Question: I’ve listened to all the free Tim Keller sermons on Redeemer’s site. I’ve also bought his series on grace (outstanding) and the series on Hebrews. Since these are sort of costly, I’d like to get some recommendations before I purchase more. I know this is very subjective, but thought I’d give it a try anyway. Thanks!
djchuang >> The most complete list of free sermons that I know of (and other goodies by and/or about Keller) are at www.djchuang.com/keller/.
Once you’ve exhausted those, my best suggestion is to save up so you can start a new sermon subscription on MP3 this Fall (since Keller takes summer breaks), and hear his most recent and current sermons to come. I find practically every one of his talks to be compelling listens, and would have a difficult time just picking out a few.
The other way to selectively purchase his sermons is to think of which book or which topics you’re currently needing more insight about, and then browse the Redeemer sermon store for matching ones. [Maybe other bloggers can chime in too.]
DJ,
My top Keller series are, in order of impact on my life:
1. Psalms: Disciplines of Grace
http://www.redeemer3.com/store/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&Product_ID=18263
2. The Gospel According to Jacob
http://www.redeemer3.com/store/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&Product_ID=18260
3. Practical Grace: How the Gospel Transforms Character
http://www.redeemer3.com/store/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&Product_ID=18262
More and more series are now available on MP3 for less than CD or cassette (know anyone who still has a player?). I add tracks to the MP3 files when/if I burn a CD from them. Having 2-2.5 minute increments helps a lot in reviewing what you just heard – especially if you listen in the car like I do. Sadly, Redeemer still give you one huge track when you order the CD version.
Tim Keller has been God’s gift to me this past decade. Not sure how my faith would have fared the trying times without his biblical perspective.
Blessings, DJ!
Jim
Are you planning keeping this list of recommendations on your unbelievably stocked info-page on Keller? I hope so… I’ve been through all the sermons that they have available on the streaming site 2 or 3 times (thanks for the heads up, by the way). I’m with you, the series’ are costly…
It would be cool if the Redeemer Sermon store set the sermons up so you could tag them, or review them, or make recommendations that were public, etc.
Jim, I’ve never heard Tuck Bartholomew. Is he as good as Tim Keller? In the series on Psalms, is the first one on meditation the same one available for free download? I wish the Jacob series was available in mp3 format.
And I vote for a regular feature on this page discussing Keller’s individual sermons and his series!
–Barbara
Barbara, my take on Tuck is that he’s a bright guy with a lot of potential, and that he can be a voice of the future after a few more real-world experiences. Tim Keller wades into the tough issues; in my experience Tuck is tangential to them. More time in serious study and less time in illustration gathering will serve him well. But probably no better place to learn than with Keller in the house.
On the matter of pricing, Redeemer is about as expensive as they get in my experience. I’m finding that free MP3 downloads are much more normative. A few, like Pete Briscoe at Bent Tree Bible Fellowship, not only have free MP3 downloads and podcasts, but also say “feel free to copy and share this CD with anyone who will be blessed by it.”
I’m sure that the Redeemer Store has real expenses; wish they had a friendlier model for making Tim’s material available more widely. Many trip over the cost – it’s not cheap. Thanks for asking. Jim
I’ll echo Jim’s praises of the Psalms: Disciplines of Grace and the Practical Grace series. Those are hard to beat.
Keller is expensive, but I have found it is worth every penny if you get MP3’s, especially if you go in on it with a friend.
Hear are a few series that I have listened to. I am a layman, not a preacher, so don’t expect an indepth review.
Meals with Jesus – 4 – This series is small but it packs a punch. Jesus’ Meal with Peter is awesome. It is definitely one of the most powerful sermons I have heard him preach. Jesus at his Father’s Feast takes a interesting look at when Mary and Joseph left Jesus at the temple. Zaccheus is a quality salvation message. I’d have a hard time not recommending this series to anyone.
Proverbs: True Wisdom for Living – 22 – Big. Expensive. Would have pay double if I had to buy it again. I let a buddy borrow 4 of these so I never got to listen to them, but pride, envy, anger, repairing relationships… WOW.
