9Marks Bundle (24 vols.)

by Michael Lawrence; Bobby Jamieson; Jonathan Leeman; Mark Dever

and

3 more

Publisher:

Crossway

, 2007–2013

Overview

This remarkable series is a must-read for Christians of all levels. Those who are young in the faith will be propelled forward in their spiritual growth with these accessible guides to important topics and significant doctrines. Mature Christians, students, and pastors will reach new depths in their understanding of Scripture and the Christian life with these succinct, yet profound volumes. This series organically weds theory and practice through clear explanation of key theological themes coupled with practical application in the church and from the pulpit.

Key Features

• Accessible tours of issues such as biblical theology, church membership, and church discipline
• Biblically faithful presentations of perennial topics
• Practical guides for ministry

Products Details

• Title: 9Marks Bundle
• Series: 9Marks
• Publisher: Crossway
• Volumes: 24
• Pages: 3,008
• Christian Group: Evangelicals
• Topic: Church and Ministry

Am I Really a Christian?

• Author: Mike McKinley
• Series: 9Marks
• Publisher: Crossway
• Publication Date: 2011
• Pages: 160

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

You may think you are a Christian, but you may not be. After all, Jesus himself said that some people will do seemingly “Christian” things in his name but will not truly know him. Or maybe you know you are not a Christian and you wonder what it really means to be one. To be sure, however, there is clarity from God’s perspective. He is not confused about who does and does not know him. And though our self-awareness is certainly limited, we have been given biblical criteria to help us evaluate whether we are indeed followers of Christ. Mike McKinley shows us the importance of examining our standing with God and helps us to fearlessly ask the hard questions, ultimately allowing us to see whether we are in the faith and what exactly that entails.

This is a truly important book in the most urgent sense—a book that serves the cause of Christ by raising the most important question human beings face, and helping to answer it, no less. I am thankful to McKinley for his faithfulness and for the pastoral concern that prompted him to write such an important work.

—R. Albert Mohler Jr., President and Joseph Emerson Brown Professor of Christian Theology, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

There can be no more important question than ‘Am I really a Christian?’ and Mike McKinley helps us answer it with great skill. He manages to challenge nominal Christians while comforting genuine believers. McKinley’s writing is accessible, engaging, and simple without ever being simplistic. I particularly appreciate the way he encourages us to explore this crucial question in the context of a Christian community. If you’re not sure where you stand before God, or you know someone who’s not sure, then this is the book for you.

—Tim Chester, director, The Porterbrook Seminary

Mike McKinley received his MDiv from Westminster Theological Seminary and is the author of several articles and reviews. He served on the pastoral staff of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC, and in 2005 was called to revitalize Guilford Baptist Church in Sterling, Virginia.

Biblical Theology in the Life of the Church: A Guide for Ministry

• Author: Michael Lawrence
• Series: 9Marks
• Publisher: Crossway
• Publication Date: 2010
• Pages: 240

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Do you want to understand how each part of the Bible fits together to form one unified, unfolding message? Michael Lawrence helps you to do just that. This essential volume presents the substance and practical importance of biblical theology for ministry. He begins with an examination of a pastor’s tools of the trade—exegetical, biblical, and systematic theology—and commends biblical theology as the tool that should never be on the shelf. Lawrence helpfully distinguishes between biblical and systematic theology, but also emphasizes the importance of their collaboration in ministry.

Having laid the foundation for pastoral ministry, Lawrence uses the three tools to build a biblical theology, telling the entire story of the Bible from five different angles. He puts biblical theology to work in four areas: counseling, missions, caring for the poor, and church/state relations. Rich in application and practical insight, this book will equip pastors and church leaders to think, preach, and do ministry through the framework of biblical theology.

Usually, you have to go to different sections of the bookstore to find good books on biblical theology, systematic theology, ministry, the church, and the Christian life. At the very least, the relationship between theory and practice seems strained. However, this book brings these concerns together. Michael Lawrence believes that good shepherds are theologians and good theologians are shepherds. For anyone who believes that theology needs the church and the church needs theology, this will be a welcome resource. For anyone playing with the idea, it will be a compelling one.

