Start planning now for life together after the cake is cut and the guests head home. That is when the real adventure begins--the adventure of creating an intimate, lasting, and biblical marriage!

This third edition of the FamilyLife classic has been restructured and refreshed for today's couples. Centered around essential conversations about finances, sex, family, faith, and more, Preparing for Marriage is a fun, romantic study that will help you target areas for growth in your relationship. You can work through the book as a couple, with a pastor or premarital counselor, or with a small group.

Don't just prepare for your wedding . . . prepare for your marriage!

Summer Institute of Theology 2020

Textbook for Prepare/Enrich course taught by Pr. Rich Carr.

A transcript of Walther's Friday evening "Luther Hour" lectures. Explains 25 statements regarding the necessity of law and gospel in Lutheran preaching and teaching, counseling, and evaluating the mission of the church.

Spring '26
Required FLS textbook for Hermeneutics/Expository Preaching 2 course taught by Dr. Jason Gudim, Professor of Practical and Systematic Theology.

Spring '25
Required FLS textbook for Hermeneutics/Expository Preaching 2 course taught by Dr. Jason Gudim, Professor of Practical and Systematic Theology.

SIT 2023
Recommended SIT textbook for The Systems of Systematic Theology session taught by Dr. Jason Gudim.

Fall '22
Required FLS textbook for Soteriology course taught by Pr. Steve Mundfrom, Professor of Systematic Theology and Church History.
You will need either this or Law & Gospel: How to Read and Apply the Bible - Reader's Edition.

Fall '20
Required FLS textbook for Soteriology course taught by Pr. Steve Mundfrom, Professor of Systematic Theology and Church History.

Spring '19
Required FLS textbook for Soteriology course taught by Pr. Steve Mundfrom, Professor of Systematic Theology and Church History.

While reading Psalms, it is common for commentaries to focus on Old Testament meaning, without connecting it deeply to Christ’s fulfillment in the New Testament. By studying Scripture this way, believers miss out on the fullness of God’s word. The key to experiencing authentically Christian worship is learning a Christ-focused approach to praying and singing the Psalms.

SIT 2025
Recommended SIT textbook for Session A.
Psalms: Prayerbook of Jesus (Dr. Brad Pribbenow)

Jesus died with a psalm on his lips. For millennia, humans have been shaped by the Psalms. And before the Nazis banned him from publishing, German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer published this book on the Psalms.

What comfort is found in the Psalter? What praise, and what challenge? What threat? In the pages of Psalms: The Prayer Book of the Bible, discover the richness this book of Scripture held for Bonhoeffer, and learn to pray psalms along with Christ.

First published in 1940, this classic reveals how the Psalms are essential to the life of the believer and offers Bonhoeffer's reflections on psalms of thanksgiving, suffering, guilt, praise, and lament. Now with an introduction by Walter Brueggemann and excerpts from the Psalms, Bonhoeffer's timeless work offers contemporary readers ancient wisdom and resources for the living of these days. Includes a biographical sketch of Bonhoeffer written by his friend and biographer Eberhard Bethge.

Spring '26
Required FLS textbook for Poetical Books course taught by Dr. Brent Olson, Professor of Old Testament.

SIT 2025
Recommended SIT textbook for Session A.
Psalms: Prayerbook of Jesus (Dr. Brad Pribbenow)

Fall '24
Required FLS textbook for Poetical Books course taught by Dr. Brent Olson, Professor of Old Testament.

Fall '22
Required FLS textbook for Poetical Books course taught by Dr. Brent Olson, Professor of Old Testament.

Fall '20
Required FLS textbook for Poetical Books course taught by Dr. Brent Olson, Professor of Old Testament.

This classic writing on sanctification shows how far self-salvation and moralism have spread in the teachings of the Christian Church and warns against the secularizing of the Gospel.

Fall '24
Required FLS textbook for Soteriology course taught by Pr. Steve Mundfrom, Professor of Systematic Theology and Church History.

Fall '22
Required FLS textbook for Soteriology course taught by Pr. Steve Mundfrom, Professor of Systematic Theology and Church History.

