Your Pastors' Top Books of the Year (2024)

One of the responsibilities of ministry your pastors particularly enjoy is recommending good books to the congregation for the spiritual growth and development in the faith. Below are each pastor’s favorite read of 2024.

Pastor Paul’s Pick

Authority: How Godly Rule Protects the Vulnerable, Strengthens Communities, and Promotes Human Flourishing by Jonathan Leeman (Crossway)

In this compelling guide from 9Marks, Jonathan Leeman shows that authority, done biblically, is not only good, but is essential to human flourishing. Through Scripture and many first-hand stories, he presents 5 attributes of positive authority and warns against sinfulness that corrupts leadership. Pointing to Jesus as the ultimate model of good authority, Leeman equips readers to pursue godly influence in their personal and professional lives.

Pastor Joseph’s Pick

Digital Liturgies: Rediscovering Christian Wisdom in an Online Age by Samuel James (Crossway)

In Digital Liturgies, tech-realist Samuel D. James examines the connection between patterns in technology and human desires. Everyone longs for a glimpse of heaven; James argues they are just looking for it in the wrong place―the internet. 

This accessible book exposes 5 “digital liturgies” that prohibit people from contemplating big truths, accepting the uncomfortable, and acknowledging God as their Creator. It then calls readers to live faithfully before Christ, finding wisdom through Scripture and rest in God’s perfect design. 

Pastor Sam’s Pick

The Great Love of God: Encountering God’s Heart for a Hostile World by Heath Lambert (Zondervan)

In the face of animosity, failure, isolation, and betrayal is a love that speaks to our greatest longings and heaviest needs, but have we taken God's love for granted?

Now more than ever, and more than anything, people need to find their way into the compassionate embrace of their Father in heaven. The Great Love of God provides an accessible, passionate exploration of how the divine love casts out fear, provides ultimate hope, and never fails.

Pastor Bobby’s Pick

Pilgrim Prayers: Devotional Poems that Awaken Your Heart to the Goodness, Greatness, and Glory of God by Tim Challies (Zondervan)

This curated collection of 50 poems, which Challies has found over years of combing through volumes of poetry new and old, will offer you new language to express both joy and sorrow, praise and lament in any season of life.

Throughout Pilgrim Prayers, you'll discover the poetic riches expressed through devotional prayers that celebrate the acts of God and marvel at his ways. This collection is designed for daily devotions and mediations and can be used for addressing specific topics in church gatherings or on special occasions.

Each entry has an introduction reflecting on the prayer by Challies, helpful explanations of any difficult phrases or words, related Scriptures for study, and a question for application and reflection.

These prayers, devotional gems of past generations, will bless a new generation of Christians as they seek to grow in love and obedience to the Lord.

Pastor Tyler’s Pick

The Gagging of God: Christianity Confronts Pluralism by D.A. Carson (Zondervan)

In this Gold Medallion Award-winning book that presents a persuasive case for Christ as the only way to God in light of contemporary religious pluralism.

In his contemplative, even-handed approach, Carson provides a structure of Christian thought capable of facing the philosophies of today and piercing their surface. It invites Christians to grapple responsibly with urgent questions of biblically-grounded theology, spirituality, and the defining lines of Christianity, along with its range of challenges from without and within.

The Gagging of God offers an in-depth look at the big picture, shows how the many ramifications of pluralism are all parts of a whole, and provides a systematic Christian response.

Pastor Aaron’s Pick

O Sacred Head, Now Wounded: A Liturgy for Daily Worship from Pascha to Pentecost by Jonathan Gibson (Crossway)

God’s offer of eternal life through his work on the cross remains the greatest gift the world has known. But contrary to its importance, Holy Week always seems to pass by quickly and be associated with habitual practices that elicit little reflection. As a result, it can be challenging for Christians to establish routines for meditation on Christ's life, death, and resurrection.

O Sacred Head, Now Wounded by Jonathan Gibson presents a 48-day devotional liturgy to help readers effectively prepare their hearts from Pascha (Easter) to Pentecost. Each daily reading includes applicable Scripture readings, hymns, prayers, creeds, and prompts for petition and confession to enrich personal meditation and family worship. This devotional will help individuals and families establish a posture of remembrance and gratitude as they reflect on what Christ has done for us through his temptations, life, trial, passion, death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and Pentecost. 

Pastor Jared’s Pick

Proclaiming Christ in a Pluralistic Age: The 1978 Lectures by J.I. Packer (Crossway)

Christians today confront complex opposition to the gospel from intellectuals, skeptics, and pluralists who deny the divinity of Christ. But these are not new issues; the first-century church encountered similar challenges to their faith. How did the apostle Paul address these questions and doubts to effectively spread God’s word?

