Recommended Tools
Fruit-To-Root Diagram [DOWNLOAD PDF]
The S-O-S Tool “Severity, Ownership, Support” [DOWNLOAD PDF]
The GPS Tool “Group’s Position Spiritually” [DOWNLOAD PDF]
The Four Hearts Tool [DOWNLOAD PDF]
The Y Diagram [DOWNLOAD PDF]
Motives: Why Do I Do The Things That I Do? By Ed Welch [DOWNLOAD PDF]
Put Off / Put On Worksheet By Life Action Ministries [DOWNLOAD PDF]
2022 Small Group Covenant [DOWNLOAD PDF]
2022 Small Group Launch Playbook [DOWNLOAD PDF]
Small Group Leader Onboarding Notes [DOWNLOAD PDF]
Recommended Books
Good books for every Christian, at any time:
Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret
A pioneer missionary to China, who suffered tribulation, hardship, poverty, and misunderstanding. But at his heart, he loved the Chinese people and learned through his misfortunes to trust God completely. A stirring biography that challenges you to live a life of faith.
[Buy at Amazon] [Buy at Christian Book]
Gaining by Losing (Greear)
The true measure of success for a church should be its sending capacity, not its seating capacity. The good news is that you don’t need to choose between gathering and sending. Effective churches can and must do both. J. D. Greear unpacks 10 plumb lines that you can use to reorient your church’s priorities around God’s mission to reach a lost world.
[Buy at Amazon] [Buy at Christian Book]
Prodigal God (Keller)
Taking his trademark intellectual approach to understanding Christianity, Keller uncovers the essential message of Jesus, locked inside his most familiar parable. Within that parable Jesus reveals God’s prodigal grace toward both the irreligious and the moralistic.
[Buy at Amazon] [Buy at Christian Book]
Desiring God (Piper)
Scripture reveals that the great business of life is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever. John Piper reveals that the debate between duty and delight doesn’t truly exist. Delight is our duty.
[Buy at Amazon] [Buy at Christian Book]
Knowing God (Packer)
Having rescued us from the individual hunches of our ultra-tolerant theological age, Packer points the listener to the true character of God with his theological competence and compassionate heart. The lazy and faint-hearted should be warned about this timeless work – God is magnified, the sinner is humbled, and the saint encouraged.
[Buy at Amazon] [Buy at Christian Book]
The Knowledge of the Holy (A.W. Tozer)
What is the nature of God? How can we recapture a real sense of God’s majesty and truly live in the Spirit? Tozer’s modern classic of Christian testimony and devotion addresses these and other questions, showing us how we can rejuvenate our prayer life, meditate more reverently, understand God more deeply, and experience God’s presence in our daily lives.
[Buy at Amazon] [Buy at Christian Book]
Mere Christianity (C.S. Lewis)
This classic brings together C. S. Lewis’ legendary broadcast talks from the war years in which he set out to simply “explain and defend the belief that has been common to nearly all Christians at all times.” Lewis provides an unparalleled opportunity for both believers and unbelievers alike to hear a powerful, rational case for the Christian faith.
[Buy at Amazon] [Buy at Christian Book]
Pilgrim’s Progress – Abridged (Bunyan)
Considered by many to be the most important book on the Christian religion, this timeless classic by John Bunyan tells the story of one man’s progress through life in which he experiences trials and difficulties of all kinds.
[Buy at Amazon]
Holiness (J.C. Ryle)
A thorough study of sin, salvation by faith, and the Christian’s journey of sanctification. The aim of this book is to instruct you, equip you, and encourage you in the pursuit of holiness.
[Buy at Amazon] [Buy at Christian Book]
The Gospel According to Jesus ( MacArthur)
What does Jesus mean when he says, “Follow me”? John MacArthur tackled that seemingly simple question and wrote a book that has since taken its place among Christianity’s classics.
[Buy at Amazon] [Buy at Christian Book]
Delighting in the Trinity ( Reeves)
an introduction to Christianity and the Christian life that is from start to finish rooted in our triune God―Father, Son and Spirit. Not only do we understand the person and work of Christ through the Trinity, but also prayer, the church and every aspect of our faith.
[Buy at Amazon] [Buy at Christian Book]
Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God (Packer)
If God is in control of everything, does that mean the Christian can sit back and not bother to evangelize? Or does active evangelism simply imply that God is not sovereign at all? J.I. Packer shows in this classic study how false both these attitudes are. In a careful review of the biblical evidence, he shows how a right understanding of God’s sovereignty is not so much a barrier to evangelism as an incentive and powerful support for it.
[Buy at Amazon] [Buy at Christian Book]
Heaven ( Alcorn)
What will heaven be like? Randy Alcorn presents a thoroughly biblical answer, based on years of careful study, presented in an engaging, audience-friendly style. His conclusions will surprise listeners and stretch their thinking about this important subject. Heaven will inspire readers to long for heaven while they’re living on earth.
[Buy at Amazon] [Buy at Christian Book]
Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (Whitney)
If you’d like to embark on a lifelong quest for godliness, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life will help you on your way. Based on the rich heritage left us by the early church fathers, the Puritan writers, and Jesus Christ Himself, this book takes you through a carefully selected array of disciplines including Scripture reading, prayer, worship, Scripture meditation, evangelism, serving, stewardship, Scripture application, fasting, silence and solitude, journaling, and learning.
