I love sharing and recommending resources to my congregation. First of all, sharing resources allows me to credit the research and authors that have influenced my preaching (that's really important to me personally). Secondly, it promotes personal study time within my congregation. People are constantly asking me what materials I would suggest reading on various Christian topics to supplement time in Scripture, this has become an outlet where I can recommend those books.
The resources below are books that have read or I am currently reading in preparation for our upcoming series over the 5 Solas of the Reformation. In a nutshell, the 5 Solas were the mantra of the Reformation, which was an effort to return to biblical Christianity.
"The Reformation sought to return to the original sources (ad fontes) - to the Bible and the earliest Christian writings - in order to rediscover and revive Christianity in its original and purest form." - Terry Johnson
My hope is that during this series people at The Journey would cling to these same convictions with the same passion as so many Christians have before us. When it comes to the 5 Solas nothing short of the authentic gospel message is at stake, the stakes are pretty high to say the least. I pray that by the power of the Spirit, through this series, our people would hear the gospel message clearly. I'm praying we would advance our understanding of the gospel and walk away with more confidence in our ability to articulate this precious message to the world. If you're an attendee at The Journey I would encourage you to supplement your time in this series with one of these fantastic reads below.
1. The Bondage Of The Will - Martin Luther,
translated by J.I. Packer & O.R. Johnston:
This is the book that really triggered this series for me personally. This book had been on my read list for a long time and I finally picked it up last spring (it took me until the end of the summer to finish). Without a doubt, no matter what Christian denomination or church you belong to, Martin Luther is heralded as the poster-child for the Reformation. That being said, I wanted to get into his head myself to get a sense of what this guy was like. Luther's fascinating journey in regard to his life and faith was long and strenuous. He was a determined person and questioned everything he believed in a pursuit to know the God of the Bible.
This book isn't even close to an easy read, yet it wouldn't be fair to expect that from a book that is debating deep theology. However, though Luther spends a lot of time fleshing out rich theology his sassiness will keep you entertained, he's a smart-aleck of the worst kind. All in all, the 57 page historical and theological introduction by Packer & Johnston is worth the price of the book.
2. The Case For Traditional Protestantism - Terry L. Johnson
If I could choose one book on this list for my entire congregation to read during the Sola series it would be this one. In a quick 162 pages this book gives the reader a snapshot of the 5 solas. If this is the first time you've ever heard of the Solas I'd really recommend snagging this book. I feel like this book does a good job of giving you a lot of information in few pages, it's very efficient.
3. After Darkness, Light - Distinctives of Reformed Theology -
Essays in honor of R.C. Sproul
The beauty of this particular book is it's input from so many credible scholars and pastors. The lineup includes: Edmund Clowny, R.C. Sproul, Martin Murphy, Keith A. Mathison, W. Robert Godfrey, Sinclair B. Ferguson, O. Palmer Robertson, Michael S. Horton, Douglas J. Wilson, John F. MacArthur, and Jay E. Adams. These dudes know a thing or two about Scripture as they are some of the most respected teachers today. This book has 10 chapters, 5 on the Solas and 5 on the points of Calvinism.
4. Whatever Happened To The Gospel Of Grace?
Rediscovering The Doctrines That Shook The World - James Montgomery Boice
I just jumped into this book this week and read the chapter over Sola Scriptura, it's shaping up to be an excellent resource for this sermon series. Boice followed the well known pastor Donald Barnhouse as the teaching pastor of Tenth Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia. Boice seems to not only take time to inform the reader of the 5 Solas but also makes a case for our culture's urgent need of them. According to Boice the Solas should drastically impact the way that we worship and live our lives.
5. Sola 13
Sola 13 was a conference in 2013 that focused on teaching... you guessed it, the Solas. If reading isn't your thing then perhaps the audio and/or video recordings from this conference would be a blessing to you. The lineup of speakers is phenomenal:
Noel Heikkinen - Sola
Kevin Deyong - Ad Fontes
John Piper - Soli Deo Gloria
Matt Chandler - Sola Fide
Albert Mohler - Sola Scriptura
Leonce Crump II - Sola Gratia
Stephen Um - Solus Christus
All of these messages can be found at sola13.com
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