Timothy Keller Sermons Podcast by Gospel in Life Running From God
49 snips
May 4, 2026 A sermon dives into the book of Jonah to rethink sin without dehumanizing labels. It explores a prophet who runs from a divine calling and hides religiously rooted failure. Themes include identity shaped by God’s word, the collapse of false selfhood, and how crisis can expose and begin to heal competing loyalties.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Sin Is Building An Identity Without God
- Sin's essence is constructing an identity apart from God's Word rather than merely breaking rules.
- Timothy Keller links Jonah's flight to forging a self without God's calling, which inevitably leads to disaster and loss of purpose.
Bridget Jones As A Postmodern Identity Example
- Keller contrasts Kierkegaard with Bridget Jones to illustrate modern attempts to self-create identity.
- He reads Bridget's resolutions (books for show, inner poise, self-derived worth) as examples of unstable self-validation.
Religiosity Can Hide Core Idolatry
- Religious morality can mask deep sin when the heart's center is something other than God.
- Keller shows Jonah as a pious prophet who still worships his career and nation as his true source of identity.
