Bible ReadingLuke 15:11–32 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.’”
[00:30]Romans 2:4 “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?”
[45:32]James 1:17 “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
[13:31]Observation questions- What does the younger son ask his father for, and what does he do with what he receives?
- What details in Luke 15 show the father’s response before the younger son is able to finish his prepared confession? [27:55]
- What words reveal the older son’s view of his relationship with his father—especially when he says he has been “slaving” for him?
- In the story, how does the father move toward both sons: the one returning from far away and the one refusing to come inside? [36:49]
Interpretation questions- The younger son uses resources that came from his father to try to live independently from him. How does James 1:17 help explain why independence from God is never as complete as it appears? [12:25]
- Why might the father’s running, embracing, and celebrating the younger son not mean that sin is unimportant, but that restoration is the father’s greater goal? [31:23]
- The older son obeys outwardly but cannot rejoice when his brother returns. What does his response show about the difference between serving God as a loved child and serving Him only to earn approval? [35:21]
- Romans 2:4 says God’s kindness leads to repentance. What might genuine repentance look like for a person who has openly wandered, and for a person whose struggle is hidden behind a polished religious life? [45:36]
Application questions- When you think about “home,” what feelings come up—peace, safety, pressure, hurt, loneliness, welcome, or something else? How might those experiences affect the way you imagine God’s welcome? [01:55]
- Is there an area where you have been looking for freedom, comfort, identity, or control apart from God? What would it look like to admit that even the good things you enjoy are gifts from Him? [13:31]
- The younger son “came to his senses” and got up to return. Is there a clear next step of return you need to take this week—confession, prayer, ending a harmful pattern, asking forgiveness, or reaching out for help? [24:37]
- Shame can make a person feel unworthy to come near God. What guilt or regret may be keeping you at a distance, and how does the father’s response challenge that distance? [28:03]
- Do you recognize any of the older brother’s attitudes in yourself: resentment, comparison, anger when others receive grace, or feeling like you have been “slaving” for God? What situation tends to bring those attitudes to the surface? [39:05]
- Is your obedience to God mostly driven by love and gratitude, or by fear of failing, desire for approval, or concern about appearances? What would change if you received yourself as a child who is already welcomed by the Father? [35:39]
- Jesus welcomes both the obvious wanderer and the person who stays near while carrying bitterness inside. Which kind of wandering feels more familiar to you right now, and what would surrendering that part of your heart to Jesus look like? [44:43]