—Michael Horton, J. Gresham Machen Professor of Systematic Theology and Apologetics, Westminster Seminary California

Every thoughtful preacher or teacher of the Bible sooner or later faces questions of the nature of biblical theology, its relationship to doctrine (systematic theology), and the practical application of both to the ministry that edifies the church. Following in the footsteps of Geerhardus Vos and Edmund Clowney, Michael Lawrence has provided us with a masterly study that relates biblical theology to systematics, and then applies both to the ministry of the church. This skillfully executed integrative approach breaks new ground in the practical application of biblical theology. Its thoroughness without being over-technical makes it accessible to anyone who wants to be a better preacher or teacher of the Bible.

—Graeme Goldsworthy, former lecturer in Old Testament, biblical theology, and hermeneutics, Moore Theological College

I thoroughly appreciated Lawrence’s fresh approach to ecclesiology. While there are many treasures in this book, its primary richness comes from following the flow of redemptive history five times over—each time from a different perspective, built around a different theme. Looking at biblical theology like one stone with many facets was an exceptionally enlightening approach. This is a book to be read and reread.

—John MacArthur, pastor, Grace Community Church, Sun Valley, California

If the kind of biblical theology described and commended by Michael Lawrence in this superb book were to take root in the preaching and teaching ministry of pastors, and get into the bloodstream of lay people in the churches, things would bode well indeed for the improvement of our collective grasp of and obedience to the whole counsel of God. Lawrence not only does a brilliant job of introducing a sound biblical theology, but also relates it to the ministry of the church. He offers one of the finest and most accessible discussions of the relation between biblical and systematic theology that I’ve ever read. This is a pastoral must-read for our times. I cannot recommend this book too highly.

—J. Ligon Duncan, John E. Richards Professor of Systematic and Historical Theology, Reformed Theological Seminary

I am deeply thankful for this important book and pray it will be widely read and greatly influential! There is no greater need in the church than biblically grounded theological discernment that informs everyday life. The perspective and methods of ‘doing theology’ that Michael Lawrence provides are crucial for developing this distinctively Christian view of life. Ministry methods and foci today are so often determined by pragmatism, consumerism, trends, and the latest opinion polls rather than a holistic understanding of the Bible. Biblical Theology in the Life of the Church points the way out of this man-centered approach and helps equip leaders for God-honoring, Gospel-advancing ministry. Lawrence writes with the depth of a careful theologian and the heart and experience of a loving pastor. Here he models what he is wanting to produce with this book—pastor/theologians who understand the whole counsel of God’s Word, and are able to translate it into the lives of God’s people for the glory of God.

—Erik Thoennes, professor of biblical studies and theology, Talbot School of Theology, Biola University

Michael Lawrence is the senior pastor of Hinson Baptist Church in Portland, OR. He earned a PhD in church history from Cambridge University and an MDiv from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.

The Church and the Surprising Offense of God’s Love: Reintroducing the Doctrines of Church Membership and Discipline

• Author: Jonathan Leeman
• Series: 9Marks
• Publisher: Crossway
• Publication Date: 2010
• Pages: 384

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

When the world speaks of “love,” it often means unconditional acceptance. Many churches have adopted this mindset in their practice of membership and discipline—if they have not done away with such structures entirely. “Yet God’s love and God’s Gospel are different than what the world expects,” writes Jonathan Leeman. They are centered in his character, which draws a clear boundary between what is holy and what is not. It’s this line that the local church should represent in its membership practices, because the careful exercise of such authority “is God’s means for guarding the Gospel, marking off a people, and thereby defining his love for the world.”

So how should churches receive and dismiss members? How should Christians view their submission to the church? Are there dangers in such submission? Leeman answers these questions and offers biblical, theological, and practical guidance from both corporate and individual perspectives. This is a resource that will help pastors and their congregations upend worldly conceptions and recover a biblical understanding and practices of church membership and discipline.

What happens when you bring together one of the most misunderstood subjects (love) and one of the most ignored practices (church membership and discipline) in the church today? A book like this one. Unlike the generation raised on Mr. Spock’s child-rearing advice, the Good Shepherd cares for his flock by loving discipline. There is a lot of talk these days about radical discipleship, but what we need more today is a lot more ordinary discipleship, where we realize not only in theory, but in practice, what it means to be conformed to Christ’s image. This is the best book I’ve seen on this subject in a long time.

