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15MAR
2008

Recommended Resources List

Recommended Resources List
Updated in April 2023
Most recent additions are underlined

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15

I first created this list back in 2004. Please note that I cannot speak for all of the theology behind all of these resources. Reader, this isn’t just some list of sermons for me. It’s not exhaustive, but these specific items and/or ministries have over the years been the most influential things that I’ve seen, heard, or read. It’s my joy to share them with you and I pray they’re a blessing to you too. Some paragraphs below (which are not necessarily listed in any particular order) might endorse ministries as whole, and not particular messages. Sermonindex.net will often be referred to throughout as a great mp3 resource library, but sermonaudio.com is another fantastic site full of excellent stuff. Many of the ministries below have made their entire online media libraries available to us completely free. Many of them also have apps available free of charge in the Apple or Play Store.

1. James White – aomin.org. Dr. White is a tremendous resource to the body of Christ. Tons of incredible books and tens of thousands of hours worth of video and audio materials. Just wonderful. He is first and foremost in my mind an apologist, but he has always stressed and modeled the importance of doing apologetics in and around the local church. He’s an elder at Apologia Church in Tempe, AZ. His message, “Introduction to Reformed Theology” was a huge blessing to me many years ago. It’s one of those sermons you never forget where you were when you heard it. I would also very much like to recommend the sermon, “Apostates and Apostasy.” You can find metric tons of great Christian apologetics resources from him online, as well as lively debates with both brothers in the Faith and many opponents to the Christian Faith spanning the past forty years. You can also find a ton of his materials on YouTube. Dr. White reminds us all of the primary place of sound doctrine in Christianity. His sermon series, “Church History” is worth every hour you spend listening. He’s updated the messages several times throughout the years, but a search with his name and what’s in quotes here should yield the bounty. I’d also like to highly commend his sermon series called, “Holiness Code for Today.” In it he shows the remarkable truths given to us in the Holiness Code of the Torah.

2. Ray Comfort – livingwaters.com. I want to point you to several messages. “Hell’s Best Kept Secret,” “True and False Conversion,” and a series called, “The Axe of the Apostles.” The first two of these messages are free and available through various forms like video, print and audio, but the last is only a part of an mp3 series that I highly recommend to you for purchase called, “Classic Comfort.” Ray’s teaching gets at the heart of the knowledge of the Gospel like no other teacher I’ve ever heard. His evangelical expositions tie together the Testaments in a seamless evangelistic reality. This is the Gospel to every generation. Ray teamed up with Kirk Cameron (the former teenage TV star) to begin The Way of The Master Ministries years ago. Kirk has been marvellously converted and has become one of the most heartfelt ministers I have had the privilege of hearing preach. Both Ray and Kirk are splendid evangelists worth your time to hear. 180 Movie is an absolute must see! It has changed many minds on the subject of abortion, surely among the greatest evils of our day, or any day before for that matter. It’s also available on YouTube.

3. John Piper – desiringGod.org. John is a pastor. He loved the Bible over his church week in and week out for decades. He is surely one of the biggest brains and hearts behind the pulpit today, and has caused me no little grief in his teaching. He is a lover of Christian history and doctrine contending to preserve the precise declarations and creeds of Christianity against those who would attempt to pull out its foundations. He has written over thirty books on Christian living and doctrine and gives his gifts to us all in speaking, writing and poetry. His book called, “This Momentary Marriage” is the main text I use in counselling Christian couples. His website contains a huge collection of works. Go, listen and learn; get out of the twenty-first century for a bit I beg you. On Sermon Index under audio sermons you’ll find a number of John’s superb biographies detailing the lives, faith and works of some of the greatest saints of old. Listen to these biographies. There is much preaching and historical data throughout that make them extraordinarily interesting. Listen and honor God for His great saints like Brainerd, Calvin, Luther, Spurgeon, Edwards, Augustine, Owen, and Bunyan just to name a few. These bios were recorded at Piper’s yearly pastor’s conference and make up an ongoing series of messages entitled “Men of Whom the World Was Not Worthy” which title is, of course, borrowed from Hebrews eleven. This series will bless you! I also commend to you the “Desiring God” series of messages that get to the Bible centered task of setting God and God alone at the center of all things. His book “Spectacular Sins and Their Global Purpose in the Glory of Christ” was also incredible for me.