In these never-before-published lectures, originally given at Reformed Bible College and Moore College in 1978, renowned theologian J. I. Packer tackles common objections to Christianity―including secular humanism, pluralism, and universalism. By studying the evangelistic efforts of Paul and the early church, Packer skillfully preaches the glory of Christ crucified and helps students, pastors, and believers share their faith in an age of skepticism.

Why We Want to Move Back to One Worship Gathering

In a church that takes the concept of covenant seriously—God’s covenant of grace with us and our gracious covenant with each other—and where we as a congregation have been given the keys to receive and release members, we have an obligation to pursue unity, to pursue togetherness. If Christ created in himself “one new man” (Eph. 2:15), we don’t want to live as two men. Or three men. Or anything more than one.

In Acts 2, we read that the early church devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, and in Hebrews, the author urges believers not to forsake the assembly.

Why? Because God made us one. Therefore, we don’t want to live as “two.”

The Lord’s Day worship gathering is like a family reunion, and when the family reunion hits, every able-bodied person is committed to being there, because we’ve committed to togetherness.

Therefore, your pastors want to remind you of—or, for some of our newer members, perhaps introduce you to—the conviction we share that our church should practice one Sunday worship gathering. Your pastors have had the conviction that we should be a one service church for years now. We initially moved to two services about six years ago, simply because our present sanctuary could not contain the number of members and other attendees coming to worship. We envisioned this move being temporary, an impermanent concession to facilitate our growth, and we simultaneously began working toward a plan for returning to one service in a new (or expanded) sanctuary space.

But what began as an accommodation, a concession, has become—to our consciences—6 years of compromise. We do not believe that the multiple service format has become ideal for us, nor an appropriate arrangement for congregational health or unity. While our expansion plans were put on hold due to unforeseen circumstances, we have resumed those plans now that our leadership/staffing structure has stabilized. Our desire is to actively lead us back into one Sunday morning gathering.

Here, in summary form, is some of our rationale:

Biblical Reasons

The Greek for church (ekklesia) literally means “assembly,” or “gathering.” And in the New Testament, the church Christ builds is defined by its assembling together. The Bible’s very conception of the church is inextricable from its gathering. Now, there are a few texts in the NT where the word ekklesia may refer to the idea of the “universal church,” but these references are vastly outnumbered by texts that refer to a local assembly. Use of ekklesia to refer to the universal church concept happens in the NT basically 9 times. Use of ekklesia to refer to an assembly or gathering of the church happens 91 times. So in the Scriptures, the word “church” is practically synonymous with a gathering, a physical coming together.

So if our church has more than one assembly, we functionally have more than one church. God made us one. But we’re operating as two.

Now, this does not mean we are not a family when we are not gathering. The church is not limited to the gathering but it is defined by it. In his book One Assembly, Jonathan Leeman uses the analogy of a team. He says:

“A team is a group of people who play a sport together but not only when they play a sport together. You wouldn’t call them a team if they never played as one. But insofar as they do, you would call them a team even when they are not together. The function creates the thing, without which there is no thing.”

Similarly, the members of Liberty Baptist Church are still Liberty Baptist Church even when we’re not assembled in this building. We are still one church Monday through Saturday. But it’s our assembly on the Lord’s Day that centers us as a church.

Sometimes you will hear people say “Well, look, the church isn’t a building or a service; it’s a people.” And that’s true in one sense. But in a biblical sense, the church is a people defined by the boundaries of its organization around the teaching of God’s word and the practicing of the ordinances. In which case, the gathering is defining for our existence as a church.

Now, if the exegetical/lexical argument were all we had, it would be enough. But we also have another reason we want to move back to one service.

Cultural Reasons

We don’t just functionally have two churches, because of the unique dynamics of each service, we culturally are operating as two churches. Members may come to one service and thus rarely (or at least, irregularly) worship with the members of the other service. When we observe the Lord’s Supper, we are doing so as a divided church, when the New Testament enjoins us to “welcome one another” to partake. (In the ESV, to “wait for one another.”) This command is impossible to obey if we are not observing the ordinance together in one gathering.

Furthermore, our two services have taken on unique “personalities” that make them different experiences—both for the congregation and for those of us who lead. Not to put too fine a point on it, but customarily our first service is usually more full and the worshipers more verbal. The second service is usually less full and more reserved. There is no shame in worshiping as the Lord leads you—whether more physically or verbally “engaged” or less so. But when two services become customarily known by such a contrast, it only enhances the experience of having “two churches” in worship.

