RECOMMENDED BOOKS

Tri-County provides a bookstore in the welcome center where those who attend services can both preview and purchase great resources. In compiling the list below, we've tried to think of the resource in each category that is the single-best, most accessible volume on the market. Many (but not all) of the resources in the list are available on any given Sunday. We provide all of the resources at cost (usually Amazon's cost rounded to the nearest dollar) and make little-to-no profit from the sales. Our goal is to provide the congregation with the fifty most basic, most beneficial, and least expensive resources for growth in Christlikeness.

1. BIBLICAL THEOLOGY

2. SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY

3. HISTORICAL THEOLOGY

4. PRACTICAL THEOLOGY

BIBLICAL THEOLOGY

This brief overview of the whole Bible is a great introduction to “the big picture” of the Bible.

This children’s story Bible, based on Vaughan Roberts’ summary, is really helpful for both children and their parents, too.

SYSTEMATIC THEOLOGY

This historic confession is an outstanding summary of Christian teaching. Though it’s readily available online, Peter Masters has a helpful 30-page printed edition.

Ware’s overview of basic teaching about God is designed for children.

Ryle’s love for the Bible is contagious. His teaching about the Bible is beautiful, succinct, and comprehensive.

Packer’s modern classic on who God is and what He had done for us will both strengthen your mind and stir your heart.

Burgess’ book on evidence for design in creation is simple, reverent, and compelling.

It’d be hard to find a simpler, more comprehensive, more stirring, and more Scriptural description of the person and work of Jesus.

Bridges’ explains the multi-faceted jewel of salvation and shows how each facet applies to the daily life of Christians.

Stott works through “the simple plan of salvation” in a way that is helpful for believers and skeptics alike.

In a day of great confusion about the Holy Spirit, David Jeremiah’s expositional book “majors on the majors.”

Bridges unpacks the Bible’s teaching on God’s sovereign providence and helps us become better “trusters” by becoming better “theologians.”

Ever wonder what heaven will be like? Let Alcorn unpack the Bible’s teaching in a way that will correct your misconceptions and fuel your hope.

Dever provides a succinct, biblical answer to his titular question.

HISTORICAL THEOLOGY

Shaw introduces us to the lives and thoughts of “giants” such as Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Wesley, Jonathan Edwards, and William Carey, etc., always with an eye to personal and church application.

This book provides the starting place if you want to know what happened in the Protestant Reformation of Jesus’ church.

McGrath's history of the King James Version of the Bible is a page-turner. Each chapter is a compelling summary of vast historical territory: the history of the English crown, the English reformation, the English Bible, the English language, etc.

Do you ever think you’re odd because you suffer as much as you do? Let these three biographies teach you that suffering is normal for God’s children.

Read the classic account of Jim Elliot’s inspiring, yet tragic endeavor to evangelize one of the most unreached tribes in the world-written by his wife.

An inspiring collection of several brief biographies designed to fuel your perseverance in times of trial.

PRACTICAL THEOLOGY

Even though Spurgeon’s exegesis can be “creative” at times, if you want a Christ-centered, substantive, encouraging devotional, this is one of the best.

What Christian hasn’t struggled with this question. Whitney’s book is simple, biblical, careful, pastoral, and very helpful.

Whitney’s challenges Christians to develop disciplines such as Bible intake, prayer, fasting, journaling, etc. His admonitions are neither legalistic nor light-and-easy.

Ryle knows how to repeat biblical challenges so that his listeners immediately change their habits.

In order to teach believers how to pray, Carson expounds the prayers of Paul throughout his New Testament letters.

This modern classic unveils what we at Tri-County understand good preaching to look like. It also gives boatloads of wise advice to preachers young and old on how to preach.

If you haven’t read this four-century-old classic on Christian perseverance, you don’t know what you’re missing.

Some of the best teaching on how to raise teenagers. Challenges parents to get at the hearts of their children.

Lou offers every husband tons of practical tips on how to sacrificially love his wife. His two chapters on communication are “worth their weight in gold.”

Hughes’ teaching on biblical manhood should be required annual reading for single and married men, young and old.

This book unpacks Titus 2, and in so doing provides a great example of “older women teaching younger women.” You can also check out the free MP3s and PDF study guides online.

George provides a simple, helpful treatment of biblical womanhood.

This book represents the best, simplest treatment of these very difficult, very relevant, very “hot” topics.

This volume is well researched but not written in an academic style. Almost like a simple encyclopedia, it deals with the entire Bible’s teaching on matters like marriage, singleness, homosexuality, divorce, and parenting.

The parable of the prodigal sons has formative truth for both Christians and churches about the dangers of two kinds of waywardness: reckless rebellion and religious rebellion.

The first half of Mahaney’s brief book is expositional; the second half is “how to.” The book as a whole is deeply convicting and potentially life-changing.

Chester offers a helpful, succinct overview of how God uses His word to change people to be more like Jesus.

Alcorn provides a small, powerful overview of the Bible’s teaching on financial stewardship.

“Missions exists because worship doesn’t.” Let Piper teach you the “why” of missionary endeavor while fueling your passion for missions with numerous biographical vignettes.

Christians are to be in the world, but not of the world. Hughes talks about several specific areas in which Christians must not be like the world if we have any hope of winning the world.

Packer’s brief work on evangelism explains the what, the why, and the how.

Strobel offers a very readable introduction to Christian apologetics that is very appropriate for both Christians and non-Christians.

This book represents the single-best treatment on biblical forgiveness, and it doesn’t avoid the sticky issues.

How should Christians make wise decisions? DeYoung’s answers are straightforward, thoroughly biblical, very practical, and often filled with humor.

Murray’s advice is brief, biblical, and not overly simplistic.

This short book on loss is not preachy. It will make you cry, counsel you when you can’t stop crying, and help you to empathize with others who are crying.

John deals directly with the prevalent and theologically-loaded question, “Where do infants go when they die?”

Some of the best teaching on how to raise children. He doesn’t present easy, one-size-fits-all how-to’s.