Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters

Author: Timothy Keller
Publisher: New York: Penguin Group, 2009. 177 pages
Category: Authority, Purpose

Synopsis: Unsettled by the blind nature in which today’s Christians are pursuing false gods without even acknowledging it, Pastor Keller attempts to correct such dangerous living with a reminder of God’s supremacy and worth. Each chapter presents different idols that so easily grip our hearts, and solutions are offered through the review of a real-life situation in Scripture. Keller argues that only God can satisfy, but such satisfaction can only come by setting aside any competitors for the throne of our lives.

Value: We all live for something or someone. How tragic it would be if what we lived for proved to leave us empty when it mattered most. God has designed the world to function wonderfully, but only under His sovereignty and when we place something in His place, it crumbles under the weight of our expectations. Keller’s book is a great reminder to all of us that we should do a gut check with what we value in life. If what we value turns out to border on idolatry, we need to have the courage to put these items in their proper place.