These resources are for those who desire continued growth in godly character. “We secretly wish we could have a “vicarious” Christianity, and could be good by proxy, and have everything done for us. Anything that requires exertion and labor is entirely against the grain of our hearts. But the soul can have “no gains without pains”.  To be a Christian it will cost a man his love of ease.” -J. C. Ryle [Various excerpts are noted from monergism and images and other excerpts are from amazon.com.  Many items below are also accompanied by a pdf of the entire book made public.]

(1.)  Is Church Membership Biblical? Cultivating Biblical Godliness Pamphlet, by Ryan M. McGraw and Ryan Speck

The authors show that the Bible assumes the necessity of formal church membership so that we can fulfill the commands and apply the promises given to the Church. Clearly and carefully, and answering contemporary objections along the way, the authors make the biblical case that God desires the members of His heavenly kingdom to join with the earthly society that reflects it―Christ’s body, the Church.

(2.)  A Holy Life: The Beauty of Christianity, by John Bunyan

A Holy Life_ The Beauty of Chri – John Bunyan.pdf (monergism.com)

Psalm 93:5  “Your decrees are very trustworthy; holiness befits your house, O Lord, forevermore.”

(3.)  The Acceptable Sacrifice: The Excellency of a Broken Heart, by John Bunyan

The Acceptable Sacrifice_Bunyan.pdf (monergism.com)

The One who gave us our hearts is the One who also will break our hearts. The One who breaks our hearts is the One who heals our hearts.

John Bunyan, classic bestselling author of Pilgrim’s Progress, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners, and Visions of Heaven and Hell, delivers with compelling conviction as he passionately portrays the beauty of the only sacrifice that is acceptable to God. With carefully crafted words, he describes the wonder and majesty of a heart broken before the Lord. The brokenhearted are not forsaken or ignored, for they are “His jewels, His beloved.”

 

(4.) The Holy War: The Battle for Mansoul, by John Bunyan

The Holy War – John Bunyan.pdf (monergism.com)

Written four years after The Pilgrim’s Progress, John Bunyan followed up with this second allegorical classic, which has touched hearts and minds of readers for generations. The epicenter of this book is the town of Mansoul, its people (such as Conscience, Self-Denial, and Do-Right), and its gates (Eye-gate, Ear-gate, Mouth-gate, Nose-gate, and Feel-gate). The attack by Diabolus and his demons, all of whom have appropriate names, is carefully planned and executed. As still happens to men today, Mansoul fell hard. Emmanuel is of course willing to help, but can only do so on special, seemingly strict terms. As you watch this intense battle unfold, you’ll be emboldened to fight with new vigilance, to guard the gates with tenacity, and to rely on Emmanuel’s sovereignty like never before.

 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12)

(5.)  Morning and Evening: A Devotional Classic for Daily Encouragement, by C. H. Spurgeon

CHS_Morning and Evening Daily Readings.PDF (grace-ebooks.com)

Generations after Spurgeon’s death, readers are still finding Spurgeon’s timeless and original engagement with God’s Word a refreshing way to begin and end their day. This is considered one of the best devotionals of all time time. It brings together the best of Bible teaching with thoughtful illustrations to apply God’s word to your everyday life. Morning and Evening is a must have resource for your daily personal devotional readings.

(6.) The Beatitudes, by A.W. Pink

The Beatitudes – Arthur W. Pink.pdf (grace-ebooks.com)

(7.) The Spiritual Disciplines of the Christian Life, by Donald Whitney

We aren’t meant to wait for holiness―we’re meant to pursue it. God commands Christians to actively “be holy,” but what does that look like in daily life? Rather than overwhelming legalism or loose boundaries, Don Whitney encourages us to find a practical middle ground through biblical habits.

(8.) 50 Crucial Questions About Manhood and Womanhood, by John Piper and Wayne Grudem |  An Overview of Central Concerns about Manhood and Womanhood

50 Crucial Questions About Manhood and Womanhood,

The roles of men and women are immensely contested in both society and the church today. Christians are looking for answers from the Bible regarding how God intends for men and women to relate to one another. In this concise and accessible resource, well-known authors and Bible teachers John Piper and Wayne Grudem respond to fifty crucial questions often asked in relation to biblical manhood and womanhood. Answering objections raised against the view that God created men and women equal in value but distinct in role, Piper and Grudem winsomely present a biblical vision of gender roles that is life-giving and fulfilling for both men and women.

(9.) Knowing God,  by J .I. Packer

Explaining both who God is and how we can relate to him, Packer divides his book into three sections: The first directs our attention to how and why we know God, the second to the attributes of God and the third to the benefits enjoyed by a those who know him intimately. This guide leads readers into a greater understanding of God while providing advice to gaining a closer relationship with him as a result.

