March + April 2025 Issue:
Happy Spring, brothers and sisters! I am so thankful God gave us spring. After a long, cold, dark winter, we really need the anticipation of warmth, light, and new life from spring. We also can spend this time anticipating the celebration of the work our Savior Jesus did for us on the cross. Not only did He drink the full cup of God's wrath on our behalf and venture into the dark depths of hell, He burst forth in glorious light and victorious life, conquering what we could not. Praise be to the Lord our Savior Jesus Christ! A way we can spend anticipating the Easter season is with good reading. The library team at EFCCL hopes you consider adding some good reading to your Lenten studies this month—the church library has many options to choose from! Below is a list of a few; you can find these on the seasonal shelves or on the endcap in the middle of the room.
You can browse the entire library collection of over 4,000 items here.
BOOKS FOR THE EASTER SEASON:
CHILDREN:
• The Donkey Who Carried a King, by R.C. Sproul
• The God Contest, by Carl Laferton
• The Garden, the Curtain, and the Cross, by Carl Laferton
• My Friend Jesus: The Gospel for Kids, by Kathryn Slattery
• The Case for Christ for Kids, by Lee Strobel
ADULT:
• Scandalous, by D.A. Carson
• Christ Crucified, by Donald Macleod
• Man of Sorrows, King of Glory, by Jonty Rhodes
• Surprised by Jesus, by Dane Ortlund
• And the Angels Were Silent, by Max Lucado
• He Chose the Nails, by Max Lucado
• Six Hours One Friday, by Max Lucado
• Christ from Beginning to End, by Trent Hunter & Stephen Wellum
• Rich Wounds, by David Mathis
• Confronting Jesus, by Rebecca McLaughlin
• To the Cross, by Christopher Wright
• One Perfect Life, by John MacArthur
• Cries from the Cross, by Erwin Lutzer
• The Final Days of Jesus, by Andreas Kostenberger
• Witness the Passion, by Richard Exley
• Experiencing the Cross, by Henry Blackaby
BOOKS FOR THE NEXT SERMON SERIES:
On March 9, Pastor Jay will begin a new series called Ezekiel: God's Passion for His Glory. We will have multiple copies of the recommended commentaries in the library on the shelves in the middle of the room.
• Entry Level: Warren Wiersbe, Be Relevant (Ezekiel): Bowing Before Our Awesome God
• Intermediate Level: Iain Duguid, Ezekiel (NIV Application Commentary)
• Advanced Level: Lamar Cooper, Ezekiel (The New American Commentary)
January + February 2025 Issue:
Welcome to the 1st issue in 2025 of From the Library Corner with the latest happenings from your church library! Our team (Jackie Hayden, Jon and Emily Peterson, and Pastor Tim) is excited to share with you some of the great resources to check out and use. In this issue, we will look at two areas: recommendations from Pastor Jay for his next sermon series on the Beatitudes, and a sampling of recent additions.
You can browse the entire library collection of over 4,000 items here.
The Next Sermon Series | The Beatitudes: God’s Path to Maturity and Joy
On January 12, Pastor Jay begins a new sermon series on the Beatitudes, the teachings of Jesus in Matthew 5:3-12. For context, read chapters 3 and 4 of the first Gospel. During the series, read the Beatitudes regularly and try memorizing them. Then consider his recommendations for further reading and study (multiple copies of each are in the library on the shelves in the middle of the room):
· Entry level: Colin Smith, Momentum: Pursuing God’s Blessings Through the Beatitudes (this resource is being given to all the Community Group leaders)
· Mid-level: John Stott, The Message of the Sermon on the Mount
· Advanced level: Craig Blomberg, Matthew, The New American Commentary Series
Additionally, we have other books on the Beatitudes/Sermon on the Mount by: James Boice, John Calvin, D. A. Carson, Chris Castaldo, Sinclair Ferguson, John MacArthur, and Charles Spurgeon.
Recent Additions to the Library
We hope these will whet your appetite for some good reading (you’ll also find these on the shelves in the middle of the library):
· Finding My Vocation: A Guide for Young People Seeking a Calling, by William Boekestein
· You Will Be My Witnesses: Theology for God’s Church Serving in God’s Mission, by Brian DeVries
· Spurgeon: A Life, by Alex DiPrima
· I’m Stressed: A Path from Pressure to Peace, by Elizabeth Huie
· Raising Emotionally Healthy Kids, by Elizabeth Huie
· Raising Kids in a Hyper-sexualized World, by Elizabeth Huie
· By Life or By Death: The: Life and Legacy of John and Betty Stam (missionaries to China), by Andrew Montonera
· To the Tenth Generation: God’s Heart for Your Family, Far into the Future, by Ray and Jani Ortlund
· We Shall All Be Changed: How Facing Death with Loved Ones Transforms Us, by Whitney Pipkin
· Cultural Sanctification: Engaging the World Like the Early Church, by Stephanie Presley
· The Mission of God and the Witness of the Church, by Justin Schell
· Now and Not Yet: Pressing In When You’re Waiting, Wanting, and Restless for More, by Ruth Chou Simons
· When the Hurt Won’t Heal, by Craig Svenson
· What Do I Say When…? A Parent’s Guide to Navigating Cultural Chaos for Children and Teens, by Andrew Walker
· When Parents Feel Like Failures: How Jesus Quiets Our Distress, by Lauren Whitman