Crucial Questions Series by R.C. Sproul (#1 – #28)
Requirements: .ePUB Reader/AZW Reader, 16.2 Mb
Overview: Dr. R.C. Sproul was born (1939-2017) in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. He is president of Ligonier Academy of Biblical and Theological Studies and the founder and chairman of the ministry that began in 1971 as the Ligonier Valley Study Center in Ligonier, Pennsylvania. In an effort to respond more effectively to the growing demand for Dr. Sproul’s teachings and the ministry’s other educational resources, the general offices were moved to Orlando, Florida, in 1984, and the ministry was renamed “Ligonier Ministries.”
Ligonier Ministries is an international multimedia ministry located near Orlando, Florida. Dr. Sproul’s teaching can be heard on the program Renewing Your Mind with Dr. R. C. Sproul which is broadcast on hundreds of radio outlets in the United States and in more than 40 countries worldwide. He is executive editor of Tabletalk magazine and general editor of The Reformation Study Bible, also known as The New Geneva Study Bible. Dr. Sproul currently serves as the director of Serve International and co-pastor at Saint Andrew’s Chapel in Sanford, FL. He is ordained as a teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America.
He is the author of more than eighty books and scores of articles for national evangelical publications. Dr. Sproul has produced more than 300 lecture series and has recorded more than 80 video series on subjects such as the history of philosophy, theology, Bible study, apologetics, and Christian living. He signed the 1978 Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy, which affirms the traditional view of biblical inerrancy, and he wrote a commentary on that document titled Explaining Inerrancy.
Dr. Sproul holds degrees from Westminster College, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, and the Free University of Amsterdam, and he has had a distinguished academic teaching career at various colleges and seminaries, including Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, Florida, and Jackson, Mississippi.
Genre: Non-Fiction>Christian
1. Who Is Jesus?
No person in history has provoked such widely divergent assessments as Jesus of Nazareth. Some say He was a cunning fraud, while others say He must have been out of His mind. In many cases His story is altered to suit the fancies of those seeking to make Him an ally for a host of militant causes.
However, as Dr. R. C. Sproul points out in this Crucial Questions booklet, there is compelling evidence that Jesus was something more-that He was, in fact, God in the flesh. By wrestling with the biblical titles for Jesus and the accounts of His life and ministry, Dr. Sproul unfolds the scriptural portrait of Jesus, the Son of God.
2. Can I Trust the Bible?
There is a common assumption that the Bible is full of errors and contradictions, and that its often-unusual people and events render it useless for today. These ideas are fueled by the teachings of scholarly critics, who seem to delight in raising questions about the Bible s truthfulness and integrity.
But the critics of the Bible are wrong, according to Dr. R.C. Sproul in this Crucial Questions booklet. In fact, he says, there are many solid reasons to trust the Bible. With Jesus, with the apostles and prophets, and with men of God throughout church history, Dr. Sproul affirms a high view of Scripture–that it is inspired of God and therefore inerrant and infallible.
3. Does Prayer Change Things?
Does prayer make any difference? Does it really change anything? Yes, says Dr. R. C. Sproul in this Crucial Questions booklet. Though we cannot hope that our prayers will change God’s mind, prevailing upon Him to act against His will, we can be sure that prayer does change things including our own hearts. Plus, it is one of the chief means by which God carries out His will in the world. For these reasons, Dr. Sproul argues, prayer has a vital place in the life of the Christian. In short chapters packed with practical wisdom, he unveils the purpose, the pattern, the practice, the prohibitions, and the power of prayer, calling Christians to come before God’s presence with joy and hope.
4. Can I Know God’s Will?
As human beings, we long to know that our lives will unfold in ways that we will find pleasant and rewarding. As Christians, we have a different focus we want our lives to be pleasing to God. Thus, we ponder His will and worry that we are not doing what He wants us to do. In this Crucial Questions booklet, Dr. R. C. Sproul outlines timeless principles for discovering and applying the will of God in day-to-day decisions. He then illustrates how these principles should inform two of the most significant decisions we face in life the choice of a career and the choice of a spouse. Here is valuable guidance for those who are passionate to follow God.
5. How Should I Live In This World?
Christians want to do the right thing. But it can be tough to know what the right thing is. Plus, it’s not just the big questions with which we must wrestle ethical dilemmas confront us each day in every aspect of life. On what basis do we make all of these decisions?
