The most important resource that a disciple of the Lord Jesus can rely upon is, of course, the Word of God. The Holy Spirit is given to every believer to bring conviction and to remind us of the words that Jesus has spoken. Often, study spent in prayer is empowered by the presence of the Holy Spirit to give clarity.

AUDIO MESSAGES: Cool Church is a church where pastors and other gifted speakers present messages on the Word of God. Most of these messages are expository in nature, shedding light on various passages in the Bible.<CLICK FOR ARCHIVED MESSAGES PAGE>


ENGLISH BIBLES

The Holy Bible, New American Standard Bible (NASB) © Copyright 1960, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. The NASB is the undisputed leader in "literalness" and grammatical accuracy but sometimes its English is hard to memorize, cumbersom, and far from poetic.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV) © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. This newer trnaslation is more readable than the NASB and more grammatically aligned with the original languages than the NIV.

The Holy Bible, New International Version (NIV). Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. This is the most popular translation today in the USA. It is probably the most readable and accessible. The NIV, unlike the ESV and NASB is more "free" in its translation. This translation is moer concerned with meaning and understanding than with grammatical or "word for word" accuracy and consistency.

The Beginner's Bible by Karyn Henley and Dennas Davis; Zondervan Publishing Company; ISBN: 0310926106; This illustrated Bible is for children age eight and under. Parents should read to children daily until children are ready to read this Bible themselves; then select one of the above Bibles.


HOW TO STUDY THE BIBLE
Living by the Book by Howard G. Hendricks and William D. Hendricks; Moody Publishers; ISBN: 0802408168


ENTIRE BIBLE COMMENTARIES
The Bible Knowledge Commentary Old Testament and New Testament (2 volumes) by John Walvoord, Roy B. Zuck (Editors) Chariot Victor Books; ISBN: 0882078127, 0882078135. Every Christian home should have a Bible commentary either on the shelf or on-line. Both this and the one below are excellent. Each book of the Bible is treated by a different author, so one cannot really compare the two sets. For example, Matthew is treated masterfully by D.A. Carson in the set below. Psalms are treated expertly by A.P. Ross in this set.

The Expositor's Bible Commentary Abridged-Old Testament and New Testament (2 volumes) by Kenneth L. Barker, John R. III Kohlenberger (Editors) Hardover: Zondervan; ISBN: 0310254965, 0310254973

Commentary on the Whole Bible, Matthew Henry, (1662-1714). This classic is still in print and available at most Christian bookstores. The comprehensive, unabridged commentary is much better than any of the shortened versions. Matthew Henry is a classic because it is readable, in depth, and applicable. The entire commentary is available for free for online reading or download here.

OTHER ONLINE RESOURCES

Blueletter Bible
OTHER RESOURCES
Parenting:
Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp, Paperback: Shepherd Press; ISBN: 0966378601. This is the one book, other than the Bible, commended to every Christian parent. It is invaluable.

Christian Marriage:
Sacred Marriage, by Gary L. Thomas, Zondervan; ISBN: 0310242827

Christian Disciplines:
Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald S. Whitney, Navpress; ISBN: 1576830276

Christian Life:
Desiring God by John Piper; Third Edition Softcover Book, Multnomah Publishers Inc.; ISBN: 1590521196

Decision-Making:
Decision Making and the Will of God: A Biblical Alternative to the Traditional View by Gary Friesen, Paperback; Multnomah Publishers Inc. ISBN: 1590522052