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There's a sickness in us. We are cruel to each other in ways we cannot seem to heal. We have an inveterate kind of unhappiness in our hearts we can't seem to put out. For the last hundred years, the reigning Western understanding of why we are so cruel and unhappy has been that it comes from outside of us, that it comes from conditions. But in the last few decades, the intelligentsia have increasingly admitted there's something deeper than that. The Bible says the problem with human beings is not environmental—that there is a poison in us that's called sin. And we need to understand the symptoms of that poisoning, the symptoms of sin. Let's look today at 1) the symptom of envy, 2) the root cause, and 3) the antidote. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on February 26, 1995. Series: The Seven Deadly Sins. Scripture: Numbers 11:4-6. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.
After he broke his promise to Jesus, Peter wept bitterly. Peter was an absolutely broken man in the profoundest possible way, and yet within weeks he was poised as the leader of a new movement, about to become one of the most influential leaders in the history of the world. What broke Peter like this, and then what restored him so quickly? The answer is the same: promises. Promises are the reason he was broken, and promises are the reason he was restored. And the case of Peter tells us more about the power of commitments than, I think, any other incident in the Scripture. Let's look at what Peter learned: 1) how promises make us, and 2) how we can make promises. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on February 12, 1995. Series: The Seven Deadly Sins. Scripture: Matthew 26:69-75. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.
In sixth century B.C., Nebuchadnezzar was the absolute monarch of the Babylonian empire. He'd built maybe the most incredible city in history. He was at the pinnacle of power, and his life fell apart anyway. And here's the incredible part: he's glad it happened! He praises God for having done it. Do you know why? Because he says, “There was a spiritual cancer in me. There was something in me that was so bad, it was so dangerous, it had poisoned my soul so deeply that even as drastic as the treatment was, it was worth it to get it out of my soul.” What was it? Pride. Spiritual pride. Could it be that we need to know the same lesson he learned? This text teaches us four things: it tells us about 1) the sleep of pride, 2) the heart of pride, 3) the outcome of pride, and 4) the healing of pride. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on February 5, 1995. Series: The Seven Deadly Sins. Scripture: Daniel 4:24-37. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.
Jeremiah is speaking at a time when his society was literally falling apart—politically, psychologically, socially and culturally. Everybody was asking, “What's wrong?” And the answer of God through Jeremiah, was, “It's not the economy. It's sin.” The Bible shows us that sin is a dislocation of the soul. The soul should be centered on God, and all of our problems come from our unwillingness to center on him because we don't want to lose control. So what happens? What are the effects of centering on something else? Jeremiah gives a metaphor of us falling in love with other gods, meaning these other things we center our lives on. And he shows that there are two major consequences: 1) our lover gods will always enslave us, and 2) our lover gods will always leave us empty. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on January 29, 1995. Series: The Seven Deadly Sins. Scripture: Jeremiah 2:19-32. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.
In Jeremiah, the people of Israel were calling out and saying, “What's wrong with us? Why are things falling apart?” And God came through and said, “Let me tell you what's wrong.” In Jeremiah 2, we have the first sermon by the prophet Jeremiah to the people of Israel. It's a sermon to show them why their lives are falling apart, why their culture is falling apart, why their psyches are falling apart, why their families are falling apart. And it's a sermon on sin. There are three things that we learn from this passage about the nature of sin: 1) sin is denial, 2) sin is a disposition, and 3) there is a solution. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on January 22, 1995. Series: The Seven Deadly Sins. Scripture: Jeremiah 2:2-13, 19. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.
It's acceptable now to say, “I am spiritually searching.” But it's not really acceptable to say you've found anything. But the Bible says you can find God. Not just search for God, but find God. And the famous passage about the burning bush, where Moses finds God, is very important—it gives you all of the basic principles for truly finding God. And until the same three things that happened to Moses happen to you, you can't find God. Looking at this passage, we can see three stages: 1) the burning bush is a disrupting event, 2) when Moses gets closer he sees it's an unmanageable power, and 3) in the midst of the burning bush, there's an angel. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on October 4, 1998. Series: When All You've Ever Wanted Isn't Enough. Scripture: Exodus 3:1-14. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.
The Ecclesiastes writer says, “I have sought to construct meaning in life.” He takes the view of a practical secularist—that we don't know for sure if there's a God, and that this life is all there is. And then he asks, “If this life is all there is, does that make life meaningless?” He tells us in Ecclesiastes that he tried to construct meaning by being a cause-based person who fought injustice. He tried to construct meaning by seeking pleasure and beauty. And next, he tries a work-based life, making career and achievement the organizing principle of life. In exploring a work-based life, he finds three things: 1) a life of work is not worth it, 2) why it's not worth it, 3) what is worth it. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on September 27, 1998. Series: When All You've Ever Wanted Isn't Enough. Scripture: Ecclesiastes 2:17–26, 4:4–8. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.
