On Sunday, we're starting a new sermon series called "The Five Solas" and I'm extremely excited! First, the 5 Solas are vital and at the heart of gospel-centered theology and these are doctrines that we hold fast to; coming out of the 16th century Protestant Reformation, the 5 Solas are five latin phrases that make up the following doctrines:

• Sola Scriptura ("Scripture Alone")
-- Scripture alone is our final and ultimate authority in the Christian faith, ethics, and practice. Additionally, it through Scripture that we evaluate both tradition and creeds.

• Sola Fide ("Faith Alone")
-- Salvation is received by faith alone and not by a means of our works.

• Sola Gratia ("Grace Alone")
-- Salvation is a gift of God's grace; only He can freely give and not one that we obtain or earn.

• Solus Christus ("Christ Alone")
-- The means by which we obtain salvation is through Jesus Christ alone; His finished work on the cross for sinners.

• Soli Deo Gloria ("God's Glory Alone")
-- Salvation is totally the work of God thus is given and for the glory of God

I am very excited about this series because I think it'll be a great opportunity for our people to not only hear about some church history--particularly because the Valley has a dense Roman Catholic population and many from our church come from that background--but also because this dives deep into the pages of Scripture and the heart of the church.

My aim isn't to bash the Roman Catholic church. I do believe that we have some brothers and sisters in the Catholic church that love Jesus. However, I do believe it's important to teach briefly on the Protestant Reformation and why we hold to these core doctrines. And I believe the best approach for that is to engage the Word of God.

There is so much reading on these doctrines that you can easily get a hold of several books and articles. I'll hook you up with the list of books I've been in for the past few months as we've prepared this series, hope you enjoy---

RECOMMENDED READING:
• God's Word Alone: The Authority of Scripture by Matthew Barrett
• Faith Alone: The Doctrine of Justification by Thomas Schreiner
• Grace Alone: Salvation as a Gift of God by Carl Trueman
• Christ Alone: The Uniqueness of Jesus as Savior by Stephen Wellum
• God's Glory Alone: The Majestic Heart of Christian Life and Faith by David VanDrunen