This expanded edition of the ESV Systematic Theology Study Bible features study notes from the ESV Student Study Bible, over 400 in-text summaries, 25 articles, book introductions, sidebars, and more.

This updated edition of a bestselling classic by a seasoned pastor aims to empower men to take seriously the call to godliness and direct their energy toward the things that matter most.

Seasoned pastor R. Kent Hughes’s inspiring and bestselling book Disciplines of a Godly Man―now updated with fresh references and suggested resources―is filled with godly advice aimed at helping men grow in the disciplines of prayer, integrity, marriage, leadership, worship, purity, and more.

With biblical wisdom, memorable illustrations, and engaging study questions, this practical guide will empower men to take seriously the call to godliness and direct their energy toward the things that matter most.

This expanded edition of the ESV Systematic Theology Study Bible features study notes from the ESV Student Study Bible, over 400 in-text summaries, 25 articles, book introductions, sidebars, and more.

Point blank, this is a punchy, no-holds-barred book for young men. Laying out the challenge to be disciplined, godly, and sold-out for Jesus, the authors talk about purity in your thought-life, cultural pressure, and perseverance as a Christian. Let father and son Kent and Carey Hughes help you live a life of integrity and become the man God is calling you to be.

Men, we will never get anywhere in life without discipline, and doubly so in spiritual matters. None of us is inherently righteous, so Paul's instructions regarding spiritual discipline in 1 Timothy 4:7-8 take on personal urgency: "Train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come." That word "train" comes from the Greek word from which we derive gymnasium. So, I invite you into God's Gym--to some pain and great gain! Discipline of Purity Sensuality is the biggest obstacle to godliness among Christian men. The fall of King David should not only instruct us but scare the sensuality right out of us! Fill yourself with God's Word--memorize passages like 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8, Job 31:1, Proverbs 6:27, Ephesians 5:3-7, and 2 Timothy 2:22. Find someone who will help you keep your soul faithful to God. A pure mind is impossible if you mindlessly watch TV and movies or visit pornographic web sites (1 Thessalonians 4:3-7). Develop the divine awareness that sustained Joseph: "How then can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?" (Genesis 39:9). Discipline of Relationships To be all God wants you to be, put some holy sweat into your relationships! If you're married, you need to live out Ephesians 5:25-31: "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her" (v. 25). For those who are fathers, God provides a workout in one pungent sentence: "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:4). Relationships are not optional (Hebrews 10:25); they enable us to develop into what God wants us to be and most effectively learn and live God's truth. Discipline of Mind The potential of possessing the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16) introduces the scandal of today's church--Christians who do not think Christianly, leaving our minds undisciplined. The Apostle Paul understood this well: "...whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things" (Philippians 4:8). Each ingredient is a matter of personal choice. You can never have a Christian mind without reading the Scriptures regularly because you cannot be influenced by that which you do not know. Discipline of Devotion Reading God's Word is essential, but meditation internalizes the Word and responds, "I desire to do your will, O my God" (Psalm 40:8). Beyond instructions like Ephesians 6:18-20, there are two great reasons to pray. The more we expose our lives to the white-hot sun of Christ's righteous life, the more his image will be burned into our character. The second reason is that prayer bends our wills to God's will. Many men never have an effective devotional life because they never plan for it; they never expose their lives to his pure light. Discipline of Integrity We can hardly overstate the importance of integrity to a generation of believers so much like the world in ethical conduct. But integrity's benefits--character, a clear conscience, deep intimacy with God--argue its importance. We must let God's Word draw our lines of conduct. Our speech and actions must be intentionally true (Proverbs 12:22; Ephesians 4:15), backed by the courage to keep our word and stand up for our convictions (Psalm 15:4). An old saying sums it up: "Sow an act, reap a habit. Sow a habit, reap a character. Sow a character, reap a destiny."(1) Discipline of Tongue "If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless" (James 1:26). The true test of a man's spirituality is not his ability to speak, but rather his ability to bridle his tongue! Offered to God on the altar, the tongue has awesome power for good. There must be an ongoing prayerfulness and resolve to discipline ourselves: "Who keeps the tongue doth keep his soul."(2) Discipline of Work We meet God, the Creator, as a worker in Genesis 1:1-2:2. Since "God created man in his own image" (1:27), the way we work will reveal how much we allow the image of God to develop in us. There is no secular/sacred distinction; all honest work ought to be done to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). We must recover the biblical truth that our vocation is a divine calling and thus be liberated to do it for the glory of God. Discipline of Perseverance Hebrews 12:1-3 presents a picture of perseverance in four commands. Divest! "Lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely" (v. 1a). That includes besetting sin, and anything else that hinders. Run! "...with endurance the race that is set before us" (v. 1b). Each of us can finish our race (see also 2 Timothy 4:7). Focus! "Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith" (v. 2). There never was a millisecond that he did not trust the Father. Consider! Our life is to be spent considering how Jesus lived (v. 3). Discipline of Church You don't have to go to church to be a Christian; you don't have to go home to be married. But in both cases if you do not, you will have a very poor relationship! You will never attain your full spiritual manhood, nor will your family reach its spiritual maturity without commitment to the church. Find a good church, join it, and commit yourself to it wholeheartedly. Your participation should include financial support, but it should also include giving your time, talents, expertise, and creativity to the glory of God. Discipline of Giving How can we escape the power of materialism? By giving from a heart overflowing with God's grace, like the believers in Macedonia who "gave themselves first to the Lord" (2 Corinthians 8:5): this is where grace giving must begin. Giving disarms the power of money. Though giving should be regular, it should also be spontaneous and responsive to needs. And it should be joyous--"God loves a cheerful giver" (2 Corinthians 9:7). And Jesus said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35). As we sweat out the disciplines of a godly man, remember, with Paul, what energizes us to live them out--"not I, but the grace of God that is with me" (1 Corinthians 15:10). The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, Second Edition, (London: Oxford UP, 1959), p. 405. James S. Hewitt, ed., Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House, 1988), p. 475.

