With all the books and church resources out there, it can be difficult to determine which ones are reliable and which ones are not. The following resources are considered to be reliable resources to grow any believer. It is very important to understand that all of the books that are NOT the Bible are NOT INFALLIBLE! Westwood does not necessarily agree with every word from every author listed below. Therefore, as you read and study these resources, always compare their conclusions and interpretations with the Word of God, which IS INFALLIBLE!

The following resources are considered to be excellent resources to grow any believer, especially those either considering or beginning to lead a Small Group. These resources will give a strong Biblical foundation for several areas and really grow you in knowledge with the goal to grow your passion for the glory of God and His Word.

A Danger to Avoid

A dangerous tendency in the church today is to spend more time in books ABOUT the Bible instead of in the Bible itself. Do not fall into this trap! God does not promise to bless any time in any book except His Own, the Bible! However, there is a healthy time to read books about the Bible. The appropriate way to think about Bible resources is to see them as a tool to help you understand a particular topic or book of the Bible that you have already studied yourself, but would like a deeper understanding. One way of thinking about how and when to use outside resources is to see it as if you are approaching someone you respect Biblically and theologically and asking their opinion of what you are studying or seeking them to guide you in your studies.

Keeping a Missions Mindset 

As you walk through these resources, always have this question in your mind:

IS THE WORD OF GOD GOING TO STOP WITH ME OR MULTIPLY THROUGH ME?