—Michael Horton, J. Gresham Machen Professor of Systematic Theology and Apologetics, Westminster Seminary California

It has been a frustrating reality that there are so few resources on church discipline. This book is not only timely, but definitive. I highly recommend it to those who seek to learn about and desire to practice biblical church discipline.

—Darrin Patrick, pastor, The Journey, St. Louis, Missouri

Jonathan Leeman (MDiv, PhD) is an elder at Capitol Hill Baptist in Washington, DC. He serves as director of communications for 9Marks and is the editor of the 9Marks Journal. Leeman has been published in several major newspapers and Christian periodicals and holds his PhD from the University of Wales.

Church Planting Is for Wimps: How God Uses Messed-up People to Plant Ordinary Churches That Do Extraordinary Things

• Author: Mike McKinley
• Series: 9Marks
• Publisher: Crossway
• Publication Date: 2010
• Pages: 128

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

This volume tells the story of the revitalization of Guilford Baptist Church in northern Virginia. Weaving together Scripture and biblical principles with humor and personal anecdotes, author Michael McKinley asserts that a pastor’s faithful exposition of God’s Word, passion for sharing the Gospel, and care in the training of other godly leaders are more important than the size of his church.

McKinley honestly shares his own fears and rookie mistakes, along with encouraging stories of how God moved at Guilford Baptist. We are reminded that God uses weak and fearful pastors in plants and revitalizations; church planting is indeed for “wimps.” For pastors and seminarians considering a church plant and those already struggling in their own fledgling congregations, this book is a thoughtful and encouraging resource.

I love Mike McKinley’s writing. Church Planting Is For Wimps is an engaging book that weaves together personal story, theological reflection, practical suggestion, and great humor. This is a book that will be of great benefit to pastors who are thinking of giving up on their churches.

—J. D. Greear, lead pastor, The Summit Church, Durham, North Carolina

Mike knows a lot about the ups and downs of church planting, and he writes about it with all the honesty and humor necessary for laboring in God’s grace. There’s no airbrushing of difficulties. And there are no oppressive ‘be wonderful like me’ gimmicks. If you want to think, learn, and laugh all at once, read this book. Whether you’re a church planter, on a church-planting team, or an established pastor whose church wants to be more involved in church planting, you’ll find this book a refreshing, grace-filled, hopeful, and useful excursion into the sometimes dizzying world of church planting.

—Thabiti M. Anyabwile, senior pastor, First Baptist Church of Grand Cayman

Mike McKinley received his MDiv from Westminster Theological Seminary and is the author of several articles and reviews. He served on the pastoral staff of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC, and in 2005 was called to revitalize Guilford Baptist Church in Sterling, Virginia.

Finding Faithful Elders and Deacons

• Author: Thabiti M. Anyabwile
• Series: 9Marks
• Publisher: Crossway
• Publication Date: 2012
• Pages: 176

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Every church leader knows the qualifications for elders and deacons that are spelled out in the Bible, but actually finding other leaders who fulfill the biblical qualifications can be difficult. Thabiti Anyabwile writes from his expertise as a pastor and elder, showing how to identify and reproduce legitimate leaders and willing servants throughout the ranks of the local church. Balancing thoughtful analysis of pertinent passages with thorough application for practical use in a contemporary context, Anyabwile answers the questions, “Who should we look for to lead and serve in the church?” and “What should they do to fulfill their calling?”

Choosing men who will lead your church is serious work. I commend this valuable resource to you from my friend and partner in the Gospel, Thabiti Anyabwile. It is both thoughtful and practical. His insights in this book will help you recruit, enlist, and reproduce faithful leaders in your church.

—James MacDonald, pastor, Harvest Bible Chapel

Out of an obvious love for the local church, Pastor Thabiti takes biblical leadership very seriously. He takes it so seriously that he has written a book designed to be both biblical and accessible to the people of the church—clearly explaining the Bible’s teaching on the qualifications for leadership and so much more. After a careful exposition of every leadership qualification, he includes a list of helpful questions for the aspiring leader to ask one’s self and for those who will be interviewing such aspiring leaders.

