Podcast appearances and mentions of Timothy Keller

Does becoming a Christian mean the end of your freedom? Is a relationship with Jesus Christ a radical challenge to your freedom? The answer is yes and no. But ultimately, no. Now I know somebody's going to say that sounds like an ambiguous answer, but actually, it's a complex answer.  In John 8, Jesus teaches about freedom. Jesus shows us 1) the complexity of freedom, 2) the enemy of freedom, 3) the ultimate source of freedom and the true liberator. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on October 2, 2016. Series: Jesus, Mission, and Glory: New Purpose. Scripture: John 8:31-36; 56-59. 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're looking at the last sermon that Jesus Christ preached publicly to the world at large. And when you know this is the end, that you're never going to speak to people again before you die, you usually say the things that are most important to you.  There are three ideas that Jesus gets across in this passage. They are not easy messages for the world to hear, but they're brilliant.  Jesus is saying three things: 1) you need my power to believe, 2) you need my light for your darkness, and 3) the only hope you have is the judgment of God.  This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on September 25, 2016. Series: Jesus, Mission, and Glory: New Purpose. Scripture: John 12:37-50. 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.

According to the Bible, there's nothing more eminent than the glory of God. But that term is so remote to us now. Most Christians have heard of doing things for the glory of God, but what does that mean?  Do you want to have meaning in life? Do you have some need for deep personal change? Are you concerned about justice in the world? The key to all those things is the glory of God. We see in John 12 that to live for the glory of God is to 1) treat God as supremely important, and 2) see God's beauty. And then we see 3) how to do it. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on September 18, 2016. Series: Jesus, Mission, and Glory: New Purpose. Scripture: John 12:27-36. 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 first glance, Psalm 111 seems to be a generic recitation of the great things God has done for his people. But there's more to it than meets the eye. If you read consecutively, Psalm 111 and 112 look a lot alike—and there are remarkable links between the two.  Psalm 111 describes the great God, and Psalm 112 describes a great, flourishing, happy life. The links between the two are unmistakable. If you want the life of Psalm 112, you need to know the God of Psalm 111.  This psalm teaches us about 1) a powerful, involved God, 2) a supernaturally changed life, and 3) the way to connect the power of God to your life. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on August 25, 2013. Series: Open My Lips: Studies in the Psalms. Scripture: Psalm 111. 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.

Psalm 96 is an astonishingly happy psalm. It depicts joy and rejoicing for the whole human race, and not just for everyone, but for everything—even the trees, the fields, the mountains, the earth, and the seas are filled with joy and rejoicing.  But this isn't the world the way we know it—where there are hurricanes, natural disasters, diseases, and death. So how do we get from where we are to there? Is this nothing but an inaccessible, crazy idea, or is it possible to get to a world like this?  In order to find the answer to that question, we need to look at the psalm itself, which is a series of invitations. Let's look at the call 1) to see, 2) to sing, and 3) to rejoice in judgment. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on August 18, 2013. Series: Open My Lips: Studies in the Psalms. Scripture: Psalm 96. 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.

Romans 8 tells us it's possible for us to experience God because of the work of the Holy Spirit. At the end of the chapter, we get to the heart of the Holy Spirit's job: to assure us that nothing can separate us from the love of God. If this is the main job of the Holy Spirit, it means that your main problem tonight is that you're not persuaded. At every level, the Spirit works to convince us. And we need to hear the Spirit's arguments because there will always be 1) the inside problem, and 2) the outside problem. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on April 13, 1997. Series: Lessons in Drawing Near. Scripture: Romans 8:31-39. 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.