4. John MacArthur – gty.org. John is a pastor, a scholar and a theologian. He’s spent fifty years shepherding the people at Grace Community Church near Los Angeles, CA. Every sermon he preaches seems to contain twenty years of reflections, conclusions and facts. He has great clarity in his communication and truly is a blessing to the body of Christ. John has a sermon that rocked my understanding of Catholicism. I mention it and recommend it because it hits so close to home for many in America today. I’ll say no more here but strongly recommend all of you to the message called, “The Pope and the Papacy.” It is one of many on the subject that he has preached. John’s messages are truly masterpieces of Christian exposition. No one opens up a Bible text like this man. John has a talent for saying much in little space. He is a puritan preacher if ever I’ve heard one. Go to his website, purchase his stuff, get lost in the work. He also has messages available on Sermon Index. I recommend his two part sermon called, “The Character of Scripture” as well as “The Sufficiency of Scripture.” Also see, “How Can We Witness if We Don’t Know What the Gospel is?” His sermon series, “The Gospel According to Paul” I would also most excitedly recommend. His book, “The Gospel According to Jesus” changed my life. I would also highly recommend the “John MacArthur Study Bible” for study on just about everything.

5. Albert Mohler – albertmohler.com. Al Mohler is undoubtedly one of my heroes. He is a very bright speaker and currently the ninth president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, one of the largest seminaries on earth. He has put a lot of attention into studying the subversive influence of what we call postmodernism into the culture and especially the church. He has many fantastic mp3 messages available on his website that are available to listen to online or download. One that has been of great influence on me is his message series on the “Apostle’s Creed.” Dr. Mohler is a great contender for Christian faith and Biblical stewardship. He hosts a daily radio broadcast called “The Briefing” that’s widely syndicated covering current news from a Christian perspective. His commitment to academics and proven care for the historic Christian faith make him a wonderful treasure to a great many Christians. I can listen to this man talk about anything and I’m drawn to majesty in that subject in remarkable ways.

6. Todd Friel – wretchedradio.com. This was originally wayofthemasterradio.com. Todd was a stand-up comedian who got saved. His mix of personality, patience and brilliance makes for terrific Christian TV and talk radio. Todd is an evangelist, a scholar and a theologian though I strongly suspect that he’d deny the latter. He hosts “Wretched TV” and speaks all over the world in diverse Christian settings. He also sponsors and works hand in hand with Living Waters and Way of the Master Ministries in conferences and seminars. I love his take on the Faith and his presentation of the Gospel. Todd is a refreshing breeze whenever I listen to him. He has a sermon series available for purchase called, “Herman Who?” which is a teaching on Biblical hermeneutics. His audio message called, “Are You Really a Christian?” is an exceptional tour through 1 John and John’s tests of faith given in his first epistle. Do you know someone who may be unsure they’re a believer? Or maybe they should be unsure? This message will help. I recommend anything by Mr. Friel wholeheartedly.

7. Voddie Baucham – voddiebaucham.org. Pastor Voddie, among other excellent things, has fantastic teachings on family, family life and parenting. He is a loving husband, father and pastor. In his voice and efforts, glory be to God, I see, hear and feel an honor in preaching the word of God. He is an honor to the church. His sermons are available in several places online. I rush to invite you to listen well to his sermon, “Faithfulness that Honors God.” This message impacted my life so powerfully that I pray God would bless anyone else through it half as much. “Nebuchadnezzar Loses His Mind” is a very powerful sermon on psychological issues and the way we as Christians should deal with them. His message called, “The Rescuer” was preached at St. Andrews Chapel in Sanford, FL in 2015. I don’t think it’s an understatement to say it changed me. It shows a depth to Scripture that permeates its every page. Lastly, I’d like to highlight his extensive sermon series through the Book of Revelation called, “Exposition of the Book of Revelation.” It’s available on monergism.com and was incredibly well done.

