riches of your salvation in a radically new way.

What does it mean to be a Christian the way Jesus defined it? MacArthur says it all boils down to one word: SLAVE

About John Macarthur:

John MacArthur, the author of numerous best-selling books that have touched millions of lives, is pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, and president of The Master's College and Seminary. He is also president of Grace to You, the ministry that produces the internationally syndicated radio program Grace to You and a host of print, audio, and Internet resources. He authored the notes in the Gold Medallion Award-winning The MacArthur Study Bible.



JOHN MACARTHUR - A TALE OF TWO SONS

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Pacific Hope Church is a San Diego church that recommends John Macarthur - A Tale of Two Sons. Charles Dickens. William Shakespeare. Garrison Keillor. They're all part of the chorus of literary geniuses who expressed admiration for The Parable of the Prodigal Son as outstanding literature. After all, it is a powerful drama, rich in detail, powerfully succinct, and intensely personal. But beyond the literary critiques-besides being one of the most celebrated written works of all time-the message of this parable is one we can't afford to ignore.

About John Macarthur:

John MacArthur, the author of numerous best-selling books that have touched millions of lives, is pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, and president of The Master's College and Seminary. He is also president of Grace to You, the ministry that produces the internationally syndicated radio program Grace to You and a host of print, audio, and Internet resources. He authored the notes in the Gold Medallion Award-winning The MacArthur Study Bible.



JOHN MACARTHUR - THE TRUTH WAR

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Pacific Hope Church is a San Diego church that recommends the Truth War by John Macarthur. Please read the book description:

Right now, Truth is under attack, and much is at stake. Christians are caught in the crossfire of alternative Christian histories, emerging faulty texts, and a cultural push to eliminate absolute Truth altogether. As a result, many churches and Christians have been deceived. Worse still, they propagate the deception that poses itself as Truth! In The Truth War John MacArthur reclaims the unwavering certainty of God's Truth and anchors Christians in the eternal, immovable promises that are found in His Word.

About John Macarthur:

John MacArthur, the author of numerous best-selling books that have touched millions of lives, is pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, and president of The Master's College and Seminary. He is also president of Grace to You, the ministry that produces the internationally syndicated radio program Grace to You and a host of print, audio, and Internet resources. He authored the notes in the Gold Medallion Award-winning The MacArthur Study Bible.



JOHN PIPER - THIS MOMENTARY MARRIAGE: A PARABLE OF PERMANENCE

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Pacific Hope Church is a San Diego church that recommends John Piper - This Momentary Marriage: A Parable of Permanence. Reflecting on forty years of matrimony, John Piper exalts thebiblical meaning of marriage over its emotion, exhorting couples tokeep their covenant for all the best reasons.

Even in the days when people commonly stayed married "'til deathdo us part," there has never been a generation whose view ofmarriage was high enough, says Pastor John Piper. That is all themore true in our casual times.

Though personal selfishness and cultural bondage obstruct thewonder of God's purpose, it is found in God's Word, where hisdesign can awaken a glorious vision capable of freeing every personfrom small, Christ-ignoring, romance-intoxicated views. As Piperexplains in reflecting on forty years of matrimony: "Mostfoundationally, marriage is the doing of God. Andultimately, marriage is the display of God. It displaysthe covenant-keeping love between Christ and his people to theworld in a way that no other event or institution does. Marriage,therefore, is not mainly about being in love. It's mainly abouttelling the truth with our lives. And staying married is not aboutstaying in love. It is about keeping covenant and putting the gloryof Christ's covenant-keeping love on display."

This Momentary Marriage unpacks the biblical vision,its unexpected contours, and its weighty implications for married,single, divorced, and remarried alike.

About John Piper:

John Piper is the Pastor for Preaching at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He grew up in Greenville, South Carolina, and studied at Wheaton College, where he first sensed God's call to enter the ministry. He went on to earn degrees from Fuller Theological Seminary (B.D.) and the University of Munich (D.theol.). For six years he taught Biblical Studies at Bethel College in St. Paul, Minnesota, and in 1980 accepted the call to serve as pastor at Bethlehem. John is the author of more than 30 books, including Sex and the Supremacy of Christ, Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, What Jesus Demands from the World, and Don't Waste Your Life.



