Encouraging Sermons of Truth

I will update more later on our recent trip for treatment, but I wanted to share with you a couple of sermons that we listened to while traveling. Perhaps you are at home this morning unable to go to church, like myself, due to pain or sickness or maybe other circumstances. I think you will find them encouraging as we did. The first is entitled The Wounded Spirit  and the second is The Search for Happiness. They are preached by Timothy Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, and they can be found free in the iTunes store here.


The Wounded Spirit  is based on several verses from the book of Proverbs. (Proverbs 12:25, 13:12, 14:10, 14:13, 14:30, 15:4, 15:13-14, 16:2, 18:14, 28:1)

Keller explains that happiness is not determine by external circumstances. If the body is weak, but the spirit is strong, you will have strength.  Contrary to popular belief, a crushed spirit is not simplistic involving only psychology or the emotions of a person, but rather it is complex and has many aspects including the physical, emotional/relational, moral, philosophical, and faith. If you have had a doctor tell you or insinuate that your pain is "all in your head" and you need to see a pain psychologist, like I have, you will find this sermon encouraging.

The Search for Happiness is based on Psalm 1 and Keller reminds us that human happiness is primarily spiritual. He addresses the question of If I know the Bible, why am I still unhappy?, which I think is where many suffering Christians often find themselves. He has four main points:
1. Happiness is possible
2. Happiness is fundamental, not superficial
3. Happiness can never be found directly. It is always a byproduct of something other than happiness.
4. Happiness is something you choose.

I hope these sermons encourage you as you press on to fight the good fight of faith in our sovereign God today!