New book: Survival Guide for the Soul by Ken Shigematsu

Survival Guide for the Soul: How to Flourish Spiritually in a World that Pressures Us to Achieve by Ken Shigematsu - What keeps us from flourishing in our spiritual lives is a neglect of the inner life of the soul. And more and more today, this neglect is driven by our ambition to accomplish something big outside ourselves. We live in a society that pressures us to achieve professionally, socially, and through the constant acquisition of material possessions. Drawing on a wide range of sources including scripture, church history, psychology, and neuroscience, as well as a rich variety of stories from his own life, Ken Shigematsu demonstrates how the gospel redeems our desires and reorders our lives. He offers fresh perspective on how certain spiritual practices help orient our lives so that our souls can flourish in the midst of a demanding, competitive society. And he concludes with a liberating and counter-cultural definition of true greatness.

This book will appeal to anyone who longs to experience a deeper relationship with Christ in the midst of the daily pressures to succeed, as well as to those on the borderlands of faith seeking to transcend the human tendency to define ourselves by our production and success.

Book information:

Title: Survival Guide for the Soul: How to Flourish Spiritually in a World that Pressures Us to Achieve

Author: Ken Shigematsu

Call number: 201 SHI

New book: The Ten Commandments by Kevin DeYoung

The Ten Commandments: What They Mean, Why They Matter, and Why We Should Obey Them by Kevin DeYoung - The Ten Commandments were foundational to the lives of the ancient Israelites, but many Christians don't know how the list relates to their lives today. Are they still relevant? If so, which rules still apply? What do these commands mean in light of God's grace and mercy shown in Jesus? In this book, Kevin DeYoung delivers critical truth about God's Ten Commandments as he makes clear what they are, why we should know them, and how we should apply them. Revealing the timelessness and goodness of God's ancient commands, this accessible and important book helps readers know, obey, and delight in God's law--and everything it means for their lives today.

Book information:

Title: The Ten Commandments: What They Mean, Why They Matter, and Why We Should Obey Them

Author: Kevin DeYoung

Call number: 201 DEY

New book: Church Membership by Jonathan Leeman

Church Membership: How the World Knows Who Represents Jesus by Jonathan Leeman - Why should you join a church? Becoming a member of a church is an important, and often neglected, 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.

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.

Book information:

Title: Church Membership: How the World Knows Who Represents Jesus 

Author: Jonathan Leeman

Call number: 261 LEE

New book: Prayer: How Praying Together Shapes the Church by John Onwuchekwa

Prayer: How Praying Together Shapes the Church by John Onwuchekwa - Prayer is as necessary to the Christian as breathing is to the human body--but it often doesn't come quite as naturally. In fact, prayer in the church often gets subtly pushed to the side in favor of pragmatic practices that promise tangible results. Rather than being a hallmark of churches, dependence on prayer is usually emphasized only in times of major crisis--if at all. The latest book in the 9Marks: Building Healthy Churches series focuses on the necessity of regular prayer as a central practice in the local church. Examining what Jesus taught about prayer, how the first Christians approached prayer in the early church, and what steps can be taken to prioritize prayer in churches, this book is intended to awaken readers to the need and blessing of prayer in their personal lives and in the life of their local church.

Book information:

Title: Prayer: How Praying Together Shapes the Church

Author: John Onwuchekwa

Call number: 245 ONW

New book: Discipling by Mark Dever

Discipling: How to Help Others Follow Jesus by Mark Dever - Before ascending to heaven, Jesus instructed his followers to "make disciples of all nations." But what does this command actually entail? What does it look like for Christians to care for one another's spiritual well-being and growth? In this introduction to the basics of discipling, veteran pastor and author Mark Dever uses biblical definitions and practical examples to show how Christians can help one another become more like Christ every day. The eighth volume in the 9Marks: Building Healthy Churches series, this short book explains how discipling should function in the context of the local church, teaching pastors and church leaders how to cultivate a culture of edification and growth in their congregations.

