Bible Reading
Luke 15:11-32 “And he said, "There was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.' And he divided his property between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants."' And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said to his servants, 'Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.' And they began to celebrate. Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.' But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, 'Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!' And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.”
[09:43]Deuteronomy 8:10-18 “And you shall eat and be full, and you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land he has given you. Take care lest you forget the LORD your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command you today, lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, who led you through the great and terrifying wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water, who brought you water out of the flinty rock, who fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers did not know, that he might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end. Beware lest you say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.' You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”
[25:53]Daniel 6:10 “When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.”
[39:43]Observation questions
- In Luke 15:25–32, what does the older brother include in his account of life with his father, and what does the father draw attention to instead? [15:01]
- How does the father respond to each son when that son is outside the celebration? What similarities do you notice in his actions toward them? [18:19]
- In Deuteronomy 8:10–18, what changes in the people’s circumstances could lead them to forget God, and what might they begin telling themselves about their success? [26:40]
- In Daniel 6:10, when does Daniel give thanks in relation to the threat against him and his eventual rescue? What does the passage reveal about his existing habits? [40:23]
Interpretation questions
- The older brother has experienced real harm and carried real responsibilities. How does his complaint nevertheless reveal an incomplete picture of his father’s goodness? [16:19]
- What does the father’s decision to go outside to the angry older brother reveal about God’s response to people whose obedience has become resentful? [19:24]
- Why can abundance make people forget their dependence on God? How does giving thanks acknowledge hard work without treating a person’s success as entirely self-made? [28:29]
- How does Daniel’s thanksgiving before any rescue challenge the idea that gratitude depends on circumstances improving? What is the difference between thanking God within suffering and calling the suffering itself good? [40:30]
Application questions
- What ordinary goodness in your life has become so familiar that you barely notice it? What is one specific gift you can pause to receive and thank God for today? [36:35]
- When has someone else’s good news recently left you feeling overlooked or deprived? What might help you celebrate with that person while being honest with God about your own unmet desires? [17:32]
- Where, if anywhere, has following Jesus begun to feel like keeping a record of your effort and what God owes you? How might remembering his relationship with you, his presence, and his generosity change the way you approach that part of life? [15:46]
- Who has helped you in a way that your account of your own achievements sometimes leaves out? How could you thank that person specifically this week and let them know what their kindness meant? [34:50]
- What simple practice—a meal, a photograph, an anniversary reminder, a song, or something else—could help you remember God’s goodness? Where could it fit naturally into your week? [30:18]
- If you feel comfortable sharing, where does your life look different from what you hoped? What might it look like to bring both that grief and one honest expression of thanks into the same conversation with God? [38:13]
- At communion, believers receive a reminder of Christ’s love that cannot be earned. When you next receive the bread and cup, what would you like to remember, especially where you have been measuring your spiritual performance? [48:20]
