May 1, 2025 • 17 mins
The parable of the prodigal son might be familiar, but have you truly grasped the audacity of both the son's request and the father's response? When a young man essentially tells his father "I wish you were dead" by demanding his inheritance early, he sets in motion a story that perfectly captures our own tendency to run from God's best plan for our lives.
Pastors Jim and Lee dive deep into Luke 15:11-24, unpacking this beloved parable verse by verse with personal insights and practical applications. They highlight how the son's journey mirrors our own spiritual wanderings – from the bold departure fueled by independence, through the inevitable rock bottom among the pigs, to the humbling return home. The hosts share their own experiences of being "prodigals" and connect this ancient story to our modern struggles with identity, purpose, and belonging.
The most powerful moment comes when examining the father's response – not just waiting passively, but actively watching the horizon and running (unbecoming for a dignified man in that culture) to embrace his filthy, pig-scented son before he could even finish his rehearsed apology. This extravagant welcome challenges our understanding of God's grace and forgiveness: "That's God chasing us down before we're cleaned up. If you're lost, all you got to do is take one step and then God's going to be sprinting towards you."
Whether you're currently knee-deep in your own "pig pen," slowly finding your way back home, or safely in the father's embrace, this episode offers hope and clarity for your spiritual journey. Listen now to discover why "The Father's love never runs out, even when our resources do." Ready to leave your far country behind? The celebration is waiting.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Beyond Sunday, the podcast that takes
you deeper into the Word of Godthroughout your week With your
hosts, pastors Lee and Jim.
It's time to inspire, upliftand dig deeper Beyond Sunday
starts now.
Hey, what's going on?
(00:21):
Beyond Sunday crew Pastor Jim,here, alongside Pastor Lee, we
are the pastors of Christ FamilyOutreach Church and I am ready
to dig into the parable of theprodigal son.
We're going to be reading fromLuke 15, and this is a story
that is a straight gut punch.
Family fights ridiculousdecisions, but it is going to be
(00:45):
followed up by God's ridiculouslove.
We're going to be tearing itapart verse by verse, keeping it
going, throwing in some laughsand giving you stuff to actually
do with what we're reading.
So I'm ready to roll.
How about you, pastor Lee?
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Absolutely man, if the listeners could see me right
now, you could testify to them.
I have a smile on my face.
Look over here and see it.
See this, there's a smile.
I'm just so happy about thisparable man.
It is one of my favorites andso, like I'm just, I'm just
ready to roll.
So Luke, chapter 15, 11 through24.
And Jesus said, there was a manwho had two sons, and the
(01:21):
younger of them said to hisfather Father, give me the share
of property that is coming tome.
And he divided his propertybetween them.
Not many days later, theyounger son had gathered all he
had and took a journey into afar country, and there he
squandered his property inreckless living.
And when he had spenteverything, a severe famine
arose in that country and hebegan to be in need.
(01:44):
So he went and hired himself outto one of the citizens of that
country, who sent him into hisfields to feed pigs, and he was
longing to be fed with the podsthat the pigs ate.
And no one gave him anything.
But when he came to himself hesaid how many of my father's
hired servants have more thanenough bread, but I perish here
(02:19):
with hunger.
Compassion and ran and embracedhim and kissed him and the son
said to him father, I havesinned against heaven and before
you I am no longer worthy to becalled your son.
But the father said to hisservants bring quickly the best
robe and put it on him and put aring on his hand and shoes on
his feet, and bring the fattenedcalf and kill it and let us eat
(02:42):
and celebrate For this, my son,oh, my goodness.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
I'm telling you this parable.
I think I love it so muchbecause it resonates so much
with my own personal testimony,and I think not just my personal
testimony.
I've spoken to a lot of peoplewho have gone and come back.
Come on back.
And so, if I can, I just wantto kind of set the stage here
real quick.
If we look all the way back toverse 11, jesus is going to be
(03:12):
talking to a mixed bag of people, right Crooks, some tax people,
pharisees, who are on.
They're all side eyeing Jesusbecause he's hanging out with
these riffraff, and I love thathe starts off with.
There was this man who had twosons, like this dad with two
boys.
Well, that's God.
And those sons, they're us, thewhole hot mess of humanity.
(03:35):
It's like Jesus is saying toeverybody in the crowd listen up
, because this one's going tohit close, and that resonates
with me.