—Tom Steller, pastor for leadership development, Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Thabiti M. Anyabwile (MS, North Carolina State University) is senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Grand Cayman and the author of numerous books, including Holy, Holy, Holy: Proclaiming the Perfections of God and The Faithful Preacher. He serves as a council member with the Gospel Coalition, is a lead writer for 9Marks Ministries, and regularly blogs at Pure Church, hosted by the Gospel Coalition.

The Gospel and Personal Evangelism

• Author: Mark Dever
• Series: 9Marks
• Publisher: Crossway
• Publication Date: 2007
• Pages: 128

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

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.

In this volume, Mark Dever shows that God has already established who and how we are to evangelize. Dever answers 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.

Mark Dever’s personal devotion to Scripture has led him to think deeply, read widely, preach clearly, and write simply to the great blessing of the body of Christ. Evangelism is the church’s mandate, and the one reason the redeemed are still on earth. Doing it effectively requires doing it biblically. Mark teaches us how to mobilize our churches to do just that.

—John MacArthur, pastor, Grace Community Church, Sun Valley, California

For most of us, personal evangelism is the reverse of easy, and so it becomes a task we evade. Mark Dever writes to shake us up about this, clearing our heads as to just what evangelizing involves and motivating our hearts to go to it realistically and responsibly. This is a word in season that will surely do a great deal of good.

—J. I. Packer, Board of Governors’ Professor of Theology, Regent College

Mark Dever (PhD, Cambridge University) is senior pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC, and president of 9Marks Ministries. Dever has authored over a dozen books, is a contributor to Preaching the Great Themes of the Bible, and speaks at conferences nationwide.

It Is Well: Expositions on Substitutionary Atonement

• Author: Mark Dever and Michael Lawrence
• Series: 9Marks
• Publisher: Crossway
• Publication Date: 2010
• Pages: 224

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

The idea of Christ’s substitutionary atonement for sinners is central in both the Old and New Testaments—from the Passover to the prophets to the words of Jesus and the apostles. In It Is Well, pastors Mark Dever and Michael Lawrence demonstrate how the atonement is clearly taught throughout Scripture.

Starting with Exodus 12 and moving through other key Old Testament passages into the Gospels and the epistles of Paul and Peter, the authors offer careful expositions on 14 crucial texts. As they speak to important issues, such as what happens when there is no substitute for sin, why God forsook Christ, Jesus’ perspective on his substitutionary work, and the necessity and benefits of the atonement, they show how much the doctrine applies to the Christian life. It Is Well not only encourages pastors to preach this essential doctrine for the strengthening of the church, but it helps individual believers understand and exult in the richness of God’s love in Christ.

Theological and devotional, expositional and inspirational: these are four words that well-capture this excellent work on the doctrine of penal substitution. Thank you, Mark and Michael, for this gift to the church of the Lord Jesus. Read it and be instructed. Read it and be blessed.

—Daniel L. Akin, president, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary

Dever and Lawrence remind us that at the heart of Christianity is Christ, and the heart of Christ’s ministry is the cross, and the heart of the cross is penal substitution. Nor is penal substitution limited to part of the canon. Both in the OT and the NT, forgiveness of sins comes only through substitution. The OT anticipates the substitutionary sacrifice of Christ, the Gospels relate the story of his sacrifice, and the Epistles explicate what Christ has accomplished for his people. What a joy to have the truth of Christ’s work for us set forth in sermons, for we see clearly that Christ’s atoning work is no abstraction. Dever and Lawrence in these well-crafted sermons both instruct us in God’s Word and apply it powerfully to the lives of both believers and unbelievers.

—Thomas R. Schreiner, James Buchanan Harrison Professor of New Testament Interpretation, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

This book is brimming with insights into the text as well as with clear and direct application. A refreshing contrast to the great number of low-calorie atonement books on the market.

—Simon Gathercole, senior lecturer in New Testament, University of Cambridge

Mark Dever (PhD, Cambridge University) is senior pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC, and pastor of 9Marks Ministries. Dever has authored over a dozen books, is a contributor to Preaching the Great Themes of the Bible, and speaks at conferences nationwide.