Stephanie welcomes singer-songwriter Melanie Penn for a heartfelt conversation about faith, creativity, and the power of redemptive storytelling through music. Faith, worship, and creativity are deeply intertwined. Whether through music, storytelling, or daily life, God calls us to partner in bringing beauty from brokenness, to be honest in our journeys, and to recognize His redemptive hand at work even in the darkest moments. Melanie Penn shares her unique journey as a worship leader, pointing out that this role can mean different things in different church settings. While she served in a traditional PCA church, at Redeemer Presbyterian under the leadership of late Tim Keller, where the “worship leader” guides congregational singing and scripture, Melanie emphasizes that her primary calling has become storytelling through faith-driven songwriting. She encourages us to widen our understanding of worship leadership—it extends beyond church walls and formal titles, and anyone whose art or actions point others to God partakes in worship leading. Every song Melanie writes is an act of faith. She explains that there's an element of doubt in the creative process, but she repeatedly experiences the Holy Spirit's presence as inspiration and ideas unfold. She calls creativity a “faith-building experience,” mirroring how God brings something tangible from nothing. Melanie invites us all to see all life's creative acts, whether songwriting or problem-solving, as incarnational—reflecting God's own creative nature. Drawing on her earlier album “Immanuel,” Melanie shares how God transformed her loneliest, most painful Christmas into a season of inspired songwriting. It's a personal testament to how God brings beauty from brokenness. However, she wisely cautions against oversimplifying suffering, acknowledging that some redemption stories are not resolved in this life—but faith keeps us trusting. Melanie's latest album, “The Rising,” is a musical journey from Christ's burial to Ascension, told through first-person narratives of biblical characters. The creative sequencing is intentional: each song not only unfolds chronologically but also layers meaning—from Creation to New Creation, as Stephanie observes. Songs like “The Morning” (personifying the resurrection dawn) and “The Man on the Middle Cross” (based on the thief's encounter with grace) invite listeners to see themselves in the redemptive story. Songs spotlighting characters like Peter, Mary Magdalene, and Thomas reflect deep emotional truths. Melanie explores Peter's restoration with gentleness, suggesting Jesus's threefold question—“Do you love me?”—is not punitive but restorative. In the story of Mary Magdalene encountering the risen Christ, the intimacy of Jesus calling her by name is set to music that leaves sacred space for silence and wonder. Thomas's doubt gives voice to modern “deconstruction” struggles, reminding us that doubt and faith often walk hand-in-hand. Melanie's creative process is prayerful and open, often sparked while walking and reflecting with God. She emphasizes the importance of discernment—knowing which ideas to share or hold private—and the value of collaboration in shaping the final message. As Melanie Penn's music invites us, let us step into the biblical narrative, find ourselves in its grace, and join the ongoing song of resurrection and hope. MORE FROM MELANIE PENN Melanie Penn is a classically trained vocalist and songwriter now based in Nashville, TN. For many years she was part of New York's theater scene, and portrayed Sandy in the Broadway national tour of Grease! where she starred alongside legendary actor and entertainer Frankie Avalon. Penn also served as a worship leader at the city's Redeemer Presbyterian Church under the leadership of the late bestselling author and theologian Tim Keller. Penn has released multiple albums in collaboration with producer Ben Shive, including Wake Up Love (2010), Hope Tonight (2015) and More Alive Volume 1 and Volume 2 (2020/2022). Her critically acclaimed 2017 concept project, Immanuel, a journey through the Christmas story, reached #1 on Amazon's Christian, Worship and Holiday Download charts. The Rising: A Resurrection album is her latest project and expected to release throughout 2025. Here is her Christmas worship album (one of Stephanie's favorites!): https://www.melaniepenn.com/immanuel More about Melanie and her latest album, “the Rising”: https://www.melaniepenn.com/ "The Rising" presents a unique artistic approach to one of history's most significant events, with each song written from the first-person perspective of biblical figures who witnessed the resurrection firsthand. Through the voices of Peter, Thomas, Mary Magdalene, and others, Melanie crafts an intimate musical narrative that brings ancient accounts into contemporary focus. The album draws exclusively from Gospel writings, offering listeners an immersive experience that bridges the gap between biblical history and modern worship. Melanie's approach transforms familiar resurrection accounts into personal testimonies, allowing listeners to experience these pivotal moments through the eyes of those who lived them. The Rising features eleven songs, including: Man of Sorrows, Roll That Stone Away, Let There Be Light, Man on the Middle Cross, The Gardener, and I will Come Back for You. Website: https://www.melaniepenn.