Grace is the heart of the Christian gospel. It's a doctrine that touches the very depths of human existence and makes Christianity such an essential alternative to the dissolution and nihilism of modern culture. Grace Alone guides you into a better doctrinal understanding of the issue and gives you a more glorious vision of an active and saving God. The language of grace fills the Bible so much that to say "grace alone" may not evoke much reflection. Unlike "faith alone," there's no theological controversy among expressions of Christianity. Reviving one of the five great declarations of the Reformation (and one of the more overlooked)-sola Gratia-professor and church historian Carl Trueman: Provides a thorough definition of grace as it's found in the Bible and an overview of biblical references to, and teaching on, grace. Tracks the doctrine of grace as it's been articulated throughout church history, with discussions of Augustine, Pelagius, Thomas Aquinas, and ending with the Reformation and theologies of Luther and Calvin. Looks at the relationship between the means of grace and the modern church, defining the practical implications of the Reformation's understanding of grace. Explanations throughout on the relationship of grace to sin, salvation and glorification, God's sovereignty, the sacraments, and the controversies regarding freewill and predestination. Grace Alone is a beautiful and much-needed revival of this foundational doctrine and the assurance of salvation. -THE FIVE SOLAS- Historians and theologians have long recognized that at the heart of the sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation were five declarations, often referred to as the "solas." These five statements summarize much of what the Reformation was about, and they distinguish Protestantism from other expressions of the Christian faith: that they place ultimate and final authority in the Scriptures, acknowledge the work of Christ alone as sufficient for redemption, recognize that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone, and seek to do all things for God's glory. The Five Solas Series is more than a simple rehashing of these statements, but instead expounds upon the biblical reasoning behind them, leading to a more profound theological vision of our lives and callings as Christians and churches.

Written by two seasoned pastors, this practical book is a comprehensive guide to nearly every facet of pastoral ministry, including pastoral counseling, hospital visitations, funerals, weddings, the sacraments, holiday services, and congregational music.

Luke's carefully researched and orderly account of the life of Christ is one of the finest pieces of historical writing from the ancient world. More importantly, it boldly proclaims the story and significance of Jesus, emphasizing this "gospel" as good news for the whole world. In this illuminating commentary, respected pastor R. Kent Hughes explores Luke's historical claims about the life of Christ and his overarching message, offering helpful insights into the biblical text and pastoral reflections on how it applies to everyday life. Written to help preachers and Bible teachers communicate God's Word more effectively, this engaging commentary covers the entire book of Luke and now includes Scripture quotations drawn from the ESV Bible.