8. R.C. Sproul – ligonier.org. Pastor Sproul went on to his reward in 2017. was a seminary professor for most of his life, but was commanded to the pastorate later on. RC, like all true shepherds, would say that his ministry was as much for the strengthening and equipping of the church as it was for taking the Gospel to the unsaved. He was a passionate man with great softness and skill as a teacher. His teachings on theology and the history of the church have been staples in my understanding of the Reformed Faith and Biblical orthodoxy. RC really enjoyed teaching and it reverberated in his voice and manner behind the pulpit. He hosted a Christian radio program called “Renewing Your Mind” that is still available on the Ligonier site in the archives. I highly recommend it. I also highly recommend you purchase the “2007 Orlando Contending for the Truth Conference” set of messages. The conference includes the teachings of several of the ministers recommended here in this list. These messages are like assets – they only increase value with age so you can’t lose. RC shared two messages at the conference called “The Resurrection of Christ” and “The Task of Apologetics.” These messages were amazing! Check out all of RC’s books or sermons for solid and clear Biblical counsel. His children’s books are favorites for my kids as well. His book “The Lightlings” is my absolute favorite. Looking for children’s books with actual theology? Look no further.

9. Alistair Begg – truthforlife.org. Alistair is a pastor. He is a lover of sound doctrine and a terrific shepherd. I recommend any teaching that may catch your interest by its title. I first heard this man preach a three part sermon series called “Why Bother with the Bible?” It was exceptional. I thought it was a terrific dealing with why the Bible is what it is to us as Christians. Alistair brings a refreshing influence to bear on American Christianity because of his Scottish upbringing. I truly enjoy his messages and find him to be a constant source of never boring teaching in the full counsel of God’s word.

10. Mark Dever – capitolhillbaptist.org. Pastor Dever is one of the warmest, most sincere, and powerful preachers at work in the church today. If I had to choose one word to describe his ministry it’d be, “warm.” He has an evident warmth and a love for his church you can almost feel in his preaching. His devotion to biblical exposition, zeal for learning history, and genuine appreciation for confessional accuracy and doctrinal purity create a uniquely inviting ministerial grace. His sermon series through Jesus’ “I AM” statements in the Gospel of John was extraordinary! In the audio section of his church website you can find this sermon series mixed in with the rest of the audio material under the heading: “Gospels.” Look for the messages beginning with, “I am…” They began in September 2012. Through each successive chapter of John’s Gospel, he examines not only the seven main “I AM” statements of Jesus, but countless other “I am…” blessings as well from the book. He also has another excellent message called, “Where Did All These Calvinists Come From?” that was a particular blessing to me. I first heard it on a C-130 flying into Afghanistan. Mark also has a terrific church search engine available at his website 9marks.org where you can locate, by zip code and other means, a church that ascribes to a solid confession of faith in your area.

11. David Guzik – enduringword.com. David literally sprang up out of nowhere very early in my Christian life. His teaching on the Old Testament was unlike any other teaching I’d ever heard. Often I just hated that his messages had to end at all. If you’ve not been well versed in a lot of Old Testament books like I and II Kings, I and II Samuel, Daniel, Isaiah, etc., let him walk you through them. It is solid preaching through most of these books. He also does a lot of great teaching on church history all the way up through the Reformation. I do, among all his messages, recommend one in particular called “2nd Samuel, the Kindness of God.” It is a great teaching beginning in Second Samuel chapter nine seeking to show the depth of the kindness David exercised to a remaining member of the house of Saul.

12. Paul Washer – heartcrymissionary.com. Paul is a gentle giant. Spending most of his life in the mountains of central and South America as a missionary, Paul is a little different than what we normally hear here in the states. His messages on marriage are enriching and wonderfully Biblical for both husbands and wives. I very highly recommend his message “The Glory of God – in Marriage.” Paul’s message “A Sermon That Has Angered Many – Examine Yourself” was something very real for me. I would also very like to commend the message he shared with the seminary students at Columbia International University in 2022 called, “Comprehending God’s Love.” A wonderful message! In it, he challenges the seminarians there to go hard after trying to understand God’s love toward them. He makes one profound statement for every believer. It’s this: “Jesus will be happier to see you on that day than you will be to see him.” I just love that statement! And I’m terrified of not preaching a Gospel that communicates its truth. Following a man like Paul Washer in his teaching is of the type that automatically weeds out the fake. Paul is the type you are drawn to fellowship with whether he’s in the pulpit or the prison. Paul is a humble servant of his Lord and I love the man’s teaching very much. You can’t help but love a man through whom your God has spoken to you! His sermon “The Holiness of God” is beautiful and also well worth your time to find and listen to.

