Head: Know God's Word | Heart: Love God | Hands: Follow God's Way  

Read Luke 15:11-32.

Head

In today’s passage, Jesus uses family relationships to explain a relationship with Him. This is the third story in this chapter of Luke where something of value is lost and then found with rejoicing. In this case, a younger brother is lost because of his own choices. The younger son realizes he can’t continue to live the way he’s been living and decides to return to his father to ask for forgiveness and see if he can be a servant in his father’s household. His father is overjoyed at the sight of his lost son returning home and welcomes him with open arms as his son, even throwing a party in his honor. However, his older brother is not so excited to see this careless younger brother return. This is like how God the Father joyfully receives sinners by grace, while their brothers, the religious leaders in Jesus’ audience, look at sinners with disgust.    

Heart

Christ uses this teaching moment to give His audience a descriptive picture of how God views sinners. Thankfully it was recorded in the Scripture that we might learn from it as well. God rejoices when a lost person realizes that they’ve come to the end of themselves and runs to Him as a son or daughter.

Hands

No sinner’s too far away from God or too lost. Is there someone connected to your family that you can be praying for that you want to see turn to the Lord? Take time to discuss how your family can share in the excitement of a new believer coming to Christ and if you have children in your home who have yet to surrender to the Lord, pray with them that they respond to the Lord calling them to salvation with repentance and surrender. Praying for and with your child for their salvation is powerful and is an act of ministry within your home. 

Prayer: Our Father in Heaven, we are grateful that You are so loving toward us. You rejoice when we put our trust in You and You allow us to share in joy when we see our brothers and sisters come to faith in You. May we never take this for granted and may our excitement over seeing people come to know You only grow as we walk with You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.