“Two Sons, one who kept the rules religiously and one who broke them all. One Father who loved both lost sons beyond anything they could have imagined” It sounds like the trailer for a Hollywood blockbuster. No, it’s a retelling of an old familiar parable but with a very powerful and challenging twist.

It shouldn’t really be twist at all. However, after years of superficial reading, Tim Keller shows us that many of us have really missed the point of the parable. Often when we study the parable of the two Son’s in the Luke 11 we think of it primarily as a story of grace to a repentant sinner and not a story of judgment against a self saving religious older brother. Tim Keller spells out the context of the story and its liberating message not only to the repentant sinners who know they need saving but also to the religious one who don’t think they do. Although we don’t like to admit it, that includes most of us ‘good’ church going folk! It is the type of story that causes many a Christian to wriggle in their chairs and look again at the prodigal grace of God.

“The Prodigal God” is a study series with DVD by Rev Tim Keller, Minister at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City. The DVD curriculum consists of six sessions which correspond to the seven chapters in the book of the same name. It is a very profound book but also a simple read which most people should be handle well. It’s concepts and overall message are very accessible to a typical small group. However it is not “a walk in the park”. Some of the home truths that are revealed in the study are quite confronting, particularly where our hidden religiosity is exposed and bathed in the gospel. Continue Reading