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Watch Randy Robison from LIFE Today Live To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.lightsource.com/donate/872/29

We're in a series on experiencing God, and we're looking at the work of the Holy Spirit. The main job of the Holy Spirit is to assure you that you are a child of the King—to assure you that you belong to him, that you're his child, that he loves you.  The three great ministries of the Holy Spirit, which are all assurance ministries, are 1) the ministry of regeneration, 2) the ministry of sanctification, and 3) the ministry of high assurance and power. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on April 6, 1997. Series: Lessons in Drawing Near. Scripture: Romans 8:1-17. 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're looking at what it means to experience God. To be a Christian is to be indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Not just to be helped by the Holy Spirit, not just to be inspired by the Holy Spirit, but to be indwelt.  Today, we're going to look at how we increase spiritual dynamics in our lives. What are the basic dynamics which, when they're heightened, heighten spiritual vitality? If we are to walk in the Spirit, we will be involved in two processes: 1) mortification, which is putting to death the deeds of the sinful nature, and 2) aspiration, which is setting your heart and mind on the things of the Spirit. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on March 23, 1997. Series: Lessons in Drawing Near. Scripture: Romans 8:1-14. 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're looking at what it means to experience God. The reason we say Christianity is an extremely experiential religion is because the Bible says when we become Christians, we're indwelt by the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit resides in you—as a permanent resident.  As we look at Romans 8, we're taught 1) who the Holy Spirit is, and 2) what it means that he resides in you. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on March 16, 1997. Series: Lessons in Drawing Near. Scripture: Romans 8:1-11. 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.

How do you actually experience God? How do you sense his presence in your life? If you want to understand the key to real experience of God, the Holy Spirit is the key. Romans 8 shows us that the Holy Spirit's job is to convince you and to show you nothing can separate you from the love of God, because the Spirit unites us with what Jesus Christ has done.  In Romans 8, we see that 1) we continue to struggle with sin, but 2) there is no condemnation. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on March 9, 1997. Series: Lessons in Drawing Near. Romans 8:1-4. 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're in a series on experiencing God. And we've talked about experiencing God's presence in prayer, in guidance, and in suffering. But how do we get the presence of God in prayer, and in guidance, and in suffering?  Repentance is the secret. Repentance is the way to experience God's presence in everything.  In Psalm 32, we look at experiencing God through repentance. In it, we see 1) the power of guilt, 2) the power of repentance, and 3) the process of repentance. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on February 23, 1997. Series: Lessons in Drawing Near. Scripture: Psalm 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.

Transcript:Hello, this is Pastor Don of Christ Redeemer Church. Welcome to The Kingdom Perspective.Historical observers have noted that Western civilization has, what we might call, a “progressive” element—it tends to be positive toward the future. There is an assumption in the West that history is going somewhere good—that we expect things to get better and that the best is yet to come. Where does that optimistic spirit come from? Many scholars suggest that it comes from the West marinating in the Christian ethos for so many centuries. Christianity is an optimistic, forward looking, and freedom-loving religion. Unlike many other worldviews, Christianity teaches that the world is heading toward a bright future where all evil will be banished, and the just and merciful reign of Jesus will spread from seas to shining sea. It seems to me that this progressive spirit has borne the fruit of many secular benefits.Now, to be clear, this is not to say there are not reasons to be negative about the history of the West and the Christians that populated its landscape. Slavery, rapacious colonialism, genocide—to name a few—are all fair critiques. Sin is everywhere and in everyone. Nonetheless, any reasonable reading of history has to note that these negatives are not unique to the West. What's unique is the progressive spirit that has fought against these evils—in many instances all but eradicating them. These negatives are not caused by the West's Christian heritage. Rather, a good argument can be made that it is precisely the influence of Christianity that enabled the West to battle them so effectively (to investigate this claim, see, e.g. Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World's Largest Religion by Rebecca McLaughlin, Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World by Tom Holland, Timothy Keller's chapter in “The Church is Responsible for So Much Injustice” in The Reason for God, Why You Think the Way You Do: The Story of Western Worldviews from Rome to Home by Glenn Sunshine, and Poverty and Leadership in the Later Roman Empire by Peter Brown).As Christians we ought to be grateful for this heritage, while at the same time guarding ourselves from any arrogance that might rise from it. We do not worship “progress” and we certainly do not worship “our progress”. Rather, we worship the Prince of Peace—and until His kingdom comes, we will continue to do battle with evil—both from within and from without.Something to think about from The Kingdom Perspective.Philippians 2 (ESV)14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing, 15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. 17 Even if I am to be poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. 18 Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.

