Sound Doctrine: How a Church Grows in the Love and Holiness of God (9Marks, Building Healthy Churches)

If ever youve been tempted to think that doctrine is boring, divisive, or just plain pointless, this is a book for you. Bobby Jamieson shows that sound doctrine is beautiful, life imparting, and deeply desirable. I hope this message goes far and wide.

Doctrine that is biblically faithful and practically relevant is essential to the health and life of the church. Without it, churches will become anemic and eventually die. Sound Doctrine is a short primer on the key doctrines of holiness, love, unity, worship, and witness. In a careful and well-written treatise, Bobby Jamieson walks us through these crucial doctrines, revealing their importance to our mind and heartto our individual lives and the community of faith.

Think doctrine is at least impracticalat worst, loveless? Give this author a few minutes to help you reconsider this. Well-written, precise, provocative, and practicalJamieson has produced a jewel.

I sit next to Bobby Jamieson in a seminary class, so I can tell you that he is a very smart guy, a genuine nerd, theologically discerning, andsurprisinglyan avid surfer. Prior to my conversion, I sat next to smart guys like Bobby in order to cheat, but now I do it to learnand theres a lot to learn from Bobby! If you dont understand why sound doctrine is important, or realize the difference it can make, then Bobby has something to teach you. In this book youll learn that sound doctrine is as delightful as it is practicalfor everyday life and for the church. Come sit next to Bobby with me.

Truth is for life. Teaching is for living. Sound doctrine is for love, unity, worship, witness, and joy. That is what this book is all about. Christians need to understand how sound biblical teachingdoctrine that is based on and drawn from the Holy Scripturesinforms every aspect of Christian life and experience. Bobby Jamieson makes that case in Sound Doctrine. The argument is brief, biblical, interesting, and compelling. The book wont take you long to read, but its contents will pay dividends to Christians and churches for a long time to come.

A true Christian experience involves more than sound doctrine, but it is nothing without it. Bobby helps us see how sound doctrine not only shapes but also empowers all ministries in the local church, from effective outreach to authentic small groups. This book could serve as a starting point for thinking through a philosophy of ministry.

Pay heed to your doctrine. That imperative for faithful Christianity sounds to many Christians altogether abstract and remote from the life of the church. Bobby Jamieson believes otherwise, and Sound Doctrine is a masterful argument for doctrine that is not only deeply rooted in the church, but also produces a church that demonstrates both the grace and glory of God.

Scripture is for sound doctrine, sound doctrine is for real life, and real life is for real church growth. So says Jamieson, and he hits the nail on the head brilliantly every time.