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melaniepenn/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melaniepennsings/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/melaniepennnyc Album: The Rising – A Resurrection Album, releasing September 19, 2025 We invite you to check out the first episode of each of our series, and decide which one you will want to start with. Go to gospelspice.com for more, and go especially to gospelspice.com/podcast to enjoy our guests! Interested in our blog? Click here: gospelspice.com/blog Identity in the battle | Ephesians https://www.podcastics.com/episode/372022/link/ Malachi: Messenger to Messiah https://www.podcastics.com/episode/356130/link/ Wisdom from the Book of Proverbs https://www.podcastics.com/episode/324347/link/ Come to the Table | The Feasts Jesus celebrated https://www.podcastics.com/episode/309956/link/ Delightfully French | Embrace Scripture like never before! https://www.podcastics.com/episode/281545/link/ You are invited to join us on the Gospel Spice Prayer Bible Study, titled "The heart behind prayer" starting September 20, 2025! Details and registration here: https://www.gospelspice.com/prayer There are a few things in our Christian life that we know we should do more, or at least better – and prayer just might top the list. Prayer is a mystery. Why would a conversation with a human have any influence on God's eternal, sovereign plan? It defies logic, and beckons love. How can God, the Almighty Lord of Hosts, be this close, this personal? It defies understanding, and beckons involvement. But, lack of time, inspiration, and discipline, combined with the ruthless tyranny of our busy lives, push prayer to the periphery, to the “one day I'll get to it” pile. And yet, we can excel at what we endeavor to undertake. So, why isn't prayer more of a spiritual priority? Could we develop a mindset around prayer that made it attractive, inspiring, even maybe delightful? What if we attuned our spiritual ears to listen to God, and our spiritual eyes to see His provision? As an unassuming student, I'm going to humbly offer to share the little I have learned from others about the joy of prayer. I will give us theology, practical tips, and useful resources, sharing what works for me as we, together, learn to pray. If you find prayer intimidating, or if your lack of prayer makes you feel guilty or “less than,” then this is the place for you! If you have been a student of prayer for many years, this is the place for you too! If you have breath in your lungs, then prayer can become one of the deepest joys of your day. Don't miss out! A PERSPECTIVE ABOUT PRAYER To pray is to believe that God not only hears, but that He responds. It is to stand in the gap for a broken world, wielding the authority of Christ, empowered by the Spirit, and trusting in the goodness of the Father. The question is not whether prayer works, but whether we are willing to pray the kinds of prayers that invite God's Kingdom into the darkest places of the earth—and of our own hearts. We may never fully understand the mechanics of prayer, or how it intersects with God's sovereignty, but we are not called to understand everything. We are called to be faithful. And faithfulness means showing up—in prayer, in persistence, in expectation. So today, let us pray not only for the comfort of our hearts, but for the transformation of the world. Let us take our place as image-bearers, co-laborers, and co-heirs. Let us believe that God is still listening—and still acting. Because He is. There's only one way to find out what might happen when we truly pray like this. Let's begin. THE MINDSET BEHIND THIS COURSE Before we begin, let me tell you the obvious: I don't really know how to pray. I'm a humble student and absolute beginner at the holy endeavor that is prayer. So, this course isn't really about what I've learned, or any wisdom I might have gathered. But, I've sat at the feet of many prayer warriors over the decades, through books and teachings. So, I'll share what I learned from them. Humility is going to be our primary heart posture! With each lesson, I will offer a few thoughts, practices, and ideas – with much humility, and not taking myself too seriously. I will also share her favorite books and resources about prayer. FInally, I will introduce you to some of the most influential prayer warriors of our history as the Body of Christ. Most importantly, I will invite YOU to pray! Learning to pray comes from praying. Our humble ambition is to inspire you to pray, and to give you a few tips on how to do that. Then, it's up to you! Prayer is a lifelong endeavor. Let's make it delightful together! So, let's get started. You are invited to join us on the Gospel Spice Prayer Bible Study, titled "The heart behind prayer" starting September 20, 2025! Details and registration here: https://www.gospelspice.com/prayer There are a few things in our Christian life that we know we should do more, or at least better – and prayer just might top the list. Prayer is a mystery. Why would a conversation with a human have any influence on God's eternal, sovereign plan? It defies logic, and beckons love. How can God, the Almighty Lord of Hosts, be this close, this personal? It defies understanding, and beckons involvement. But, lack of time, inspiration, and discipline, combined with the ruthless tyranny of our busy lives, push prayer to the periphery, to the “one day I'll get to it” pile. And yet, we can excel at what we endeavor to undertake. So, why isn't prayer more of a spiritual priority? Could we develop a mindset around prayer that made it attractive, inspiring, even maybe delightful? What if we attuned our spiritual ears to listen to God, and our spiritual eyes to see His provision? As an unassuming student, I'm going to humbly offer to share the little I have learned from others about the joy of prayer. I will give us theology, practical tips, and useful resources, sharing what works for me as we, together, learn to pray. If you find prayer intimidating, or if your lack of prayer makes you feel guilty or “less than,” then this is the place for you! If you have been a student of prayer for many years, this is the place for you too! If you have breath in your lungs, then prayer can become one of the deepest joys of your day. Don't miss out! A PERSPECTIVE ABOUT PRAYER To pray is to believe that God not only hears, but that He responds. It is to stand in the gap for a broken