In this Crucial Questions booklet, Dr. R.C. Sproul argues that the Bible is the supreme source for ethical guidance. That doesn’t mean it contains a Thou shalt . . . or a Thou shalt not . . . for every conceivable situation, but it does provide ethical principles. With his trademark wisdom and thoroughness, Dr. Sproul explains how we can uncover and apply these principles.
6. What Does It Mean To Be Born Again?
When Jesus explained the necessity of the new birth, the Jewish leader Nicodemus asked in astonishment, “How can these things be?” Some two thousand years later, much confusion still surrounds the term “born again,” though more people than ever people claim to have had the experience.
In this Crucial Questions booklet, Dr. R.C. Sproul cuts through the confusion and carefully explains what it means, biblically and theologically, to be born again. He affirms, first of all, that Jesus wasn’t kidding—new birth is essential—then goes on to show what the new birth is and how it occurs. His clear teaching will provide understanding for those who are unfamiliar with the new birth and deeper assurance for those who may not know where they stand with God.
7. Can I Be Sure I’m Saved?
Many people in the church today are plagued by doubts about their salvation. Satan whispers that it is impossible that sinners such as they could be in a state of grace, and some churches compound the problem by teaching that it is possible for believers to lose their salvation. But assurance of salvation is possible in this life. Indeed, as Dr. R.C. Sproul argues in this Crucial Questions booklet, it is the duty of Christians to make their calling sure (2 Peter 1:10). To help believers reach this goal, Dr. Sproul defines assurance, shows how we can get it, reveals the blessings it confers, and warns of the dangers of false assurance. Here is assistance for those who struggle to know where they stand with Jesus Christ.
8. What Is Faith?
There’s a lot of confusion about what faith is. It is something defines as trust, sometimes as hope, and often as blind belief. This booklet looks at the biblical definition of faith and the glorious examples of it in Hebrews 11. It is rare to find a book in the market that focuses so narrowly on this topic. We hope it will hold up a mirror by which readers can evaluate whether they have the genuine article.
9. What Can I Do With My Guilt?
Dr. R.C. Sproul has often asked unbelievers who deny their need for a Savior, “What do you do with your guilt?” The question often breaks through sinful complacency, because feelings of guilt over sin are common. Unbelievers may ignore their sense of guilt, rationalize it, or desensitize it, but it is there. It points to the fact that all people are objectively guilty before God.
So what must we do with our guilt? In this Crucial Questions booklet, Dr. Sproul shows how God can use our feelings of guilt to reveal our true guilt in His sight. He then prescribes the only remedy—the forgiveness that God has provided through Jesus Christ. Here is solid biblical counsel for those who hear the accusations of their consciences.
10. What Is The Trinity?
The Trinity is truly a mystery. This doctrine teaches that the God of Christianity is one in His essence but three in His persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Though the word Trinity is not found in the Bible, there is no doubt that the Scriptures teach this triune nature of God. Yet the concept still challenges our finite minds.
In this Crucial Questions booklet, Dr. R.C. Sproul carefully explains the doctrine of the Trinity, stressing that Christians worship one God who manifests Himself in three distinct persons. He shows what the Bible teaches and outlines the chief errors on this doctrine that have afflicted the church. Above all, he affirms that while this truth is difficult to understand, it is not contradictory. Rather, it is a beautiful expression of the biblical teaching on the nature of God.
11. What Is Baptism?
Baptism is taught in the Bible and has been practiced for centuries, but understanding of its meaning and respect for its importance is at a low ebb today. Confusion reigns over questions about its mode and its place in the life of the Christian, and as a result, even many evangelical congregations are downplaying its significance.
This is not the way it should be, Dr. R. C. Sproul declares in this Crucial Questions booklet. Baptism, he affirms, is one of the two sacraments of the Christian church, a sign and seal of the covenant of grace. Therefore, it is a necessary and meaningful practice that is packed with rich symbolism. In this booklet, Dr. Sproul provides help in understanding and appreciating this practice of the church.
12. Can I Have Joy In My Life?
Joy is a popular topic in Western culture today. Books explain how to find joy in a wide variety of activities. We speak of “joyous” occasions such as weddings and births. We sing about “Joy to the World” at Christmas. “Joy” remains a popular name for girls. But given the extent to which joy seems to be on our minds, few people seem to have it or even know what it is.