We're in a series looking at how we experience God. Now we ask, how do you experience God in troubles and distress and difficulties?  There are many texts in the Bible about suffering. Psalm 11 is a short Psalm, and yet we find in it the same principles on how to deal with trouble that we find all through the Scripture. In this psalm, David shows us how to take refuge in God. Psalm 11 shows us that we need to realize: 1) who is ruling the world, 2) all disasters are examinations, 3) only false foundations can be destroyed by circumstances, and 4) we have to seek God's face. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on February 16, 1997. Series: Lessons in Drawing Near. Scripture: Psalm 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.

We're in a series on experiencing God. Now we come to another aspect: How can you know God is leading you and guiding you?  How can you know you're not just making these decisions on your own, but rather, that there's a plan, and God is leading you through that plan?  Psalm 25 is one of the greatest passages on how God guides. It shows us that 1) there's a promise of God's guidance, and 2) there are four things that are true of a person who receives God's guidance. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on February 9, 1997. Series: Lessons in Drawing Near. Scripture: Psalm 25:1-15. 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.

How do we know what real spiritual experience of God is? And then how do we have it? How do we actually move toward it? The Psalms are a journal—almost a kind of instruction manual from the inside—with people who are experiencing God and explaining and describing it. And Psalm 63 is one of the greatest at showing us these things.  We're going to look at 1) three marks of spiritual experience, and 2) two very key and different disciplines in order to experience God.  This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on February 2, 1997. Series: Lessons in Drawing Near. Scripture: Psalm 63. 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.

Today we have Collin Hansen joining us on The Way Home podcast. Collin Hansen is an influential Christian leader who just published a new biography about Timothy Keller who founded Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, New York. Today Collin and I discuss the people who impacted Keller's spiritual and intellectual formation like R.C. Sproul, C.S.…

What does experience of God actually consist of? How does it happen? And how do I know if I'm experiencing God? Psalm 63 shows several principles of what a real experience of God is and consists of. Each principle can be used as a test on your own heart. And each principle is also a discipline—a practical handle for what to do to draw near to God. We're going to look at two of these principles: 1) you develop a spiritual appetite and, 2) you are capable of a new sense of God. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on January 26, 1997. Series: Lessons in Drawing Near. Scripture: Psalm 63. 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 have a tremendous hunger for spiritual experience. But how do we experience God? And how do we know we're experiencing God? The Psalms are an amazing resource, because in the Psalms you have someone describing their experience of God from the inside. Psalm 63 shows us features of authentic Christian experience—and each feature is both a test and a discipline.  Let's look at the first feature: 1) the way you know you've found God is that you develop a spiritual appetite. In other words, the way you know you're really moving toward God is you feel you're too far from him. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on January 19, 1997. Series: Lessons in Drawing Near. Scripture: Psalm 63. 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 want to get the gist of who Jesus is, you have to look at a whole number of encounters Jesus had with individuals. The gospels are filled with encounters Jesus has with all sorts of people: with the powerful person, with the powerless person, with a man, with a woman, with a Jew, and with a Gentile.    In Luke 19, we get to a guy named Zacchaeus, and we're told two things about him: that he's a chief tax collector and he's wealthy.    This teaches us two different and important things: 1) anyone can approach Jesus, but 2) money is always an issue when coming to Jesus. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on January 19, 1997. Series: The Real Jesus, Part 2: His Life. Scripture: Luke 19:1-10. 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.

