BIG IDEA
Jesus welcomes you back.
MESSAGE NOTES:
WHAT:
Have you ever felt ashamed of losing something? Most of you would say yes, why?
Because losing things isn’t always fun or funny. Sometimes, we lose things that really mean something to us.
Maybe you lost a piece of jewel that someone special gave you and that was painful.
Maybe you broke something that was special to someone else.
It’s difficult to lose something that really matters to you and it’s worse when you know it’s your fault that it’s missing.
You might feel hurt because losing something of value that really meant something to you.
You might feel frustration because maybe it’s happened to you more than once.
You might also feel fear because what was lost belonged to someone else and you’re afraid of their reaction.
You see, this doesn’t just happen with things, this can also, from time to time, happen with ourselves as well. We’ve been talking about what we do when we are feeling a little lost. Sometimes, we feel lost because…
We don’t feel noticed or seen.
We don’t feel valuable.
We know we’ve messed up and aren’t sure how to fix it.
SO WHAT:
To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons. “A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything. Luke 15:11-16
“So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began. Luke 15:20-24
I just can’t imagine that if I had done what he did that I would be welcomed home like that! It just seems too good to be true right? But that’s exactly what happens. The father isn’t concerned with the fact that the son took all the money, left home and blew it. It’s just ecstatic that the boy is home. He goes so far as to give his son gifts and throw him a huge party. The father doesn’t just allow the son to move back home - he forgave him completely and welcomed him back home. Remember, the purpose of this parable was to help us understand important truths about who God is and what God may be calling us to.
NOW WHAT:
So when you've made decisions or mistakes that have led you far from God, I hope you'll remember what the son in this story discovered about his father. When you feel lost, Jesus welcomes you back. God accepts us just as we are. He’s not after perfection…just progress.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Q1: Have you ever felt un-welcomed somewhere or by someone?
Q2: When is it difficult for you to be welcoming to others?
Q3: Read Ephesians 2:1-10. Where do you see the runaway son in these verses? Where do you see yourself?
Q4: What does Jesus’ story about the runaway son teach us about who God is?
Q5: This week, what will you do to welcome others in the same way that Jesus welcomes you back?