10-19-25 Riverside Sunday Service | Luke 15:1-32

Devotional

Day 1: God’s Heart Welcomes the Lost Home

No matter how far we have wandered, God’s heart is always turned toward us, longing for our return. The story of the prodigal son in Luke 15 shows a father who, despite being deeply wronged, watches and waits for his lost child, and when he sees him coming from a distance, runs to embrace him with compassion and joy. This is a picture of God’s outrageous, audacious, and scandalous love for each of us—He is not interested in our shame or our attempts to earn our way back, but simply wants us to come home and be restored as beloved children. [52:17]

Luke 15:20-24 (NIV)
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.”

Reflection: Where in your life do you feel far from God, and what would it look like to take a step toward “coming home” to Him today?

Day 2: Self-Righteousness Can Also Keep Us from God

It’s not only our obvious mistakes or sins that can separate us from God, but also our attempts to earn His love through our own goodness and striving. The older brother in the parable did all the right things outwardly, yet his heart was distant, filled with resentment and a sense of entitlement. God’s invitation is not to slave away for His approval, but to come into the living room and enjoy relationship with Him, knowing that everything He has is already ours—not because we’ve earned it, but because we are His children. [01:00:33]

Luke 15:28-31 (NIV)
“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.’”

Reflection: In what ways are you tempted to “earn” God’s love or approval, and how might you instead rest in simply being His beloved child?

Day 3: True Fulfillment Is Found Only in God

We often chase after things—success, relationships, achievements, or even religious performance—hoping they will satisfy us, but they always leave us wanting. The hunger in our souls is a grace, a sign that we were made for more, and that only God can truly satisfy our deepest longings. When we recognize that our attempts to fill ourselves elsewhere have failed, it’s an invitation to return to the Father, who alone can give us the life and fulfillment we crave. [51:09]

Psalm 107:8-9 (NIV)
“Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.”

Reflection: What is one thing you’ve been running to for fulfillment that has left you empty, and how can you bring that hunger to God today?

Day 4: Repentance Is Coming Home to God’s Kindness

Repentance isn’t about groveling or self-punishment—it’s about turning around, changing direction, and coming home to the party God is throwing in your honor. It’s God’s kindness, not His anger, that leads us to repentance; He longs to clothe us in honor, seal us with His love, and celebrate our return. Whether you’ve wandered far or just lost sight of His grace, God’s arms are open wide, inviting you to experience His transforming love again and again. [01:06:02]

Romans 2:4 (NIV)
“Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?”

Reflection: Where do you sense God’s kindness inviting you to turn back to Him today, and what would it look like to accept that invitation?

Day 5: You Are Never Too Far Gone for God’s Love

No matter how lost, broken, or ashamed you feel—whether you identify more with the younger or the older brother—God’s love is greater than your failures or your striving. Through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, He has already taken the hit for your sin and your self-righteousness, and His arms are stretched wide, inviting you to come home. There is nothing in heaven or on earth that can separate you from His love; you are welcomed, celebrated, and made alive in Christ. [01:23:15]

Romans 8:38-39 (NIV)
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Reflection: Is there any place in your heart where you feel “too far gone” for God’s love? How can you let the truth of His unbreakable love sink in and shape your response today?

Sermon Summary

As the leaves fall and the world slows down for autumn, it’s a reminder that God invites us into rhythms of rest and restoration, no matter how busy or weary we feel. Today, we explored the heart of God through the story Jesus tells in Luke 15—the parable of the prodigal son. This story is not just about a wayward child, but about the radical, audacious love of a Father who welcomes both the rebellious and the self-righteous home.

We all find ourselves at times like the younger son, chasing fulfillment in things that ultimately leave us empty, or like the older son, striving to earn love through our own goodness and missing the intimacy that’s freely offered. The story reveals that both paths—reckless living and self-righteous striving—can leave us alienated from the Father. Yet, the Father’s response is the same: arms wide open, running to meet us, clothing us in honor, and throwing a celebration at our return.

Repentance, as we see, often begins not with perfect motives but with honest hunger—a realization that what we’ve pursued hasn’t satisfied. God meets us in that hunger, not with shame, but with kindness that leads us home. The invitation is not to work harder or be better, but to trust in the love and grace that Jesus demonstrated on the cross, a love that covers both our failures and our pride.

This story ends on a cliffhanger, leaving the older brother’s response unresolved, because the invitation is ongoing—for each of us to come home, again and again, to the party God is throwing in our honor. Whether you’re returning after wandering or realizing you’ve been trying to earn your place, the Father’s heart is for you. The good news is that you are never too far gone, and true fulfillment is found not in what you do, but in who you are to the Father: beloved, welcomed, and celebrated.