Michael Lawrence is the senior pastor of Hinson Baptist Church in Portland, OR. He earned a PhD in church history from Cambridge University and an MDiv from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.

What Does God Want of Us Anyway?: A Quick Overview of the Whole Book

• Author: Mark Dever
• Series: 9Marks
• Publisher: Crossway
• Publication Date: 2010
• Pages: 128

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Originally delivered as sermons by pastor Mark Dever at Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC, these three studies are now available in one volume. Dever guides readers to take a step back and look at the Bible from a broader perspective. As we notice new features of an object when viewed from a distance, so too the major themes of Scripture become more apparent when we take in the Bible as a whole. This book considers the central messages of the Bible as seen in the promises of God.

Dever examines the general narrative of God’s Word to answer the question, “What does God wants of us anyway?” Readers looking for a panoramic view of Scripture will be reminded of the faithful, persistent love of God and find themselves drawn into a broader, but deeper, understanding of the maker and keeper of promises.

Pastor Mark Dever has provided a most unusual book. Instead of teaching his people the usual lessons from the Bible, Dever has taught his people about the Bible so that they can read it effectively for themselves, which is a great idea.

—Paige Patterson, president, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

In this fantastic little book, Dever shows us what it means to say that Jesus Christ is the point of the Bible. He offers us a breathtaking, panoramic view of Scripture. Since the message of the Bible is so important, and since Dever has captured that message so succinctly, I’ll give this book away again and again—both to Christians eager to get a sense of the whole and to seekers wondering just what the Bible is all about.

—Aaron Menikoff, senior pastor, Mount Vernon Baptist Church, Sandy Springs, Georgia

Mark Dever (PhD, Cambridge University) is senior pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC, and president of 9Marks Ministries. Dever has authored over a dozen books, is a contributor to Preaching the Great Themes of the Bible, and speaks at conferences nationwide.

What Is a Healthy Church Member?

• Author: Thabiti M. Anyabwile
• Series: 9Marks
• Publisher: Crossway
• Publication Date: 2008
• Pages: 128

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

What Is a Healthy Church Member? biblically and practically instructs church members in ways they can labor for the health of their church. Following the theme of Mark Dever’s book What Is a Healthy Church?, pastor Thabiti Anyabwile attempts to answer the next natural question: “What does a healthy church member look like in the light of Scripture?”

God intends for us to play an active and vital part in the body of Christ, the local church. He wants us to experience the local church as a home more profoundly wonderful and meaningful than any other place on earth. He intends for his churches to be healthy places and for the members of those churches to be healthy as well. This book explains how membership in the local church can produce spiritual growth in its members and how each member can contribute to the growth and health of the whole.

In an era when Christians seem confused about what kind of community the church ought to be, here’s a helpful handbook outlining the church’s true biblical priorities, especially as they apply to individual church members.

—John MacArthur, pastor, Grace Community Church, Sun Valley, California

Given the state of so many of our churches today, this book arrives not a moment too soon.

—R. Albert Mohler Jr., president and Joseph Emerson Brown Professor of Christian Theology, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Thabiti M. Anyabwile (MS, North Carolina State University) is senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Grand Cayman and the author of numerous books, including Holy, Holy, Holy: Proclaiming the Perfections of God and The Faithful Preacher. He serves as a council member with the Gospel Coalition, is a lead writer for 9Marks Ministries, and regularly blogs at Pure Church, hosted by the Gospel Coalition.

What Is a Healthy Church?

• Author: Mark Dever
• Series: 9Marks
• Publisher: Crossway
• Publication Date: 2007
• Pages: 128

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

What is an ideal church, and how can you tell? How does it look different from other churches? More importantly, how does it act differently, especially in society? Many of us aren’t sure how to answer those questions, even though we probably have some preconceived idea. With this book, you don’t have to wonder any more.

Author Mark Dever seeks to help believers recognize the key characteristics of a healthy church: expositional preaching, biblical theology, and a right understanding of the Gospel. Dever then calls us to develop those characteristics in our own churches. By following the example of New Testament authors and addressing church members from pastors to pew-sitters, Dever challenges all believers to do their part in maintaining the local church. What Is a Healthy Church? offers timeless truths and practical principles to help each of us fulfill our God-given roles in the body of Christ.