world, wielding the authority of Christ, empowered by the Spirit, and trusting in the goodness of the Father. The question is not whether prayer works, but whether we are willing to pray the kinds of prayers that invite God's Kingdom into the darkest places of the earth—and of our own hearts. We may never fully understand the mechanics of prayer, or how it intersects with God's sovereignty, but we are not called to understand everything. We are called to be faithful. And faithfulness means showing up—in prayer, in persistence, in expectation. So today, let us pray not only for the comfort of our hearts, but for the transformation of the world. Let us take our place as image-bearers, co-laborers, and co-heirs. Let us believe that God is still listening—and still acting. Because He is. There's only one way to find out what might happen when we truly pray like this. Let's begin. THE MINDSET BEHIND THIS COURSE Before we begin, let me tell you the obvious: I don't really know how to pray. I'm a humble student and absolute beginner at the holy endeavor that is prayer. So, this course isn't really about what I've learned, or any wisdom I might have gathered. But, I've sat at the feet of many prayer warriors over the decades, through books and teachings. So, I'll share what I learned from them. Humility is going to be our primary heart posture! With each lesson, I will offer a few thoughts, practices, and ideas – with much humility, and not taking myself too seriously. I will also share her favorite books and resources about prayer. FInally, I will introduce you to some of the most influential prayer warriors of our history as the Body of Christ. Most importantly, I will invite YOU to pray! Learning to pray comes from praying. Our humble ambition is to inspire you to pray, and to give you a few tips on how to do that. Then, it's up to you! Prayer is a lifelong endeavor. Let's make it delightful together! So, let's get started. Support us on Gospel Spice, PayPal and Venmo!
When you go on a spiritual search, there are problems people always run into. One of them is the problem of pain. But there's also the problem of pleasure. I don't think I've ever really talked to anybody who said, “I have trouble believing in God because of pleasure. Why is there pleasure in the world?” But my thesis, and the Ecclesiastes writer's thesis, is that it should bother you, because pleasure is a huge problem. The Ecclesiastes writer teaches us three things about pleasure: 1) what pleasure promises, 2) why it fails, and 3) how it points beyond. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on September 20, 1998. Series: When All You've Ever Wanted Isn't Enough. Scripture: Ecclesiastes 2:1–11, 3:10–14. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.
If you're on a spiritual search, there's no better place to go than the book of Ecclesiastes. In the entire Bible, it's the only book written from the viewpoint of a skeptic. The writer of Ecclesiastes asks, “If this life is all here is, what meaning is there in life?” To explore that, he looks at several questions we all have to answer in some way. The first of these is how we deal with the injustice and suffering we see in the world. How do you deal with injustice? The Ecclesiastes writer 1) refuses to let you avoid the question of injustice, and 2) gives us clues to two answers for how to deal with injustice. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on September 13, 1998. Series: When All You've Ever Wanted Isn't Enough. Scripture: Ecclesiastes 9:2–16. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.
When you're young, there are probably things you're sure would never happen to you, or things you're sure you or friends would never do. But usually, as we get older, we begin to wonder whether there's any rhyme or reason to life. Scientifically, they now say life is chaotic, that there is nothing but disorder. That's both the practical and the intellectual perception. But Christianity has the most wonderful, the most sophisticated, and the most decisive answer to that perception: Jesus is King. When we see our lives and history looking chaotic, the Bible comes and says to us, “Calm down. There's an explanation.” Let me show you how the two aspects of the kingship of Christ make up this most wonderful answer: 1) Jesus Christ has a kingdom coming, and 2) Jesus is King right now of history. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on January 30, 1994. Series: Understanding Jesus. Scripture: Ephesians 1:9–12. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.
Jesus Christ carries out his office of King in two different ways. He carries it out spiritually in the hearts of his people, and he carries it out cosmically in history. We're going to look now at the first of these: how Jesus Christ approaches the human heart. And 2 Corinthians 10 describes this approach in an interesting way. Let's look at this passage to see 1) what it's describing implicitly, and 2) what it's describing explicitly. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on January 23, 1994. Series: Understanding Jesus. Scripture: 2 Corinthians 10:1–6. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.
Many people today think of Christianity as a set of beliefs you take up, something you decide upon. But the Bible says Christianity is something that comes upon you. It's not something you pick up—it's something that picks you up. Jesus Christ is not a passive Savior. Jesus is not someone who sits back and waits for you to figure it out. He is a revealer. He makes a provision for us, he comes after us, and he shows us the truth. Let's look at this prophetic ministry of Christ: 1) what he does, 2) why he does it, and 3) how he does it. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on January 16, 1994. Series: Understanding Jesus. Scripture: Luke 24:44–53. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.