In my sermon I described this as each service having its own “vibe.” That word may not communicate all that it ought to in describing the experience of our two services, but the burden I and your other leaders share, is that our church not be divided this way. We would love all of our members to worship together at one time, that we might learn what our “vibe” together might be! It is impossible for our members to “speak to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs” if they are not in the same room together.

We lose the true experience of unity if we are not worshiping in functional division.

And if the exegetical and cultural/spiritual reasons aren’t enough to think through one service, there remains still more reason:

Practical Reasons

Multiple services by necessity leads to more energy expended, more volunteer needs, and more potential for burnout on behalf of those who lead in our services week to week. Speaking as a regular preacher, I can say that personally it becomes more wearying than it ought to be to give everything you’ve got in preaching one service, to “leave it all out on the field” as it were, and then desire to repeat that in a subsequent service. It is much more desirable to preach with everything the Lord will give to everybody at once. Further, with multiple services, it can sometimes strike both preachers and song leaders and other leaders as though we are having to re-create moods or moments that run dangerously near the concept of performance.

But if for the endurance and energy of our people resources alone, one service is a clear advantage over multiple services.

Further, the question arises: if we continue to grow, as the Lord allows, does this mean we would move to adding a third service? We know that hundreds of churches have accepted that arrangement as a necessary concession to growth, but we only see that as a further compromise of our biblical convictions. And it would put even greater strain on our leaders and volunteers. One service puts us back into the worship gathering as an event for the whole church together.

Now, we also look to the future of our church as an opportunity to become serious about church planting. Sending out leaders and church members to plant churches is a New Testament value that we want to share to be faithful to God’s mission. And church planting would also help us manage future growth. There is no “magic number” of worship attendees we have identified, but in the interim, we still find it practically important to do what we can to transition into one worship gathering, which will afford us a bit more time to work toward becoming a church-planting church.

As Pastor Bobby shared at our June 2024 members meeting, our hope is to begin the move to one service in an incremental way that is the least disruptive way possible while still qualifying as obedient steps toward operating according to our convictions. Initially, this will likely entail moving to a once-a-month one service gathering at Manor Hill Elementary School.

We know that change is difficult, especially a change of this significance. But we hope you will share not just our theological convictions about one service but share the desire to get our whole family back around the same table! It won’t be easy, but nothing worth doing usually is. Your pastors want to make sure everything important is accounted for in such a transition—everything from childcare considerations to congregational comfort, from impact on Equipping Groups to impact on visitors—but we believe whatever the cost, it will not be as great as the cost of worshiping in a divided state.

We covenant as one, so we should gather as one. We want to see everybody’s face. We want to be encouraged by the presence of everyone. We want to hear everybody’s voice. We want that “one new man” to function as one, not as two or more. All the body parts together, not separated.

Jesus said, “Where two or three are gathered, there I am among you,” and he was speaking to the unique supernatural quality of the church gathered together. There is a specialness in our gathering; Christ’s Spirit is manifested in a unique way when Christ’s body is gathered.

Which is a very good reason why we want to as soon as feasibly possible worship together in one service.

More resources:

One Assembly: Rethinking the Multisite and Multiservice Church Models by Jonathan Leeman (book)

The case for One Assembly in three minutes from Jonathan Leeman (video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fag-rCFcVLY

“Two Reasons a Church Shouldn’t Have Multiple Gatherings” by Kyle Schwahn (article) https://www.9marks.org/article/two-reasons-a-church-shouldnt-have-multiple-gatherings/

Why a Class on the Church Covenant?

By Adrian Owen

Our Church Covenant Equipping Group will begin on June 4th. Before joining LBC, I was not very familiar with the concept of church covenants. I’ll admit, the recitation of the covenant after taking the Lord’s Supper was bizarre at first. But having learned the purpose and biblical and historical roots of church covenants, I see the value and need for one. I hope you join us for our study of the church covenant this Summer. Below is a brief explanation of the history of LBC’s covenant, why we have a covenant, and my hopes for the class.

History

This history of the church’s covenant is brief but interesting. Church covenants in Baptist churches have existed for centuries. Our current church Covenant is based on a template created in 1853 by J. Newton Brown. 

There have been two church covenants in our church’s history. The first covenant was adopted by the Liberty Manor Baptist Mission in December of 1961. Our current version of the covenant was adopted in December of 2012. You can read both versions of the covenant below.  

• Liberty Manor Baptist Mission Covenant | 1961-2012

  Having been influenced by the Holy Spirit, as we humbly trust, to turn from our sins, and to receive Jesus as our Lord and Saviour; and on profession of our faith in Him, having been baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, we do covenant and agree together that we will strive to walk, by the help of God, in all the commandments of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

  Further we promise that we will endeavor to watch over and counsel one another in the spirit of brotherly love; that we will remember one another in our prayers, and that we will aid each other in sickness and distress.