Necessity of Belief – 13 – I only listened to the first 6 of these. I enjoyed them but I got sidetracked by the Vision of Redeemer series. My buddy listened to all of them and this is one of his favorite series. I think most of these truths can be picked up in other sermons though.
Marriage – 9 – Just got married a few weeks ago. I wish I had listened to these before I went to college. It’s all about marriage, but it would have changed the way I looked at dating. The first and last are amazing. The last falls into my top 5 of his sermons. But you need to hear all the others too. The gender roles sermons are brilliant.
Gospel and the Heart Conference – 3 – Redeemer puts this conference on so that people that live in NYC for a year will be able to hear a summary of what the Gospel means to Tim Keller, so they don’t miss anything. Basically, Tim tries to get your head around the Gospel in 3 hours and does a fine job.
Gospel and the World Conference – 3 – This builds on the Gospel and the Heart Conference. Basically, this is the Gospel according to Tim Keller applied – what the church’s ministry should look like in an urban community.
Living in Hope – 9 – Great first sermon. The rest of the sermons were good, but nothing that stands out. You can pick up those truths in other sermons. I wish I had bought the first and saved the other sermons til I had a little bit more money.
Hebrews – 13 I jumped around in this series. All are pretty solid. None would fit in my top ten. I am looking forward to listening to them again though.
The Vision of Redeemer – 13 – Prodigal Sons. One of my favs. Perfect to slip a non-Christian. Perfect to slip my dad whose been a Christian for 40 years. The first three are great. The rest are pretty solid too. These are free off Redeemer’s website if you dig deep enough. You have to pay for them if you go through the Redeemer store.
Hope this helps.
You guys should check out the Redeemer staff recommendations of the favorite sermons and sermon series. You can do that by going here:
http://www.redeemer3.com/store/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_id=12&CFID=655020&CFTOKEN=62731446
I have found all of Tim’s sermons to be of great value to me, and therefore, it is hard to pick favorites. That being said, the one that really made me think was the one on the “Prodigal Son”. This one, like so many, opened my eyes to many things I have missed in reading the Bible and caused me to wonder why I have never seen some of the things that he makes appear so obvious.
Tim is so greatly gifted in his ability to understand and open the scriptures, that in many ways I see him as the C.S. Lewis of the day in regard to how he is able to open Christianity up to the common man.
However, like many who have posted before, I am bothered by the cost of his sermons. Not that they aren’t worth the price, it’s just the problem that by putting a price on them and disallowing the distribution of them once you make a purchase, that it keeps this wonderful insight limited to who may receive it. After hearing discussion of this topic here and elsewhere, I’m sure there are a number of solutions to how there could be a more general distribution of his sermons with little or no cost to Redeemer. Unfortunately, I’m afraid that those who are making these decisions are viewing the sermons primarily as a commodity that generates money for Redeemer’s ministry. This is what I view as the real problem, the notion that one ministry should support another ministry, which is very much like robbing Peter to pay Paul. I know it is becoming a common practice in the church today, but it just seems wrong. The gospel should be free, and when a price tag is attached to it, no matter how noble the cause, it tends to raise a red flag.
Sorry for sermonizing, I wish someone could convince me otherwise, so that it wouldn’t bother me.
i remember some years ago listening to a Keller sermon in which he spoke about the gospel. does anyone remember what it was called? ha! just kidding! actually, he spoke about how conservatives try to earn favor with God and liberals try to earn favor with the “Power Behind Life.” He spoke about how neither conservative sacrifices nor liberal sacrifices are sufficient. i believe the sermon was entitled “Mercy, Not Sacrifice.” i think i see it in the Redeemer Sermon Store, but it is only on tape. But i distinctly remember hearing it on streaming or MP3. Does anyone know the sermon of which i speak? It was one of the best sermons i’ve EVER heard! And it radically affected my understanding of the gospel and approach to evangelism.
“Creation, Care and Justice” is outstanding. The series on Daniel is superb, as is the series on marriage (whether one is married or not).