You got that one sibling, and Idon't know if anybody has a
brother or sister, but for me Ihad brothers.
I had an older brother, I hadtwo younger brothers, but there
was always that one sibling whowas like yes, sir, I'm going to
(03:56):
follow the rules, I'm going todo exactly what I'm told to do.
But then there's that other onewho's like halfway out the door
you know what I'm talking aboutand that's really how Jesus is
setting this whole thing up.
And so the younger of them saidto the father father, give me
my share of the property that'scoming to me.
And he divided the propertybetween them, like come on, I
(04:16):
think that that young man, it'spretty bold to just walk up to
his daddy and be like hey, Iwant half of what you got for me
.
Right now he's like Pop, I'mdone, I just want you to hand me
over my cut.
And back then it wasn'tuncommon to give part of the
inheritance to your childrenwhile they were still living.
But the way that this kid didit, it was kind of like spitting
(04:38):
in his daddy's face and justwalking out.
But that dad, he did it anyway.
And that's this picture ofGod's grace, right?
He's going to let us do somestupidity, even when he knows
that we're going to crash.
I've pulled that move myself,thinking that I'm slick, and if
my dad is listening, I'm tellingyou right now.
He's going to remember how manytimes I told him that I was a
(04:59):
grown man when I was 16 yearsold.
I just wanted to do things myway.
I was ready, but I think it'simportant to ask ourselves are
we bolting away from God's?
Speaker 2 (05:09):
plan.
Yeah, that's a great point, man.
You know the parable of theprodigal son.
This means a lot to me as well,Pastor Jim.
The word prodigal meanswasteful and recklessly
extravagant, you know?
Here's the issue, right?
The younger son is having hereit is.
He wanted to get away in orderto live.
Recklessly, he wanted to haveit his own way, so he left his
(05:33):
father and his brother and thehome.
He left the family business.
Sometimes we can think, simplyby leaving everything, that
everything is going to be okay,that the grass is greener always
on the other side of the roador the other side of the fence,
right.
But the fact is, we just needto work things out and receive
the joy that God has for us inthis particular moment of our
(05:56):
lives.
We cannot miss what God has forus in the right now because
we're too busy trying to lookahead to what we want to have
take place in the tomorrow.
I once read the followingstatement a man's worst
difficulties begin when he isable to do just as he likes.
Right, Think about that.
(06:17):
A man's worst difficultiesbegin when he is able to do just
as he likes.
Oftentimes when we foundourselves in a large mess, if
we're honest with ourselves, wecan look back and see that we
got ourselves into that messsimply because we did as we
wanted to do.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
Yeah, and now this guy's living large.
He grabs his dad's money, he'shightailing it to the big city
and he blows it all on.
What Bad wine, worse decisions,right?
He's having this recklessliving, like you said, Pastor
Lee, and I think that's Biblecode for a full-on train wreck.
We've all got that in our life,though that far country, that
(06:59):
either we're chasing the money,we're chasing drama, or we're
just zoning out and we kind offind ourselves drifting away.
But you know, I think it wasimportant.
When I was studying this, Iwanted to start naming things in
my own life that were draggingme away from God and I began to
just pray that I would ditchthose things.
And so this kid, he's off therails and he's partying like
(07:22):
it's the end of the world.
But the reality is about tosmack him because in verse 14,
it says that he spent everythingand then a severe famine hit
Like bam.
So now the cash is gone, thefamine rolls in, he's broke,
he's hungry and he's justlooking around like uh-oh, he's
burned out.
He's burned all the paycheck ona lottery ticket that now is no
(07:46):
longer available to him to evenbuy bread.
Life has gotten so far awayjust knocking him down that he's
just running rogue, and I thinkthat we can apply it to our
life in this way.
If we're in a dry spell, right,maybe God's saying hey, why
don't you turn around and lookback at me?
You know what is this messteaching him, or what does our
(08:09):
mess teach us about God?
Speaker 2 (08:11):
Yeah, you know, the man thought he had everything he
needed.
The young man, he becamecomfortable.
The problem was, the same stuffthat bought him comfort, the
same stuff that bought him peaceand joy, eventually runs out.
Yeah, so much of what peopletry to fill their lives with
today runs out as well.
But here's the good news Godnever runs out.
(08:33):
And if you're taking notes,just write that one down God
never runs out.
Amen, his supply.
You can write this down God'ssupply is everlasting.
