It is easy to lose sight of our true identity, especially when we feel lost, ashamed, or unworthy. Sometimes, we may even surrender our sense of self, forgetting what is most true about us in God’s eyes. But God invites us to remember who we are: beloved, known, and welcomed, no matter how far we have wandered. When we forget our identity, God’s love remains unchanged, always calling us back to the place we truly belong. [01:48]
1 John 3:1 (ESV)
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
Reflection: When was the last time you felt like you had lost sight of who you truly are? What is one way you can remind yourself today that you are God’s beloved child?
Jesus’ ministry was marked by his radical welcome of those whom society and the religious elite rejected. He shared meals with tax collectors and sinners, breaking social norms and demonstrating that God’s love is for everyone, not just the “worthy.” The table became a place of grace, acceptance, and transformation, showing us that no one is beyond the reach of God’s embrace. [02:55]
Luke 15:1-2 (ESV)
Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.”
Reflection: Who in your life might feel unwelcome or excluded? How can you extend the welcome of Jesus to them in a tangible way this week?
Repentance is not just feeling bad about our mistakes; it is a moment of coming to our senses, realizing how far we have wandered, and choosing to return home. It is a change of direction—a turning away from what does not bring life and a movement toward the Father who longs for our return. Repentance is an invitation to come home to the place where we truly belong, trusting that God is waiting with open arms. [08:48]
Luke 15:17-20a (ESV)
“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.”
Reflection: Is there an area of your life where you need to “come to your senses” and return to God? What would taking the first step home look like for you today?
God is not a distant, arms-crossed judge waiting for us to prove our remorse; He is the Father who runs to meet us, filled with compassion and love. In the story, the father’s sprint is an act of self-humiliation and radical grace, taking on the shame that should have fallen on the son. No matter how far we have wandered, God’s love pursues us, longing to embrace us and restore us to Himself. [12:48]
Luke 15:20b (ESV)
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.”
Reflection: How does it change your view of God to picture Him running toward you with compassion? What would it mean for you to receive that love today, just as you are?
In the culture of Jesus’ day, a wayward son would have expected to be cut off and shamed by his community, but the father’s love intervenes before shame can take hold. God’s grace breaks through our feelings of unworthiness and rejection, declaring us whole and welcomed. No matter how broken or distant we feel, God’s grace is greater, and He calls us home to restoration and belonging. [17:57]
Romans 8:1 (ESV)
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Reflection: What voices of shame or rejection do you need to silence today in light of God’s grace? How can you embrace the truth that you are fully accepted and restored in Christ?
Have you ever mistaken someone’s identity, only to realize your error in a moment of embarrassment? It’s one thing to get someone else’s identity wrong, but it’s another thing entirely to lose sight of your own. Many of us, at some point, have forgotten who we truly are—sometimes not because someone stole our identity, but because we’ve surrendered it or let it slip away. Today, we explored what it means to forget who we are, and how Jesus, through the stories he told at tables, invites us to remember and return.
In the culture of Jesus’ day, sharing a meal was a radical act of acceptance and belonging. Jesus was constantly found at tables, eating with those whom society had cast aside—tax collectors, sinners, the outcasts. This was so controversial that the religious elite grumbled, accusing him of welcoming and eating with sinners. In response, Jesus told three stories about lost things: a sheep, a coin, and a son. We focused on the story of the lost son, often called the Prodigal Son, but it’s really about two sons and a father whose love defies expectation.
The younger son’s request for his inheritance was more than just greedy; it was a wish for his father’s death, a severing of relationship. Yet, the father grants the request, enduring public humiliation and heartbreak. The son squanders everything, finds himself in utter ruin, and only then “comes to his senses.” This is the biblical picture of repentance—not just feeling bad, but realizing how far we’ve wandered and choosing to return home.
But the most shocking part of the story is the father’s response. Instead of waiting with crossed arms, demanding an apology or repayment, the father runs—sprints—to his son. In that culture, a dignified man never ran; it was humiliating. Yet, the father takes on this shame to reach his son before the community can reject him. He embraces him, restoring him before a word of apology is spoken. This is the heart of God: a love that runs to meet us, that takes on our shame, and welcomes us home before we can earn or deserve it.
No matter how far we’ve wandered, no matter how broken or unworthy we feel, God’s love is relentless. He is the Father who scans the horizon, longing for our return, and when we take even a single step toward home, he runs to meet us.
Luke 15:11-24 (ESV) —
> 11 And he said, “There was a man who had two sons. 12 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. 13 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. 14 And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.
>
> 17 “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! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ 20 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. 21 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.’ 22 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. 23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate.
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