I still remember my first encounter with theology.
I was twelve. At that time, my family attended a church with few kids my age. Most Sunday mornings, I found myself the only student in my Sunday school class. My teacher was the pastor’s wife and she poured into me. She discipled me through God’s word, teaching me basics of the Christian faith. It was there that I first learned the Doctrines of Grace. I quickly developed a hunger to learn more. My Sunday school class then turned into a question and answer time as I came each Sunday with questions about the Bible and my teacher helped me search God’s word for the answers.
Since then, I’ve loved to study theology—be it systematic, biblical, or expository. Over the years I’ve accumulated a number of books that help me understand different theological terms and concepts. While the Bible itself is the only infallible rule of faith and practice, and while Scripture is sufficient to teach me all I need to know about salvation and what God requires of me, there are many helpful and useful secondary sources written by godly faithful people. These resources have enriched my faith and broadened my understanding of the gospel.
Some books I open to find a quick definition to a theological term. Others I might consult to get an overall summary of a particular teaching. There are others I go to on a regular basis to help me grow in my understanding of a particular doctrine of the faith. And while there are some books I might go to that focus on one subject, such as ecclesiology or Christology, there are a number of books I use that contain good summaries of Christian doctrines.
For those who are looking for resources for their own studies, here are some of my favorites:
: This book by J.I. Packer covers nearly a hundred different theological truths. Each chapter is just a few pages long and succinctly summarizes theology in an easy to understand way. Examples include: the Trinity, Original Sin, Justification, the sacraments, and more.
: I am a member of a confessional church and what that means is that our church holds to historical confessions and creeds of the church. The main confession our pastors and elders have to subscribe to is the Westminster Confession. It is a summary of the main teachings of the Bible. It summarizes what the Bible teaches about God, the work of Christ, the church, and more. I often refer to the confession and the accompanying catechism both when studying Scripture and in writing about Scripture.
: John Calvin's Institutes is a favorite resource of mine. Sometimes, I just read it devotionally. It's an excellent tool for going deeper in understanding theology. It's also helpful for understanding Reformed Protestantism and how it differs from Catholicism. 
: This is a classic I have used for years. I first read it in college and found Sproul's writing easy to understand. I've even read it to my children in our morning devotions. In 2-3 pages, Sproul explains theological terms and teachings. Every Christian should own this book.
: This is another great book that explains the foundations of Christian teaching. I had to read it for a college class many years ago and have consulted it many times since. 
: This is a classic work on systematic theology. It is not an easy read, but it is still an important and useful work. When I want to understand a theological term in more depth, I consult Berkhof. 
As Christians, we need to know what we believe and why. There are many helpful resources that unpack the Bible’s teachings. What are some of your favorites?
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