By saying Jesus is a prophet, we mean he is a revealer. He communicates truth. He's the revealer of who God is and what his will is. As a prophet, Jesus comes and speaks to you and to me for God. Even though Jesus is far more than a prophet, he is a prophet. And the fact that Jesus is a prophet shows us that we have a God who speaks to us. Let's look at two aspects of Jesus as a prophet: 1) what are prophets? and 2) why is Jesus the ultimate prophet? This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on January 9, 1994. Series: Understanding Jesus. Scripture: Acts 3:17–26. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.
In English, the word Immanuel has only eight letters. Yet I tell you it is heavier than the heavens and the earth. In that one word, Immanuel, you have the most offensive and the most comforting, the most repulsive and the most attractive message the world has ever heard. It means “God with us.” Let's see how this message 1) is the most repulsive because it says Jesus Christ is God, and 2) is the most attractive because it says Jesus Christ is God with us. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on December 19, 1993. Series: Understanding Jesus. Scripture: Matthew 1:20–23. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.
Jesus Christ was not just born. He had an existence before he was born; and therefore, Jesus was not just born—he was given to us. Jesus is the one gift that, if you have it, you have all the other gifts. Jesus is the one gift that, if you reject it, you lose all other gifts. The apostle Paul says that Jesus is the inexpressible gift. By thinking about Jesus as a gift, I think we'll come to understand more of who he is and how we should relate to him. So let's look at three essential qualities of a gift: 1) gifts are surprises, 2) gifts can be insulting, and 3) gifts are immensely valuable. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on December 19, 1993. Series: Understanding Jesus. Scripture: Romans 8:32. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.
The context of Psalm 2 is that the king has been installed in Jerusalem, but all the foreign kings are hostile and conspiring against this king. If you read it carefully, you'll see that no earthly king can completely justify the fury of the threats, and no earthly king can completely justify the glory of the promises given. The language of the psalm, you might say, spills out over its banks. Psalm 2 is one of the messianic psalms. In verse 2, it says, “The kings of the earth take their stand […] against the Lord and against his Anointed One.” Do you know what the word Anointed One is in Hebrew? It means Messiah. This psalm is talking about the greater King. And it actually tells us three things: 1) we have a true King, 2) human beings hate the King, and 3) we need the King. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on December 12, 1993. Series: Understanding Jesus. Scripture: Psalm 2. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.
In Psalm 69, we have the prayer diary of Jesus and an expression of his anguish and his sufferings for us. This psalm, of course, is written by David, and it's about King David and his immediate problems. But it actually doesn't refer only to David—it also refers to a greater king than David and a far greater suffering. In John 15, Jesus tells his disciples that this psalm is talking about him. From this psalm, we can learn three things about what Jesus came to do: 1) he came to be a servant, 2) he came to be hated, and 3) he came to be exchanged. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on December 5, 1993. Series: Understanding Jesus. Scripture: Psalm 69. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.
At the end of the end of the last of Moses' sermons, he says something so simple that it's difficult. Moses starts saying, “I'm offering you this personal relationship with God.” He's saying, “It's not too difficult. It's near you. You don't have to go up to heaven. You don't have to go over the sea.” And actually, people miss this personal relationship with God because it's so simple; the simplicity is its difficulty. We're going to see here, when it comes to this personal, covenant relationship with God, 1) its deceptive ordinariness, 2) its threatening graciousness, and yet 3) its unimaginable promise. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on September 23, 2007. Series: The New Heart God Gives. Scripture: Deuteronomy 30:11-20. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.
When you're about to die, there are no tangents; you get right to the point. You only say the things that are the most important that you've ever learned in your whole life. Here, at the very end of the end of his sermons, at the very end of the book of Deuteronomy, Moses gets to the most crucial things he could possibly tell anyone. Here he gives us the solution to what could be called the ultimate human problem. So let's ask 1) What's that problem? 2) What's the solution? 3) How do you know if you have it? and 4) If you don't, how can you receive it? This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on September 16, 2007. Series: The New Heart God Gives. Scripture: Deuteronomy 30:1-10. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.
If the last thing, practically, that Moses said before he died was, “You need to be in a covenant relationship with God,” then it would behoove us to figure out what that is. What is a covenant relationship with God? In Deuteronomy, we have a series of sermons that Moses preached just before he died. And Moses thought a covenant relationship with God was that important — that this would be almost the last thing he said. In this passage, we learn three things: 1) the uniqueness of the covenant, 2) the mystery surrounding the covenant, and 3) the hero of the covenant. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on September 9, 2007. Series: The New Heart God Gives. Scripture: Deuteronomy 29:2-4, 9-18. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.