Some people dwell on Christ's power and authority and majesty, and other people dwell on Christ's vulnerability and tenderness and grace. But it's critical not to, because of our own temperaments, screen out one side of Jesus as if it's incompatible.   This passage shows us that the power of Christ is caring power, and the care of Christ is powerful caring. Jesus Christ, the little, tender, meek and mild baby, is the Lord of the storm.   This tells us four things about the power of Christ: 1) the reality of Christ's power, 2) the magnitude of Christ's power, 3) the divinity of Christ's power, and 4) the compatibility of the caring power of Jesus with storms. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on January 5, 1997. Series: The Real Jesus, Part 2: His Life. Scripture: Mark 4:35-41. 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 Christmas Gifts: LIFE The message of Christmas is the message of new life.In the midst of this Advent season in 2022, we will seek to grow deeper in our understanding of the free gifts available to us through Christ and his coming. Gifts we cannot earn and do not deserve.Today we focus on the gift of Life.‭‭ Matthew‬ ‭1‬:‭18‬-‭21 ‬‬This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” Why did Jesus come? Why was the ultimate gift of Christmas given? To save people like you and me, so that no one would ever have to be lost in sin ever again. Perhaps one reason the Messiah came as a baby is because, each year, we would peer into the manger, celebrate His birth, and think about new life.‭‭John‬ ‭10‬:‭10‬‬The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. Ask Jesus why He came?“…so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of." "If Christmas is just a nice legend, in a sense you are on your own.But if Christmas is true, then you can be saved by grace."-Timothy Keller

"The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.” Matthew 6:14 It surprises people to know that the story of Jesus' birth contains two opposite images: darkness and light. Both are essential to understanding the truth about Christmas. Timothy Keller captures it well... “Christmas, therefore, is the most unsentimental, realistic way of looking at life. It does not say, “Cheer up! If we all pull together we can make the world a better place.” The Bible never counsels indifference to the forces of darkness, only resistance, but it supports no illusions that we can defeat them ourselves. Christianity does not agree with the optimistic thinkers who say, “We can fix things if we try hard enough.” Nor does it agree with the pessimists who see only a dystopian future. The message of Christianity is, instead, “Things really are this bad, and we can't heal or save ourselves. Things really are this dark—nevertheless, there is hope.” The Christmas message is that “on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.” Notice that it doesn't say from the world a light has sprung, but upon the world a light has dawned. It has come from outside. There is light outside of this world, and Jesus has brought that light to save us; indeed, he is the Light.” Timothy J. Keller, Hidden Christmas: The Surprising Truth Behind the Birth of Christ

This text tells us something that's easy to ignore, that's often missed: that Jesus is the final word. Jesus claims a finality here, and because he claims his salvation is completely by grace through him, the Pharisees and the Herodians get together and want to kill him.   This teaches us not only how radical Jesus' way of salvation is, but that if you really hear it, it will create all sorts of division in your own heart. Whenever the real Jesus is revealed, there's a juxtaposition of both attraction and revulsion. They both happen together.    This passage shows us 1) that Christ is offensive, 2) to whom he is offensive, and 3) why he is offensive. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on December 26, 1996. Series: The Real Jesus, Part 2: His Life. Scripture: Mark 2:23-3:6. 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.

Christianity offers answers to some of the biggest questions skeptics ask. On the next “Focus on the Family,” Dr. Timothy Keller addresses why people walk away from God, why scientific rationale for life's problems often fails, and how we can find meaning, happiness, freedom and identity in God.

Of all the passages that are read at Christmas, Luke 2 is perhaps the most famous. And in this most famous passage, the most famous word is peace. What is Christmas all about? Peace on earth.    When Jesus Christ was born as a baby, he was born to bring this peace.   But what is this peace on earth? We'll look at 1) what it is not, 2) what it is, and 3) how you receive it and live it out. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on December 22, 1996. Series: The Real Jesus, Part 2: His Life. Scripture: Luke 2:10-14. 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.

Christianity offers answers to some of the biggest questions skeptics ask. On the next “Focus on the Family,” Dr. Timothy Keller addresses why people walk away from God, why scientific rationale for life's problems often fails, and how we can find meaning, happiness, freedom and identity in God.