Our stuff should not determineour joy level, because at any
moment that same stuff couldleave and that would mean, if we
(08:53):
attach our joy to it, that ourjoy is going to have to go out
the window with it.
But again, the good news isthis God's joy never runs out.
So, whether you have stuff ornot, whether you are successful
at an endeavor or not, whetheryour plan fails or not, whether
you get what you wanted or not,god's joy never fails.
(09:15):
I'm reminded of Philippians,chapter 4, 11 through 12, and
Paul writes this.
For I have learned, in whateversituation I am, to be content.
I know how to be brought lowand I know how to abound in any
and every circumstance.
I have learned the secret offacing plenty and hunger,
abundance and need.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
Yeah, and in that verse it talks about being low,
and that's exactly where thisyoung man finds himself at rock
bottom.
He's a Jewish dude sloppingwith pigs.
That'd be like being anall-American barbecue champion
and you've been limited down toflipping tofu burgers right,
it'd be just straight.
(09:57):
Humiliation is where he foundhimself.
He's at the worst gig knee-deepin pig slop.
And here's the truth about that.
That's what sin does.
It drags us to places that weswear we will never go.
When we're on top, yeah, youknow, but you end up being stuck
in a pig pen of your own making.
Get real with God this week andstop sugarcoating everything
(10:19):
that you've been running awayfrom.
Verse 16 says that he waslonging to be fed with the pods
that the pigs ate, and no onegave him anything.
Man, he's drooling over pigfood like moldy corn cobs and
nobody even gives a rip abouthim.
So he goes and he chases all ofthese things and when all the
money runs out, all of a suddenhe becomes invisible.
(10:40):
He's alone, and that's a farcountry that no one should ever
find themselves in.
It's all glitter but nosubstance.
If you feel forgotten, I wantyou to hear this.
God's got his eyes on you and Iwant you to write down this If
you're starving for peace orpurpose, ask God to fill it,
because the pig pen's brutal.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
Oh man, I love that brother.
The pig pen is brutal.
That's a t-shirt in the making,right there, the pig pen is
brutal.
That's a t-shirt in the making,right there, the pig pen is
brutal.
The young man thought by movingaway he's going to go find
himself.
How many people like run awayfrom home because they're going
to go find themselves?
Or how many people maybe don'trun away but they just leave
(11:21):
home because they're like youknow what?
This is my year, this is myseason in life to go find myself
.
Or I'm going off to find myself, or I'm going to leave church
and I'm going to go find myselfand maybe I'll come back, maybe
I won't.
This young man he moves awaythinking that he's got
everything he'll ever need.
I'm going to go find myself.
The truth is, rather than findhimself, pastor Jim, he only
(11:48):
lost himself.
He thought he's going to moveaway and be successful.
The truth is sin, as youmentioned earlier.
That's his problem here.
Sin only brings about hisfailure.
So many people run from thecalling God has placed on their
lives simply because they stillhave stuff they want to do in
their lives.
This young man finally comes tohimself and realizes the
position he's placed himself inand it's nobody's fault but his
(12:10):
own, and he recognizes that.
He takes ownership of that.
The Bible says he comes tohimself and then he does what he
needs to do to make it right.
He goes back home.
That takes humility.
He's got to humble himself.
So one thing that can stop usfrom living in victory as
Christians is a lack of humility.
(12:31):
Maybe we don't want torecognize our way was the wrong
way.
Maybe we don't want torecognize and admit that we've
made a mistake.
It doesn't feel good when wefigure out that we've wasted
time, we've wasted effort, we'vewasted resources.
So listen to this there'snothing wrong at all with
recognizing your failures andsurrendering to God's will for
(12:54):
your life.
I want to encourage thelisteners in that Maybe there is
something going on right now inyour life where you simply need
to let go and just let GodAlmighty take over and if that's
the case, simply surrender itover to God.
Speaker 1 (13:08):
Yeah, I love how he snaps out of it.
He snaps out of it byremembering home.
And you preached this lastSunday about remembering your
first love.
And so when I was readingthrough this, as I was studying
through this, I thought aboutthat and I was like man, you
know what's got to flip in myown life to get right with God
(13:29):
Remembering my first love?
And that's what he did.
He said, man, how many of myfather's hired servants have
more than enough bread?
So he remembers home.
And then, in verse 18, he saysI'm going to arise and I'm going
to go back home.