If we look at Jesus Christ, at the case for Jesus being who he said he is, there are five things to see. First, there was a man who claimed to be God. Second, he apparently did miracles. Third, he got the people closest to him to believe he was God. Fourth, after he was dead, many people saw him risen to life again. And fifth, those people were so transformed by the experience of meeting that risen Savior that they spread the word everywhere. How do you account for those five facts, for the data of who Jesus is? You have to come up with something. There are only five options for how you account for this. We'll look at these five options, and what they mean for us. This talk was given by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on May 1, 1994. Series: Redeemer Open Forums. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.
In John 5, Jesus heals a lame man, and then he begins to teach about himself. He makes some astounding claims, and the people challenge him. “Why should we believe you?” In the context of Jewish jurisprudence, if a claim was made, you had to have two or three corroborating witnesses. Jesus responds to the people's challenge with three: John the Baptist, Jesus' own works, and the scriptures. In the process of looking at what he says here, we learn three things Jesus himself believed about the scripture. Jesus believes in the Bible's 1) complete authority, 2) unity, and 3) vitality and power. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on November 24, 2013. Series: A Public Faith. Scripture: John 5:31-47. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.
You can't talk publicly about Christianity unless at some point you get down to say, “Well, what is it?” There's great consensus that 1 Corinthians was written just 20 years after the death of Jesus Christ. So when Paul says he's summarizing the message the Corinthians heard and believed before this, he's talking about something that happened a handful of years after Jesus' death. If you want to get down to the irreducible core of what Christianity is about, here it is in this passage. This is the gospel. The gospel is about 1) Jesus, 2) sin and substitution, 3) history and resurrection, and 4) astonishing, transforming grace. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on November 10, 2013. Series: A Public Faith. Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.
One of the best ways of having a discussion about faith is to not simply talk about what you believe, but also how you came to believe it. Not just the content, but the process or the journey you went on. It's often very helpful, because everybody is on a journey. We're looking now at a famous passage: Moses and the burning bush. Moses already believes in God, but until this, he's never encountered him. This is Moses' conversion experience: he actually meets God. Four things bring Moses to this moment, and they're the same four things the Bible says usually have to happen if you're going to meet God. What are they? They are 1) a disrupting sight, 2) an expanding concept, 3) a personal problem, and 4) a surprising grace. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on November 3, 2013. Series: A Public Faith. Scripture: Exodus 3:1-14. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.
We all have very strong moral convictions about what we think is right and wrong. And in a pluralistic society, we need to find ways of sharing our beliefs and being honest about who we are in a way that's respectful and promotes peace. One of the ways we can make for a more civil conversation is to ask a more fundamental question: Where do you get your moral convictions? How do you determine what is right and wrong? There's almost no place I know that has a more interesting answer to this question than Romans 2. It tells us three things: 1) no one can succeed in being a relativist, 2) no one can really succeed in being a moralist, and therefore, 3) this is our only hope. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on October 27, 2013. Series: A Public Faith. Scripture: Romans 2:12-29. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.
If we're going to have a truly open society, we have to learn how to be public about our deepest faith beliefs, and yet to do so in a way that's respectful to others and promotes peace. So how do you talk about God and God's existence? One way to talk about this with more reflection is not to ask, “Does God exist?” but to ask, “How do you know whether God exists?” I don't think there's any more brilliant answer to the question, “How can we know whether God exists?” than in Romans 1. Paul actually gives four answers, all at once. He says, 1) we can know God, 2) we do know God, 3) we don't know God, and 4) we can truly know God. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on October 20, 2013. Series: A Public Faith. Scripture: Romans 1:16-21. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.
To become a mature society in which we're able to talk about faith, we also have to be able to talk about doubt. We don't get much help here from either religious people or secular people. Religious people tend to see doubt as a bad thing. And secular people tend to think perennial doubt is the only sophisticated position. However, what the Bible says about doubt is unique, nuanced, and multidimensional. The Bible sees doubt as something that's not all good and not all bad. Only when you begin to see it in a nuanced way can it be something through which we make progress. Let's look at doubt in this famous psalm of Asaph: 1) what is it? 2) what causes it? and 3) what transforms it? This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on October 13, 2013. Series: A Public Faith. Scripture: Psalm 73:1-3, 12-26. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.
Ecclesiastes is one of the most confusing books in the world. It depicts a very disillusioned man. And you may be saying, “Is the Bible really saying all human life is pointless?” To understand what's going on here, we need to keep two things in mind. The author of Ecclesiastes is called qoheleth, which basically means professor. And he's doing a thought experiment. So Ecclesiastes is a set of thought experiments in which the professor is saying, “Let's imagine living like this. Does that work?” If we want to understand what Ecclesiastes is after, we need to look at its thought experiments. So let's look at it this way: 1) there's a major thought experiment, 2) with a lesson, and 3) there's a small thought experiment, and then 4) an arrow or a pointer. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on October 6, 2013. Series: A Public Faith. Scripture: Ecclesiastes 2:9-26. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.