Mark Dever (PhD, Cambridge University) is senior pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC, and president of 9Marks Ministries. Dever has authored over a dozen books, is a contributor to Preaching the Great Themes of the Bible, and speaks at conferences nationwide.

What Is the Gospel?

• Author: Greg Gilbert
• Series: 9Marks
• Publisher: Crossway
• Publication Date: 2010
• Pages: 128

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

What is the Gospel? It seems like a simple question, yet it has been known to incite some heated responses, even in the church. How do we formulate a clear, biblical understanding of the Gospel? Tradition, reason, and experience all leave us ultimately disappointed. If we want answers, we must turn to the Word of God.

Greg Gilbert does so in What Is the Gospel? Beginning with Paul’s systematic presentation of the Gospel in Romans and moving through the sermons in Acts, Gilbert argues that the central structure of the Gospel consists of four main subjects: God, man, Christ, and a response. The book carefully examines each and then explores the effects the Gospel can have in individuals, churches, and the world. Both Christian and non-Christian readers will gain a clearer understanding of the Gospel in this valuable resource.

Greg Gilbert is one of the brightest and most faithful young men called to serve the church today. Here he offers us a penetrating, faithful, and fully biblical understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There is no greater need than to know the true Gospel, to recognize the counterfeits, and to set loose a generation of Gospel-centered Christians. This very important book arrives at just the right moment.

—R. Albert Mohler Jr., president and Joseph Emerson Brown Professor of Christian Theology, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Two realities make this a critically important book: the centrality of the Gospel in all generations and the confusion about the Gospel in our own generation. What Is the Gospel? 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, senior pastor, Sovereign Grace Church of Louisville

Greg Gilbert earned his BA from Yale and his MDiv from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is senior pastor at Third Avenue Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky, and the coauthor of What Is the Mission of the Church?

Committing to One Another: Church Membership

• Author: Bobby Jamieson
• Series: 9Marks Healthy Church Study Guides
• Publisher: Crossway
• Publication Date: 2012
• Pages: 64

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

This study answers the question: Why join a church? By seeing the Scriptural reasoning for becoming a church member, participants will also learn what it looks like to be a healthy member of the body and how to serve in their local congregation.

God’s Good News: The Gospel

• Author: Bobby Jamieson
• Series: 9Marks Healthy Church Study Guides
• Publisher: Crossway
• Publication Date: 2012
• Pages: 64

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

A healthy church is a church in which every member—young and old, mature and immature—unites around the wonderful good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. Toward that end, this study pays close attention to the Gospel as defined in Romans 1–4. Participants will learn the Bible’s teaching on God, man, Christ, and our response, and see how these truths apply to the practices of the local church.

Growing One Another: Discipleship in the Church

• Author: Bobby Jamieson
• Series: 9Marks Healthy Church Study Guides
• Publisher: Crossway
• Publication Date: 2012
• Pages: 64

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3

Discipleship was one of the central themes of Jesus’ teaching, yet it is not a major emphasis today for many churches. This short study guide explores the Bible’s teaching on discipleship and covers such topics as the need for discipleship, the demands of discipleship, and the enemy of discipleship. With discussion questions at the end of each chapter, participants will work through guided reflection as they learn about the centrality of discipleship in the Christian life.

Guarding One Another: Church Discipline

• Author: Bobby Jamieson
• Series: 9Marks Healthy Church Study Guides
• Publisher: Crossway
• Publication Date: 2012
• Pages: 64

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

While church discipline is never easy, it is sometimes a necessary, albeit painful, part of the Christian life. This helpful study guide tackles the difficult topic in six chapters designed to focus discussion on the interpretation and application of biblical texts. Participants will discover the role of church discipline and learn how to practice it in a gracious and loving way.

Hearing God’s Word: Expositional Preaching

• Author: Bobby Jamieson
• Series: 9Marks Healthy Church Study Guides
• Publisher: Crossway
• Publication Date: 2012
• Pages: 64

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Expositional preaching gives life and health to the church. It shapes, forms, and reforms the church, and it reveals the character of God. Participants will learn to understand their joyful responsibility in sitting under a pastor’s teaching, and pastors will be encouraged to preach expositionally from the Bible.