Summer Institute of Theology 2021
Textbook for Ethics and the Followers of Christ course taught by Dr. Nathan Olson.

Fall '20
Required FLS textbook for Soteriology course taught by Pr. Steve Mundfrom, Professor of Systematic Theology and Church History.

Spring '19
Required FLS textbook for Soteriology course taught by Pr. Steve Mundfrom, Professor of Systematic Theology and Church History.

This substantive evangelical commentary on Romans by a leading biblical scholar is one of the most popular in the award-winning BECNT series and has been praised as a great preaching commentary. This new edition, updated and revised throughout, reflects Thomas Schreiner's mature thinking on various interpretive issues. As with all BECNT volumes, this commentary features the author's detailed interaction with the Greek text, extensive research, thoughtful verse-by-verse exegesis, and a user-friendly design. It admirably achieves the dual aims of the series--academic sophistication with pastoral sensitivity and accessibility--making it a useful tool for pastors, church leaders, students, and teachers.

SIT 2024
Recommended SIT textbook for Session B.
Romans (Pr. Adam Osier)

Reminder: Select one recommended resource per session to link to your reflective essay.

Is bigger always better?

It's not often that we hear the virtues of the small. Our culture teaches that bigger is better--and that includes church ministry and preaching, too. But what if rather than swinging for the fences, preachers focused on improving their sermons through small habits, practices, and exercises? What if smaller is better?

In a world where "small" isn't always celebrated, Jonathan T. Pennington provides Small Preaching, a short book of simple tips that can have revolutionary effects over time. Pennington offers preachers 25 words of wisdom that will help shape their preaching for the better.

SIT 2025
Recommended SIT textbook for Session C.
Law and Gospel Preaching (Rev. Sam Wellumson)

Available in July.

The need for talented, vigorous leaders in the church cannot be overemphasized. Such times demand active service of men and women who are guided by and devoted to Jesus Christ. Spiritual Leadership stands as a proven classic for developing such leadership. J. Oswald Sanders, presents the key principles of leadership in both the temporal and spiritual realms. He illustrates his points with examples from Scripture and biographies of eminent men of God, such as Moses, Nehemiah, the apostle Paul, David Livingstone, Charles Spurgeon, and others. Sanders holds that even natural leadership qualities are God-given, and their true effectiveness can only be reached when they are used to the glory of God. Let this classic be your guide for leadership, and watch how God works through you to do great things for His glory.

Spring '26

Required FLS textbook for Discipleship and Servant Leadership course taught by Dr. Wade Mobley and Dr. James Molstre.

Spring '24

Required FLS textbook for Discipleship and Servant Leadership course taught by Dr. Wade Mobley and Dr. James Molstre.

SIT 2023
Recommended SIT textbook for Seminars in Congregational Leadership sessions.
Seminars in Congregational Leadership sessions:
Monday The Board Chair (Dr. Wade Mobley)
Tuesday Conflict and the Cross (Pr. Micah Hjermstad)
Wednesday What Servant Leadership Means (Dr. James Molstre)
Thursday Leading with a Limp: Emotional Health for Spiritual Leaders (Dr. Wade Mobley)

Spring '22

Required FLS textbook for Discipleship and Servant Leadership course taught by Dr. Wade Mobley and Dr. James Molstre.

Spring '20

Required FLS textbook for Discipleship/Leadership course taught by Dr. Wade Mobley and Dr. James Molstre.

This is a book about the preacher’s task and how to perform it written by a fellow practitioner of the craft. What would you say that craft is? What is it that you do for a living, Pastor?

You get paid to tell people what to think.

You tell people what to think while they lie on their death beds. You tell them what to think about God and eternity. You tell jilted wives what to think when their husbands run off. You tell failures what to think about their future. You tell the melancholy what to think about being sad. Folks pile into a building once a week and sit on uncomfortable benches so they can listen to you tell them what to think for 15 minutes. And they put money in a bucket for the privilege.

This is a craft worthy of your best efforts. It is a matter of life and death. It's what you were called and ordained to do.