I'm heading back to my fatherand I'm going to tell him that
I've sinned against him, I'vesinned against heaven.
And so now he's not justwishing, he's beginning to move.
(13:52):
He says, father, I've sinnedagainst heaven and I've sinned
before you.
Now he's not just wishing, he'smoving.
That speech sinned againstheaven and before you.
It shows that he knows he blewit, not just with his dad, but
with God, he's beginning to ownit.
So then, once he owns it, heshifts to humility.
Verse 19,.
(14:12):
He says I'm no longer worthy tobe called your son.
Treat me as one of your hiredservants.
See, he's no longer playing anygames.
He's wrecked.
He doesn't think that he'sworthy of son status, so he's
just aiming for the mailroom atthis point.
But he's heading home, andthat's faith, even if it's shaky
.
Once you realize what you'vedone, if you feel like trash,
(14:34):
don't go and hide.
Go to God and say I'm a mess,but I'm right here and we can do
it today.
Verse 20 says that he went andhe arose and he went home to his
father.
But while he was still a longway off, his father saw him and
felt compassion and ran andembraced him and kissed him.
And this is the part of thetext that just kills me.
He's stumbling home, he'ssmelling like a barn and his dad
(14:59):
is already just hauling ittowards him.
That's God chasing us downbefore we're cleaned up.
So if you're lost, all you gotto do is take one step and then
God's going to be sprintingtowards you.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
Yeah, you know, we've all been there before, haven't
we?
When we realize just how lowwe've fallen.
But thank God, he loves us.
The Bible says even when we'refaithless, he remains faithful.
So thank God that his love issteadfast.
As we mentioned in last week'sepisode, you know God pursues us
.
Thank God for that.
Here we see this beautifulimagery of this dad running out
(15:34):
to meet this son, who's alsorunning towards him.
Thank God that the love of ourHeavenly Father is fixed.
It is directed on us and it isfirm in the purpose of God for
us.
Thank God for that.
Let's pray.
Father, we thank you so muchthat every one of us, at some
(15:55):
point in time in our lives, wehave turned to a degree that has
not pleased you, and we are sothankful that, even though we've
turned, you have alwayswelcomed us every single time
back home into your arms.
The Scripture teaches that youput a robe on that son and the
(16:18):
father asked for a ring to beput on his son, and what that is
showing is is that the fatherhas re-established this son back
into his family as though henever left.
And what a beautiful picturethat is, that, as we come back
home to be with our HeavenlyFather.
You accept us as though wenever ever left, and we thank
(16:41):
you for the lessons that welearned through all of that.
We love you, we praise you, wehonor you.
Today, for this is the day thatyou, Lord, almighty God, have
made, it's our job to rejoiceand go be glad in it.
In Jesus' name and blood,everybody, friends, said
together amen and amen.
(17:01):
We'll see you next time onBeyond Sunday.
Welcome to Beyond Sunday, the podcast that takes
you deeper into the Word of Godthroughout your week With your
hosts, pastors Lee and Jim.
It's time to inspire, upliftand dig deeper Beyond Sunday
starts now.
Hey, what's going on?
(00:21):
Beyond Sunday crew Pastor Jim,here, alongside Pastor Lee, we
are the pastors of Christ FamilyOutreach Church and I am ready
to dig into the parable of theprodigal son.
We're going to be reading fromLuke 15, and this is a story
that is a straight gut punch.
Family fights ridiculousdecisions, but it is going to be
(00:45):
followed up by God's ridiculouslove.
We're going to be tearing itapart verse by verse, keeping it
going, throwing in some laughsand giving you stuff to actually
do with what we're reading.
So I'm ready to roll.
How about you, pastor Lee?
Speaker 2 (00:58):
Absolutely man, if the listeners could see me right
now, you could testify to them.
I have a smile on my face.
Look over here and see it.
See this, there's a smile.
I'm just so happy about thisparable man.
It is one of my favorites andso, like I'm just, I'm just
ready to roll.
So Luke, chapter 15, 11 through24.
And Jesus said, there was a manwho had two sons, and the
(01:21):
younger of them said to hisfather Father, give me the share
of property that is coming tome.
And he divided his propertybetween them.
Not many days later, theyounger son had gathered all he
had and took a journey into afar country, and there he
squandered his property inreckless living.
And when he had spenteverything, a severe famine
arose in that country and hebegan to be in need.