Pastor Garrison GreeneTEXT: Matthew 1:18-25BIG IDEA: Jesus has come to save us from our sins.OUTLINE:1) The Story of How Jesus Came2) The Spirit's Miraculous Conception3) The Savior We Sinners NeedRESOURCES: ESV Study Bible; Reformed Expository Commentary: Matthew Vol I by Daniel Doriani; Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Christ In Matthew by David Platt; Rejoicing In Christ by Michael Reeves; Reason For God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism by Timothy Keller; The Strange Persistence of Guilt by Wilfred McClay

The message of Christmas is the message of the gospel. It's the essential message of Christianity. And in Luke 1, we have one person's response to that message. At Christmastime you'll be hearing this message. The question is, “How should you respond to it?”  The message is that the Most High has become the most low. God has become human. Let's look at three things that this means: 1) God is far greater than we thought, 2) we are more sinful than we thought, and 3) God is more loving than we think. Then we'll look at one person's, Mary's, three-stage response to this message. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on December 15, 1996. Series: The Real Jesus, Part 2: His Life. Scripture: Luke 1:26-38. 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.

Merry Christmas! Join me as I read from Luke Chapters 1 and 2 as well as an excerpt from Timothy Keller's book called Hidden Christmas. Have a safe and blessed Christmas! I love you so much and appreciate your support! CONNECT WITH VICTORIA: EMAIL: choose2think@gmail.com WEBSITE COACHING ONLINE COURSES YOUTUBE FACEBOOK INSTAGRAM *CHOOSE 2 THINK: Find Peace, Joy, Hope, Health & Freedom Every Day! Your 365-day DEVOTIONAL. Peek Inside Here. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/victoria-walker-lydon/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/victoria-walker-lydon/support

We're looking at the life of Jesus. Not at his words and teachings, but at his deeds and his life—the things that happened to him and the things he did. Of course at the very beginning is his birth.  The birth of Christ has one wonderfully big word attached to it: the word “incarnation.” The birth of Jesus is the incarnation of God. Incarnate means God comes in. He comes in our flesh. He comes into our humanity, into our vulnerability, into our history, into our reality. God comes in.  We'll look at the incarnation in this way: 1) what it is, 2) what it means, and 3) how we can connect to it. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on November 3, 1996. Series: The Real Jesus, Part 2: His Life. Scripture: Matthew 1:17-25. 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're looking at the Sermon on the Mount. It is very famous because in it, Jesus says, “This is what God wants from you. This is the law.” We learn that Jesus really demands things that no other founder of any religion has ever demanded. But when you look at this passage as a whole, you see that the law of God is filled with grace. As Jesus expounds it, we see that the law is grace and that it drives us into grace.  Let's look at three aspects of the law of God that show us his grace: the pain of the law, the premise of the law, and the profile of the law.  This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on October 20, 1996. Series: The Real Jesus, Part 1: His Teaching. Scripture: Matthew 5:1-10, 17-20. 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.

The gospel of Matthew is famous for having long discourses of teaching. Matthew 11 is the best single place where Jesus explains how to receive him; Matthew 5 through 7 is the best single place where Jesus explains how to follow him. He teaches us what it means to become a Christian and how to live the Christian life. If you go through the Sermon on the Mount verse by verse, you learn a tremendous number of details about what it means to be a Christian, but we're going to look at it as a whole and we'll begin to see larger themes. First, Jesus tells us what we are to do in the Christian life; secondly, why we are to do it; and thirdly, how we are to achieve it. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on October 20, 1996. Series: The Real Jesus, Part 1: His Teaching. Scripture: Matthew 5:1-10, 17-20. 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.

We're looking at one of the more well-known parts of Matthew 11. If you're looking at Christianity, this is a matchless summary. Jesus calls out to those who are burdened and weary, and he gives an invitation to find rest in him. He says, “If you are weary and if you are burdened, you haven't really yet understood the greatness of what I offer.”  We're going to look at two things in this passage. First of all, Jesus gives us an analysis: we all have restlessness and we're all yoked to something. Then he offers to give us certain things in their place instead. He offers himself; he offers himself as the yoke; and he offers himself as rest. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on October 13, 1996. Series: The Real Jesus, Part 1: His Teaching. Scripture: Matthew 11:28-30. 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.