SIT 2025
Recommended SIT textbook for Session C.
Law and Gospel Preaching (Rev. Sam Wellumson)

This volume acquaints readers with the historical setting in which Luther composed his catechisms. This carefully crafted survey of the context of medieval instruction and piety brings to life the habits of mind that Luther inherited as a member of the church and a student of theology, as well as the concerns for the spiritual welfare of his people which moved him to prepare a course of instruction for them. The book presents a solid introduction to the history, theology, and significance of Luther's catechisms. Arand explores critical issues on the church's catechetical tradition, the purpose and setting of Luther's Small and Large Catechism, the heart of the Catechism's content, and the ways the Catechism shapes God's people in faith and life.

Spring '26
Required FLS textbook for Introduction to Lutheran Theology course taught by Dr. Steve Mundfrom, Professor of Systematic Theology and Church History.

Spring '25
Required FLS textbook for Introduction to Lutheran Thought course taught by Pr. Steve Mundfrom, Professor of Systematic Theology and Church History.

SIT 2023
Recommended SIT textbook for The Systems of Systematic Theology session taught by Dr. Jason Gudim.

Spring '23
Required FLS textbook for Lutheran Symbolics course taught by Pr. Steven Mundfrom, Professor of Systematic Theology and Church History.

Spring '21
Required FLS textbook for Lutheran Symbolics course taught by Pr. Steve Mundfrom, Professor of Systematic Theology.

Spring '20
Required FLS textbook for Lutheran Symbolics course taught by Pr. Steve Mundfrom, Professor of Systematic Theology.

Pastors care for a soul in the way a doctor cares for a body. In a time when many churches have lost sight of the real purpose of the church, The Care of Souls invites a new generation of pastors to form the godly habits and practical wisdom needed to minister to the hearts and souls of those committed to their care.

Harold Senkbeil helps remind pastors of the essential calling of the ministry: preaching and living out the Word of God while orienting others in the same direction. And he offers practical and fruitful advice—born out of his five decades as a pastor—that will benefit both new pastors and those with years in the pulpit.

Drawing on a lifetime of pastoral experience, The Care of Souls is a beautifully written treasury of proven wisdom which pastors will find themselves turning to again and again.

Fall '25
Required FLS textbook for Pastoral Theology course taught by Dr. James Molstre, Dean of FLS.

Fall '24
Required FLS textbook for Principles of Pastoral Theology course taught by Dr. James Molstre, Dean of FLS.

SIT 2024
Recommended SIT textbook for Session A.
Pastoral Theology: The Care of Souls (Dr. Harold Senkbeil)

Reminder: Select one recommended resource per session to link to your reflective essay.

Fall '23
Required FLS textbook for Pastoral Theology course taught by Dr. James Molstre, Dean of FLS.

SIT 2023
Recommended SIT textbook for Seminars in Congregational Leadership sessions.
Seminars in Congregational Leadership sessions:
Monday The Board Chair (Dr. Wade Mobley)
Tuesday Conflict and the Cross (Pr. Micah Hjermstad)
Wednesday What Servant Leadership Means (Dr. James Molstre)
Thursday Leading with a Limp: Emotional Health for Spiritual Leaders (Dr. Wade Mobley)

Summer Institute of Theology 2020
Textbook for Christian Leadership and Strategy for the Care of Souls course taught by Rev. Dr. Lucas Woodford.

Spirituality: the lived, vital, personal dimension of Christianity.

Christianity has its spirituality—not the cloudy mysticism that is usually associated with that word, but rather mysteries grounded in the Incarnation of God, His death on a bloody piece of wood, His physical resurrection, bread, wine, water, and our own ordinary callings of everyday life. That spirituality can still be found in the Lutheran tradition.

Veith explores the topic of spirituality by presenting a true understanding of justification by faith, the means of grace, the two kingdoms, worship, and the church. This revised edition contains expanded material on vocation and the theology of the cross.

Spring '26
Required FLS textbook for Hermeneutics/Expository Preaching 2 course taught by Dr. Jason Gudim, Professor of Practical and Systematic Theology.

