“Nothing in life is free!” Haven’t we all heard that saying before? Or perhaps you’re more familiar with “There’s no such thing as a free lunch!” Today, my goal is to prove to you that both of these phrases are simply NOT TRUE!
During my time in seminary, I have been exposed to a vast number of resources and writers. I’m constantly trying to obtain quality information that will be useful in ministry or my personal walk with Christ. Of course, there is so much out there that it’s impossible to keep up with it all… but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t start! Options are good! Stay tuned past the break for details on how to build up your own library of free Christian resources!
This is ministry!
After all, each of you are now empowered to share these resources with others! This is ministry!
Thanks for sticking with me! As I have already stated, my goal is to prove to you that there are free things in life. Even better, the free things that I’m going to introduce you to are quality Christian resources that will educate, challenge and impact your walk with God. I promise that, if you utilize them wisely, you will grow and will be a catalyst for growth in the lives of others.
I would encourage you to familiarize yourself with the respective ministries that host these resources, so you can understand their heart behind offering the resources at no cost to you. While it is true that these resources are free for us as the consumer, they most undoubtedly are not free for the ministries to host. (Drats! Perhaps that disproves my stated goal for this post! Unless I specify that I was only speaking from the consumer’s perspective!)
Regardless, here is the list of free Christian resources that you’ve been waiting for.
Free Christian Resources
Desiring God
- Main Site – http://www.desiringgod.org/
- Resource Library – http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library
- Description of Content:
- Desiring God posts all of the resources from John Piper’s ministry for free! This includes most books authored by Pastor John Piper in .pdf, .epub or .mobi formats (for your e-readers). It also has sermons, conference messages, articles and much more in audio, video or .pdf formats.
Monergism
- Main Site – http://www.monergism.com
- Free Online Books – http://www.monergism.com/free_online_books.php
- Free e-books – http://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/onsite/free-ebooks.html
- Description of Content:
- Mongerism’s site provides a wealth of content in the .pdf, .epub and .mobi formats. Their resources are distinctly evangelical and conservative. There are many Puritan works available here, as well as a good amount of A.W. Pink’s works. Be sure to click on their “About Us” link, so you can understand why they offer so much for no cost!
Christian Counseling & Education Foundation (CCEF)
- Main Site – http://www.ccef.org/
- Resources – http://www.ccef.org/resources
- Description of Content:
- CCEF offers their Journal of Biblical Counseling at no cost. It is published three times per year and is a source of information on current trends in biblical counseling. They also have numerous other resources via blog posts and other media.
Multiply Movement
- Main Site – http://www.multiplymovement.com/
- Description of Content:
- Multiply Movement is a joint effort from Francis Chan and David Platt to encourage and help the church get back to a primary focus on the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20). They have provided all of their resources at no cost. Their book Multiply is completely free in .pdf format, along with dozens of videos designed to help disciples make disciples. Faith’s College ministry is currently working through this material in our small group ministry!
Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL)
- Main Site – http://www.ccel.org/
- Description of Content:
- CCEL focuses on making classic Christian writings available for use (at no cost). It is a digital library of hundreds of classic Christian books selected for edification and education. They have over 1,000 free resources available!
9Marks
- Main Site – http://www.9marks.org/
- Description of Content:
- 9Marks exists to equip church leaders with a biblical vision and practical resources for displaying God’s glory to the nations through healthy churches. They have an abundance of resources available for pastors and church members! If you’re not sure where to start, they’ve compiled a list of their most important, or essential materials.
The Gospel Coalition
- Main Site – http://thegospelcoalition.org/
- Resources – http://thegospelcoalition.org/resources/name-index
- Description of Content:
- Of all of the sites mentioned in this post, this one is probably the most well-known. The Gospel Coalition contains a wealth of information. From blog posts to video series to their massive resource library, there are endless ways to get lost in their site!
Themelios
- Main Site – http://thegospelcoalition.org/themelios/
- Description of Content:
- Themelios is an international evangelical theological journal that expounds and defends the historic Christian faith. Its primary audience is theological students and pastors, though scholars read it as well. Themelios is published three times a year exclusively online at The Gospel Coalition. While it could have been included in the previous post for The Gospel Coalition, I thought it was sufficiently different to note being called out as an independent resource.
Biblical Counseling Coalition
- Main Site – http://biblicalcounselingcoalition.org/
- Description of Content:
- The Biblical Counseling Coalition is an information clearinghouse for the world of biblical counseling. Its resources range from blog posts to e-books, and sermon or lecture series, via audio and video. It is very similar to The Gospel Coalition in function, but its focus is on the topic of counseling from the Bible.
Miscellaneous
- Here are a few other vehicles for free resources that I simply cannot begin to delve into:
- iTunes U has free lectures and seminars, but will require a more discerning ear. The app is free on any Apple device.
- iTunes also has numerous podcast series that are free and often contain great content, such as this series that provides Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology at no cost.
Know of another source that isn’t mentioned here? Please share it with the rest of us in the comments section below!