Matthew chapter 11 begins with John the Baptist sending a message that reveals John is struggling with who Jesus is. All of Matthew 11 is a response to John the Baptist's question. Jesus doesn't say something like, “John, you've misunderstood me.” No, instead, he says “John, the things I claim and the things I am are much more outrageous than you have even heard. Let me show you just how outrageous and how offensive I really can be.”  Jesus makes some of the most outrageous and the most offensive statements that have ever been made in verse 27. He says that he is the only way. This claim that made the people of Jesus' day struggle is also the thing that makes us struggle. Let's look at what this deeper claim is, why you should believe it, and how you should use it. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on October 6, 1996. Series: The Real Jesus, Part 1: His Teaching. Scripture: Matthew 11:25-27. 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.

In Matthew chapter 11 John the Baptist is struggling with the identity of Jesus. He sends a message and he says, “Are you really who you claim to be?” The rest of the chapter is Jesus' answer to that question. The contemporary relevance of a chapter like this is so amazing and so obvious, because Western civilization is filled with people just like John the Baptist. People who are filled with doubts and questions about Jesus.  Jesus gives us two important things to do in his response. First of all, he says, “Use the magnitude of my claims, the greatness of who I claim to be, to knock yourself out of the deadly middle.” And secondly, “Turn it on yourself and use it to make yourself a little child spiritually.” Let's look more closely at what the deadly middle is and then how to do this. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on September 29, 1996. Series: The Real Jesus, Part 1: His Teaching. Scripture: Matthew 11:18-27. 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.

This passage is part of Jesus' response to John the Baptist who was struggling with doubts about the identity of Jesus. It is so relevant for today because many of us may have similar questions or doubts about Jesus. We may be in a similar situation as John the Baptist. In Jesus' response, we find answers to that unbelief.  Let's look at three wonderful things about unbelief that Jesus teaches us in this passage: the power of unbelief, the character of unbelief, and the solution for unbelief. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on September 22, 1996. Series: The Real Jesus, Part 1: His Teaching. Scripture: Matthew 11:16-24. 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.

Matthew 11 has incredible relevance to us today. In the last 1500 years in the West, there has always been indifference to Jesus; but never have there been so many people who are offended at Jesus. John the Baptist is in the same place. When in prison, he sends Jesus a message, and he says, “I don't know that you're the One. Are you the Messiah? How do I know?”  In Jesus' response, we see three groups of people that don't take offense at Jesus: the poor, the violent, and the least. Each one tells you something about what you have to be and what you have to do if you're even going to be open to Jesus' claims. These three are a model for us to be open to who Jesus is. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on September 15, 1996. Series: The Real Jesus, Part 1: His Teaching. Scripture: Matthew 11:4-15. 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 this passage from the book of Matthew, John the Baptist is struggling with who Jesus is. Why would John, this great religious figure, be dealing with such difficulty? We learn two things from his struggle: 1) you have to make sure you do not try to understand yourself before you understand Jesus, and 2) you also had better realize that if you reject him you'll never be able to stop searching for him. As a response, Jesus gives John a straight answer. We learn two more things from Jesus. He says, “You will not know I'm the One until 1) you feel my offensiveness and 2) you see how I welcome the weak. Let's look a little deeper into this interchange and its  burning contemporary relevance for our world today. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on September 8, 1996. Series: The Real Jesus, Part 1: His Teaching. Scripture: Matthew 11:2-6. 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.

The theme of forgiveness is something that's in so much of opera, theater, and literature—because it's a very important issue in human living. So our theme comes in the form of a question: should we always forgive? Forgiveness is always easy when you're asking someone else to give it. And it's always hard when someone's asking you to give it. A lot of people have problems with forgiveness. They say forgiveness seems to make light of what was done wrong, or they say they can't forgive unless the other person asks for forgiveness. But if you look at the whole story arch of the operas, you know that whenever people fail to forgive, bad things happen. This Open Forum, with a talk and open mic Q&A, is specifically designed for skeptics or those wrestling with the claims of Christianity. We're going to discuss 1) whether we should forgive, 2) what it means to forgive, and 3) where we might get the resources for it. This talk was given by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on May 1, 2013. 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.

