These works are recommended reading for pastors and believers. My favorites for the year are Spurgeon: A Life by Alex DiPrima, Justice and Goodness of God by Tom Schreiner, and the 3 books that Courier published. Check out a larger list of books below!
Spurgeon: A Life – Alex DiPrima (A must read on Spurgeon)
Endorsement for Spurgeon: A Life – “Like Spurgeon himself, Alex DiPrima is a gifted pastor-theologian who delights in serving God’s people. DiPrima is also an acclaimed Spurgeon scholar, and his Spurgeon: A Life is a welcome addition to the many works chronicling Spurgeon’s life and ministry. I’m thankful for DiPrima and this new Spurgeon biography. If you read this accessible, inspiring work, you will be too.”
—Jason K. Allen, president, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary & Spurgeon College
Everday Gospel – Paul David Tripp
Endorsement for Everday Gospel – “Paul Tripp’s Everyday Gospel is a wonder. It’s brilliantly written, clear, concise, Christ-exalting, true to God’s word, enriching to the mind, encouraging to the heart, and overflowing with gospel grace. Every paragraph has the ring of truth. If you want a daily dose of God’s life-giving wisdom and kindness, this book is for you.”
– Randy Alcorn, author, Heaven; If God Is Good; and The Treasure Principle
The Justice and Goodness of God – Tom Schreiner
Endorsement for The Justice and Goodness of God – “Does it sound uplifting to read an entire book on what the Bible teaches about God’s judgment? It should. In this book, Tom Schreiner delivers to us the hard truth about God’s righteous judgment that we deserve for our sinful condition. The bad news is really bad. But that is what makes the good news about God’s merciful kindness in Jesus the Messiah so uplifting. The more accurately you understand God’s righteous judgment, the more brightly God’s saving work shines.”
– Andy Naselli, Professor of Systematic Theology and New Testament, Bethlehem College & Seminary; Elder, The North Church, Mounds View, Minnesota
Dr. Schreiner and Dr. Martin spoke at the 2024 Building Healthy Churches Conference on Biblical Theology. Click here to view their lectures.
What is a Healthy Church? – Mark Dever (Updated 2024)
Endorsement for What is a Healthy Church? – “Reading this book is like a cold drink of water on a hot day! I love everything about it—the concision, the practicality, the doctrine, and the focus on mission. I gladly and wholeheartedly recommend this for pastors and church members alike.”
– Clint Pressley, Pastor, Hickory Grove Baptist Church, Charlotte, North Carolina
Endorsement for Get Married – “Brad Wilcox is one of the most important public intellectuals in the world today. He also tells the truth, and he does so brilliantly in Get Married.” — R. Albert Mohler, President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Beholding the Triune God – Matthew Emerson and Brandon Smith
Endorsement for Beholding the Triune God – “If the twentieth century witnessed a ‘revival’ of interest in the doctrine of the Trinity among dogmatic theologians, the past decade or so has seen a similar renewal among evangelical Christians, but one more explicitly committed to retrieving the doctrine in its creedal and orthodox perspective. This is the book we have been waiting for—an accessible, historically informed, and biblically rooted account of the triune God’s indivisible activity in creation, providence, and salvation history. The book provides simple (but not simplistic) definitions of many complex terms and traces their application through the various activities of the Holy Trinity. I am often asked by students and others for a good introduction to the doctrine of the Trinity. This book will now give me a ready answer to that pressing question.”
– R. Lucas Stamps, Professor of Christian Theology, Anderson University; coeditor, Baptists and the Christian Tradition and The Theology of T. F. Torrance: An Evangelical Evaluation
The Army of God – Geoffrey Chang
Endorsement for The Army of God – “helpfully weaves the themes of baptistic ecclesiology and reformed tradition together as a seamless robe. We are exposed to the healthy zeal of Spurgeon for each member of God’s church army to wield the particular spiritual weapon granted by grace for the advance of the gospel in this fallen world.” – Tom Nettles, Senior Professor of Historical Theology, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Engaging with Thomas Aquinas – Leonardo De Chirico
Endorsement for Engaging with Thomas Aquinas – ‘Why is a thirteenth-century Roman Catholic theologian having a twenty-first century moment among evangelicals? Engaging with Thomas Aquinas answers this and much more. Leonardo De Chirico introduces the thought of Thomas himself and surveys how Roman Catholics and Protestants have assessed and appropriated his legacy through the centuries. Most importantly, readers will find here wise, charitable, yet cautionary advice for evangelicals tempted to become Thomists.’ — Kevin J. Vanhoozer, Research Professor of Systematic Theology, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
Daily Readings: John Bunyan – Roger Duke
Endorsement for Daily Readings: John Bunyan – “John Bunyan knew by experience the richness and freeness of God’s love and grace. And, as a result, his corpus is powerfully drenched with heart–felt, biblical Christianity.” – Michael Haykin, Professor of Church History and Biblical Spirituality, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
3 Books from Courier Publishing
A Deacon On Purpose – Tony Wolfe
Convictional, Confessional, Cheerful Baptists – Nate Akin
Mending the Nets: Rethinking Church Leadership – Phil Newton and Rich Shadden
Evan Knies is an elder of North Hills Church in West Monroe, LA. He serves as the publisher for Courier Publishing and teaches at Claiborne Christian School. He is the husband of Lauren and father to Maesyn and Josiah. He is a graduate of Boyce College and Southern Seminary.
The King’s Table 