Known | Everlasting Father | Pastor Erin Weaver, Lead Pastor

We began by quieting our hearts and asking God to reveal something of His character in a way that restores and refreshes us. I shared a simple family tradition from Christmas Eve—turning off the house lights except the tree, cookies and carols, Luke 2 by lamplight—and how one year a friend from a broken home joined us. It was deeply moving for him because it gave him a taste of what his heart longed for: a family gathered around Jesus. That longing sets the stage for a name Isaiah gives the promised Son: Everlasting Father. Not that the Son is the Father—Scripture is clear about the Trinity—but that Jesus’ heart toward His people is father-like: protective, compassionate, faithful, and unceasing in love.

We traced that father-like heart into Luke 15. Jesus tells three parables that crescendo with a father and his two sons. The younger is rebelliously distant; the older is dutifully distant. One uses obvious disobedience, the other uses obedience to control outcomes. Both are lost. The father watches, runs, embraces, interrupts the shame speech with a robe and ring, and then pleads with the older to come in. The story ends open—because the point is not just about the sons; it’s about the Father’s heart. This is what Jesus is like. He comes to us, feels compassion, welcomes repentant sinners home, and entreats the self-righteous to lay down their pride. He is the Everlasting Father who treats us as family, not mere subjects.

So if you know you’re lost, come home—He’s not blocking you at the door; He’s running down the road to meet you. And if you already belong to Him, lay down the frenzy of performing and warm your soul at the fire of meditation. Hear again His invitation: “Come to me... and you will find rest for your souls.” That is what Christmas announces: the Son has come with a Father’s heart, and He won’t stop loving you.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Jesus treats us like family Jesus reigns as a King, but He relates as a Father. He doesn’t rule from distance; He draws near, carries burdens, and binds Himself to us with covenant love. Belonging precedes behaving, and security in His love reshapes our obedience from mere compliance into trust. [34:49]
• 2. Rebellion and religion can both be lost One runs away through sin; the other stays home and tries to earn. Both seek control—either by breaking the rules or by keeping them for leverage. The surface differs, but the heart posture is the same: wanting the Father’s things without wanting the Father. [54:03]
• 3. The Father runs toward repentant hearts The younger son prepares a speech; the father prepares a celebration. He closes the gap, absorbs the shame, and restores the son with robe, ring, and feast. Repentance doesn’t negotiate a wage; it receives a welcome. [48:12]
• 4. The story centers on the Father’s heart Jesus starts with “a man had two sons,” not “two sons had a man.” The focus is on the father’s compassion, initiative, and plea to both children. That reframes the question: not “Am I good enough?” but “Will I trust the goodness of His heart?” [57:02]
• 5. Rest over performance forms the soul Jesus invites weary people to learn His gentle heart and find rest. Meditation warms truth into us until love displaces fear and scarcity. In Advent bustle, we practice being with Him so our doing flows from His steady presence. [64:29]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [27:51] - Opening Prayer and Stillness
• [28:44] - Christmas Traditions and Longing
• [31:15] - Everlasting Father Introduced
• [33:42] - King’s Titles and Meaning
• [36:43] - Clarifying the Trinity, Not Modalism
• [38:41] - Jesus’ Compassionate Heart
• [40:48] - Luke 15: Why Three Parables
• [44:59] - Two Brothers, Two Stereotypes
• [46:37] - Inheritance Divided; Far Country
• [48:12] - The Father Runs; Celebration
• [49:54] - The Older Brother’s Refusal
• [57:02] - Focus on the Father’s Heart
• [60:48] - Christmas: Everlasting Father’s Pursuit
• [64:29] - Come, Rest, and Respond

1. In Luke 15, who is drawing near to Jesus and who is grumbling about it? What does that set up for the three parables? [40:48]
2. When the younger son comes home, list the father’s actions in order. What does he see, feel, do, and say? (Luke 15:20-24)
3. How does the older brother respond to the party, and what does the father do in response? (Luke 15:25-32) [49:54]
4. The story opens, “There was a man who had two sons.” What does that starting line suggest is the focus of the story? [57:02]

1. Both the rebellious younger brother and the religious older brother are called lost. In what specific ways is each one trying to stay in control? [54:03]
2. Why does Jesus show the father running, embracing, and interrupting the shame speech? What does this teach about repentance and grace? [48:12]
3. The promised Son is called “Everlasting Father,” not in position but in heart. What does that reveal about how Jesus relates to His people—more like family than subjects? [34:49]
4. If the story centers on the father’s heart, how does that reframe the big question from “Am I good enough?” to “Will I trust His goodness?” [57:02]

1. If you know you’re far from God right now, what would “coming home” look like this week in one concrete step—an honest prayer, a call, a confession, showing up at worship? [01:01:34]
2. Where do you see the “younger brother” in you (rule-breaking to get your way) or the “older brother” in you (rule-keeping to get leverage)? Share one current example, and what trusting the Father instead might look like. [53:08]
3. What keeps you from joining the celebration when God shows mercy to someone else—envy, score-keeping, resentment? What’s one step into the “house” you could take—confession, blessing someone, serving at the party? [49:54]
4. For those who carry painful father memories, what would help you receive Jesus’ gentle and compassionate heart this week—a slow read of Matthew 11:28-30 each day, journaling your fears to Him, asking a friend to pray? [38:41]
5. Advent gets noisy. What is one simple practice to “warm your heart at the fire of meditation”—5 minutes of stillness, slowly praying one verse, or turning off a screen to sit with Jesus? When and where will you do it? [01:03:10]
6. Jesus treats His people like family, not just citizens. How would your obedience change if it flowed from belonging—security in His love—instead of anxiety or performance? Name one area where you can practice trust this week. [34:49]
7. Who near you is lonely or on the margins that you could welcome like family—an invite to a meal, a ride, a seat beside you at church? What’s one step of hospitality you can take in the next seven days? [29:47]