Grounded in the Faith: An Essential Guide to Knowing What You Believe and Why Paperback – July 15, 2013

This guide has been an encouragement and blessing to me as I continue to place resources before other men on how they can be about the work of growing in their knowledge of God and helping others along that path.

I absolutely love everything about this book. Over the years, I've examined dozens if not hundreds of books on discipleship and making disciples. While they were all well-intentioned, I found them lacking. I was looking for a user-friendly, engaging book that could be used by new believers individually, in a small group or in, especially, a one-on-one mentoring setting. This is the book. Theologically solid and practical. We'll be using this extensively in our church.

Finally answers to such important questions believers need to understand to grow spiritually! Thanks for including classic authors who speak clearly for others to understand.

Excellent book. Easy to read and understand. It is a great resource for an individual or a Small group or Bible study.

Very user friendly and extremely helpful explaining the doctrines of the Christian faith- "God-centered and Christ-exalting". I highly recommend this book!!

Well written book on how to analyze your personal beliefs.Gordon

Catechism. Even worse, catechesis. These were words that once struck fear into my heart, or if not fear, dread at least. Whatever the emotion, I have had an uneven history with catechisms. I was catechized as a child and as a teen. This involved memorizing questions and answers from the Heidelberg Catechism, then standing before a minister and a class of fellow students to recite what I had learned. "What is your only comfort in life and death?" he would ask. And I would recite, "That I am not my own, but belong in body and soul, both in life and death, to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ..."It is only in adult life that I came to appreciate those Tuesday evenings at the church and those Tuesday afternoons on the school bus, trying desperately to cram those answers into my brain. And it is only more recently still that I came to understand that catechesis is not so much about memorization and rote recital as it is about systematic instruction. Catechizing a child does not demand memorization and recitation, though these may be helpful, but it does demand systematic instruction. The Heidelberg Catechism is not a book to be memorized as much as it is a well-rounded and systematic exposition of the Christian life that is meant to be understood so it may in turn be applied. I am convinced that somewhere, somehow, those classes from long ago are somehow manifesting themselves in my life today.Catechizing has fallen out of favor in most Christian traditions and we are undoubtedly the worse for it. Just a few years ago J.I. Packer offered this perspective, this challenge: "Where wise catechesis has flourished, the church has flourished. Where it has been neglected, the church has floundered."Grounded in the Faith is a new tool for catechesis, that is, for laying a consistent, systematic groundwork for the Christian life. Kenneth Erisman, its author, writes, "The aim of this book is to see the church flourish for the glory of God. We are convinced that by designing this guide to be user-friendly but at the same time keeping Reformation depth, followers of Christ will have a transferable tool to become grounded in the faith."Indeed, they will. In three levels (sections) and twenty-four chapters, Erisman advances from the elementary doctrines of the Christian faith (justification, sanctification, overcoming sin and temptation, and the importance of Scripture) to level two (the inspiration of Scripture, prayer, guidance and the will of God, and the Trinity) and finally to level three (the humanity and divinity of Jesus Christ, perseverance and assurance, the attributes of God and the mystery of God's sovereignty).Each chapter follows a consistent format of listen (read a short lesson), absorb (pause and think) and interact (answer questions of comprehension and application). Every chapter concludes with a section geared toward cultivating spiritual habits such as Scripture reading, praying and memorizing Scripture. It is all packaged in an attractive and contemporary paperback workbook format.But I know you have a greater concern than the format and layout. You want to know about the teaching. The author gave a hint earlier when he wrote of "Reformation depth." Erisman sticks very closely to the doctrine of the Reformation. You can get a good sense of where he goes from the list of sources cited and the list of endorsers. For example, in his discussion of the Trinity he relies primarily on James White with several hat tips to Wayne Grudem, while in two chapters on the sovereignty of God, he cites John Piper, Louis Berkhof, and John Flavel while tracking very closely with R.C. Sproul. Meanwhile, the book carries endorsements from Jerry Bridges (who calls it "an outstanding tool" for discipleship), Bruce Waltke, Sam Storms and Joni Eareckson Tada.Grounded in the Faith is a book you will find useful for one-on-one or group discipleship or, dare I say it, catechesis. It is a book parents may want to use with their children. It is a book for mature believers to go through with and beside new Christians. It is one for pastors to stock up on. It is, as Sam Storm says, "discipleship as it was meant to be: God-centered, Christ-exalting, and solidly grounded in the authority of Holy Scripture." I am excited about it and give it my highest recommendation.

Source: Net Galley, Baker Publishing Group, provided a free copy to me for the purpose of review.Summary:If the following questions were to be asked: Do you know basic Bible doctrine, or why do you believe in Jesus Christ, or what does it mean to live as a Christian? Would you be able to answer them?Many people attend church Sunday after Sunday, maybe they've been coming to church most of their life; yet they don't know what they believe nor why. Maybe they feel that by attending a church service they will absorb all the religion they need. These same people because they lack knowledge: grasp hold of unsound doctrine, they're swept up in political drama, they quote Scripture out of context, and they fall off a cliff when a crisis arises. They are not grounded in their belief.Kenneth Erisman has written a brilliant book that teaches solid doctrine in an applicable format.My Thoughts:I loved every facet of this meaty book.My reasons for giving this book a 5 star review: Each session (chapter): has a stated purpose, three simple step approach, questions that dig deep, examination of scriptures that are applied to our lives, scriptures to memorize, and a journal area. Erisman is a born teacher and it illuminates off the page. Erisman is a patient teacher. I felt as if he were sitting alongside me asking questions and pausing to wait for my reply. He is straightforward and speaks plain. His teaching and explanations are easy to grasp. He is unafraid. His questions are ones I've struggled with asking because I was too timid to ask. His answers really opened up my eyes (so to speak) and I clearly understand some areas I'd not understood fully before. Bible history and archeology findings are given. Erisman quotes: Martin Luther, B. B. Warfield, Dorothy Sayers, J. I. Packer, John Piper, Tim Keller, R. C. Sproul, C. S. Lewis.My favorite sessions including quotes: Session one is on the Ten Commandments. What does it mean "to put God first in your life?" People tend to shape God into what they want Him to be. "The human heart is an idol factory." Session four: "Overcoming Temptation." I loved Erisman's explanation of "old self" and "new self." "You are a new man, with a distinct identity as a new creation in Christ. The tyrannical power of the flesh is broken. It has been dethroned. Now the Spirit of God is the dominant factor, and you have a new identity, a new heart, with a new nature. Although the flesh is still present within you, there is a life changing difference." Session seven: "The Power and Value of the Word." Erisman states several reasons as to why the word of God is important. "God's word is a reference point, a beacon." Five reasons are given as to why scripture is important. Sessions twelve and thirteen: "Knowing God's Will." "A call is an inner desire given by the Holy Spirit, through the word of God, and confirmed by the community of Christ." Seven points are given in knowing how God guides us. Sessions fourteen and fifteen: "The Mystery of the Trinity." His explanation is the best I've read on the Trinity! "Each person of the Trinity is fully God. One being. Three distinct persons." Session eighteen: "Kept by God, Preservation, Perseverance, and Assurance (Part One.)" He taught on mistaken beliefs about salvation, that some people look at it as "fire insurance." We cannot live however we want and "still be right with God...Remember it is God who preserves us." "Why would it be reckless and spiritually dangerous to think that you could persevere in the faith yet neglect the very things that God has told us are so crucial, such as the Word, prayer, service, and on the perseverance of the Saints the gathering together with the church for fellowship, communion, instruction, and worship?"

This title is an excellent overview of key christian teaching. The content is very approachable for a maturing christian or as a refresher for the more advanced.