This Is Our Story

God’s Compassion

“[The son] 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.” Luke 15:20

Unconditional love doesn’t exist… At least, this was the lie I came to believe growing up.

My biological father, who was my best friend, abandoned us when he died of a drug overdose when I was 9. In the aftermath, my family fragmented and I grew lonely. I came to believe if my own father would abandon me, so would everyone else. All they needed was a reason.

So for fear of being abandoned again, I got good. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t get “good” in the true sense of the word. I got good at appearing good and hiding the rest. To use a metaphor synergistic with this parable, I left “home” and slapped lipstick all over this pig.

But the more I hid, the darker, lonelier, and more empty my hiding place became. All the while, I heard the voice of the Father saying, “Come home, son.”

I came to the place where, like the son in this story, I couldn’t hide anymore. My soul was in bondage and God showed me the only way to freedom was through the truth… to “return home.”

So, one night I called my adopted dad (I know, we’re skipping ahead, but that’s for another time) and, for the first time in my life, I laid everything out in the open. With similar words, I was saying, “I have sinned against heaven, against my family, and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.”

And at that moment when he had every right to judge me, reject me, and disown me, he showed me compassion and simply said, “I’m so sorry for you, Nate. I love you… God loves you.”

This is the love of the Father… unconditional in the truest sense, one that knows all that you are and doesn’t leave, but instead runs to you with compassion. It’s this love, the same love demonstrated through Jesus, that can change the world… I know it changed mine.

Nate Keating
Modern Worship Director

by Nate Keating

Surrender

When we think of the word surrender, I’m pretty sure there are many negative connotations that are attached to that word. Words like failure, weakness and fear may bubble to the front of our consciousness. We usually think we are better off if we feel we are in control. We often think that we know best how to take care of ourselves. This was very much true for the Prodigal Son.

In Luke 15, we find this son asking his father for everything that he felt was due him. He wanted to do life his own way. His father allowed him to do just that. He didn’t try to force him to stay. The son took the money and traveled to a far off country. He spent the money on all the things that he thought would bring him happiness and fulfillment. His plan was working well for him…until it wasn’t. His money ran out and he found himself starving. All the “happiness” that he bought, didn’t last.

The parable of the Prodigal Son may seem extreme to some. We may think that we would never go that far. But how far is too far? In our walk with Jesus, it is important to take stock of the things we are not willing to surrender to Him. How about our fear and anxiety? Our obsession with being in control? Our anger at God for allowing painful things in our lives? Our frustration in waiting for His timing and answers? Our wounds, pain, shame and the lies that we believe? All of these ways that we try to “take care of ourselves” on our own power, actually steal our joy and the abundant life that Jesus wants for us.

Luke 15 continues and says “when he came to his senses (decided that he didn’t make a very good god), he repented and surrendered. He saw his wrongdoing and decided to humbly return to his father not expecting any more than to just be fed. He found his father running towards him with open arms rejoicing that his son had returned. No judgment… just joy. He found the abundant life that his father had for him all along.

How about you? Ask your Father to help you recognize and surrender the things that are keeping you from the abundant life of love, joy, peace, purpose and fulfillment that He has for you.

Kathy Moratto
Counseling Director

by Kathy Moratto

Guilt or Shame

When I was 10 years old, I picked up some stones and threw them at a dog. Some boys saw me. I was afraid they would tell my dad. Instead of confessing to my dad, I suffered in fear which turned into shame. I never did confess. Whenever I remembered that incident, I always felt ashamed.

There is a difference between guilt and shame. Guilt is an appropriate response to doing something wrong. Shame makes you feel like there is something wrong with you.

God has provided a way for us to deal with guilt. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins…” Confession is admitting that we are guilty of a specific sin. If I had done that when I first threw stones, I probably would have been spared years of shame.

The Prodigal son was guilty of sinning. His comment to his father, “I am no longer worthy to be called your son” indicates he was ashamed as well. Unlike me, he went to his father and confessed, “Father, I have sinned...” That opened the door for his father to forgive, love, accept, and restore him. Since shame is a feeling, being assured we are loved and accepted can help to overcome shame.

God will forgive and remove the guilt of your sin, because Jesus has already been punished for your sins. When you take God at His word and believe you are forgiven, you can leave shame behind.

If you are holding onto guilt over a sin you have committed, believe that God will forgive you when you confess. Go to him as the Prodigal son did, even with his feelings of unworthiness. You do not need to feel worthy or shameless to go to God. He will respond with forgiveness, healing, and restoration.

