Top products from r/Christians

• J.C. Ryle, Thoughts for Young Men ($8)
  
• J.C. Ryle, Holiness ($8)
  
• John Bunyan, Christian Behavior ($6)
  
• Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Life in the Spirit ($2, used)
  
• Martyn Lloyd-Jones, The Christian Solider, $11 used
  
• William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour, selections, $12
  
• Voices from the Past, $20 used -- this book is FANTASTIC for both being thought-provoking and helpful in its own right, but also as a jump-off point to whet the appetite for reading the Puritans. I've discovered (and read) so many worthy books for free on Kindle that I've originally discovered through this little book. Bit over your price point, unfortunately, but this is a great book I wish someone had given me when I was a teenager!
  
  These are all good and helpful to young people.
  
  EDIT: Also, The Swans are Not Silent series by John Piper is amazing; I especially recommend The Hidden Smile of God and The Roots of Endurance. However, these are all free for download (legally) here, and it pains me to recommend buying what can be gotten for free! You might recommend them to him though! Most of the above are also free to download (not the Lloyd-Jones, or compilations) but the price is lower and the volumes larger, so I think it's worth having a paper copy for a gift. :)

Well, I guess it would really depend on what tradition you come from, but coming from the SBC tradition and Missionary Baptist churches, I like a lot of the songs in the Heavenly Highway Hymns, The Heavenly Highway Hymnal (Second Edition), and The Church Hymnal for your general low church Hymnal. I don't like the whole "Mother" section in their topical indexes, but I do like the rest of the songs. For High Church or your "First Baptist", "First Presbyterian", etc. or even for use in Low Churches I like The Hymnal for Worship and Celebration or The Baptist Hymnal. These hymnals feature responsive readings, with the Hymnal for Worship and Celebration containing an extensive topical index and the Apostles Creed, Nicene Creed, and a Contemporary or Modern Creed for use in service. One of my personal favorites, while it's extremely old, and you're lucky if you can find one, is the Northfield Hymnal. There's a lot of good old songs there, and it features a nice little topical index.

Edit: While I'm not very familiar with it, another which comes to mind is The Celebration Hymnal. It seems to be another favorite in High Church, or your "First 'insert denomination' Church" churches.

Congratulations on your return!! God celebrates the one who comes back to Him!! (Prodigal son story)

Know this - God loves YOU and always will, no matter what. You cannot earn salvation - it’s a gift (Eph. 2:8-9). And through His love and kindness, that leads us to repentance (Rom. 2:4)
To find your identity in Christ and truly walk in it, the best thing you can do is surrender to Christ and seek Him with your whole heart. And in that Journey, as you grow close to Him, He will heal you and reveal to you who He created you to be.
When lies attack your thoughts, get into His word - the truth. Meditate and memorize scripture - that’s how Jesus defended himself against the devil tempting Him in the desert.
Focusing on Jesus through His word is the most effective way to find yourself. But I do also recommend this book as a guide - Freedom in Christ Participant's Guide: A 10-Week Life-Changing Discipleship Course https://www.amazon.com/dp/0764219537/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_oqrnDb4X70GR1
Praying for you as you seek Him!

I'm a single guy who is sexually pure, meaning not only do I plan to remain a virgin until I'm married (if it's the Lord's will for me to be married), but I also actively avoid giving into sexual temptations like checking out girls--yeah, checking out girls is NOT a natural thing we do as guys. The book I'll recommend to you below talks about that and basically any other questions you might have about purity--indulging in material that can bring about sexual temptation, and not engaging in acts that would compromise my purity.

Does the Bible say making out is a sin?

Technically, the Bible doesn't say that making out with a girl or guy that is not your husband or wife (i.e. excessive kissing in an intimate manner) is a sin; then again, the Bible also doesn't say that detonating C4 on a building, resulting in the death of hundreds of people is a sin. But the Bible communicates that both of these things are a sin.

Why and how does the Bible communicate that making out is a sin?

> Hebrews 13:4

> Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.

This verse indicates that marriage should be seriously respected, that any who performs sexual actions that are meant only for marriage will be judged by God, and He will judge them as sexually immoral and adulterers.

> Matthew 5:28

> But I tell you, everyone who looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

This verse states that if a man looks at a woman in a lustful manner (i.e. thinking about her sexually), Jesus sees that man as having committed adultery in his heart. "But I'm not married," you might say. True, but you and/or the girl will marry someone one day, and may not even be each other! God knows who everyone will end up marrying one day; He's not bound by time, oblivious to what will happen in the future.

