Q & A – May 2025

The Elders answer questions submitted by Grace Church members and attendees prior to this session. Pastor Ben Khazraee moderates, and he, Doug Link, and Rod Bunton answer questions selected for them.

Questions:

1. [00:39] What is the church’s position on the historic creeds and confessions? What is our relationship to more recent confessions such as Westminster or London Baptist Confession? Answered by Ben Khazraee
2. [07:33] What catechism would Grace Church recommend? Answered by Doug Link
   • A Catechism for Boys and Girls (The Reformed Reader)
   • Truth and Grace (TAG) Memory Books: Book 1 (Edited by Thomas Ascol)
   • A Catechism for Christian Growth: 190 Questions and Answers to Strengthen the Roots of Our Faith (Benjamin Tellinghuisen)
3. [14:53] How were Old Testament believers saved? Were they regenerated by the Holy Spirit? Answered by Rod Bunton
4. [19:30] When Jesus was tempted do you think he considered all his options and chose the right option? Or was he so perfect that the sinful options did need to be analyzed and ruled out? Answered by Ben Khazraee
5. [26:56] How should Christians think about whether or not to have children in marriage? Answered by Doug Link
6. [37:00] Tell us about things coming up in the Fall regarding becoming equipped for counseling others. Answered by Rod Bunton
7. [43:51] Tell us about Summer Sunday school options. Answered by Doug Link
   • 12 Ways Your Phone is Changing You (Tony Reinke)
8. What are your top three books every Christians should read or that you would encourage people to read or that they had an impact on you or our local congregation?
   • [47:44] Doug Link:
     • Just Do Something: A Liberating Approach to Finding God’s Will (Kevin DeYoung)
     • Awake O Harp: A Devotional Commentary on the Psalms (William Varner)
     • Hymnal
   • [50:02] Rod Bunton:
     • Pursuing Peace (Robert Jones)
     • Love that Lasts: When Marriage Meets Grace (Gary Ricucci, Betsy Ricucci)
     • Exposition of Ephesians, 8 Volume Set (Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
       • Classic hardcover set
       • Individual paperback editions:
         • God’s Ultimate Purpose: An Exposition of Ephesians 1
         • God’s Way of Reconciliation: An Exposition of Ephesians 2
         • The Unsearchable Riches of Christ: An Exposition of Ephesians 3
         • Christian Unity: An Exposition of Ephesians 4:1-16
         • Darkness and Light: An Exposition of Ephesians 4:17-5:17
         • Life in the Spirit: In Marriage, Home, and Work–An Exposition of Ephesians 5:18-6:9
         • The Christian Warfare: An Exposition of Ephesians 6:10-13
         • The Christian Soldier: An Exposition of Ephesians 6:10-20
   • [51:47] Ben Khazraee:
     • The Pilgrim’s Progress (John Bunyan)
       • Complete & Unabridged
       • The Pilgrim’s Progress: A Readable Modern-Day Version of John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress (Revised and easy-to-read)
       • The Pilgrim’s Progress Part 2 Christiana’s Journey: A Readable Modern-Day Version of John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress Part 2 (Revised and easy-to-read)
     • Desiring God, Revised Edition: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist (John Piper)
     • Trusting God (Jerry Bridges)
     • FROM PRIDE TO HUMILITY: A Biblical Perspective (Stuart Scott)

Note: The downloaded MP3 (click on Save above) has chapter markers that some players support. If you’re using the embedded player on this page, you can scroll to the desired time marker (annotated in the questions above) after you start playback.