New! Exploring the Holy Spirit - Recommended Reading Materials
If you are interested in exploring the doctrine of the Holy Spirit or specific topics from this evening’s Secret Church further, the following resources are recommended. Many of these resources were foundational for the truths we explored in our study. Please note, however, that though these books are recommended, Dr. Platt does not necessarily agree with everything written in every one of them. We urge you to read and learn from these books, but at the same time, be wise in your reading to discern good teaching from men’s opinions.

The recommended books are listed by category. The order in which they are listed under each category indicates the order in which Dr. Platt would recommend them to you.

Thick Theology Books

  • Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology
  • Millard Erickson, Christian Theology
  • Daniel Akin, ed., A Theology for the Church

Doctrinal Studies of the Holy Spirit

  • Graham Cole, He Who Gives Life
  • Graham Cole, Engaging with the Holy Spirit (a simpler, more practical version of He Who Gives Life)
  • Bruce A. Ware, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
  • John Owen, The Holy Spirit
  • Sinclair Ferguson, The Holy Spirit

Practical Studies of the Holy Spirit

  • J.I. Packer, Keep in Step with the Spirit
  • R.C. Sproul, The Mystery of the Holy Spirit
  • Charles Swindoll, Flying Closer to the Flame
  • Billy Graham, The Holy Spirit

Cessationism and Continuationism Issues

  • D. A. Carson, Showing the Spirit
  • Stanley Gundry and Wayne Grudem, eds., Are Miraculous Gifts for Today? Four Views
  • John Stott, Baptism and Fullness
  • John MacArthur, Charismatic Chaos

Six Powerful Lessons From God's Word
Dr. David Platt, Senior Pastor of The Church at Brook Hills, leads these periodic Secret Church studies, designed to give Christ-followers a strong foundational knowledge of the Bible. The Secret Church curriculum includes:

Dr. Platt, in addition to his role as Senior Pastor of our church, has also served as Assistant Professor of Apologetics and Expository Preaching for New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. These Secret Church studies include four hours of in-depth teaching that will give you a greater understanding of the Bible in key areas. David will take you on an incredible journey through the pages of Scripture, connecting concepts and ideas that appear from Genesis to Revelation. The seminary-style teaching model will engage you as a true student of God's Word.

What to Bring
You will need to bring a Bible with you to Secret Church--David teaches from the New International Version (NIV), but many other translations will work well. You may want to avoid paraphrased or modern "reading" translations like "The Message" or "New Living Translation" in favor of the NIV, New American Standard (NAS), English Standard Version (ESV) or King James Version (KJV). Although the language in these versions is a little more difficult, you'll find it easier to follow along.

Also bring a notebook and pen. A study guide will be provided for you, but we don't print out the Bible verses in the study guide to encourage you to look them up and mark your own Bible during the study.

The teaching sessions themselves are two hours long. A break time is provided during the evening, but you might want to bring a bottle of water in case you get thirsty.

Promotional and Travel Information
We've had quite a few inquiries from groups coming to Birmingham for our next Secret Church. We've added some downloadable promotional materials and local hotel and restaurant information online for your convenience.
> Secret Church Promotional Helps
> Area Hotel and Restaurant Guide