Book information:

Title: Discipling: How to Help Others Follow Jesus

Author: Mark Dever

Call number: 265 DEV

New book: The Church by Mark Dever

The Church: The Gospel Made Visible by Mark Dever - Christians face lots of practical questions when it comes to life in the local church: How is the gospel displayed in our lives together? What are we supposed to do and believe? Different followers answer differently—even as they preach the same gospel! What should we think about such differences?

A church’s life, doctrine, worship, and even polity are important issues. Yet they are so rarely addressed. The Church is Mark Dever’s primer on the doctrine of the church for all who see Scripture alone as a sufficient authority for the doctrine and life of the local church. He explains to the reader what the Bible says about the nature and purpose of the church— what it is, what it’s for, what it does.

Indeed, Scripture teaches us about all of life and doctrine, including how we should assemble for corporate worship and how we’re to organize our corporate life together. God has revealed himself by his Word. He is speak- ing to us, preparing us to represent him today, and to see him tomorrow! A congregation of regenerate members, fulfilling the responsibilities given to us by Christ himself in his Word, regularly meeting together, led by a body of godly elders, is the picture God has given us in his Word of his church.

Book information:

Title: The Church: The Gospel Made Visible

Author: Mark Dever

Call number: 261 DEV

New book: Didn't See It Coming by Carey Nieuwhof

Didn't See It Coming: Overcoming the Seven Greatest Challenges That No One Expects and Everyone Experiences by Carey Nieuwhof - Founding Pastor of one of North America's most influential churches, Carey Nieuwhof wants to help you avoid and overcome life's seven hardest and most crippling challenges: cynicism, compromise, disconnectedness, irrelevance, pride, burnout, and emptiness. These are challenges that few of us expect but that we all experience at some point. If you have yet to confront these obstacles, Carey provides clear tools and guidelines for anticipation and avoidance. On the other hand, if you already feel stuck in a painful experience or are wrestling with one of these challenges, he provides the steps you need to find a way out and a way forward into a more powerful and vibrant future.

Book information:

Title: Didn't See It Coming: Overcoming the Seven Greatest Challenges That No One Expects and Everyone Experiences

Author: Carey Nieuwhof

Call number: 201 NIE

New book: The Case for Miracles by Lee Strobel

The Case for Miracles: A Journalist Investigates Evidence for the Supernatural by Lee Strobel - Lee Strobel trains his investigative sights on whether it's credible to believe God intervenes supernaturally in people's lives today.

This book starts with an unlikely interview in which America's foremost skeptic builds a seemingly persuasive case against the miraculous. But then Strobel travels the country to quiz scholars to see whether they can offer solid answers to atheist objections. Along the way, he encounters accounts of healings and other phenomena that simply cannot be explained away by naturalistic causes. The book features the results of exclusive new scientific polling that shows miracle accounts are much more common than people think.

What's more, Strobel delves into the most controversial question of all: what about miracles that don't happen? If God canintervene in the world, why doesn't he do it more often to relieve suffering?

Book information:

Title: The Case for Miracles: A Journalist Investigates Evidence for the Supernatural

Author: Lee Strobel

Call number: 137 STR

New book: Love Came Down at Christmas by Sinclair B. Ferguson

Love Came Down at Christmas: Daily Readings for Advent by Sinclair B. Ferguson - Love is at the heart of Christmas—it's the reason behind all our gathering and gift-giving at this time of year. In this Advent devotional, Dr Sinclair B Ferguson refreshes our hearts as we reflect on the source it all—love incarnate, Jesus Christ.

Over the course of December, this devotional walks through 1 Corinthians 13 phrase-by-phrase, showing us that "love is" the Lord Jesus himself.

Sinclair Ferguson brings the rich theology of the incarnation to life with his trademark warmth and clarity. Drawing on stories from the Gospels, we'll see what “love” looked like in the life of Christ, and be challenged us to love like him during the Christmas season. Each day's reading finishes with carols and hymns for reflection and prayer.

However you're feeling—weary or frantic, lonely or lovesick—your heart will be refreshed as you wonder again at the truth that love came down at Christmas in the person of Jesus Christ.

Book information:

Title: Love Came Down at Christmas: Daily Readings for Advent

Author: Sinclair B. Ferguson

Call number: 244 FER