Why is it that we celebrate Christmas with gift giving? We don't do that at Easter. We don't do that at Thanksgiving or the Fourth of July. At anniversaries and birthdays, we give one person gifts, but at Christmas everybody gives everybody gifts. Why? I'm not actually looking for a literal answer. I'm asking as a rhetorical question, “Why is it that everybody gives gifts to everybody else at Christmas?”  I'm here to say it's profoundly appropriate, because it gets at the theological heart of Christmas: that Jesus Christ is the only human being who wasn't just born but was given.  Everyone who knows something about the Bible will say that 2 Corinthians 8 and 9 is the longest, most involved, and explicit passage in all of the Bible on the subject of generosity. We're being told 1) there's a problem with regard to giving and generosity, 2) what will happen if we don't solve that problem, and 3) how we can solve it. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on December 13, 2015. Series: What We Are Giving: The Dynamic of Grace. Scripture: 2 Corinthians 8:8-15; 9:6-12. 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.

We've been looking at Christian practices, or spiritual disciplines, by which our character changes. Now, instead of looking at one practice, we'll look at how a number of practices come together to create one particular character quality: self-control.  A self-control problem is when you're doing something you desperately want to stop, but can't. There are the classic addictions like drinking and drugs, spending and gambling, overeating and undereating. But we shouldn't think of self-control just in those terms. We also have trouble controlling our tongues, our thoughts, our time, and our emotions. Because all of us have some problems with self-control, we had better figure out what to do about it. Otherwise, our problems with self-control will strip us of our careers, of our relationships, or even of our physical lives.  These two passages from 1 Corinthians 9 and 10 are Paul's insight into what the Bible says about self-control. We'll start to make progress if we grasp three things: 1) the centrality of the heart, 2) the power of the gospel, and 3) the endurance of Jesus. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on June 15, 2008. Series: Practicing The Christian Life. Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:23-27; 10:11-13. 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.

We're in a series on Christian practices. We believe certain things, but those beliefs don't necessarily change our lives unless we instill those beliefs into our hearts through Christian practices, through spiritual disciplines.  Let's look at a Christian practice, a spiritual discipline, that you probably don't think of as a spiritual discipline. It's the practice of hospitality. All through the Scripture, hospitality is extremely important. It's a sign of spiritual maturity. If you put the word “hospitality” into a search engine right now, almost all the first things that come up will be vacation resorts or Martha Stewart entertaining where everything is perfect. But actually, that's almost the opposite of what the Bible means by it. In Hebrews 13, we're going to look at 1) the principle behind Christian hospitality, 2) the promise of Christian hospitality, and 3) the impetus for Christian hospitality. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on June 8, 2008. Series: Practicing The Christian Life. Scripture: Hebrews 13:1-14. 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.

In this series, we've been saying beliefs don't automatically change your life. They have to be instilled into your heart through spiritual disciplines, through Christian practices. I'd like to talk now about a Christian practice you probably don't think of as a practice—the practice of friendship, especially friendship between believers.  Friendship only happens to the degree you work at it. The ancients considered it the most virtuous of all the loves—because it was the most deliberate. The Bible understood, like all ancient people, how important friendship was. The practice of friendship was something Christians were to extend to everybody in their Christian community.  That didn't mean there weren't levels of intensity. Jesus said to his twelve disciples, “You're all my friends,” and yet, John was his best friend, and Peter, James, and John were close friends. With some people you practice more intensely, but the Bible says all other believers in your Christian community must be friends. You must practice the disciplines of friendship.  There are two great features of friendship. In Galatians 5 and 6, let's look at 1) the constancy of friendship, 2) the intimacy of friendship, and 3) the power to fulfill them.  This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on June 1, 2008. Series: Practicing The Christian Life. Scripture: Galatians 5:26-6:5. 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 believe God is real and God loves them. That belief ought to make you more secure, happier, and more humble. But beliefs don't automatically turn into changed thoughts and feelings and behavior. Beliefs have to be turned into changed character through Christian practices, through spiritual disciplines.  Over the next three sermons we're going to look at different aspects of community-building. The importance of Christian community is masked when we read the Scripture. Because we are Americans, in many cases we're individualistic, and we tend to read the Bible through individual lenses. Also, the English language doesn't have a second person plural pronoun. So when we read the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus says “you must do this,” we read it as how God wants us to behave individually. Actually, almost all the pronouns in there are “you all”—they're plural. What Jesus is saying is “I want you to be part of a community like this.”  Let's begin looking at the importance of Christian community. From Romans 12, I want to pull out three things we're going to learn about community: 1) the family nature of Christian community, 2) the graciousness of it, and 3) its ultimate source. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on May 25, 2008. Series: Practicing The Christian Life. Scripture: Romans 12:9-21. 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.

