 | The Pleasures of God by John Piper
Buy new: $8.25 / Used from: $4.97 To my mind, Piper's best book. Learn to love the things God loves, and you will become more like Him.
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 | What Jesus Demands from the World by John Piper
Buy new: $13.59 / Used from: $6.86 Piper's other best book. Many theologians are reportedly looking for who Jesus, "really was." Here, Piper takes Christ's commands and makes the answer to that question very clear.
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 | Holiness: Its Nature, Hindrances, Difficulties, and Roots by J. C. Ryle
Buy new: $11.53 / Used from: $12.82 Almost everything Ryle writes is rock-solid, but this is probably the best of the best. You can't go wrong studying this one.
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 | Glorious Freedom: The Excellency of the Gospel Above the Law (Puritan Paperbacks) by Richard Sibbes
Buy new: $8.00 / Used from: $3.78 All the Puritans are good, but I found this one to be particularly beautiful and challenging. Sibbes was known as the, "sweet dropper," for his impressive quotability. The theology is great too, though.
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 | Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment by Jeremiah Burroughs
Buy new: $7.99 / Used from: $4.28 This is a bit less theological than the others, but it is a terrific meditation on contentment, backed by strong theology. Along with Sibbes, one of the most readable Puritans.
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 | Knowing God: Study Guide by J. I. Packer
Buy new: $8.00 / Used from: $4.12 The classic by Packer. He is not only strong in stating things theologically, but he displays an impressive balance and nuance in some of the tougher issues.
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 | Evangelism & the Sovereignty of God by J. I. Packer
Buy new: $11.05 / Used from: $0.70 Another Packer classic. This book, along with Piper's Pleasures of God, convinced me of the truth of Calvinism.
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 | The Epistle to the Romans (New International Commentary on the New Testament) by Douglas J. Moo
Buy new: $30.89 / Used from: $28.98 My favorite commentary. Moo's care and thoughtfulness with the text are simply amazing. And, because it is on Romans, it is deeply theological about the gospel, which is the central point of the entire Christian faith.
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 | Gospel of the Kingdom: Scriptural Studies in the Kingdom of God by George Eldon Ladd
Buy new: $11.20 / Used from: $4.95 This important work will challenge you to better understand the phrase, "the kingdom of God." Powerful and helpful, because it will establish a framework for all your thinking about the Kingdom later on.
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 | Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine by Wayne Grudem
Buy new: $29.69 / Used from: $20.00 Grudem's work is wonderful because it is not only the clearest systematic theology, but it is written with a pastoral touch. If you are a layperson looking to understand basic doctrines, this is the place to start.
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 | The Gospel According to Jesus by John F. MacArthur Jr.
Buy used from: $0.67 This book is especially important in dispensational circles, reminding us of Christ's clarity on this point: true faith works. The Gospel According to the Apostles is a solid follow-up, but this remains the place to begin.
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 | The Doctrine of God (A Theology of Lordship) by John M. Frame
Buy new: $26.39 / Used from: $19.99 Frame's stuff is all good, but this is my favorite. Wonderfully written and theologically trustworthy.
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 | Call to Spiritual Reformation, A: Priorities from Paul and His Prayers by D. Carson
Buy new: $13.59 / Used from: $6.99 Carson has a ton of great stuff, but I found this to be especially powerful. It will challenge your prayer life in all sorts of new ways.
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 | The Cross of Christ by John R. W. Stott
Buy new: $17.16 / Used from: $14.76 Another classic.
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 | The Message of the Old Testament: Promises Made by Mark Dever
Buy new: $26.39 / Used from: $19.00 Always biblical, always helpful.
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 | The Message of the New Testament: Promises Kept by Mark Dever
Buy new: $19.79 / Used from: $16.79 The same as above, only for the new testament!
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 | Christianity and Liberalism by J. Gresham Machen
Buy new: $15.00 / Used from: $1.99 An important starting point for distinguishing good theology from bad. Machen is quite convincing- liberal theology is not a division of Christianity, it is another religion altogether.
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 | Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis
Buy used from: $0.01 You should include a lot of C.S. Lewis in your intellectual diet, but this is the place to begin.
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 | ESV Thinline Bible, Premium Bonded Leather, Black, Black Text
Buy new: $21.59 / Used from: $15.88 Theology is useless if you aren't studying your Bible carefully on your own! No Christian can grow without steady interaction with God's Word.
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