J.C. RYLE - HIS HOLINESS

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Pacific Hope Church is a San Diego church that recommends J.C. Ryle - His Holiness. With his trademark candor, J.C. Ryle strips away the gaudy ornamentation that many confuse for holiness, and systematically unfolds the true beauty of what it means to adorn the doctrine of God our Savior. Deep, rich, and penetrating, this timeless classic is quite simply profound. And this edition-the first unabridged edition in decades, if not since the original-includes a foreword by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones and an exhaustive index of Scripture.

About J.C. Ryle:

J. C. Ryle (1816-1900) was the first Anglican Bishop of Liverpool, England. Thoroughly evangelical in his doctrine and uncompromising in his principles, Ryle was a prolific writer, vigorous preacher, and faithful pastor. The son of a wealthy banker, he was destined for a career in politics before answering a call to ordained ministry. In his diocese, he exercised a vigorous and straightforward preaching ministry, and was a faithful pastor to his clergy, exercising particular care over ordination retreats. He formed a clergy pension fund for his diocese and built over forty churches. Despite criticism, he put raising clergy salaries ahead of building a cathedral for his new diocese. Ryle combined his commanding presence and vigorous advocacy of his principles with graciousness and warmth in his personal relations. Vast numbers of working men and women attended his special preaching meetings, and many were led to faith in Christ.



R.C. SPROUL - CHOSEN BY GOD

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Pacific Hope Church is a San Diego church that recommends Chosen by God by R.C. Sproul. With nearly 200,000 copies sold in its 25 years, Chosen by God by Dr. R. C. Sproul is a contemporary classic on predestination, a doctrine that isn't just for Calvinists, says Sproul. It is a doctrine for all biblical Christians. In this updated and expanded edition of Chosen by God, Sproul shows that the doctrine of predestination doesn't create a whimsical or spiteful picture of God, but paints a portrait of a loving God who provides redemption for radically corrupt humans. We choose God because he has opened our eyes to see his beauty; we love him because he first loved us. There is mystery in God's ways, but not contradiction.

About RC Sproul:

Dr. R.C. Sproul is the founder, chairman and president of Ligonier Ministries, an international Christian education ministry located near Orlando, Florida. His teaching can be heard on the program Renewing Your Mind, which is broadcast on hundreds of radio outlets in the United States and in 40 countries worldwide. He is the executive editor of Tabletalk magazine and general editor of The Reformation Study Bible, and the author of more than seventy books and scores of articles for national evangelical publications. Dr. Sproul also serves as president of Ligonier Academy of Biblical and Theological Studies and Reformation Bible College. He currently serves as senior minister of preaching and teaching at Saint Andrew's in Sanford, FL.



RC SPROUL - THE INVISIBLE HAND

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Pacific Hope Church is a San Diego church that recommends -RC Sproul - The Invisible Hand. "Every woman who has delivered a stillborn baby knows the devastation it brings to the heart," write R. C. Sproul. "Who can experience such a thing without crying to heaven and asking, "Why?"Â’ It is normal to wonder where God is in such circumstances. It is where the rubber of human anguish meets the road of divine providence." "This book is an effort to face those issues and questions that arise with regard to God's providence," Sproul writes. "It is designed to look at the question of providence, not only from a doctrinal viewpoint, but chiefly from an examination of concrete experiences of the flesh-and-blood people whose lives and struggles are recorded for us in sacred Scripture." Sproul concludes: "The Providence of God is our fortress, our shield, and our very great reward. It is what provides courage and perseverance for His saints." All who read The Invisible Hand will find themselves praising God for his mercy and loving kindness.

About RC Sproul:

Dr. R. C. Sproul, president of Ligonier Ministries, and Distinguished Professor of Systematic Theology and Apologetics at Knox Theological Seminary in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, teaches thousands of people each year via audio and video tapes, speaking engagements, and his growing radio ministry. He is the author of several books, including Basic Training, What's in the Bible, and Loved by God and is co-author of Classical Apologetics.



JOHN MACARTHUR - TWELVE ORDINARY MEN

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Pacific Hope Church is a San Diego church that recommends -John Macarthur - Twelve Ordinary Men. Contrary to popular belief, we do not have to be perfect to do God's work. Look no further than the twelve disciples whose many weaknesses are forever preserved throughout the pages of the New Testament. Jesus chose ordinary men - fisherman, tax collectors, political zealots - and turned their weakness into strength, producing greatness from utter uselessness. MacArthur draws principles from Christ's careful, hands-on training of the original twelve disciples for today's modern disciple - you.