13. Leonard Ravenhill – ravenhill.org. Leonard Ravenhill was a preacher of a different breed. I cannot but bless God for his influence in my earliest days in the Faith. I admired Leonard’s teaching on prayer greatly. Prayer to him was the highest Christian duty, and he spoke of it often. He has inspired me to pray hard and seek the truth of the position of a Christian on his knees before his God. Leonard is not a theologian; by his own definition he is a preacher. I relay that because I believe he was indeed. There was one sermon video that captured my heart and just blessed my socks off from the man. It was a video called, “Judgment Seat of Christ.” I really enjoyed the video as well as many of his other sermons. This video is available, along with many other Ravenhill messages on sermonindex. Look for the video, and be specific on the words in the title. This man would walk through England, sleep in churches to preach, and hold services for weeks at a time. He died a modest and humble saint I suspect dearly missed by many. Leonard was a true preacher and his work was heart work. I thank God for his ministry and his love for holiness in Christ. I don’t know too much about Leonard and strongly suspect that we would differ on many doctrinal points, but I can happily make the distinction for such a clear and loving man who was known to weep in the pulpit and travail for the honor of the Gospel he was born to proclaim.

14. Matt Chandler – thevillagechurch.net. His understanding and love for the Gospel is contagious and wonderful. There is one message in particular called “Sabbath” that had a tremendous impact on my life several years ago. “Devotion to Prayer” was also a wonderful message. You can also Google his name and “Jesus Wants the Rose” for a wonderful story he’s taught. His message at the 2016 Together for The Gospel Conference called “God’s Glory As the Base of Our Courage” was amazing. Go and listen to Matt open up the Gospel for you. Let him love it over you. By grace, he’s been more than equipped to do so. Not sure what’s going on with the whole “woke church” thing, as of about 2018, but this man was undoubtedly one of the finest pastors I’ve ever had the privilege of hearing. I know there’s been some concern with this man of late, but I still share these having been blessed by them as I once was.

15. Walter Martin – waltermartin.org. Walter Martin was just awesome. Like many, I like this man because of his many examinations into many cults and false religions. He was a trustworthy authority in such studies for millions. He was a scholar and a lover of the precision of the Greek language. If you want to learn about false religions, which I hope you all do, here is one great source. He has a rather large and hugely influential series of messages called, “The Kingdom of The Cults.” I’m not sure if the book by the same title came out prior to these audio messages or not, but the book is also hereby highly commended to you. On his website you can listen to hours of teaching on false religions like the Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Scientologists, Christian Scientists and more. Walter was well hated in his day as a Christian, which meant he was doing something right. Walter was also the founder of the Christian Research Institute which is still available online.

16. Ken Ham – answersingenesis.org. Ken is a creation scientist. He, like all solid Christians, teaches against the foolishness and unscientific nature of Darwinian Evolution. Ken has wonderful resources available in both written and media form on this website. I have listened to several audio messages of Mr. Ham’s. He has one message in particular that is just phenomenal. It’s available on Sermon Index. It’s entitled, “Can We Really Trust the Bible?” I’d like to recommend this ministry as a whole because of their dealing with scientific issues. Mr. Ham also founded a state of the art creation science museum near Cincinnati, Ohio which also hosts the Ark Encounter exhibit, a life-sized ark you can tour. You can search their online database regarding pretty much any question relating to creation. It’s a fantastic website. Ask them any question about science as it relates to the Bible and I’m confident that they will answer your questions as well as they have mine.

17. D. James Kennedy – djameskennedy.org. Dr. D. James Kennedy has many interesting messages archived and available free of charge on his website. He shared on a lot of interesting topics throughout the years, and numerous guest speakers to his program have impacted me greatly. Pick a topic and search for it on the site. His biblical contributions to the landmark video produced by the Apologetics Group called “Amazing Grace. The History and Theology of Calvinism” was also nothing short of amazing.