Spring '25
Required FLS textbook for Hermeneutics/Expository Preaching 2 course taught by Dr. Jason Gudim, Professor of Practical and Systematic Theology.

SIT 2023
Recommended SIT textbook for The Systems of Systematic Theology session taught by Dr. Jason Gudim.

Fall '22
Recommended FLBC textbook for Theology of the Christian Life course taught by Dr. Jason Gudim.

Fall '20
Recommended FLBC textbook for Theology of the Christian Life course taught by Pr. Brett Boe.

Classic writing by this 16th-century German Lutheran mystic who emphasized living Christianity and taught that God will not bring forth dead fruit. Originally printed in six volumes, this edition includes the first book and excerpts from books two through six.

Summer Institute of Theology 2021

Textbook for Ethics and the Followers of Christ course taught by Dr. Nathan Olson.

Required reading option in Category C for FLS interns.

Is there an area in your life that you want to change, but you don’t know how?

Is there a behavior that you’ve tried to stop, but you just can’t seem to do it?

Is there a negative thought pattern that you have attempted to move on from, but nothing you try ever works?

Is there a relationship that you want to repair, but despite all your best intentions, nothing seems to make things better?

In other words, do you want to change, but feel stuck?

Tim Lane takes you on a nine-step journey towards lasting change. This practical and biblical guidance recognizes that the path to lasting change can only be found by growing in grace as we look to Christ and are empowered by the Holy Spirit. So these steps are much more than self-help strategies: they are truths that are rooted in Scripture.

Whatever your struggle, this warm and encouraging book will empower you to break free from unwanted habits and behaviors that don’t seem to go away.

Use this book on your own, with a friend, or in a one-to-one mentoring relationship. Each step ends with a "work it through" exercise to really help you put what you're reading into practice so that you can make a change in your life that lasts.

Whatever your struggle, this warm and encouraging book will help you to get unstuck as you look to Christ in the day-to-day pressures of life.

Summer Institute of Theology 2020

Textbook for Soul Care I course taught by Pr. Jerry Nelson and Dr. Tim Lane

Wholly Citizens addresses the relation between the church and the world in light of the Reformation teaching of the two realms—especially as presented by Luther. Rather than exploring again the usual texts of Luther from the 1520’s, this book begins with a careful reading of Luther’s Commentary on Psalm 81 (1531), and then considers subsequent interpreters of Luther, both faithful and otherwise, and the dubious legacy they have left the church. The book argues that both the corporate church as well as individual believers are responsible for the world and that each must speak directly about and to the world in meaningful ways. The final section of the book addresses the concrete situation facing believers in the early 21st century in light of faithful Reformation teaching about the two realms. Following this path leads to conclusions not entirely expected, including the forthright rejection of “a wall of separation” between church and state, and also a rebuke of the familiar clamor for the preservation of the rights of Christians and the church. Heedless of the status quo, Wholly Citizens offers an engaging and bracing picture of Christian life in today’s world—a picture framed in theological truth.

Fall '25
Required FLS textbook for Christian Ethics course taught by Dr. Nathan Olson, professor of New Testament and Systematic Theology.

Fall '23
Required FLS textbook for Christian Ethics course taught by Dr. Nathan Olson, Professor of New Testament and Systematic Theology.

SIT 2023
Recommended SIT textbook for The Systems of Systematic Theology session taught by Dr. Jason Gudim.

Fall '22
Recommended FLBC textbook for Theology of the Christian Life course taught by Dr. Jason Gudim.

Fall '21
Required FLS textbook for Christian Ethics course taught by Dr. Nathan Olson.

Summer Institute of Theology 2021

Textbook for Ethics and the Followers of Christ course taught by Dr. Nathan Olson.

Fall '20
Recommended FLBC textbook for Theology of the Christian Life course taught by Pr. Brett Boe.

When’s the last time you stepped up to the counter and ordered one medium-size Jesus, extra generous, and heavy on the bling? Or maybe you like your Jesus supersized! No? Perhaps you prefer yours extra small, and hold the onion please.