(01:44):
So he went and hired himself outto one of the citizens of that
country, who sent him into hisfields to feed pigs, and he was
longing to be fed with the podsthat the pigs ate.
And no one gave him anything.
But when he came to himself hesaid how many of my father's
hired servants have more thanenough bread, but I perish here
(02:19):
with hunger.
Compassion and ran and embracedhim and kissed him and the son
said to him father, I havesinned against heaven and before
you I am no longer worthy to becalled your son.
But the father said to hisservants bring quickly the best
robe and put it on him and put aring on his hand and shoes on
his feet, and bring the fattenedcalf and kill it and let us eat
(02:42):
and celebrate For this, my son,oh, my goodness.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
I'm telling you this parable.
I think I love it so muchbecause it resonates so much
with my own personal testimony,and I think not just my personal
testimony.
I've spoken to a lot of peoplewho have gone and come back.
Come on back.
And so, if I can, I just wantto kind of set the stage here
real quick.
If we look all the way back toverse 11, jesus is going to be
(03:12):
talking to a mixed bag of people, right Crooks, some tax people,
pharisees, who are on.
They're all side eyeing Jesusbecause he's hanging out with
these riffraff, and I love thathe starts off with.
There was this man who had twosons, like this dad with two
boys.
Well, that's God.
And those sons, they're us, thewhole hot mess of humanity.
(03:35):
It's like Jesus is saying toeverybody in the crowd listen up
, because this one's going tohit close, and that resonates
with me.
You got that one sibling, and Idon't know if anybody has a
brother or sister, but for me Ihad brothers.
I had an older brother, I hadtwo younger brothers, but there
was always that one sibling whowas like yes, sir, I'm going to
(03:56):
follow the rules, I'm going todo exactly what I'm told to do.
But then there's that other onewho's like halfway out the door
you know what I'm talking aboutand that's really how Jesus is
setting this whole thing up.
And so the younger of them saidto the father father, give me
my share of the property that'scoming to me.
And he divided the propertybetween them, like come on, I
(04:16):
think that that young man, it'spretty bold to just walk up to
his daddy and be like hey, Iwant half of what you got for me
.
Right now he's like Pop, I'mdone, I just want you to hand me
over my cut.
And back then it wasn'tuncommon to give part of the
inheritance to your childrenwhile they were still living.
But the way that this kid didit, it was kind of like spitting
(04:38):
in his daddy's face and justwalking out.
But that dad, he did it anyway.
And that's this picture ofGod's grace, right?
He's going to let us do somestupidity, even when he knows
that we're going to crash.
I've pulled that move myself,thinking that I'm slick, and if
my dad is listening, I'm tellingyou right now.
He's going to remember how manytimes I told him that I was a
(04:59):
grown man when I was 16 yearsold.
I just wanted to do things myway.
I was ready, but I think it'simportant to ask ourselves are
we bolting away from God's?
Speaker 2 (05:09):
plan.
Yeah, that's a great point, man.
You know the parable of theprodigal son.
This means a lot to me as well,Pastor Jim.
The word prodigal meanswasteful and recklessly
extravagant, you know?
Here's the issue, right?
The younger son is having hereit is.
He wanted to get away in orderto live.
Recklessly, he wanted to haveit his own way, so he left his
(05:33):
father and his brother and thehome.
He left the family business.
Sometimes we can think, simplyby leaving everything, that
everything is going to be okay,that the grass is greener always
on the other side of the roador the other side of the fence,
right.
But the fact is, we just needto work things out and receive
the joy that God has for us inthis particular moment of our
(05:56):
lives.
We cannot miss what God has forus in the right now because
we're too busy trying to lookahead to what we want to have
take place in the tomorrow.
I once read the followingstatement a man's worst
difficulties begin when he isable to do just as he likes.
Right, Think about that.
(06:17):
A man's worst difficultiesbegin when he is able to do just
as he likes.
Oftentimes when we foundourselves in a large mess, if
we're honest with ourselves, wecan look back and see that we
got ourselves into that messsimply because we did as we
wanted to do.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
Yeah, and now this guy's living large.
He grabs his dad's money, he'shightailing it to the big city
and he blows it all on.
What Bad wine, worse decisions,right?
He's having this recklessliving, like you said, Pastor
Lee, and I think that's Biblecode for a full-on train wreck.
