Three Books I'm Excited About

Evangelism is not only misunderstood, it is often unpracticed. Many Christians want to share the gospel with others, but because those Christians don’t grasp the fundamentals of witnessing, they feel intimidated and incapable of sharing the truth of the gospel.

Yet those believers fail to recognize that God has already established who and how we are to evangelize. In The Gospel and Personal Evangelism, Dr. Mark Dever seeks to answer the four basic questions about evangelism that many Christians ask: Who should we evangelize? How should we evangelize? What is evangelism? Why should we evangelize? In his answers Dever draws on New Testament truths and helps believers apply those truths in practical ways. As readers understand the fundamentals of evangelism, they will begin to develop a culture of evangelism in their lives and their local churches.

What is an ideal church? While many Christians may never have considered that question, they probably have some preconceived idea of the perfect church in their minds. Yet they often have no clue what the ideal church looks like or how it works in our society.

Author Mark Dever reveals the key characteristics to a healthy church: expositional preaching, biblical theology, and a biblical understanding of the gospel. Dever then challenges believers to develop those characteristics in their churches. By following the example of New Testament authors and addressing both the pastors and members of churches, Dever challenges all Christians to do their part in maintaining the local church. What Is a Healthy Church? offers timeless truths and practical principles to help all members fulfill their God-given roles in the church.

Many Christians are puzzled by what is being called the “new perspective on Paul.” Seminary students, pastors, and laypeople encounter it in lectures, on the Internet, and in numerous books in the Christian market, and some evangelicals have received it with enthusiasm.

Dr. J. Ligon Duncan sees that this new perspective on Paul, which raises questions about the traditional understanding of the doctrine of justification, could lead to significant shifts in the historic biblical and Protestant understanding of the Gospel itself. He defines the issue, examines its background, and assesses its serious flaws. His treatment of the topic is both careful and concise, and he provides resources for further study of this “new perspective.”