  We further agree that we will strive, as we have opportunity, to do good unto all men; and that we will endeavor to win our kindred and acquaintances to the Saviour, and to spread the Gospel Ministry in our midst, and endeavor to bring up such as may be under our care, in the nurture and admonition of the Lord; that we will not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, but, as far as possible, we will attend the meetings of the Church; that we will loyally uphold the authority of the Church in all things, save in matters of conscience; that we will strive to promote the prosperity, spirituality and unity of the Church and sustain its ordinances, doctrines and discipline.

  We further covenant that we will maintain secret prayer; that we will strive to live carefully in this present world, and to abstain from everything that will cause our brother to stumble, or that will bring reproach upon the cause of Christ; that we will strive to grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord and Saviour. That we will strive to trust ourselves fully, soul and body, and all that we have in God’s hand, to be kept and used by Him as seemeth good in His sight. That through life, amidst evil report and good report, we will humbly and earnestly seek to live to the honor and glory of Him who loved us and gave Himself for us.

• Liberty Baptist Church Covenant | 2012-Present

  Upon becoming a member in the body of the Liberty Baptist Church the members agree to the following covenant as our expectations of one another:

  Having been led, as we believe, by the Spirit of God to repent of our sins and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, and on the profession of our faith, having been baptized, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit we do, in the presence of God and this assembly, solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another as one body in Christ.

  We commit, therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit to:

  • live together in Christian love and maintain the unity of the Spirit;

  • continue meeting together regularly;

  • work together for the continuance of a faithful evangelical ministry in this church, as we sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline, and doctrines;

  • confess our sins to each other and pray for each other;

  • exercise an affectionate care and watchfulness over each other;

  • bear one another’s burdens;

  • cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and courtesy in speech;

  • be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation;

  • contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, the relief of the poor, and the spread of the gospel through all nations;

  We further commit to:

  • maintain family and personal devotions;

  • educate our children in the Christian faith;

  • seek the salvation of family, friends, and neighbors;

  • be faithful and just in our transactions and exemplary in our conduct;

  • live carefully in the world, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts.

  When we remove from this place we will, as soon as possible, unite with some other church where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God’s Word.

Why a Church Covenant?

Our church covenant helps describe who we are as members of Liberty Baptist Church. It is similar to our statement of faith in this way. Our statement of faith and church covenant are both summaries of biblical principles regarding doctrine and ethics. The statement of faith summarizes what we believe while the church covenant summarizes how we live. 

It is important for a church to know how they should live. Think about a marriage covenant. I made my wife a promise on our wedding day. I agreed to have and to hold her from that day forward for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part. This is what she expects of me each and every day and I happily agreed to it. Similarly, a church covenant is what every church member expects of every other church member. 

Will we fail to live out the covenant? Of course! We do fail the covenant. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve cringed when reciting, “maintain personal and family devotions.” There is grace and help for our failings. Because of Christ, and through the Spirit, we strive together to live out this covenant in order to be and make disciples of Jesus. The church doesn’t exist without grace and it doesn’t continue without grace either. 

My Hope for this Class

My hope for this class is threefold–that we would have good conversations about Christian living, grow in church unity, and live holy lives before the Lord. I pray you are encouraged and emboldened by taking this deep dive into the covenant this Summer.

Equipping Groups are a great place to take your questions. By hearing from the teachers and discussing with the class, we can gain a clearer understanding of what certain points mean and how to actually live them out. I’m particularly interested in discussing what “cultivating Christian sympathy” means. 

By discussing the covenant together as a church, I believe we will become more unified as a church. We all struggle with some parts of the covenant. We’ve all agreed to “bear one another’s burdens” and “exercise an affectionate care and watchfulness over each other” too. I pray that this class brings us together as a church for better or worse, richer or poorer, and in sickness and in health.

Finally, as with anything, I hope that this class stirs you up to love and know Jesus better. Where we fail, he is perfect. When we need him, he is there. Everything we do as a church is to showcase the glory of God by being and making disciples of Jesus Christ. This class is no different. Would you pray with me that this class helps us in the carrying out of that mission?

Important Information for Easter Sunday

This Easter Sunday, we will meet together at Manor Hill Elementary School for a single service together in their gym. Below are details and instructions to help us gather together in a new location. We’re treating this service like one of our outdoor services we’ve had in the past. That means we will not have Equipping Groups, Liberty Kids, or coffee on Easter; we will only have a single worship service.