Key Takeaways

1. God’s Invitation to Rest and Restoration God’s design in creation, seen even in the changing seasons, is an invitation to slow down and find rest in Him. When life feels overwhelming or disrupted, Jesus calls the weary to Himself, offering not more burdens but true rest. This rest is not just physical, but a deep soul restoration that comes from being known and loved by God. In every season of busyness or sorrow, God’s heart is to draw us into His peace and presence. [09:26]
2. The Scandalous Love of the Father The Father’s response to the returning son is not measured or reserved, but extravagant and undignified by cultural standards. He runs, embraces, and restores the son with honor, regardless of the son’s failures or motives for returning. This reveals that God’s love is not based on our worthiness or repentance speeches, but on His own character and joy in welcoming us home. The most defining thing about us is not our sin or our success, but our status as beloved children. [54:14]
3. The Danger of Self-Righteousness The older brother’s story warns that it’s possible to be close to God in activity but far from Him in heart. Self-righteousness—trying to earn God’s love through performance—can alienate us just as much as outright rebellion. The tragedy is missing the intimacy and joy of the Father’s presence because we’re too busy proving ourselves. God’s invitation is not to slave away for approval, but to come into the living room and enjoy relationship with Him. [60:33]
4. Repentance Begins in Honest Hunger Repentance often starts not with noble intentions, but with the realization that what we’ve pursued isn’t working. The prodigal’s journey home began with hunger, not holiness. God meets us in our need, using our dissatisfaction as a grace that points us back to Him. True transformation happens when we bring our emptiness and let God fill us, rather than hiding in shame or trying to fix ourselves first. [49:56]
5. The Ongoing Invitation to Come Home The story’s unresolved ending is an open invitation for each of us, whether we identify with the younger or older brother. God’s kindness continually calls us to turn from whatever we trust for fulfillment—be it pleasure, achievement, or perfectionism—and return to Him. Repentance is not a one-time event but a lifelong journey of coming home, again and again, to the party God throws for us. In every hunger pang, every moment of shame or striving, God’s arms remain open wide. [69:47]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[09:26] - Invitation to Rest in God
[10:25] - Prayer for God’s Kingdom
[15:44] - Worship: Building God’s Kingdom
[21:10] - Trusting God’s Promises
[31:14] - Scripture and Life-Changing Detours
[33:46] - Why We Seek God: Survey Insights
[36:25] - Introduction to Luke 15
[40:16] - Jesus Responds to Drama with Story
[42:04] - The Lost Sheep and Lost Coin
[43:13] - The Prodigal Son’s Request
[46:36] - Hitting Rock Bottom
[48:46] - Repentance Begins in the Belly
[52:17] - The Father’s Radical Welcome
[57:39] - The Older Brother’s Anger
[60:33] - The Trap of Self-Righteousness
[64:19] - Redefining Separation from God
[66:40] - The Cliffhanger Invitation
[68:47] - How We Respond: Repentance and Return
[76:34] - Community and Next Steps
[77:27] - Upcoming Events and Serving
[81:24] - Connect, Give, and Closing Blessing

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Luke 15:11-32 (NIV) — Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.
After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need.
So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.
He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!
I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’
So he got up and went to his father.
But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate.
For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing.
So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on.
‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him.
But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.
But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.
But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

Observation Questions

What did the younger son ask his father for, and what did this request mean in their culture? ([44:12])
How did the father respond when he saw his son returning from a distance? ([52:17])
What was the older brother’s reaction to the celebration for his younger brother, and how did he express his feelings to the father? ([58:44])
How does the story end, and what is left unresolved? ([01:06:29])

Interpretation Questions

What does the father’s response to the younger son reveal about God’s character and how He welcomes us, even when our motives for returning aren’t perfect? ([54:14])
In what ways can both the younger and older brothers be seen as “lost” in this story? How does this challenge our usual ideas about what it means to be far from God? ([01:02:27])
Why do you think Jesus leaves the story open-ended, without telling us how the older brother responds? What might this say about God’s ongoing invitation to us? ([01:06:40])
The sermon mentioned that repentance often begins with “honest hunger” rather than perfect motives. How does this idea change the way we think about coming back to God? ([49:56])