We live in a pluralistic society, so we must ask this question: how can people be true to themselves and still get along? No matter who you are, if you care about the social fabric, that's a huge question to answer. My goal is to show Christians how they can be part of the solution. We're going to look at the subject of public faith. In John 4, we see that immediately after speaking to the Samaritan woman at the well, Jesus talks to his disciples and gets really metaphorical. He talks about spiritual sowing and reaping. What's he trying to get across? If we delve into it, we see that Jesus gives us 1) a call to spiritual sowing of seed, 2) the method of doing it, and then 3) the power, or the inner motivation, for doing it. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on September 29, 2013. Series: A Public Faith. Scripture: John 4:27-42. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.
It's very common for people, even those who want to live the Christian life, to feel they have to check their brains at the door if they're going to believe. Often, we hear this basic approach to the Bible: the gospels were written down after years of legends, so we don't really know how much of them are true. But let me give you a case that the Jesus the Bible shows you is historically reliable. Here is the case in three stages: 1) if you look at what the gospels claim, you'll see they're not written as legends or fiction; they're either historical accounts or a deliberate hoax, 2) we now know now that all of the gospels were written within the lifetime of eyewitnesses, and 3) the same rules of historiography that are used on other documents of antiquity show the gospels to be trustworthy. This talk was given by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on December 4, 1994. Series: Redeemer Open Forums. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.
We live in a culture of choice. In our individualistic culture, our place and our parents and our social location don't determine everything that we can do. We have some choices. Choices! What does that mean? That means we've never needed wisdom more than we do now, because wisdom is the ability to make wise choices. Proverbs 4 shows us that if we want to lead a life of wisdom, our lives will be characterized by three things: 1) a glorious fight, 2) a guarded heart, and 3) a living word. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on September 22, 2013. Series: Wisdom in Life. Scripture: Proverbs 4:5-9, 14-27. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.
We live in a culture in which there are more choices than there ever have been. But you can be incredibly good, moral, and knowledgeable and still make pretty stupid choices. Wisdom is knowing the right thing to do in the 80 percent of choices that the moral rules don't directly apply to. What you need in order to make good choices is wisdom. In Proverbs 3 we learn 1) where wisdom develops, 2) the vehicles through which wisdom develops, and 3) the catalyst that sparks and fuels them all. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on September 15, 2013. Series: Wisdom in Life. Scripture: Proverbs 3:1-8, 11-12. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.
There are choices everywhere, just zillions and zillions of choices. And if you don't make good choices, it can be very destructive. Bad choices blow up on you. Every choice is like a fork in the road, and once you make it, you really can't go back to where you were. What does it take to make good choices? It takes wisdom. And the book of Proverbs is perhaps the most famous text in the world on wisdom. If we look at Proverbs 1, we can see the basics: 1) what wisdom is, 2) why it's important, 3) why it's a problem, and 4) where you can find it. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on September 8, 2013. Series: Wisdom in Life. Scripture: Proverbs 1:1-9, 22, 32-33. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.
The trouble with the Sermon on the Mount is it's so familiar that almost nobody listens to it, almost nobody knows what it's saying. How do we know that? At the very end of the sermon, it says the crowds were amazed at Jesus's teaching. And that word, “amazed,” in Greek meant thunderstruck, shocked, astounded. That's the prevailing way people responded. Have you been thunderstruck? Are you shocked by it? If you're not astounded, you haven't listened to it. So let's listen to it. There are basically three great things Jesus says that are utterly astounding: 1) that there are two ways, two options spiritually, 2) that at the end of those two ways, there's a judge, and 3) that at the end of that judgment, there's a sentence. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on May 23, 1999. Series: The Mount; Life in the Kingdom. Scripture: Matthew 7:15-29. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.
There's no one section where Jesus lays out how a relationship with him radically changes our human relationships and forms a new, deep, radical human community in Christ. It's not in one place — it's all throughout the Sermon on the Mount. The Sermon on the Mount is really a description of a new kind of community. What does Jesus teach us about this radical new community that is formed by his gospel message? When it comes into your life, how does it create this new community between those who believe in Jesus? Jesus teaches us four things: 1) the necessity of this new community, 2) the intensity of this new community, 3) the symmetry of this new community, and 4) the causality of this new community. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on May 16, 1999. Series: The Mount; Life in the Kingdom. Scripture: Matthew 5:21-24, 45-48; 7:1-6. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.