Location: We will meet at Manor Hill Elementary School just south of our property on Birmingham Road. Below are two maps to help you navigate. We will be entering the building through the gym entrance. There will be members to help point you in the right direction.

Arrival: Service begins at 10:00 AM, but you may arrive any time after 9:00 when our shuttles begin to make their rounds. We will run the shuttles from 9:00 to 9:45. Please arrive no later than 9:45 to ensure that you can catch a shuttle and settle in before the service begins.

Parking, Shuttle, and Drop-off: Parking at Manor Hill Elementary is limited so we will utilize the upper and lower parking lots of our property. Parking attendants will be available in each parking lot to assist you.

• The school parking lot is reserved for handicapped parking, guests, older members, and volunteers.

• All others should plan to park at the church parking lots and ride the shuttle to the building. 

Seating on the shuttles is limited, so those parking in the shuttle lots should plan to drop their family off at the school before catching the shuttle. 

The shuttle will begin running at 9:00 AM and will make its last run at 9:45 AM, so you must arrive at Manor Hill before 9:45 in order to catch the shuttle! The shuttle will resume once the service ends and will run until 12:30 PM.

Seating: Seating will be provided in the school’s gym. The seats are plastic folding chairs so you may want to bring a seat cushion or pillow. 

Clean-up: After the service, we will need to fold and put up our chairs. There will be racks available for us to stack the chairs on. Also, keep an eye out for any trash that may be left on the floor and pick it up and throw it away.

Route from Liberty Baptist Church to Manor Hill Elementary.

Entrance and parking at Manor Hill Elementary

An Open Letter of Encouragement before Kids in Worship Sunday

By: Alyssa Kester

Church family,  we have a special Sunday coming up; we’re calling it Kids in Worship Sunday. We will close Liberty Kids for the morning and enjoy worship together during our two services with our little ones. I wanted to share some encouragement for all of us before that Sunday, whether you have little ones in your family or not!

The Noise

Let's look at Philippians 2. “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

Have a plan to keep the distractions minimal, and if you need to walk your child outside the sanctuary- that’s perfectly fine! We can “consider the interests of others” by recognizing when our children are being overly distracting (whether by disobedience, typical childish-ness, or unmet needs) and minimizing that for other members and guests.

If you do not have children, but are near a child who is making noise, you can “consider the interests of others” by trying your best to overlook noises and small distractions from little ones and focus on the worship service. At the end of the day, remember that our worship gatherings are family gatherings, not concerts, so we can showcase the gospel by the grace and patience we display towards one another. 

Kids have Souls Too

If you see a child in service, greet them by name! If you don't know their name, feel free to smile and give them a friendly wave! Each Sunday morning, our children are making an emotional impression of church. Smiling faces and knowing their name can go a long way to help the kids in our midst feel like the church is a place for them too. And, Lord willing, they’ll embrace the gospel, believe in Christ, and stay with the church for all their years! “Our goal is not just to get the children into church, but into Christ.” (Steve Chang)

Parents

You’ll have 728 worship services together with your child from age 5 to 18, but only 312 Sundays together if you wait until they’re 12. Consider bringing them alongside you as soon as you can on Sundays. Give them many chances to ask questions, hear the Word preached, and see a large group of believers who prioritize prayer, singing, listening to the Word preached, confession, and the Lord’s supper.

Consider these things for preparing your kids ahead of time:

Sing 

Look up the songs we’ll sing as a congregation and practice singing them with your kid(s) throughout the week before Sunday. Tell them you want to sing with them on Sunday! 

Prepare and Set Expectations

Telling your children how you expect them to behave will go a long way for minimizing distractions! You can explain what will happen in the service and what will be expected of them during those times. Bring a book(s) or quiet activity for them to do while we listen to the sermon. Little hands will have a hard time sitting still without something to hold, so plan ahead for that. We’ll have our clipboards and coloring bags available as we usually do!

Read and discuss the passage that will be preached

Read the passage of scripture ahead of time and discuss it. Hearing familiar names and verses can create instant engagement for your kids! No one expects that young children will retain all of the information or follow the sermon well, but we know from Isaiah 55 that God’s Word “will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Sharing scripture with our kids will never be a waste of time.

Verses to Consider

• Hebrews 10:24-25 - And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.

• Luke 18:15-17 - People were bringing infants to him so that he might touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. Jesus, however, invited them:“Let the little children come to me, and don’t stop them, because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

• Deuteronomy 4:9 - “Only be on your guard and diligently watch yourselves, so that you don’t forget the things your eyes have seen and so that they don’t slip from your mind as long as you live. Teach them to your children and your grandchildren.”

• Deuteronomy 6:4-7 - “Listen, Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. 6 These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. 7 Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”