Application Questions

The sermon talked about God’s invitation to rest and restoration, especially when life feels overwhelming. What are some practical ways you can accept God’s invitation to rest this week, even if your schedule is busy? ([09:26])
The father’s love in the story is described as “scandalous” and “extravagant.” Is there an area in your life where you struggle to believe that God could welcome you with open arms? What would it look like to bring that to Him honestly? ([54:14])
The older brother was close to the father in activity but far from him in heart. Are there ways you find yourself “working for” God’s approval instead of enjoying relationship with Him? How can you shift from striving to simply being with God? ([01:00:33])
The sermon said repentance often starts with realizing that what we’ve pursued isn’t working. Is there something you’ve been chasing for fulfillment that has left you empty? What would it look like to bring that emptiness to God instead of hiding it? ([49:56])
The story ends with an open invitation to come home. Whether you relate more to the younger or older brother, what is one step you can take this week to “come home” to God’s love and join the celebration He’s throwing for you? ([01:09:47])
When you notice “hunger pangs” in your life—feelings of emptiness, shame, or striving—how can you use those as reminders to turn back to God instead of running to other things? ([01:23:36])
The sermon mentioned that true transformation happens when we let God fill our emptiness, not when we try to fix ourselves first. What would it look like for you to let God meet you in your need this week, rather than trying to clean yourself up before coming to Him? ([49:56])

Sermon Clips

I'm so confounded by the way Jesus teaches. Jesus, can you give me an answer about this? No, but I have a question. Jesus, what do I do about this? Here's a story. It's frustrating, isn't it? But what if the fact that Jesus wants to answer our greatest tensions with a story is actually the kindest thing he could do? [00:40:42] (24 seconds) #StoriesOverAnswers

A parable is a beautifully woven story meant to reveal the truths of the kingdom of God. And what if, rather than Jesus answering our questions, but him actually asking us questions and telling us stories is actually this really wonderful, beautiful invitation for us to find ourselves in the story of God? [00:41:07] (22 seconds) #InvitationToSelf

He is being restored, not based on his behavior, but based on the father's love for him. And then the father says, bring out the fattened calf. The fattened calf would have only gotten killed for a feast maybe once or twice in someone's lifetime. This is like Thanksgiving on steroids. Imagine whatever fancy thing your family makes for Thanksgiving. Multiply that by a hundred. Imagine it only happens once in a lifetime. And you're getting an idea of what this celebration is like. The father rejoices that his son is home. [00:55:47] (37 seconds) #CelebrationOfReturn

This teaches us a lot about the heart of God. It teaches us and reminds us that it is not your sin or your behavior that is the most defining thing about you. It is your status with the father. That is the most important thing about you. And whatever you've done, God has declared what he thinks about you. [00:56:23] (19 seconds) #IdentityInGrace

That's audacious. That's nuts. That is the outrageous, audacious, scandalous love of Father God and what he feels towards you. It doesn't matter how far you've gone. It doesn't matter how far you've run. Whether that's been today, whether that was 15 years ago, whether that was 50 years ago. Whatever has happened in your story, God just wants you to come home. And he cannot wait to welcome you there. [00:57:03] (31 seconds) #UnconditionalWelcome

The gospel is not about behavior modification, it's about heart transformation. And that only happens when you see the kindness of the Father, who, whether you're the younger brother or the older brother, welcomes you back home with open arms. [01:05:48] (17 seconds) #HeartTransformation

His hands are stretched wide on that cross, just like the father who welcomes you in. The same way that that father took the hit when his son sinned against him, Jesus takes the hit of our sin on the cross. And in and through the cross he says, come home. Come home. Find your fulfillment in me. Find your hope in me. Find your faith in me. Come. You're never too far gone. [01:08:07] (28 seconds) #ComeHomeAlways

Repentance is turning around, coming home, and it's joining the party. The way one of my mentors, Dan Allender, has talked about repentance is he'll often say repentance is coming back home to the party that God is throwing in your honor. That's crazy. He knows what I've done. Yeah, he wants you back home. But I, yeah, he's gonna give you the robe. But I, yeah, he's gonna put his ring on you. But I, he's gonna kill the fattened calf for you. That's crazy. It is only that kind of crazy love that can transform our hearts. [01:09:12] (35 seconds) #RepentanceIsParty

Would you see today through this beautiful story of Jesus that his heart is for you and that his arms are open wide and that true fulfillment can be found in the embrace of the Savior who hung on a tree for you, who rose again for you and invites you to a party that he celebrates you. Because you were lost, but now you're found. You thought you were dead, but through Christ, you're alive. That's good news. It's good news for you. It's good news for me. Maybe we'll find ourselves back in the arms of the good and great God who died for us. [01:13:27] (42 seconds) #EmbraceOfFulfillment

Paul says in the book of Romans, you may see how high and how wide and how deep is the love of God for you. And that you would know that there is no force in the presence of God in earth, above earth, under earth, not even hell itself can separate you from the love of God. That is, that is scripture. And I pray that that would not just be something that lives in your brain, but descends and metabolizes deep in your hearts and your bodies today. And that you would know anytime you feel shame or disconnection or lost or disorientation, that's a hunger pang in your belly reminding you to go back home to the one you find in heaven. To the one you find fulfillment in. [01:23:03] (43 seconds) #GenerosityLifestyle

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