Here’s the same question: When’s the last time you took a hammer and a chisel to the Jesus of the Bible and formed Him into your own personal Jesus?

Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up? not only reminds us who the real Jesus of the Bible is, but it also reveals to us twelve false christs who are embraced, loved, promoted, and revered—even by well-meaning Christians.

SIT 2025
Recommended SIT textbook for Session B.
Who Do People Say That I Am?: Studies in Christology (Dr. James Molstre)

Modern worship leaders are restless. They have inherited a model of leadership that equates leading worship with being a rock star. But leading worship is more than a performance, it's about shaping souls and making disciples. Every worship leader is really a pastor.

The Worship Pastor is a practical and biblical introduction to this essential pastoral role. Filled with engaging, illustrative stories it is organized to address questions of theory and practice, striving to balance conversational accessibility with informed instruction. It is meant to be read by pastors, worship leaders, worship teams, and anyone else interested in deepening their understanding and experience of worship.

Spring '25
Required FLS textbook for Worship and Ministerial Acts course taught by Dr. James Molstre, Dean of FLS, and Mr. Andrew Hanson, Director of Music.

Spring '23
Required FLS textbook for Worship and Ministerial Acts course taught by Mr. Andrew Hanson, Director of Music.

Summer Institute of Theology 2021
Textbook for Christ Centered Worship course taught by Dr. Zac Hicks.

Spring '21
Recommended FLBC textbook for Principles of Congregational Life sessions taught by Andrew Hanson.
Required FLS textbook for Ministerial Acts course taught by Dr. James Molstre.

Spring '20
Recommended FLBC textbook for Worship and Music of the Church course taught by Mr. Andrew Hanson, Director of Music.

While primarily geared toward musicians, The Worship Pastor is valuable for anyone with worship service leadership. Each chapter in this book offers a descriptive metaphor on who and what a worship pastor is: church lover, doxological philosopher, prayer leader, theological dietician, caregiver . . . In my mind, the three most valuable topics in this book include: 1) helping develop one’s own philosophy of worship, as well as music within worship; 2) understanding the ebbs and flows of a worship service within any historical structure—how a service moves from the Glory of God, to the Gravity of Sin, to the Grandeur of Grace; and 3) understanding the musicians in our congregations.
—Mr. Andrew Hanson

The AFLC Heritage Series consists of writings that reflect the Lutheran, pietistic, and Scandinavian heritage of the Association of Free Lutheran Congregations. The goal of this series is to include new works, works previously published, and works not previously translated.

Volume I - Romans: A Devotional Commentary
Volume II - Free and Living Congregations: The Dream That Would Not Die
Volume III - They Lived in the Power of God: Lutheran Revival Leaders in Northern Europe
Volume IV - Footprints of the Faithful: Fifty Years of the AFLC Mission in Brazil
Volume V - One Thing I Seek: Selected Writings of Francis W. Monseth
Volume VI - From Freedom to Life: A History of the Association of Free Lutheran Congregations

Available only as a PDF from Seminary Hill Press.

“Youth ministry that doesn’t last a lifetime doesn’t matter very much.”

The real criteria for evaluating youth ministry is this question: Are we consistently introducing teenagers to Jesus and then discipling them into believers who will, for a lifetime, love God, love people, and make disciples for the glory of God?

Everyone who evaluates youth ministry needs to ask a new set of questions. The issue really is not: How is our youth group doing today? Instead, the core question is: How will our youth group be doing for a lifetime?

Most youth pastors love King Jesus supremely and do their work tirelessly. But by employing a sixty-year-old model of youth ministry, the great majority of church teenagers are not becoming world-changing disciples as adults.

Is the church willing to give up comfortable youth ministry for a radically new model that is likely to lead many more teenagers to lifetime faith?

SIT 2024
Recommended SIT textbook for Session C.
Youth/Family Ministry Workshops (Pr. Jordan Langness)

Reminder: Select one recommended resource per session to link to your reflective essay.

Spring '21

Required FLS textbook for Youth and Family Ministry course taught by Dr. Jason Holt.