We've all got that in our life,though that far country, that
(06:59):
either we're chasing the money,we're chasing drama, or we're
just zoning out and we kind offind ourselves drifting away.
But you know, I think it wasimportant.
When I was studying this, Iwanted to start naming things in
my own life that were draggingme away from God and I began to
just pray that I would ditchthose things.
And so this kid, he's off therails and he's partying like
(07:22):
it's the end of the world.
But the reality is about tosmack him because in verse 14,
it says that he spent everythingand then a severe famine hit
Like bam.
So now the cash is gone, thefamine rolls in, he's broke,
he's hungry and he's justlooking around like uh-oh, he's
burned out.
He's burned all the paycheck ona lottery ticket that now is no
(07:46):
longer available to him to evenbuy bread.
Life has gotten so far awayjust knocking him down that he's
just running rogue, and I thinkthat we can apply it to our
life in this way.
If we're in a dry spell, right,maybe God's saying hey, why
don't you turn around and lookback at me?
You know what is this messteaching him, or what does our
(08:09):
mess teach us about God?
Speaker 2 (08:11):
Yeah, you know, the man thought he had everything he
needed.
The young man, he becamecomfortable.
The problem was, the same stuffthat bought him comfort, the
same stuff that bought him peaceand joy, eventually runs out.
Yeah, so much of what peopletry to fill their lives with
today runs out as well.
But here's the good news Godnever runs out.
(08:33):
And if you're taking notes,just write that one down God
never runs out.
Amen, his supply.
You can write this down God'ssupply is everlasting.
Our stuff should not determineour joy level, because at any
moment that same stuff couldleave and that would mean, if we
(08:53):
attach our joy to it, that ourjoy is going to have to go out
the window with it.
But again, the good news isthis God's joy never runs out.
So, whether you have stuff ornot, whether you are successful
at an endeavor or not, whetheryour plan fails or not, whether
you get what you wanted or not,god's joy never fails.
(09:15):
I'm reminded of Philippians,chapter 4, 11 through 12, and
Paul writes this.
For I have learned, in whateversituation I am, to be content.
I know how to be brought lowand I know how to abound in any
and every circumstance.
I have learned the secret offacing plenty and hunger,
abundance and need.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
Yeah, and in that verse it talks about being low,
and that's exactly where thisyoung man finds himself at rock
bottom.
He's a Jewish dude sloppingwith pigs.
That'd be like being anall-American barbecue champion
and you've been limited down toflipping tofu burgers right,
it'd be just straight.
(09:57):
Humiliation is where he foundhimself.
He's at the worst gig knee-deepin pig slop.
And here's the truth about that.
That's what sin does.
It drags us to places that weswear we will never go.
When we're on top, yeah, youknow, but you end up being stuck
in a pig pen of your own making.
Get real with God this week andstop sugarcoating everything
(10:19):
that you've been running awayfrom.
Verse 16 says that he waslonging to be fed with the pods
that the pigs ate, and no onegave him anything.
Man, he's drooling over pigfood like moldy corn cobs and
nobody even gives a rip abouthim.
So he goes and he chases all ofthese things and when all the
money runs out, all of a suddenhe becomes invisible.
(10:40):
He's alone, and that's a farcountry that no one should ever
find themselves in.
It's all glitter but nosubstance.
If you feel forgotten, I wantyou to hear this.
God's got his eyes on you and Iwant you to write down this If
you're starving for peace orpurpose, ask God to fill it,
because the pig pen's brutal.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
Oh man, I love that brother.
The pig pen is brutal.
That's a t-shirt in the making,right there, the pig pen is
brutal.
That's a t-shirt in the making,right there, the pig pen is
brutal.
The young man thought by movingaway he's going to go find
himself.
How many people like run awayfrom home because they're going
to go find themselves?
Or how many people maybe don'trun away but they just leave
(11:21):
home because they're like youknow what?
This is my year, this is myseason in life to go find myself
.
Or I'm going off to find myself, or I'm going to leave church
and I'm going to go find myselfand maybe I'll come back, maybe
I won't.
This young man he moves awaythinking that he's got
everything he'll ever need.
I'm going to go find myself.
The truth is, rather than findhimself, pastor Jim, he only
(11:48):
lost himself.
He thought he's going to moveaway and be successful.
The truth is sin, as youmentioned earlier.
That's his problem here.
Sin only brings about hisfailure.