When people say, “I've tried prayer, and it didn't work,” what Jesus is saying is, “You used prayer, not the way I designed it, but with a false model of spirituality.” For Jesus, the importance of prayer is revealed in a little unobtrusive word at the beginning of this passage in the Sermon on the Mount: the little word “and.” Right before Jesus talks about prayer, he talks about our engagement with the poor and the needs of the world. Then he says, “And when you pray …” Because in Jesus' understanding, it's the people who are characterized by the most radical interiority who have the most courageous, visionary engagement with the needs of the world. And before Jesus gives us a model of prayer, the famous Lord's Prayer, he tells us two other models of prayer that we should avoid. Let's look at 1) the two false models, 2) the true model, and 3) a few practical ideas on how to go about it. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on May 9, 1999. Series: The Mount; Life in the Kingdom. Scripture: Matthew 6:5-13. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.
If we actually take the gospel, the essential message of Jesus Christ, and we live it out, what will it look like? That's what the Sermon on the Mount is about. And in this part of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, we get to the area of money and possessions. Jesus tells us three things we can draw out here: 1) how money exercises power over us, 2) why money exercises power over us, and 3) how we can break the power. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on May 2, 1999. Series: The Mount; Life in the Kingdom. Scripture: Matthew 6:19-34. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.
On the surface, one of the most unattractive things about Christianity to our culture today is its view of sex; but if you look underneath the surface and get a better grasp on what is really taught, the Christian view of sex is one of the most attractive things about it. In other words, a lot of people see the Christian understanding of sex as undermining its credibility to them, but when you look down deeper, I think you're actually going to see the Christian view of sex is one of the evidences for its truth. Because Christianity accounts for how sex operates in our lives, in our relationships, and in our society. Let's draw out four things Jesus is saying about this in the Sermon on the Mount: 1) there is such a thing as lust, 2) what it's not, 3) what it is, and 4) how it can be healed. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on April 25, 1999. Series: The Mount; Life in the Kingdom. Scripture: Matthew 5:27-30. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.
Do you understand what your heart is really like? In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is saying that the reason we're inauthentic or hiding from other people is because we're actually being inauthentic with ourselves, hiding from ourselves. We're deeply uncomfortable with the reality of our own hearts. Jesus wouldn't mention hypocrisy in the Sermon on the Mount unless he thought it was a pervasive issue, something we're all struggling with. Jesus says this is the way we are, that there's a real problem and the human heart desperately wants to get into image management. Let's look at how Jesus shows us 1) two manifestations of hypocrisy, 2) how you can't stand to see what's in your own heart, 3) how you know the plank in your own heart is huge, and 4) how to remove the plank from your heart. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on April 18, 1999. Series: The Mount; Life in the Kingdom. Scripture: Luke 6:39-49. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.
As soon as you hear the word relationships, right away you say, “Ah, relationships,” and you think of friendship or romance. But the main purpose of the Sermon on the Mount is to talk about our relationships to other people, to those outside of our close relationships. Right away, Jesus talks about three groups of people. And when we see how Jesus calls us to be toward them, we're immediately shocked and upset. Many of us will say, “First of all, I can't do it. And if I did, it sounds terrible.” And almost as if Jesus knows we'll say that, he tells us three things. Let's look at 1) the three groups of people: people who oppose us, people who are less fortunate than us, and people who are different from us, and then 2) the three things Jesus tells us: the difficulty we have, the inner dynamic we need, and the directions we're given. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on April 11, 1999. Series: The Mount; Life in the Kingdom. Scripture: Luke 6:27-38. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.
What is the meaning of the resurrection of Jesus? In 1 Corinthians 15, there are three basic things Paul says about the resurrection as he answers three questions. We must confront these three questions about Jesus' resurrection: 1) did it happen? 2) what did it accomplish? and 3) what should we do about it? This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on April 4, 1999. Series: The Mount; Life in the Kingdom. Scripture: 1 Corinthians 15:3-6, 20-26, 51-58. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.
Christianity is utterly different from religion. At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says there are two paths—one that leads to life and one that leads to destruction. And here's what the scary thing is: both ways have people praying, giving to the poor, obeying God's law. You can do all that and still be poison, on your way to destruction. Don't mistake Christianity for religion. Jesus says if you want to be in the kingdom of heaven, there's a gospel goodness that vastly surpasses religious righteousness. How does it surpass? Gospel goodness 1) brighter, 2) deeper, 3) sweeter, and 4) higher. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on March 28, 1999. Series: The Mount; Life in the Kingdom. Scripture: Matthew 5:11-20. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.
Jesus introduces a revolutionary kingdom in the Sermon on the Mount. He contrasts the pattern, power, and product of two kingdoms: the old one which we are currently under, and the new one which is to come. Jesus' teaching goes against every natural instinct, and represents a reversal of the world's values. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on March 21, 1999. Series: The Mount; Life in the Kingdom. Scripture: Luke 6:17-26. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.