Leading One Another: Church Leadership

• Author: Bobby Jamieson
• Series: 9Marks Healthy Church Study Guides
• Publisher: Crossway
• Publication Date: 2012
• Pages: 64

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Because it can be abused, leadership is a risky business—both for those in it and those under it. But God has good plans for leadership within the church. This study explores God’s plans for authority by focusing on God’s revelation of himself as shepherd, and how God calls leaders to image him. The rest of the study looks at the special responsibilities and roles within the church, fulfilled by elders, deacons, and church members themselves.

Reaching the Lost: Evangelism

• Author: Bobby Jamieson
• Series: 9Marks Healthy Church Study Guides
• Publisher: Crossway
• Publication Date: 2012
• Pages: 64

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

The Bible calls all Christians to share the good news about Jesus’s death and resurrection with those who don’t believe in Christ. Yet this task can often seem daunting. This study helps participants have the right perspectives on evangelism and shows them how to share the good news with others.

Real Change: Conversion

• Author: Bobby Jamieson
• Series: 9Marks Healthy Church Study Guides
• Publisher: Crossway
• Publication Date: 2012
• Pages: 64

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

This study explores what God does when he saves someone, answering questions such as: What is the change we need? How does conversion happen? What are the fruits of salvation? Participants will gain a biblical understanding of conversion and the implications both for themselves and for the church.

The Whole Truth about God: Biblical Theology

• Author: Bobby Jamieson
• Series: 9Marks Healthy Church Study Guides
• Publisher: Crossway
• Publication Date: 2012
• Pages: 64

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Only right theology can lead to right worship and right obedience. Every church should strive to believe, confess, and live in light of a truly biblical theology and sound doctrine. This study looks at why biblical theology is important, then shows participants how biblical theology can fuel their love, holiness, worship, witness, and unity.

Church Discipline: How the Church Protects the Name of Jesus

• Author: Jonathan Leeman
• Series: 9Marks: Building Healthy Churches
• Publisher: Crossway
• Publication Date: 2012
• Pages: 144

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Church discipline is essential to building a healthy church. Yet, how does a church practice discipline? How should church leaders handle the endless variety of circumstances and sins for which no scriptural case study exists? Church Discipline: How the Church Protects the Name of Jesus is a contemporary and concise how-to guide that provides a theological framework for understanding and implementing disciplinary measures in the local church. Jonathan Leeman, author and elder, also provides several examples of real situations and responses.

Leeman airs the dirty laundry of our lives and talks about how to clean it up. He ventures into the tough area of pastoral application, which is sure to rouse good discussions, but again and again I found myself convinced. You will not fail to be helped by this book. Brief and biblical, wise and practical—this is the book on church discipline we’ve been looking for.

—Mark Dever, president, 9Marks

Far too few biblically grounded, pastorally sensitive books on church discipline remain in print today. I know of none that is as exegetically accurate, practically relevant, and filled with real-life case studies of how churches should deal with a wide variety of common situations. On top of all this, Leeman is helpfully succinct and remarkably clear. Highly recommended!

—Craig L. Blomberg, distinguished professor of New Testament, Denver Seminary

One of the most neglected activities in the church today is the ministry of loving, courageous, and redemptive church discipline. This book provides a clear vision and practical guidelines for this vital aspect of life together in the body of Christ. I have seen many people freed from entangling sin by churches that lived out these principles, and I pray that more and more churches will recommit themselves to this restorative ministry.

—Ken Sande, president, Peacemaker Ministries

Until such a time as the church of the Lord Jesus Christ becomes, by definition, a disciplined church, it will remain largely the undisciplined church. Leeman, of 9Marks, has provided another perceptive and important guide to establishing a healthy church through the exercise of unique Christian responsibilities, love, and discipline. The pastor with a desire to see a healthy church will profit immensely from this read.

