We have the Good Shepherd who loves, saves, leads, and calls us by name

John 10:18 “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.”

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Cor 5:21

What is your relationship with Jesus like?

A routine or life-changing one?

How might you begin to live more completely, more invested, into His relationship offered?

How might you describe the father’s love to sons?

Is. 49:15-16 “Can a woman forget her nursing child, or lack compassion for the child of her womb? Even if these forget, yet I will not forget you. 16 Look, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.”

At the heart of this parable is our calling to be like the Father

Romans 8:16-17 “16 For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. 17 And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory.”

“Indeed, as son and heir I am to become successor. I am destined to step into my Father’s place and offer to others the same compassion that he has offered me. The return to the Father is ultimately the challenge to become the Father… Being in the Father’s house requires that I make the Father’s life my own and become transformed in his image.” Henri Nouwen

Grief“ - …man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.” Is 53:3

Forgiveness - Ephesians 4:32 “Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.”

Generosity - 1 John 3:16 “We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us.”

To become like the Father, we must look to Jesus

“Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect” Matthew 5:38

“Thus, for my sake, Jesus becomes the younger son as well as the elder son in order to show me how to become the Father. Through him I can become a true son again and, as a true son, I finally can grow to become compassionate as our heavenly Father is.” Henri Nouwen

Luke 15:7 “…there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who don’t need repentance.”

Luke 15:10 “…there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents.”

Luke 15:32 “But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.”

Our lives are transformed from: forgiven to forgiver, and from judger to blesser

Identifying with the eldest son is difficult for us to face.

“Returning from a lustful escapade seems so much easier than returning home from a cold anger that has rooted itself in the deepest corners of my being.”

How have we compared ourselves to another person, church, or business and asked why we cannot be more successful?

Do we have the capacity to not only love the ones who have come back from the lost country but also the ones who resent it?

Do we have the capability to admit and confess when that resentment is ours?

The story of the Prodigal is all humanity returning to God through Jesus.

Distant land/country - Wasted - Rock bottom

When have you hit rock bottom?

To be redeemed means you are coming back from something.

How has your story been like the son’s?

We have all walked away still wanting our inheritance.

To whom do I belong: God or the world?

Procrastinare (Latin) Akrasia (Greek)

We procrastinate by doing something in place of what we are supposed to be doing.

Procrastination is “a way of coping with challenging emotions and negative moods induced by certain tasks—boredom, anxiety, insecurity, frustration, resentment, self-doubt and beyond….Charlotte Lieberman, New York Times, 03/25/2019

Our faith growth is affected when we put off responsibilities and obedience for something else

When was a time you told God to “wait” or “no”?

Our life in Jesus is about being changed to reflect Jesus, to grow in love..

Oftentimes, our faith is fed with fast food.

John 17:19 (NRSV) “And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth.”

Sanctify: To purify internally by reformation of the soul; to be changed to reflect Jesus, to be more like Jesus.

We are being separated from our sinful selves, purified from moral evil, and conformed into the image of Christ.

Being made holy is a lifelong growth process of a believer

What spiritual disciplines are you using to feed your faith? (cultivate holiness)

Change is a part of life, and it will either bring us closer to or further from God.

When do we procrastinate the most? CHANGE

New life in Jesus breeds new spiritual habits through which we can see and experience the life-giving process of change as we follow Jesus.
Not many people like change, but change doesn’t care what we feel.

It's wise for us to remember that each moment we live is God-given.

Will the life changes bring me closer to God or take me further away?

Joy drives us toward one another

Our true joy will point towards God as well as what He is doing or will be doing

Our joy reminds us of the bigger picture

What is your joy rooted in?

How are we able to experience more joy?

What might need to change in our lives?