The Friday Five

What? You may ask is "Friday Five". Well, every Friday I’ll try to give you a list of five items that I think you’ll find interesting, helpful or entertaining. It could be a list of five Christians I wish I had met, five funny stories, five inspirational quotes, five favourite songs or five important dates in church history or five  whatever. 

I’m trying to write a number of serious blog posts each month but they appear on random days. I hope to have "The Friday Five" posted each and every Friday morning so you’ll be able to visit Pastor Rick’s Study on a regular basis and find something interesting and informative. This week "The Friday Five" features five books well worth your time.

Five Books You Should Read

I have read thousands of books over the years. In the early years I spent a lot of money on books that weren’t really worth the investment of time or money. In later years I have tried to be more selective.  In today’s "The Friday Five" I want to introduce you to five books that I believe would be a good investment of your time and money. These cover a wide range of topics and are in no particular order.

1. Number One: "Why We Love The Church"¹

by Kevin DeYoung & Ted Kluck

Personally I’ve been disturbed by a growing criticism and neglect of the church, the Bride of Christ, by many who claim to be followers of Christ.    Christ loves the church in spite of its imperfections,  and those who love Christ ought to love the church. DeYoung and Kluck provide us with a much needed reminder as to why we should love the church.
"If Jesus thought the church was worth dying for, it may just be worth living in. While not ignoring the sins of the church, DeYoung and Kluck remind us why church bashing is often shallow, and why the institutional church remains the most authentic place to encounter the good news of Jesus Christ." 

Mark Galli, senior managing editor, Christianity Today

^{2. Number Two: "the Reason For God - belief in the age of  skepticism"2}

by Timothy Keller
Tim Keller, the Pastor of Six Thousand member Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, gives a brilliant theological and intellectual defence of the faith. If you want answers for the skeptics "The Reason For God" is a must read as Keller gives not only a clear defence to intellectual objections to faith but also clear reasons for faith.

Topics include:

"How Could A Good God Allow Suffering?"

"How Can A Loving God Send People To Hell?"

"Has Science Disproved Christianity?"

"The Problem Of Sin"

"The Reality Of The Resurrection"

3. Number Three: "What Is The Gospel?"³

by Greg Gilbert

There is a lot of confusion in the church today, even in evangelical circles as to just what is the gospel message. If the message is not clear to us, how can we ever expect to proclaim it to an unbelieving world that so desperately needs it.   Gilbert’s book is a welcome declaration of the Biblical Gospel message. I think this is so crucial in this day that I have given this book away by the dozens and will continue to do so. The book is only 124 pages but is desperately needed in the church today. A must read for every follower of Jesus.
"Provides a biblically faithful explanation of the gospel and equips Christians to discern deviations from that glorious message. How I wish I could place this book in the hands of every pastor and church member."         C.J. Mahaney, Sovereign Grace Ministries ^{4. Four: "Christian Beliefs - 20 basics every Christian should know" 4}by Wayne Grudem

Grudem is, if not the best, certainly among the best theological minds in the world today and a great gift to the church. This little book is a condensed version of his "Bible Doctrine" which is a layman’s version of his much heavier "Systematic Theology."

Grudem covers 20 of the most essential doctrines that every Christian should know. New Christians should be given this book and in a day of theological confusion, I think that every serious Christian should at least read and digest this book.

Topics Include:

"What Is The Bible"

"What Is God Like"

"What Is Sin"

"Who Is Christ"

"What Are Justification And Adoption"

"What Is The Final Judgment"

5. Number Five: "Unveiling Islam"⁵

by Ergun Mehment Caner & Emir Fethi Caner

"It gave him no pleasure to disown or disinherit his sons. It broke his heart. Yet it was all he could do, given his beliefs and the teachings of Islam."    Ergun and Emir Caner were brought up as Muslims but were disowned by their father when they came to faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. Well grounded in the teachings of Islam, they are now professors at Christian seminaries and well qualified to unveil the history and teachings of Islam and the implications for our day. An excellent primer in understanding your Muslim neighbours and their beliefs.