—Thabiti M. Anyabwile, senior pastor, First Baptist Church of Grand Cayman

Many different ideas enter the minds of Christians when they hear the words ‘church discipline’—punishment, judgment, critical, unloving, excommunication. Jonathan Leeman sets the record straight by explaining what Jesus meant when he first introduced this concept of spiritual accountability. Leeman explains the purpose of church discipline and why it is necessary. The case studies illustrating situations requiring church discipline are worth the price of the book!

—J. Carl Laney, author, A Guide to Church Discipline

Church Membership: How the World Knows Who Represents Jesus

• Author: Jonathan Leeman
• Series: 9Marks: Building Healthy Churches
• Publisher: Crossway
• Publication Date: 2012
• Pages: 144

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Becoming a member of a church is an important part of the Christian life. Yet, the trend these days is one of shunning the practice of organized religion and showing a distaste or fear of commitment, especially of institutions. In Church Membership: How the World Knows Who Represents Jesus, Jonathan Leeman addresses these issues with a straightforward explanation of what church membership is and why it’s important. Giving the local church its proper due, Leeman has built a compelling case for committing to the local body.

Church leaders across many denominations will find this little book filled with practical ideas and good arguments that will help us cure Christians in our culture today of their allergy to church membership, pastoral authority, life accountability, and any limits to their personal freedom.

—Timothy Keller, senior pastor, Redeemer Presbyterian Church, New York City

Brief, fresh, entertaining, and, above all, biblical. This is the explanation and defense of church membership you’ve been looking for.

—Mark Dever, president, 9Marks

Practical. Convicting. Biblically faithful. Leeman reminds us that church membership is not a choice but a demand. The book is punchy and provocative, but at the same time it is permeated with the gospel of grace.

—Thomas R. Schreiner, professor of New Testament interpretation, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

We live in an age where people relate to and make decisions about church much like they do with a restaurant. We desperately need to be awakened from our consumeristic slumber. This book is the wake-up call that is needed to turn church consumers into gospel participants.

—Darrin Patrick, pastor, The Journey, St. Louis, Missouri

Sound Doctrine: How a Church Grows in the Love and Holiness of God

• Author: Bobby Jamieson
• Series: 9Marks: Building Healthy Churches
• Publisher: Crossway
• Publication Date: 2013
• Pages: 128

Sample Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

How do you feel about doctrine? In Sound Doctrine: How a Church Grows in the Love and Holiness of God, author Bobby Jamieson writes that sound doctrine is vital for living a godly life, and also explains the essential role of theology in the life of a healthy church. This short, readable book shows how good theology leads to transformation, life, and joy.

Scripture is for sound doctrine, sound doctrine is for real life, and real life is for real church growth. So says Jamieson, and he hits the nail on the head brilliantly every time.

—J. I. Packer, professor of theology, Regent College

‘Pay heed to your doctrine.’ That imperative for faithful Christianity sounds to many Christians altogether abstract and remote from the life of the church. Bobby Jamieson believes otherwise, and Sound Doctrine is a masterful argument for doctrine that is not only deeply rooted in the church, but also produces a church that demonstrates both the grace and glory of God.

—R. Albert Mohler Jr., president and professor of Christian theology, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

A true Christian experience involves more than sound doctrine, but it is nothing without it. Bobby helps us see how sound doctrine not only shapes but also empowers all ministries in the local church, from effective outreach to authentic small groups. This book could serve as a starting point for thinking through a philosophy of ministry.

—J. D. Greear, lead pastor, The Summit Church, Durham, North Carolina

Truth is for life. Teaching is for living. Sound doctrine is for love, unity, worship, witness, and joy. That is what this book is all about. Christians need to understand how sound biblical teaching—doctrine that is based on and drawn from the Holy Scriptures—informs every aspect of Christian life and experience. Bobby Jamieson makes that case in Sound Doctrine. The argument is brief, biblical, interesting, and compelling. The book won’t take you long to read, but its contents will pay dividends to Christians and churches for a long time to come.

—J. Ligon Duncan, chancellor and professor of systematic and historical theology, Reformed Theological Seminary

Think doctrine is at least impractical—at worst, loveless? Give this author a few minutes to help you reconsider this. Well-written, precise, provocative, and practical—Jamieson has produced a jewel.

—Mark Dever, president, 9Marks