So many people run from thecalling God has placed on their
lives simply because they stillhave stuff they want to do in
their lives.
This young man finally comes tohimself and realizes the
position he's placed himself inand it's nobody's fault but his
(12:10):
own, and he recognizes that.
He takes ownership of that.
The Bible says he comes tohimself and then he does what he
needs to do to make it right.
He goes back home.
That takes humility.
He's got to humble himself.
So one thing that can stop usfrom living in victory as
Christians is a lack of humility.
(12:31):
Maybe we don't want torecognize our way was the wrong
way.
Maybe we don't want torecognize and admit that we've
made a mistake.
It doesn't feel good when wefigure out that we've wasted
time, we've wasted effort, we'vewasted resources.
So listen to this there'snothing wrong at all with
recognizing your failures andsurrendering to God's will for
(12:54):
your life.
I want to encourage thelisteners in that Maybe there is
something going on right now inyour life where you simply need
to let go and just let GodAlmighty take over and if that's
the case, simply surrender itover to God.
Speaker 1 (13:08):
Yeah, I love how he snaps out of it.
He snaps out of it byremembering home.
And you preached this lastSunday about remembering your
first love.
And so when I was readingthrough this, as I was studying
through this, I thought aboutthat and I was like man, you
know what's got to flip in myown life to get right with God
(13:29):
Remembering my first love?
And that's what he did.
He said, man, how many of myfather's hired servants have
more than enough bread?
So he remembers home.
And then, in verse 18, he saysI'm going to arise and I'm going
to go back home.
I'm heading back to my fatherand I'm going to tell him that
I've sinned against him, I'vesinned against heaven.
And so now he's not justwishing, he's beginning to move.
(13:52):
He says, father, I've sinnedagainst heaven and I've sinned
before you.
Now he's not just wishing, he'smoving.
That speech sinned againstheaven and before you.
It shows that he knows he blewit, not just with his dad, but
with God, he's beginning to ownit.
So then, once he owns it, heshifts to humility.
Verse 19,.
(14:12):
He says I'm no longer worthy tobe called your son.
Treat me as one of your hiredservants.
See, he's no longer playing anygames.
He's wrecked.
He doesn't think that he'sworthy of son status, so he's
just aiming for the mailroom atthis point.
But he's heading home, andthat's faith, even if it's shaky
.
Once you realize what you'vedone, if you feel like trash,
(14:34):
don't go and hide.
Go to God and say I'm a mess,but I'm right here and we can do
it today.
Verse 20 says that he went andhe arose and he went home to his
father.
But while he was still a longway off, his father saw him and
felt compassion and ran andembraced him and kissed him.
And this is the part of thetext that just kills me.
He's stumbling home, he'ssmelling like a barn and his dad
(14:59):
is already just hauling ittowards him.
That's God chasing us downbefore we're cleaned up.
So if you're lost, all you gotto do is take one step and then
God's going to be sprintingtowards you.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
Yeah, you know, we've all been there before, haven't
we?
When we realize just how lowwe've fallen.
But thank God, he loves us.
The Bible says even when we'refaithless, he remains faithful.
So thank God that his love issteadfast.
As we mentioned in last week'sepisode, you know God pursues us
.
Thank God for that.
Here we see this beautifulimagery of this dad running out
(15:34):
to meet this son, who's alsorunning towards him.
Thank God that the love of ourHeavenly Father is fixed.
It is directed on us and it isfirm in the purpose of God for
us.
Thank God for that.
Let's pray.
Father, we thank you so muchthat every one of us, at some
(15:55):
point in time in our lives, wehave turned to a degree that has
not pleased you, and we are sothankful that, even though we've
turned, you have alwayswelcomed us every single time
back home into your arms.
The Scripture teaches that youput a robe on that son and the
(16:18):
father asked for a ring to beput on his son, and what that is
showing is is that the fatherhas re-established this son back
into his family as though henever left.
And what a beautiful picturethat is, that, as we come back
home to be with our HeavenlyFather.
You accept us as though wenever ever left, and we thank
(16:41):
you for the lessons that welearned through all of that.
We love you, we praise you, wehonor you.
Today, for this is the day thatyou, Lord, almighty God, have
made, it's our job to rejoiceand go be glad in it.
In Jesus' name and blood,everybody, friends, said
together amen and amen.
(17:01):
We'll see you next time onBeyond Sunday.
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