In this Crucial Questions booklet, Dr. R.C. Sproul cuts through the confusion surrounding this popular but misunderstood attribute, showing the one sure path to deep, lasting joy—a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. By abiding in Christ, Dr. Sproul shows, we may experience fullness of joy—a joy that transcends unhappy circumstances and even permits us to rejoice with others because of the blessed hope Christ provides.
13. Who Is The Holy Spirit?
The topic of the Holy Spirit sparks much interest these days, but also much confusion. Thanks to extra-biblical assertions about the Spirit’s person and work, ideas abound as to who the Spirit truly is, how He operates in time and space, and what precisely He does.
In this Crucial Questions booklet, Dr. R.C. Sproul cuts through the confusion by going back to the Bible. He establishes the biblical teaching on the Spirit’s identity—He is one of the three persons of the Godhead, along with the Father and Son—then briefly sketches some of the most basic yet important roles the Spirit carries out. He shows that the Spirit gives new life to unbelievers, then sanctifies, strengthens, teaches, and anoints them for ministry. This booklet provides a basic understanding of the divine person on whom Christians’ very lives depend.
14. Does God Control Everything?
Most people today believe that we live in a closed, mechanistic universe, that is, a universe that functions from day to day according to certain physical forces and causes. Classical Christianity has taken a very different view, teaching that God is the primary cause of the universe, but also that He is the primary cause of everything in the universe and of everything that happens in the universe—in short, that God, not mechanistic forces, is the primary cause of what is and what happens.
In this Crucial Questions booklet, Dr. R.C. Sproul explores and explains the Christian doctrine of providence, the teaching that God is the sovereign ruler of the universe. He then deals with some of the philosophical and theological questions and objections the doctrine raises. His teaching challenges popular assumptions about the universe and exalts God as the sovereign ruler and sustainer of all things.
15. How Can I Develop A Christian Conscience?
In this booklet, Dr. R. C. Sproul shows that this development involves learning and mastering the many principles God has laid down in His Word, and even in creation itself. In other words, we must know and understand God’s law. As we gain a firmer grasp of what God expects and requires, we are increasingly able to make decisions that please Him.
16. What Is The Lord’s Supper?
In this booklet, Dr. R. C. Sproul cuts through the confusion to define the supper, demonstrate what it means, and show how important it is for the lives of believers and churches. He explores the origins of the supper, explains what it does for us, and refutes erroneous views of the Sacrement. Here is teaching that will enhance any reader’s appreciation for the work of Christ that is pictured in the bread and wine.
17. What is The Church?
In this booklet, Dr. R. C. Sproul carefully and clearly explains that the church is a body of people saved by Jesus Christ and regenerated by the Holy Spirit who live to glorify and enjoy God. Beginning with the ancient Nicene Creed, which affirms that the church is “one, holy, catholic, and apostolic,” Dr. Sproul provides accessible teaching on one of the most misunderstood of all Christian doctrines.
18. What Is Repentance?
“Repent and believe in the gospel.” From the beginning of His ministry, Jesus called people to repentance. Peter and Paul urged people to repent as well. The concept of repentance is central to the Christian life. But what does it mean to repent? Here Dr. R.C. Sproul unfolds the biblical concept of repentance. He looks at repentance as it relates to regeneration.
19. What is the Relationship Between Church and State?
From the very beginning of Christianity, the relationship between the church and the state has been a matter of great concern. The issue remains confusing and contentious for many Christians today, as issues of political activism, religious freedom, and civil disobedience confront those seeking to understand this crucial relationship.
Here Dr. R.C. Sproul examines the relationship by looking at the nature and mission of government, how Christians should view and relate to their governments, the legitimacy of state-established churches, how to deal with abuses of power, and the legitimacy of civil disobedience..
As a gifted communicator, R.C. Sproul has helped many believers grow in their understanding of such matters as the nature of God, the history of redemption, and the manner in which we are saved. Now Dr. Sproul’s lucid teaching on these vital matters is available in a series of concise booklets that are perfect for personal learning and refreshing, as well as small-group study. For a quick introduction to matters at the very core of the Christian life, for yourself or a friend, consider the Crucial Questions booklets from Reformation Trust Publishing.