 

(10.)  The Art of Divine Contentment,  by Thomas Watson

Book:  TheArtofDivineContentmentThomasWatson.pdf (monergism.com) Audio version:  The Art of Divine Contentment by Thomas WATSON read by J L Raimundo | Full Audio Book (youtube.com)

The contented heart is never out of heart. Contentment is a golden shield that beats back discouragement. True contentment will trust God even when it cannot see Him. Why are you discontented? Is it because you are temporarily dispossessed of comforts? You who are discontented because you do not have all you would like to have, let me tell you, either your faith is a nonentity, or, at best, it is just an embryo. It is a weak faith that must have stilts and crutches to support it.

Discontent is not only below faith, but it is also below reason. Discontent is unworthy of the relationship we have with God. Christians are invested with the title and privilege of sonship; we are heirs of the promise. God will be sure to reward the contented Christian.

(11.) Desiring GOD,  by John Piper

desiring-god-en.pdf (desiringgod.org)

Piper reveals that there really is no need to choose between duty and delight in the Christian life. In fact, for the follower of Jesus, delight is the duty as Christ is most magnified in His people when they are most satisfied in Him.

Constantly drawing on Scripture to build his case, Piper shows why pursuing maximum joy is essential to glorifying God. He discusses the implications of this for conversion, worship, love, Scripture, prayer, money, marriage, missions, and suffering.

(12.)  Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ,  by John Piper

seeing-and-savoring-jesus-christ-en.pdf (desiringgod.org)

Who is Jesus Christ?

You’ve never met him in person, and you don’t know anyone who has. But there is a way to know who he is. How? Jesus Christ-the divine Person revealed in the Bible-has a unique excellence and a spiritual beauty that speaks directly to our souls and says, “Yes, this is truth.” It’s like seeing the sun and knowing that it is light, or tasting honey and knowing that it is sweet.

The depth and complexity of Jesus shatter our simple mental frameworks. He baffled proud scribes with his wisdom but was understood and loved by children. He calmed a raging storm with a word but would not get himself down from the cross.

Look at the Jesus of the Bible. Keep your eyes open, and fill them with the portrait of Jesus in God’s Word. Jesus said, “If anyone’s will is to do God’s will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority.” Ask God for the grace to do his will, and you will see the truth of his Son.

John Piper has written this book in the hope that all will see Jesus for who he really is and will come to enjoy him above all else.

(13.)  Anxious for Nothing,  by John MacArthur

Stress has become part of our daily lives. We worry about our jobs, our relationships, and our families. And while there’s no lack of remedies for anxiety, no solution seems to offer true peace of mind.

John MacArthur, Jr. believes that peace is not only possible, it’s a divine mandate. Drawing from a rich legacy of teaching and ministry, MacArthur puts aside cultural cures to uncover the source of our anxiety and stress. Based on solid Biblical insights, Anxious for Nothing shares how we can overcome uncertainty, defeat doubt, and be truly worry-free.

This revised and updated edition includes a guide for both personal and group study and features discovery questions, suggestions for prayer, and activities, all designed to connect life-changing truths with everyday living.

(14.)  How Should We Develop Biblical Friendship? (Cultivating Biblical Godliness),  by Michael A. G. Haykin and Joel R. Beeke

‘Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend,’ Proverbs 27:17 tells us. God uses Christian friendships to help His children grow in grace and stay true to Christ. But our twenty-first-century Western culture values individualism, busyness, and selfishness qualities that do not encourage deep, long-lasting, satisfying friendships. The authors guide us through a practical survey of biblical and historical friendships, drawing principles from them that will aid us in forming our own biblical friendships that will sharpen us for our Christian journey in a world that is no friend to grace.

Table of Contents:
Friendship in the Holy Scriptures
Paul’s Understanding of Friendship
Paul’s Friendship with Timothy
Paul’s Hunger for Companionship while Facing Death
Friendship in the Christian Tradition
John Calvin’s Friendships
An Eighteenth-Century Friendship
Two Baptist Friends
The Art of Building Godly Friendships
Practical Steps Toward Deepening Friendship

(15.)  When I Don’t Desire God: How to Fight For Joy,  by John Piper

when-i-don-t-desire-god-en.pdf (desiringgod.org)

We all want to experience liberating, love-producing, risk-taking satisfaction in God. But the reality is that we often struggle to find, and hold onto, true and lasting joy―even when we have embraced the good news of God’s grace. So we face a crucial question: What should I do when I don’t desire God?

John Piper aims to help us find joy in Jesus that is so deep and so strong that it frees us from bondage to comfort and security, and impels us to live merciful and missional lives. Written with the radical hope that all Christians would experience the fullness of life in Christ, this book will help you fight for joy daily by leading you to rediscover the soul-satisfying glory of God.

(16.) The Blue Book on Evangelism: An Ambassador’s Guide,  by Ray Comfort

In The Blue Book on Evangelism, you will find more than 140 questions and answers about the most important of topics. This handy primer presents the basics of witnessing the who, what, when, where, why, and how. You will learn practical advice about: -Reaching your family and friends-One-to-one witnessing to strangers-Do’s and don’ts of open-air preaching.  Originally written as an exclusive primer for graduates of Living Waters’ “Ambassador’s Academy,” this book is now also available to the general public and will help you boldly proclaim the gospel to a lost and dying world.