If shame is a result of something done to you, you are not guilty. It is important to distinguish between guilt and shame. It may take counseling to overcome that kind of shame. Be kind to yourself and seek counsel.

Sharon Chapman

by Sharon Chapman

Come As You Are

I relate far more to the older brother than the younger one. As a child, I was indignant when my younger brother didn’t show gratitude and irritated when my little sister got away with actions and attitudes that I would never dare to express. I lived most of my childhood years as the perfect “older brother”; not squandering a thing. Yet something inside of me yearned to be accepted for who I really was. I knew my thoughts and the sinful attitudes that existed deep within my soul. On the outside I portrayed the pious older sibling; self-righteous, exhibiting a perfect exterior. But on the inside, I was crying out for love and acceptance, regardless of whether or not I “messed up”. It wasn’t that my parents had ever offered anything but love, yet somehow I felt a need to prove myself worthy. What would it have been like to be real? To honestly express my frustration and bitterness?

The younger brother didn’t hesitate. He lived it up, squandered all he had and then came groveling back home. He fully recognized his sin and had no expectation of regaining his right as an heir. He humbly presented himself before his father, requesting to be treated not as a son, but as a hired hand. In Luke 15:18-19 he says, “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.” He named his sins, knowing his father’s loving character, but not knowing what life would look like moving forward. He must have felt an intense amount of freedom as he came to his father as he truly was; not as who he aspired to be, but as himself, in all of his brokenness and despair.

Repentance in our world does not always bring about acceptance, forgiveness, and restoration. But that is not the case with our Heavenly Father. Our confidence in honest repentance and seeking forgiveness is that the Father always welcomes us home. Oh, he doesn’t just leave the door unlocked, but he runs to us and pursues us in our brokenness because he longs to restore us to a whole and sweet relationship with him. Henri Nouwen says, “Receiving forgiveness requires a total willingness to let God be God and do all the healing, restoring, and renewing.” This forgiveness does not depend on us. Our Father is inviting us to come just as we are and he will run to us with open arms.

Lynette Fuson
Care & Counseling Director

by Lynette Fuson

The Patient Father

The amazing patience shown by the father waiting and hoping for the prodigal son to come to his senses and return home is a beautiful picture of God’s patience toward us. God has been displaying his patience with all humanity ever since creation. The Bible tells us that in the Garden of Eden, at the dawn of creation, Adam and Eve enjoyed regular communion with God their Creator. But later, when Adam and Eve succumbed to the lies of the tempter and fell into sin, they actually tried to hide from God. Even so their loving Creator looked for them and waited for them to come out of hiding. Although sin had disrupted the fellowship they once had with their Creator, God graciously mapped out an amazing plan to redeem a fallen human race that would span thousands and thousands of years. It was a plan that required God’s only begotten son, Jesus Christ, to shed his blood and die for the sins of fallen humanity upon a cruel cross.

The Lord continues to wait patiently for people everywhere to respond to His offer of forgiveness and trust in Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. His patience continues in our own lifetime. The Apostle Peter spoke about God’s incredible patience when he wrote “do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” (2 Peter 3:8-9, ESV)

How has our Heavenly Father demonstrated patience toward you over the years? Have you thanked Him for being so patient? Is there some way that the Lord is calling you to extend more patience and grace to an obstinate family member, neighbor or friend? Remember the story of the prodigal son and how the gentle patience of that father was eventually rewarded. Our patient God is still in the business of changing hearts.

Dave Korinek
Congregational Care

by Dave Korinek

Desperado

In 1973 Don Henley and Glenn Frey of the Eagles collaborated on a song by the name of Desperado. In case you don’t know, a desperado is, among other things, a desperate man. The opening lines of the song go something like this, “Desperado, why don’t you come to your senses…And freedom, oh, freedom well that's just some people talking, your prison is walking through this world all alone.”

Sounds a lot like the younger son in Luke 15:17-20, doesn’t it? By this time in his life it’s quite safe to say that he’s desperate and that he has some major decisions to make, not the least of which is - What is he going to do with his hunger?

That’s a decision we all have to make when we are struggling and broken, isn’t it? And while the text mentions only a physical hunger, we know there has to be a relational and spiritual hunger in his life as well. It’s safe to say that he’s hungry and desperate on every level.