We're in a series on Christian practices. We've said beliefs have to be turned into changed character through Christian practices, through spiritual disciplines.  We come now to forgiveness and reconciliation of relationships. In our culture, we tend to think of forgiveness as a private, emotional process. But the Bible sees it as a communal discipline that we all have to practice. Matthew 18 is a very hard-hitting chapter on this subject of forgiveness and relationship reconciliation.  Let's look at forgiveness under three headings: 1) why it's so crucial, 2) what it is, and 3) how you do it. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on May 18, 2008. Series: Practicing The Christian Life. Scripture: Matthew 18:15-17, 23-35. 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're in a series on Christian practices. Beliefs don't automatically produce a changed life. Beliefs have to be turned into changed character through Christian practices, through spiritual disciplines.  We're going to look now at a Christian practice that never stands on its own. Rather, it happens within the other practices. When we get to Galatians 6:1, it says Christians shouldn't hold one another accountable without examining themselves. But what are we examining ourselves for? The answer is here in Galatians 5. We're supposed to be examining ourselves in order to cultivate the fruit of the Spirit, spiritual fruit. Otherwise, the Christian practices can just become mechanical.  It's important to say, “What are we doing in our Christian practices?” We're supposed to examine, look for, and cultivate the fruit of the Spirit in our lives. Let's look at this very famous passage under three headings: 1) the necessity of spiritual fruit, 2) the cultivation of spiritual fruit, and 3) the root of the spiritual fruit. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on May 11, 2008. Series: Practicing The Christian Life. Scripture: Galatians 5:16-26. 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.

The belief that God loves you ought to make an enormous difference. But in so many cases, it does not. Beliefs don't automatically produce changed character. Beliefs must be turned into changed character through Christian practices, through spiritual disciplines.  Maybe the Christian discipline par excellence is observing the Lord's Supper. In 1 Corinthians 11, there's a Greek word that shows up five times: synerchomai, which means to bring together, to come together, to unite, or to connect together. It's translated in different ways through the text, so when you're reading it in English, it's not as striking. But the theme is that the Lord's Supper connects things that otherwise would be fragmented.  In order to understand what it means to observe the Lord's Supper and to have it really change your life, you need to know what some of those connections are. Let's look at four ways the Lord's Supper connects things: 1) it connects the present to the past, 2) it connects your soul to God, 3) it connects the individual to community, and 4) it connects your life story to the future. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on May 4, 2008. Series: Practicing The Christian Life. Scripture: 1 Corinthians 11:18-34. 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.

We're in a series on what we're calling Christian practices or spiritual disciplines. You may have beliefs, but those beliefs don't automatically produce a different character unless your beliefs are turned into actual changed character through spiritual disciplines, or Christian practices.  Today we come to a very important spiritual discipline. It's the subject of Psalm 1: meditating on the law of the Lord, the Scripture, to the point of delight. Psalm 1 says that meditating on the Scripture is what will bring blessedness—absolute well-being. The magnitude of that claim, and in some ways the simplicity of the claim, is easy to miss. Yet here, smack in the middle of the very introduction to the Psalter, we're told that not just belief in God but meditating on the law of God, on the Scripture, is the key to blessedness.  This is an extremely important, crucial part of what it means to be a Christian. There are three things I'd like to show you here: what meditation promises, how it's practiced, and why it works. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on April 27, 2008. Series: Practicing The Christian Life. Scripture: Psalm 1:1-6. 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.