[Buy at Amazon] [Buy at Christian Book]
Practical help for specific issues:
Instruments in the Redeemers Hands (Tripp)
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.
[Buy at Amazon] [Buy at Christian Book]
Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy (Vroegrop)
Vroegop seeks to restore the lost art of lament in order to help readers discover the power of honest wrestling with the questions that come with grief and suffering.
[Buy at Amazon] [Buy at Christian Book]
Finally Free (Lambert)
Dr. Heath Lambert lays out eight gospel-centered strategies for overcoming the deceitful lure of pornography. Each chapter clearly demonstrates how the gospel applies to this particular battle and how Jesus can move listeners from a life of struggle to a life of purity.
[Buy at Amazon] [Buy at Christian Book]
Tying the Knot (Green)
Rob Green shares that the joy, fun, companionship, and love couples hope for before marriage are not only possible, they are actually God’s plan for marriage. But none of these wonderful things happen automatically. A strong and satisfying marriage must be intentionally built on Jesus. Tying the Knot offers soon-to-be-married couples a practical vision of Christ-centered marriage that is realistic, hopeful, and actionable. Over 9 sessions, couples will work through issues like conflict, expectations, communication, finances, and intimacy, showing how each can be successfully resolved with Christ at the center of the marriage.
[Buy at Amazon] [Buy at Christian Book]
Love that Lasts (Ricucci)
Marriage is a profound and marvelous mystery established by God for his glory-and that is for our good. When our focus is solely on God, our marriages have the potential to thrive and not merely survive.
[Buy at Amazon] [Buy at Christian Book]
Parenting (Tripp)
In this life-giving book, Paul Tripp offers parents much more than a to-do list. Outlining 14 foundational principles centered on the gospel, he shows that we need more than the latest parenting strategy or list of techniques. Rather, we need the rescuing grace of God. Freed from the burden of trying to manufacture life-change in our children’s hearts, we can embrace a grand perspective of parenting overflowing with vision, purpose, and joy.
[Buy at Amazon] [Buy at Christian Book]
Family Discipleship (Chandler)
One of the greatest responsibilities all Christian parents have is to be disciple makers in their homes. Pastors Matt Chandler and Adam Griffin help you develop a sustainable rhythm of gospel-centered discipleship, focused in three key areas: time, moments, and milestones. Filled with practical suggestions, this book begins with the end in mind – equipping you to create a unique plan for your family as you raise your children in the love and fear of the Lord.
[Buy at Amazon] [Buy at Christian Book]
The Tech-Wise Family (Crouch)
Andy Crouch shows listeners that the choices we make about technology have consequences we may never have considered. He challenges families to answer provocative questions like “Who do we want to be as a family?” and “How does our use of a particular technology move us closer or farther away from that goal?” Anyone who has felt their family relationships suffer or their time slip away amid technology’s distractions will find a path forward to reclaiming their real life in a world of devices. (Read our review here)
[Buy at Amazon] [Buy at Christian Book]
The Intentional Father (Tyson)
This concise book is filled with practical steps to help men raise sons of consequence – young men who know what they believe, know who they are, and will stand up against the negative cultural trends of our day.
[Buy at Amazon] [Buy at Christian Book]
Women of the Word (Wilkin)
A popular Bible teacher offers practical guidance and helpful tips for women who want to go deeper in their study of the Bible and learn how to teach others to do the same.
[Buy at Amazon] [Buy at Christian Book]
Just do Something (DeYoung)
With pastoral wisdom and tasteful wit, DeYoung debunks unbiblical ways of understanding God’s will and constructs a simple but biblical alternative: Live like Christ. He exposes the frustrations of our waiting games and unfolds the freedom of finding God’s will in scripture and then simply doing it. This book is a call to put down our Magic 8-Balls and pick up God’s Word. It’s a call to get wisdom, follow Christ, be holy, and live freely. To just do something.
[Buy at Amazon] [Buy at Christian Book]
Recovering Redemption (Chandler)
Recovering Redemption is about recovering what is lost and broken—our relationship with Jesus—because the gospel is the remedy to fix all things: every struggle, every circumstance, every relationship, everything. In this 12-session study, Matt Chandler explains the implications of the gospel with surprising clarity and striking candor. Those who have been Christ followers for years will find that it helps connect the dots of their faith, serving as a bridge between salvation and maturity. It’s also an essential study for new believers.
[Buy at Amazon] [Buy at Christian Book]
Every Moment Holy Vol. 1 (Mckelvey)
Every Moment Holy, Vol. 1, is a book of liturgies for the ordinary events of daily life–liturgies such as “A Liturgy for Feasting with Friends” or “A Liturgy for Laundering” or “A Liturgy for the First Hearthfire of the Season.” These are ways of reminding us that our lives are shot through with sacred purpose even when, especially when, we are too busy or too caught up in our busyness to notice.
[Buy at Amazon] [Buy at Christian Book]
Every Moment Holy Vol. 2 (Mckelvey)
Every Moment Holy, Vol. 2: Death, Grief, & Hope, is a book of liturgies for seasons of dying and grieving–liturgies such as A Liturgy for the Scattering of Ashes or A Liturgy for the Loss of a Spouse or A Liturgy for the Wake of a National Tragedy or A Liturgy for the Weighing of Last-Stage Medical Options. These are ways of reminding us that our lives are shot through with sacred purpose and eternal hopes even when, especially when, suffering and pain threaten to overwhelm us.
[Buy at Amazon] [Buy at Christian Book]