So what do we do with our pain and our hunger? What do you do with yours? As Henley and Frey continue their song, they write this, “Your pain and your hunger, they’re driving you home…” Sounds like the younger son, doesn’t it?

The answer to the question of, “What do I do in my desperation?” is, “You go home.” You go home to God, to your heavenly Father, to your loving Lord. (But you only will if you believe some things to be true of Him and if you are willing to believe some things to be true of yourself. We will talk more about those later in the week.)

As Desperado wraps up, Henley and Frey write this - “Desperado, why don't you come to your senses, come down from your fences, open the gate…You better let somebody love you before it’s too late.”

If you have been living far away from God, or farther away than you would like, then today’s application is to let Him love you before it’s too late. No one who has made that decision has ever regretted it, and you won’t either.

Scott Smith
Care Pastor

by Scott Smith

Longing for a Far Country?

“the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country…”
Luke 15:13a

Throughout human history, the phenomenon of migration has impacted the lives of millions of people around the world. People make the decision and move to different countries for different reasons, but the vast majority of them migrate to avoid suffering. Most immigrants leave behind relatives, possessions, and pretty much everything they love in order to seek better life opportunities for themselves and their families.

In this parable, we see a young man decide to go on a journey to live as an immigrant in a foreign country. The motivations of this young man to leave his country of origin were not to escape a difficult, chaotic or dangerous environment, but to pursue a life of pleasure away from his father’s influence. Up to this point, the prodigal son lived a very pleasant life in his home country and in the company of his father, but he was not content. Apparently, there was an emptiness in his soul that led him to start paying attention to the rumors of a better way of experiencing life. So, without much thought, the prodigal son gathered all he had and left his home country in pursuit of happiness.

We don’t know how long he lived as a foreigner, but what we do know is that he wasted everything he had living recklessly. He was left with no other option but to look for a job in order to survive. Fortunately, this young man found a job, but he couldn’t find any food. At the time, the whole country was going through a severe famine. The prodigal son ended up hungry and alone. He was experiencing the reality of being apart from the provision, care, love, protection, and instruction of his father. The fact of the matter is that this young man had everything he needed in his father’s house, but his discontentment came as he started distancing himself from his father’s heart. As the story progresses, the prodigal son came to his senses and was able to recognize and value the beautiful companionship and character of his father. In the end, he realized the longing he felt in his soul to start a new life in a different place was not as fulfilling as his longing to enjoy the company and guidance of his father.

I think one of the lessons that we can learn from this parable is to make sure we don’t get distracted by our desires to do life on our own, but to learn to delight in the company of our Heavenly Father as we go through the good and the bad experiences in life.

Esteban Tapia
Teaching Pastor

by Esteban Tapia

Free Will or Control

We desperately crave to be known and understood deep in our souls. Yet, we also struggle with wanting independence and our own way. We want to navigate our own journey and sometimes learn lessons the hard way. I think that’s why our souls find so much comfort in the parable of the Prodigal Son.

Having parented for two decades I find myself identifying with the father in this parable. I had to giggle at myself when I read verses 12-13, “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.”

If I were to rewrite this, it would say,“so the younger son asked for his half, and the mom, out of her parental concern, asked 100 questions, warned of making foolish decisions, and then placed some healthy boundaries.”

Please tell me you’re giggling because you’d do the same! Apparently, the father divided the money and let him go. There seem to be no words or pleading from the father. He released control, allowed the son to experience his own journey, and learn some life lessons. Ooof..... that can be hard because we want to protect our loved ones from pain and hardship. We involve ourselves deeper and give ourselves more responsibility than we were meant to carry. This helps me understand free will in a deeper way and with a more tender heart. God has given us direction and truth for our own good, yet allows us to make decisions whether we make them good or bad.

We love the people in our lives and want to protect them. Sharing wisdom and truth is part of a healthy relationship. But we need to remember God has an individual calling and journey for each of us. Our responsibility is to share the truth in love. Then we pray and allow the Holy Spirit to work. Will those we love make bad choices sometimes? Sure! But the Holy Spirit will work in their life and our constant love will be a gift of grace.

When we release our control in others' lives, we take ourselves and our desires out of the equation, and trust our Heavenly Father. Sometimes the journey back to Jesus is slow, but forgiveness is always immediate. God loves our loved ones more than we can comprehend and we can trust His plan and journey for their lives.

Bonnie Nichols

by Bonnie Nichols