Connect Room Update: Books for your home bookshelf

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Our Connect Room serves as a broad introduction to who we are as a church. From Local Mission to Global Partners and a lot in between, this space is a great way to get to know us better. We've got some updated recommendations for your devotional reading, browse what's new and let us know your suggestions. 

Gospel Primer

Christians need to rehearse the gospel after conversion, and this book will help you do that. In this little primer you will find short passages of biblical truth to help you savor the glories of God's love and experience the life-transforming power of the gospel in all areas of life. Use this book to preach the gospel to yourself daily and be amazed at the difference it can make in your life.

Spiritual Gifts: A Beginner’s Guide

Your Gifts Reveal God's Presence and Power

The apostle Paul wrote, "There are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. . . . To each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good" (1 Cor. 12:4,7). But what are these spiritual gifts? How do you know if you possess them? And, if you do, how do you use them?

In The Beginner's Guide to Spiritual Gifts, Sam Storms will help you answer basic and foundational questions about the what, why, and how of the unique gifts God gives to each of His children. You will discover the purpose of spiritual gifts in the Church and learn how to identify your special mix of gifting. In addition, you will find out how the Holy Spirit uses the supernatural manifestation of gifts to demonstrate God's presence and power among His people.

God has gifted you . . . now learn how to use His good gifts for His glory!

The Treasure Principle

Discover how the joy of giving can make your life richer, starting today.

Bestselling author Randy Alcorn introduced readers to a revolution in material freedom and radical generosity with the release of the original The Treasure Principle in 2001. Now the revision to the compact, perennial bestseller includes a provocative new concluding chapter depicting God asking a believer questions about his stewardship over material resources.

Jesus spent more time talking about money and possessions than about heaven and hell combined. But too often we’ve overlooked or misunderstood his most profound teaching on this topic, from his words in Matthew 6. Jesus offers us life-changing investment advice. He actually wants us to store up treasures for ourselves—just not here on earth. Instead, he urges us to store our treasure in heaven, where they will await us, and last forever. We can’t take it with us—but we can send it on ahead!

Readers are moved from the realms of thoughtful Bible exposition into the highly personal arena of everyday life. Because when Jesus told His followers to “lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven,” He intended that they discover an astounding secret: how joyful giving brings God maximum glory and His children maximum pleasure. In The Treasure Principle, you’ll unearth a radical teaching of Jesus—a secret wrapped up in giving.

Once you discover this secret, life will never look the same. And you won’t want it to be. 

Ten Q’s to diagnose your Spiritual Health

How do I know if I’m growing spiritually?
In the distractions of daily life, it can be hard to evaluate how we are doing spiritually. But monitoring the pulse of your spiritual health is just as important as monitoring your mental and physical health. No matter where you are in your walk with Christ, bestselling author Don Whitney makes it easy to do a self-check on your spiritual wellbeing.

Quickly evaluate your spiritual state by asking yourself these 10 convicting diagnostic questions:

  • Do I thirst for God?
  • Do I still grieve over sin?
  • Am I a quicker forgiver?
  • Am I more loving?
  • Am I sensitive to God’s presence?
  • Am I concerned for others?
  • Am I governed by God’s Word?
  • Do I delight in the church?
  • Are the spiritual disciplines important to me?
  • Do I yearn for heaven and to be with Jesus?

By bringing the lofty idea of “sanctification” into a helpful and convicting spotlight, this concise and insightful book will transform your spiritual life. Now with a new discussion guide for group or personal use to help you dive deeper into each question.

Trusting God

 “Why is God allowing this? What have I done wrong?”
Many of us have asked these questions when life hits us hard. When our circumstances defy explanation, it is difficult to untangle our emotions from the truth. Before long, we feel confused and frustrated. We doubt His care for us. We wonder how He could allow these circumstances at all, or if He is really in control.

During a time of darkness and adversity in his own life, Jerry Bridges dug deep into the Bible for answers on God’s sovereignty. What he learned changed his life―and it will change yours too. Find the answers to some of your most heartfelt questions, such as:

  • Is God in control?
  • Can I trust God?
  • What is our responsibility when things are hard?
  • How can I grow through adversity?
  • And more

Explore the scope of God’s care and control over nations, nature, and the tiny details of your life. You’ll find yourself trusting Him more completely―even when life hurts. Now with an added study guide for personal use or group discussion so you can dive deeper into this staple of Jerry Bridges’s classic collection.

Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hand

We might be relieved if God placed our sanctification only in the hands of trained professionals, but that is not his plan. Instead, through the ministry of every part of the body, the whole church will mature in Christ.

Paul David Tripp helps us discover where change is needed in our own lives and the lives of others. Following the example of Jesus, Tripp reveals how to get to know people, and how to lovingly speak truth to them.
 

Concise Theology

 A Concise Introduction to Biblical Doctrine

"Theology is for doxology and devotion―that is,
the praise of God and the practice of godliness.”
From the Preface

Theology is important for the Christian life. And though it is marked by many complex terms and doctrines, there is yet what J. I. Packer calls “the permanent essentials of Christianity.” This concise introduction to these essential doctrines distills theological truths so both scholar and layperson alike can grow to treasure the unchanging pillars of the Christian faith.

Each of the ninety-four chapters explores a different doctrine in a way that is easy to understand and rooted in historic Reformed teaching. As you learn more about the foundational teachings of the faith, you will grow in the knowledge of God and will worship him as your Creator, Redeemer, and sovereign Lord.

Grace Unknown (Sproul)

Reformed theology has been immensely influential in the West and in evangelicalism. Every believer, Reformed or not, will profit from a thoughtful reading of Grace Unknown.
Few evangelical Christians today understand Reformed theology. They know it has something to do with predestination, and they may have heard of "the five points." But they can't name these points, and they think no one believes most of them anymore.

R. C. says there's more to Reformed theology than these five points , so he devotes the first half of Grace Unknown to its most foundational doctrines. In the second half he explains each of the five points, showing their source in Scripture and their coherence with each other.

Reformed theology reveals just how awesome the grace of God is. This doctrine has eluded so many evangelical Christians that true grace is, in some respects, unknown. In Grace Unknown R. C. explains "the heart of Reformed theology" and makes plain the reality of God's amazing grace.

Learn more about this book, here >>>>

Gently & Lowly

Christians can easily feel that Jesus is perpetually disappointed and frustrated, maybe even close to giving up on them. They know what Christ has done for them―but who is he? How does he feel about his people amid all their sins and failures?

In Matthew 11, Jesus describes himself as “gentle and lowly in heart,” longing for his people to find rest in him. This book reflects on his words, diving deep into Bible passages that speak of Christ’s affections for sinners and encouraging believers as they journey, weary and faltering, toward heaven.

 

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Here's a little more information on the service and here's a link to access Metro Life Church on Amazon Smile: http://smile.amazon.com/ch/59-2521307