What do you do when you've made a mess of things? Where do you go when you've blown it badly? How does the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ empower us to combat things like hypocrisy, pride, people-pleasing, and apostasy? Paul's letter to the Galatians tells us what we need to know in these situations as he teaches us how to rely upon costly grace.

In this fresh and engaging commentary, pastor Todd Wilson invites us to look beneath the surface of controversy in Galatia to the even more fundamental issue at stake: gospel-rooted living. Combining scholarly depth with practical wisdom, he offers us a soulful commentary based on years of ministry experience and biblical reflection. Read Galatians anew with this exegetically engaged, theologically informed, and pastorally minded resource

This ESV Bible includes study notes, articles, and daily devotionals written especially for men by more than 100 of the world’s leading Bible scholars and teachers, helping readers understand God’s Word more deeply and apply it to their lives.

What is at stake is authenticity. . . . Sooner or later Christians tire of public meetings that are profoundly inauthentic, regardless of how well (or poorly) arranged, directed, performed. We long to meet, corporately, with the living and majestic God and to offer him the praise that is his due. ---D. A. Carson Worship is a hot topic, but the ways that Christians from different traditions view it vary greatly. What is worship? More important, what does it look like in action, both in our corporate gatherings and in our daily lives? These concerns---the blending of principle and practice---are what Worship by the Book addresses. Cutting through cultural cliches, D. A. Carson, Mark Ashton, Kent Hughes, and Timothy Keller explore, respectively: .Worship Under the Word .Following in Cranmer s Footsteps .Free Church Worship: The Challenge of Freedom .Reformed Worship in the Global City This is not a comprehensive theology of worship, writes Carson. Still less is it a sociological analysis of current trends or a minister s manual chockfull of how to instructions. Rather, this book offers pastors, other congregational leaders, and seminary students a thought-provoking biblical theology of worship, followed by a look at how three very different traditions of churchmanship might move from this theological base to a better understanding of corporate worship. Running the gamut from biblical theology to historical assessment all the way to sample service sheets, Worship by the Book shows how local churches in diverse traditions can foster corporate worship that is God-honoring, Word-revering, heartfelt, and historically and culturally informed."

Synopsis: When the leadership of Patterson Park Church looked for a book explaining the process of transitioning from a board-run church to an elder led form of church government, a structure they had come to believe was more in line with Scripture, they found none. God honored their efforts and two of their elders decided a book still needed to be written. Elder Governance: Insights into Making the Transition examines church government from a biblical and historical context and tells the story of Patterson Park's transition. The authors are hopeful that God will use their experience to help others considering such a transition. Endorsements: "This thoughtful expression of process for moving a congregation to elder governance also weaves together the biblical qualifications and functions of elders in the community of the redeemed in an expansive manner. What makes the book distinctive in the literature and thus worthy of high recommendation is the integration of process with theology." -James M. Grier Distinguished Professor of Theology Grand Rapids Theological Seminary "For those churches who are attempting to make the difficult transition to a plural elder led form of church governance, this book fills a void that has long existed: assistance in how to navigate those treacherous waters. Through their own experiences in helping their church work through this metamorphosis, the authors have gleaned valuable insight that they have shared with us." -Alexander Strauch Author of Biblical Eldership Author Biography: Dan Evans is a non-vocational elder at Patterson Park Church and is currently pursuing a MAR in Christian Leadership. He is a physician and has published a number of articles and chapters in medical journals and books. Joe Godwin is a vocational elder and a teaching pastor at Patterson Park Church. He is a graduate of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and is currently working on his Doctor of Ministry at Ligonier Academy. Joe has served in the pastorate for over twenty-five years.

This commentary, written by an experienced Bible expositor, helps modern readers understand the messages of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther and apply them to their own lives. Part of the Preaching the Word commentary series.

Written by an experienced preacher, this commentary traces the stories of figures such as Gideon, Samson, and Naomi and Ruth, highlighting God's redeeming love in the midst of rebellion and disobedience.

The Apostle Paul's Letter to the Ephesians is one of the most dynamic portions of all of Scripture. Called by one commentator "the crown and climax of Pauline theology," it issues a clarion call to all who follow the Master. With its dual focus on Christ and the Church, as well as its careful presentation of doctrine and duty, Ephesians points the way to true Christian living and victory in a sin-embattled world.