The Bible communicates that making out is a sin because it is an action that leads to sex. When you were making out with this girl, you had lustful thoughts about how pleasurable it was to be kissing her, and maybe thought what it might be like to have sex with her. Are you her husband? If you are her husband, then you have nothing to worry about; however, if you're not her husband, then you fall in the category of what Matthew 5:28 describes - you lusted after her in your heart.

What if I didn't lust after her?

Well, that is impossible if you're making out with her. A simple, quick peck on the lips is one thing, but excessive kissing and possible petting most certainly will get a guy's engine revving. A guy is only fooling themselves if they say they didn't lust after a girl while they were making out with her. God knows your heart and He knows your thoughts. I am a guy and I know I would be lusting after a girl while I was making out with her.

How can I avoid this in the future?

Set boundaries. Tell your "friend" that you now have these boundaries and that you want her to respect them from now on. Avoid these sorts of situations. Think, "Will doing this lead to me compromising my purity?" If it can, avoid it.

> 1 Corinthians 6:18

> Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.

Additional resources

I first read Every Young Man's Battle six years ago. I'm now 27 and I still use the tips and suggestions it provides. It's not too long and the content is biblical. It'll answer any question you have, and whatever it doesn't answer, feel free to ask on this subreddit.

Prayed for you. Also, feel free to check out the links below. Maybe you will find something that helps.

• Focus on the Family - Marriage
  
  
• 10 Great Dates
  
  
• Fireproof my Marriage
  
• Boundaries in Marriage
  
  If your local church has a married couples group to fellowship with that would be great to be involved in. Or your husband could join a men's group and you a women's group at your church if it is offered as well.
  
  Edit:
  
  There's also B.T.G.: Building Foundations For A Godly Marriage: A Pre-Marriage, Marriage Counseling Study

We use the Beginner's Bible every night with our 2 sons.

Covers many great Bible stories, is actually Biblical, and has pleasant art to go along with it.

Both of my sons love it (ages 8 and 5).

I think /u/betweentwosuns comment is good and an excellent place to start. Once one gets past the fact that Christ was a real historical figure that actually existed, and that Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are reliable testimonies of what He said and did, then one comes to a crossroads. He must either reject His claims, either by simply ignoring them or outright disagreeing with them, or accept His claims by faith. One of the books that is often recommend for studying these things is Strobel's The Case for Christ and there is also a newer book out called Cold Case Christianity which is also good.

I'm an ESV guy, but it was nice to read your post. I do have several KJV bibles in my house, in case I get the urge. I never considered how KJVO would work in non-English communities, something new to think about.

> Pastor Lawson is just awesome I actually cried watching one of his sermons when he preached about hell.

I think I saw that one too.

Regarding KJVO, if you haven't already, you should check out James White's stuff. He has had several podcasts, debates and even a book on this very topic. All very useful.

> I have seen the intensity of the KJVO movement seep Into the Hispanic community and which I believe was not there before!!

Well KJVO may be a step up from the RCC and the Prosperity Gospel which are powerful forces in that community.

Great resources!

https://www.str.org
https://www.str.org/training/ambassador-basic-curriculum

https://www.amazon.com/Tactics-Game-Discussing-Christian-Convictions/dp/0310282926

Add to that Lewis' Space Trilogy, which I enjoyed even more.

There are at least two of that kind of book, and I've heard this one is better.

I'm talking about this here's the link.https://www.amazon.com/Temporary-Scripture-Tattoos-Unified-God/dp/B06WGMTP6V/ref=sr_1_8?keywords=christian+tattoos&qid=1555745854&s=gateway&sr=8-8

"God's Undertaker: Has Science Buried God?" - by John C. Lennox

Chasing the Dragon

Here is my bible.

Early Church Fathers

Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine

It's great to look into the Early church fathers! My recommendations though is to stick to the early early church fathers. Cathodox will often quote "fathers" from later in history after several traditions have already been developed and accepted. Also to remember that even the fathers are but men and can err, which is why when fathers disagree with each other (and they do) we must turn to scripture.

As for book recommendations on Sola scriptura, i haven't yet read them but there is Scripture Alone, Sola Scriptura and Disputations on Holy Scripture