(17.) Mortification of Sin in Believers (eBook Modernized – Updated Language),  by John Owen

Mortification of Sin – John Owen.pdf (monergism.com)

Owen explores in great depth what it means to kill sin in our lives. Killing sin is a path that we take toward personal holiness. It is how we maintain communion with God by honoring him with our obedience, exercised in cooperation with, and under the power of, the Holy Spirit. Holiness is not a list of do’s and don’ts, like not swearing or not drinking alcohol. That would only be returning to the law that Christ freed us from. In his book Pursuit of Holiness, Jerry Bridges reminds us that holiness means “morally blameless” as God defines it in the Bible (Ps. 18:21-23). It means set apart for God’s purposes. It does not mean sinless. If we never broke a law, we would be sinless. That is an impossible goal. The Bible tells us that, “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23, Pro. 20:9, 1Jn.1:8).

(18.)  The Bondage of the Will,  by Martin Luther

The Bondage of the Will – Luther.pdf (monergism.com)

The man who has not yet practically and experimentally learned the bondage of his will in sin has not yet comprehended any part of the Gospel. Justification by faith alone is a truth that needs interpretation. The principle of sola fide [by faith alone] is not rightly understood till it is seen as anchored in the broader principle of sola gratia [by grace alone] . . . for to rely on oneself for faith is not different in principle from relying on oneself for works. The Bible teaches that faith itself is and has to be a gift of God, by grace, and not of self (Ephesians 2:8).

(19.)  Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,  by Jonathan Edwards

Purpose: Why a modern version of this sermon? To a great extent, the language of the 1700s needs to be explained to the present population. Therefore it seemed fitting to me that there needed to be a translation or a modernizing of this amazing and powerful sermon which the Rev. Jonathan Edwards ministered. Some might find this version of Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God too strong. However, if we would study the teachings of Jesus, this is not the case.

Hopefully, this modern (amplified) translation of one of the most powerful sermons ever recorded will inspire your spiritual walk. Sincerely Dr. Michael H Yeager.

1. To create a more profound love and passion for souls!
2. To wake up a sleeping church!
3. For the salvation of sinners.
4. To instigate divine visitations in the lives of fellow believers.
5. That the fear of the Lord might come back into the earth and His church.
6. So we might be ready for the final outpouring of the early and latter rain.
7. That revival would break forth in the salvation of souls throughout the body of Christ.

(20.)  Spiritual Depression,  by Martin Lloyd Jones

“Christian people,” writes Lloyd-Jones, “too often seem to be perpetually in the doldrums and too often give this appearance of unhappiness and of lack of freedom and absence of joy. There is no question at all but that this is the main reason why large numbers of people have ceased to be interested in Christianity.”

Believing the Christian joy was one of the most potent factors in the spread of Christianity in the early centuries, Lloyd-Jones not only lays bare the causes that have robbed many Christians of spiritual vitality but also points the way to the cure that is found through the mind and spirit of Christ.

(21.) Charity and Its Fruits,  by Jonathan Edwards

Charity and Its Fruits – Edwards.pdf (monergism.com)

Charity and Its Fruits is a thorough exposition of Biblical love as found in 1 Corinthians 13. As one of Edward’s best known works, it is entirely free from sentimentality. Preached as a series of moving sermons in 1738 from the pulpit of his small “Church at Northampton,” Connecticut, it reveals Edward’s insistence both that Christian experience is highly supernatural and that “all true Christian grace tends to practice.”

(22.) Biblical Church Discipline, by Daniel E. Wray

2022-02-Biblical-Church-Discipline-by-Daniel-E.-Wray.pdf (christcovenant.org)

It is necessary in our hardened and apostate age for the church to be called back to the New Testament doctrine of church discipline. In our day, the church has become tolerant of sin even when it is found in her own people.

 

(23.) A Spiritual Journey through the Book of Galatians, by Paul G. Frey

https://padlet.com/gospel/a-spiritual-journey-through-the-book-of-galatians-by-paul-g–1wicqkg1w6ehnqo3

When we think of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, what thoughts come to mind?

We live in a time when the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is hated, maligned, mocked, and when our brethren in 54 different countries are persecuted for the gospel’s sake and for the Lord’s sake. Why? Men love darkness rather than light (John 3:19). But what is of greater consequence than that is when the church, which professes Christ as Lord and Savior, modernizes the gospel to fit in with the culture of this day. It is the gospel that is made to appeal to those who have itching ears (2 Tim. 4:3) and Satan has no lack of servants to accommodate these fleshly desires ( 2 Cor. 11:13-15).

Going back to the very beginning (Gen. 3:1-5), Satan has always been out at work with no time outs in his wicked endeavor (Job 1:7, 2:2). His attacks are always directed in various ways to undermine the truth of God’s word; to take merit away from the person of Christ; all to lead sinners in the way of damnation.

In our study, it will be seen how the servants of the prince of darkness are perverting the gospel of God’s grace to the churches in Galatia, and God’s anathema upon those who were guilty of this wicked work: