The Prodigal God
Dear Friends,
I want to give you this book!
I have been a avid listener and reader of Dr. Timothy Keller for three years now. His insights into the centrality of the gospel have not only changed my life, which is the most important thing, but also reconstructed much of my harmful thinking i have embraced over the 35 years of my Christian experience. The exposition of Jesus’ most well known parable in this new little book is the message that Mr. Keller states has helped direct the overriding vision of his church, Redeemer Presbyterian, : the essence of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
This book (along with his message: The Prodigal Sons) is a must read for every Christian and especially young aspiring ministers, both male and female .
I will make an offer to all of you out there, an ethical bribe: If you refer two readers to my blog, and they read a post, make a comment (hopefully on another post than this, since this one does not contain any content to speak of), and mention your name, I will send you a free copy of this new book! The only commitment you must make is to read the book within three weeks after receiving it and then make a comment on this post about how the book effected you . That’s it!
Oh, and you should send me your mailing address to my email address so I can send you the book: teleoschris@gmail.com.
I may withdraw this offer at any point, so move fast!
with the forward look,
chris
Hey Chris, Tim Keller is great from what I hear. I haven’t read any of his stuff. Dorian told me about your blog and this offer. This must be a pretty good book.
Hey Chris,
My son Bryce told me about your blog. He’s really excited about getting the book. Hopefully I can get it when he’s done with it.
Melanie
Nice stuff Chris
Mr. Taylor! I didn’t know you had a blog! I am excited to read what you have written. God bless and keep you.
-Holly
ha i dont think you need to worry about Dorian reading it within three weeks of getting it. it will prolly be more like 3 hours! i would be interested in hearing what he has to say about it and maybe read it myself.
peace
This sounds like a cool book. check out my friend Bryce Hambleton’s blog: solagravitas.wordpress.com
Whoa! Sweet blog!
Yeah so Matt Zrust is using me to get a book. He sent me here (but I’ve been here before).
Take care old man…
-A
We love Tim Keller around here. My husband Matt wants that book, but I’m looking forward to reading it too.
Great blog, btw!
~Amber
Amy told me about your blog, and promised she would read the book within three weeks, but I think she’s too busy. I wouldn’t give her one if I were you.
On a separate topic, I read through all your blog posts and was very encouraged by them. I especially enjoyed ‘the forward look’ post. I am blessed to have you in my extended family.
Kimberly told me about your blog, she really wants a copy of the book for so she and David can read it
I have been reading Lindsay and Christa’s website for a couple of months now and recently started reading Kelly’s. As you know, you and your wife have done an outstanding job. I am 37, but have truly benefited from their maturity and they have encouraged me to become an even better mother, wife and child of God. I have recommended two to read your blog, but will be encouraging others to do so as well. Thank you,
Kimberly Tidwell is very excited about your website. I’m just getting started but I look forward to reading and learning more about it.
About 3 weeks ago Amber and I had a young man over for dinner who was a part of the youth group that we had formerly been involved in. His understanding of sin in a nutshell was “the breaking of universal laws”, by which he meant things like the Ten Commandments, and the like. His understanding of good, in turn, was the keeping of these universal laws under the guise of “love”. The dinner ended up being a five hour conversation about sin, God, Hell, justice and biblical truth. It was a good night, but this precious young man (at least for now) left with the same idea about sin and righteousness in mind.
Tim Keller has, as long as I have been listening to him, heralded the importance of understanding that sin is not so much a matter of breaking these impersonal “Laws”, but that sin is ultimately about idolatry, about humanity’s betrayal of the Living and Loving God. In “The Prodigal God” Keller blows this trumpet once again, loud and clear:
“This attitude is clearly that of the elder brother…He feels like he has the right to tell the father how the robes, rings and livestock of the family should be deployed. In the same way, religious people commonly live very moral lives, but their goal is to get leverage over God, to control Him, to put Him in a position where they think He owes them. Therefore, despite all their ethical fastidiousness and piety, they are actually rebelling against His authority.” p.38
Our young friend could not see the reality that he had sinned against a Holy God, and he would not until he acknowledged that it was not some vague principle or system that he had rebelled against, but rather the Actual person of God Almighty. My young friend does not live in flagrant sin (like the “younger brother” of the Prodigal Son) but rather in the enslaved state of works righteousness that he thinks will suffice in the end (like the “older brother” of the same story).
Preaching/teaching like Keller’s is so essential in our day: there is a profound need, not to give a great exposition of the ways in which sinners need to repent, but rather the awesome, free, unmerited, scandalous love and mercy of the God Who accomplished that which man can only dream of. Sin needs to be properly defined in our pulpits, not as the mere breaking of “Laws” but as rebellion and spite toward God. Good works need to be understood not as something we do to get on God’s good side, earning His favor, but as an outflow of love for the God of the universe Who so freely gives and gives and gives and gives and gives.
I praise God for His ministry through Tim Keller and I pray that the renewed Gospel vision of this book would spread through the Church, into our families and the cities that we live in!
(I just wrote a pretty lengthy response and then my browser closed for some reason…) Here is response number 2.
Since Matt has done such a good job of relating the general theme of the book, I will simply tell how the book was edifying to me.
A week or so before I got the book in the mail I had a conversation with a friend. The result of this conversation was that I was plunged into spiritual depression. The weight of my depravity was crushing in on me. I had feelings of guilt rush in like a flood.
I carried on in this state for about a week. I felt the whole time like a candle that has just been put out. All that was left of my joy in God was like the smoke floating slowly up from the now cold candle wick.
There is no doubt in my mind that Chris giving me this book was providential. The gospel message contained in the book was just what I needed.
As I understood the gospel as laid out in the book, I was reminded of the infinite love of a God who has already welcomed me into the festival of his love and clothed me with righteousness. As the truth of the gospel sank in, I felt the feelings of guilt lift. My joy in God was rekindled. The candle that was once quenched was lit and I felt alive again.
It is amazing how often we Christians need to be reminded of the Gospel. For some reason there is this notion among many Christians that the gospel is what gets people saved and then we live out our Christian lives based on something else taught in the Bible.
The Prodigal God explodes this idea and reminds us all of the importance of having the gospel of God at the center of all that we do.
Thanks Chris for the book. I pray that you are blessed for your generosity. I will do my part to share it with my friends and family.
Thanks for sharing this Bryce. It’s a blessing to know God’s mighty hand is able to deliver from the condemnation that we feel even after being saved. What a joy to know our Savior lives, and that it is His perfect work (on the cross and in His people) upon which our fates and hopes lie.
God bless you brother.