18. Roy Broughman – fbchinesvillega.com. Pastor Roy is one of my favorite preachers, and a dear friend. His joy and genuine love for the ministry of preaching is contagious and of great need in the body of Christ in every age. His love for the pastorate and the church is evident in his rich approach to an expositional and applicable lifelong ministry of preaching. His journey through the Book of Luke was fantastic. His two-part message called, “The Great Shepherd” was of tremendous encouragement. Anything available from him on the website is highly recommended. If you live around the Ft. Stewart or Hinesville, GA area, you won’t find a better church than this one.

19. The London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689. In my opinion this is the most precise and succinct Biblical creed ever written. I do indeed enjoy many other extra-biblical confessions, but I believe this one is the best.

20. Wayne Grudem – His book “Systematic Theology” is a must have for every serious Bible student.

21. Charles Spurgeon – Everything by this man is worth your time. His book “Lectures to My Students” is incredible and was of particular blessing to me. I would also highly recommend his book called “The Soul Winner.”

22. Jonathan Edwards. You can find tons of written material available from Edwards. If you’ve not read his “Religious Affections,” I invite you to do so when you can. Many have named him the greatest theologian in American history. Discovering his writings was of great significance to me. His book “The Life and Diary of David Brainerd” has changed the world. One other short essay from the man entitled “Wicked Men Useful Only in Their Destruction” changed my world.

23. James Walker – watchman.org. His three-part message “Unmasking Mormonism” is awesome. James was once a very well-established Mormon and provides great insight for Christians into it.

24. Paris Reidhead – His message on sermonindex.net called “Ten Shekels and a Shirt” may start out slow, but it packs a punch.

25. Josh McDowell – josh.org. His book series “Evidence That Demands a Verdict” is one of the single best resources for proving the accuracy of the Bible in history. His research is extensive and very well done. If you want to learn about how we know we have the Bible that was written so long ago, here’s one great place to start.

26. Keith Green – lastdaysministries.org. I got a hold of the late Keith Green’s teaching many years ago when I first became a believer. Like in the first year or two. I cannot speak for all of his theology, but I will never forget the impact that his message “What’s Wrong with the Gospel?” had on my young Christian faith.

27. F.F. Bruce – Bruce was a great writer and historian. His book “The Canon of Scripture” is a wonderful resource for learning about the Bible’s historicity and assembly.

28. Martin Luther – Luther is arguably the most influential man in history after Jesus and the authors of sacred Scripture. He considered his book “The Bondage of the Will” to be his most important work, rivaled only by his catechism. It is a great book and one highly recommended.

29. John Calvin – “The Institutes of the Christian Religion” is the written work that earned Calvin the title “The Theologian.” His systematization of truth and expository genius have been a true blessing to the church in every generation since his time. The institutes are a great resource for anyone serious about Bible study and doctrinal specificity. If you want to know what Calvin himself believed, and not just what others tell you he believed, you have to go to the Institutes. It is remarkable stuff.

30. Lee Strobel – leestrobel.com. Mr. Strobel’s “Case for…” series of resources like the “Case for Christ” are excellent materials and may work as great gifts for others to examine the truth claims of Christianity.

31. John Owen – Owen’s book “The Death of Death in the Death of Christ” is a book that every Christian should read in their lifetime.

32. Vance Havner. A message called, “Getting Used to the Dark” was a great listen. Very early on in my Christian walk this message was a real eye opener. I cannot speak for all of his theology, but this message was very important.

33. A.W. Pink – Pink’s book “The Attributes of God” absolutely changed my life forever. This is in my top ten books that I would recommend to any Bible student. He was a great thinker and perhaps the most under-celebrated theologian of the past few hundred years. The Puritan Reformed Church of America does a lot of audio readings of his sermons on sermonaudio.com.

34. Blueletterbible.org. Blue Letter Bible is a fantastic online resource for Greek, Hebrew, verse by verse commentaries, lexicons and a whole lot more.

35. Monergism.com. Here you can find a ton of great resources from hundreds of preachers.

36. Michael Patton – reclaimingthemind.org. Patton’s Theology Program is a fantastic resource for learning all about Scripture, the canon, historicity, textual criticism and many things about the history of the Bible.