20. Are These the Last Days?
In this booklet from the Crucial Questions series, Dr. R.C. Sproul examines the discourse to glean from it truths regarding who Jesus was, what He really meant, and what His words mean for us today.
As a gifted communicator, R.C. Sproul has helped many believers grow in their understanding of such matters as the nature of God, the history of redemption, and the manner in which we are saved. Now Dr. Sproul’s lucid teaching on these vital matters is available in a series of concise booklets that are perfect for personal learning and refreshing, as well as small-group study. For a quick introduction to matters at the very core of the Christian life, for yourself or a friend, consider the Crucial Questions booklets from Reformation Trust Publishing.
21. What is the Great Commission?
After His resurrection, Jesus gave His disciples a mission: to go to all the nations and make disciples, baptizing and teaching them. That remains the continuing mission of the church today.
In this book, Dr. R.C. Sproul explores the Great Commission by laying out the biblical basis for missions, defining the gospel and evangelism, and addressing the need to mobilize Christian believers for missions. He also touches on methods of evangelism, while pointing ultimately to the One who promised that He would build His church. This book is a challenge to the church and to individual Christians to obey Jesus’ command to go and make disciples.
22. Can I Lose My Salvation?
Whether you can lose your salvation is one of the most pressing issues you can face as a Christian. In an uncertain world, painfully aware of the continued reality of their sin, and confronted by the Bible’s warnings about falling away, Christians can be tempted to think that true believers can lose their salvation.
In this helpful book, Dr. R.C. Sproul looks at the teachings of Scripture on the doctrine of eternal security or the perseverance of the saints. In looking at passages on the unforgivable sin, believers who have departed, and the continuing presence of sin in the lives of Christians, Dr. Sproul ultimately points to the promises of God, who has vowed to preserve to the end those who are in Christ.
23. How Should I Think about Money?
Jesus taught more often on money than He did on love or on heaven and hell combined. Why? It’s because money is one of the chief competitors for our affections. “You cannot serve God and money,” He warned. How, then, should Christians view and use money? How should they view and participate in economic systems?
In How Should I Think about Money?, Dr. R.C. Sproul offers much-needed biblical answers to these questions, and in so doing, provides clarity on an important issue in the lives of Christians.
24. How Can I Be Blessed?
The Bible is clear that true blessing is only found in the presence of God and in His kingdom. Some of the Bible’s clearest teaching about life in the kingdom of God is found in the Sermon on the Mount. It is there that we find the Beatitudes, a series of promises of blessing. In How Can I Be Blessed?, Dr. R.C. Sproul explores these sayings in order to clearly explain what they mean for Christians and to hold up the glorious promise of life in God’s kingdom.
25. Are People Basically Good?
The philosopher Blaise Pascal called man “the supreme paradox,” because compared to all other creatures, he is both the most magnificent and the most miserable. What did Pascal mean? The answer goes to the heart of what the Bible says about man.
Man is created in the image of God, but the Bible also tells us that man has fallen into sin and become corrupt. In Are People Basically Good?, Dr. R.C. Sproul explores the nature of mankind by looking at what it means to be made in the image of God and exploring the nature and effects of the fall.
26. How Can I Be Right with God?
The Philippian jailer’s question is as pressing for us as it was for the man who originally asked it. God is holy, and we are not. God cannot stand to look upon sin. How then can we, as sinners, be saved? This book delves into Scripture and church history to explore the Protestant doctrine of justification by faith alone, and in so doing, it points to Christ alone as our hope for salvation.
27. What Can We Know about God?
Jesus Himself said that knowing God is an essential part of salvation. We must know who God is, and the way to know God is to learn what He has revealed about Himself. In What Can We Know about God?, Dr. R.C. Sproul unfolds Scripture’s teachings on the nature, will, and attributes of God, presenting a glorious picture of our great Creator and Savior.
28. What Do Jesus’ Parables Mean?
Jesus was known for presenting many of His teachings in parables, short stories that illustrate a point. In His own day and in ours, Jesus’ stories have often been misunderstood, and their riches have been overlooked. In What Do Jesus’ Parables Mean?, Dr. R.C. Sproul explores the parables of Jesus, laying out their meaning and the rich blessings that they promise to believers.
Download Instructions:
User Cloud