In this helpful volume, Pastor Hughes provides an engaging treatment of the major themes of Ephesians: The celebration of full redemption The mystery of a new humanity--a third race--in Christ The fullness of the Spirit for holy living The beauty of God-given roles in the home and workplace The implications of our position with Christ in the heavenly realms Resounding victory in spiritual warfare

This practical commentary on one of the most important expositions of Pauline soteriology in the New Testament will challenge and equip both pastors and students for a walk of spiritual power.

Our culture holds the megaphone when it comes to talking about sex today. Yet the church has maintained a reputation for keeping quiet, hesitant to teach people about this sacred aspect of life. The Song of Solomon, however, holds nothing back as it sings loudly about the holy practice of sexuality and pushes us into the conversation with godly theology.

While this biblical text has been subject to a broader range of interpretation probably than any other book in the Bible, Wisdom Literature expert Doug O'Donnell offers this comprehensible guide to help uncoil its complexities and solve its riddles. He explores the poetry, themes, and wisdom of this song from a Christocentric perspective, and gives us a profound, rich, and witty reflection that encourages right thinking and behavior.

Showing how this "song of songs" is meant to teach us about biblical sexuality and God's heart for his people, O'Donnell elucidates on the greatest subject of all time--love.

Following closely on the heels of the Exodus story, the book of Joshua recounts the mighty acts of God as he fulfills his promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It is, quite profoundly, a testimony to God's awesome power and enduring faithfulness.

Written to aid pastors in their preaching and churches in their reading, this accessible commentary guides us through the history of Joshua's leadership in Israel and God's direction of his covenant people to their promised "rest" in the land of Canaan.

With warmth and wisdom, David Jackman ultimately encourages us to trust God's promises more deeply and obey his commands more wholeheartedly--that we might fully enjoy all the blessings secured for us in and through our Joshua--Jesus Christ.

Jesus is King. Standing as a central theme of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus' kingly authority has profound implications for our lives today--changing the way we view the world, interact with others, and respond to blessings and hardships.

In this reader-friendly commentary, seasoned pastor Doug O'Donnell leads us through the first book of the New Testament, highlighting key themes and offering contemporary illustrations for preaching. Drawing on years of pastoral experience, O'Donnell helps us to see how Matthew's various emphases--including Jesus' messianic titles, fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, teaching on the kingdom of heaven, and present and future role as judge--all relate to Christ's kingship over all of creation.

Full of biblical insights aimed at both pastors and laypeople, this volume ultimately highlights Matthew's call to all people to worship and obey Jesus, our humble King and gracious Savior.

Isaiah is widely considered the deepest, richest, and most theologically significant book in the Old Testament. It is, without question, a profound statement by God about his own sovereignty and majesty spoken through his chosen spokesman, the prophet Isaiah.

In this accessible commentary on the book of Isaiah, Raymond C. Ortlund Jr. argues that Isaiah imparts a single vision of God throughout all sixty-six chapters. It is a unified, woven whole that ultimately shows that God saves sinners. He saves them from their own self-invented salvations, so that they can walk in the light of his love.

Ultimately, the message of Isaiah offers us a God-centered confidence that enables us to face anything while challenging us to trust God in new ways.

"The Hughes, parents of four grown children and eighteen grandchildren, offer biblical guidelines and practical ideas for raising a family that loves the Lord and one another."
-Christian Retailing

"Provides help for families who want to honor the Lord through structure in their homes. The Hughes family, though they are not perfect (and they are the first to attest to that fact), speak from their own spiritual experience and growth. We are fortunate that they share their insights so others can profit."
-The Baptist Bulletin

"Kent and Barbara Hughes draw from the Bible as well as from their own experience in raising children to offer readers simple, practical ideas about how to raise a godly family and have fun in the process. Disciplines of a Godly Family is ideal for young parents who are just beginning their family voyage, as well as for those who need help along the way. Recommend this book to both parents and grandparents."
-Lutheran News

Disciplines of a Godly Family covers such topics as establishing a solid family heritage, promoting affection between family members, encouraging godliness in children, using appropriate discipline, and helping children cultivate enriching lifelong habits. The Hugheses also offer tips for fun and affordable family vacations, creating family traditions, and starting a prayer notebook. They even give us a suggested list of books and videos that should be in every family's library.

For those struggling to parent their own children or to equip other parents for this task, a more practical, honest, and common-sense guide will be hard to find.