37. Erwin Lutzer – His book “When a Nation Forgets God. 7 Lessons We Must Learn From Nazi Germany” is a clarion call to every Christian living today. I read most of it in a bunker in the heart of Afghanistan, and finished it in a day. I highly recommend this book. It is a probing look both into our culture at large, and into our hearts as well. Above all it is a reminder to Christians that while God may not call us to win every battle in this life, he does call us to suffer well through them.

38. D.A. Carson – In seminary I was privileged to read a lot of great stuff from Dr. Carson. His 2010 message “How Can a Good God Permit Suffering?” was the single best treatment on the subject I have ever heard. He also delivered a message in 2016 called, “How Long, O Lord? Steadying Our Soul in the Midst of the Storm.” It was given at the 2016 Bethlehem Conference for Pastors and Church Leaders. It is a phenomenal reminder of God’s covenant faithfulness that calls believers to understand what it means to truly rest in Jesus Christ.

39. Horizon Christian Fellowship Church. Horizonelp.org. This whole pastoral staff is phenomenal. The church is located in El Paso, TX. Pastors Clift Barnes, Mike Reidland, Juan Briones, and Robert DeHaro are all true shepherds. Horizon is a sound church hard after worshipping God in Spirit and truth. Sound theology, great fellowship, works in the community, missions support, all of it. You can find the following messages on the audio page of the website by speaker, date, and title. 1). I would like to commend Clift’s entire Book of Genesis series to you. The series runs from 2 Jan 22 to 4 Dec 22. One message I’d like to highlight from it is called, “The Pledge of the Promise” out of Genesis 17 preached on Easter, 17 Apr 22. It is an amazing reminder of the God of the Gospel at work with Abraham and with us today in Christ as well! People need the hear of this kind of continuity in the word of God. I also would like to recommend Clift’s teaching through the Book of Hebrews. Specifically, his message in it from 2 Apr 23 called, “The Ultimate Character of Christ” in Hebrews 10:1-18. What a perfect sacrifice Jesus made! What a message! The church’s Hebrews series began on 1 Jan 23 and is on-going as of this update. Also recommended: 2). “Psalm 32,” preached by Juan Briones on 12 Sep 21, brought my family into that church. This was the first sermon I heard preached at Horizon. A wonderful exposition of the Psalm that clearly unpacks its incredible truths. 3). “Rejoicing in Hope.” Preached by Mike Reidland out of Romans 5:1-11 on 6 Mar 22. This message, just like the other two here, underscores the foundation of grace that’s revealed to the believer in Christ. If every church was filled with this kind of teaching and these kinds of teachers, well, we’d have more of just what Christ came to build on earth. 4). Pastor Robert DeHaro did a fantastic job expositing Psalm 46. Scripture gives believers such wonderful reminders of God’s covenant keeping faithfulness. This is a sermon I’d very much love for you to hear. It was delivered on 16 April 23 and is called, “God With Us.”

40. Dr. Nick Needham. Nick’s passion for history is clear. It is just incredible. Dr. Needham is a Baptist minister from London. He holds the degrees of BD and PhD from the University of Edinburgh and currently teaches at Highland Theological College in Dingwall, Scotland. He’s also a pastor at Inverness Reformed Baptist Church. His book series called: “2000 Years of Christ’s Power” is one of the most accessible and brilliant book series on church history you will ever find. I cannot recommend this five-volume series enough. If you want to learn about church history this is your set. You can get the books nearly everywhere books are sold. Volume five was just released in 2023. Volume one was released in 2016. Here are their titles: Volume one: “The Age of the Early Church Fathers. 1st to 6th Century.” Volume two: “The Middle Ages. 7th to 15th Century.” Volume three: “Renaissance and Reformation. 16th Century.” Volume four: “The Age of Religious Conflict. 16th to 18th Century.” Volume five: “The Age of Enlightenment and Awakening. 18th Century.”

I could recommend so many more things and will continue to update this list when specific items and/or ministries impact my life in a major way. All these messages and/or Christians listed above in God’s glorious and merciful ways have helped to build my faith. That’s why I share them with you. I cannot speak for all the theology behind all of these people, but I thank God for these resources for sure, and pray that as I submit them to you that they might bless you as they have blessed me. Grace to you in the name of the triune God!

“For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:6