“If there were a Guinness Book of World Records entry for ‘amount of times having prayed the sinner’s prayer,’ I’m pretty sure I’d be a top contender,” says pastor and author J. D. Greear. He struggled for many years to gain an assurance of salvation and eventually learned he was not alone. “Lack of assurance” is epidemic among evangelical Christians. In Stop Asking Jesus Into Your Heart, J. D. shows that faulty ways of present- ing the gospel are a leading source of the confusion. Our presentations may not be heretical, but they are sometimes misleading. The idea of “asking Jesus into your heart” or “giving your life to Jesus” often gives false assurance to those who are not saved—and keeps those who genuinely are saved from fully embracing that reality. Greear unpacks the doctrine of assurance, showing that salvation is a posture we take to the promise of God in Christ, a posture that begins at a certain point and is maintained for the rest of our lives. He also answers the tough questions about assurance: What exactly is faith? What is repentance? Why are there so many warnings that seem to imply we can lose our salvation? Such issues are handled with respect to the theological rigors they require, but Greear never loses his pastoral sensitivity or a communication technique that makes this message teachable to a wide audience from teens to adults.

Many times Christians excitedly receive a promise or vision from God. From that moment forward, they want to tell the whole world what God is going to do in and through them. It’s so exciting to have a promise from God. The Bible says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18). But when God gives us a promise or vision, it takes time to see it fulfilled. Rarely is the vision for tomorrow or even the next year. It’s for a certain time set by God. He shows it to you early, but He still wants to prepare you for the journey ahead. Many Christians get discouraged during this process and walk away from God. But so many people in the Bible—like Abraham, Joseph, and David—had to go through years of preparation before they saw their visions fulfilled. They waited a long time, probably longer than most of us. Be encouraged and don’t let a thing called time destroy you before you even start. God is for you, and what He’s promised He will bring to pass.

New York Times bestseller What is Jesus worth to you? It's easy for American Christians to forget how Jesus said his followers would actually live, what their new lifestyle would actually look like. They would, he said, leave behind security, money, convenience, even family for him. They would abandon everything for the gospel. They would take up their crosses daily... But who do you know who lives like that? Do you? In Radical, David Platt challenges you to consider with an open heart how we have manipulated the gospel to fit our cultural preferences. He shows what Jesus actually said about being his disciple--then invites you to believe and obey what you have heard. And he tells the dramatic story of what is happening as a "successful" suburban church decides to get serious about the gospel according to Jesus. Finally, he urges you to join in The Radical Experiment -- a one-year journey in authentic discipleship that will transform how you live in a world that desperately needs the Good News Jesus came to bring.

What Do the Five Points of Calvinism Really Mean? Many have heard of Reformed theology, but may not be certain what it is. Some references to it have been positive, some negative. It appears to be important, and they'd like to know more about it. But they want a full, understandable explanation, not a simplistic one. What Is Reformed Theology? is an accessible introduction to beliefs that have been immensely influential in the evangelical church. In this insightful book, R. C. Sproul walks readers through the foundations of the Reformed doctrine and explains how the Reformed belief is centered on God, based on God's Word, and committed to faith in Jesus Christ. Sproul explains the five points of Reformed theology and makes plain the reality of God's amazing grace.

The NIV is the world's best-selling modern translation, with over 150 million copies in print since its first full publication in 1978. This highly accurate and smooth-reading version of the Bible in modern English has the largest library of printed and electronic support material of any modern translation.

Serving the Lord is something that is best begun in His immediate presence. When a person has served Him in His immediate presence and satisfied His heart, He may send such a one to go and serve on His behalf. Serving the Lord in His immediate presence consists essentially in worshipping Him. Of the leaders of the church in Antioch it was said, "While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, 'Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.' Then after fasting and praying, they laid their hands on them and sent them off" (Acts 13:2-3). Barnabas and Saul were sent out to serve from the presence of the Lord to the work to which God had called them. They were ministering in His presence when He sent them away to minister on His behalf. All service of the Lord ought to begin that way. Serving the Lord is invariably tied to resurrection life. No one can truly serve the Lord without that He, the Lord of all glory, has taken the initiative to bring that one into His service. This is so because those who serve Him must know death with Christ and resurrection with Him. Service is the flow of the life of God, and without resurrection life, there can be no flow. People can do many things in the Lord's name, but only that which flows from life will last, and to have the flow of life there must, first of all, be death. A person will minister in proportion to the extent to which he has died and risen with Christ. Those who spare them¬selves the hard demands of the cross will find that they have also spared themselves the ministry of life. The extent to which a person surrenders himself to death to the world and the flesh, is the extent to which that one will know resurrection life and resurrection ministry. There can be a work in might and power that is not fully of the Holy Spirit. Samson ministered in power, although he was out of vital fellowship with the Holy God. God demands holiness from all who would serve Him to His satisfaction. Finally, we want to say that Christian work is acceptable in His sight and satisfies His heart only to the extent to which it is in harmony with His will and under His direction. Every work that is outside His will and direction is not only useless; it is an abomination to Him. Too many believers today are doing nothing for the Lord. They are shy and withdrawn and lack boldness and a clear sense of direction. Where are those who would dare to step out at His command and take entire villages, towns, provinces, nations, and continents for Him? Where are those who would seek great things for Him? My prayer is that the Lord of the harvest should use these messages to raise servants and slaves unto His glorious Son, and that such will start in His presence and, as He directs, end in the uttermost parts of the world. Lord Jesus, ignore the weaknesses and shortcomings both of these messages and of the human messenger, and use them, Lord, for Your glory. Amen.