WEEK 8, DAY 4: The Prodigal Son
Whether your childhood was good or bad, imagine for a moment that your parents were extremely loving and caring. All throughout your childhood your parents may have worked hard, but they also raised you with tremendous wisdom, grace and love.
When the time came for you to go to college, your parents provided everything you would need. Your entire tuition, housing, and food was all covered. In fact, they even threw in a little extra spending money, encouraging you to have time out with your friends.
A couple of years later, while you’re still working on your degree, it’s your brother’s turn to go to college. But he decides he doesn’t want to go. Instead, he asks mom and dad to give him his college funds, and he goes out and lives however he pleases. Within a couple of years, he has wasted all of his money on drugs, prostitutes, and other forms of wild living.
Nobody hears from him for a few years, but suddenly he decides to come home. You learn that mom and dad are throwing a celebration in his honor, even spending a chunk of their retirement funds for the party. How do you respond?
READING & JOURNALING:
If You have been in a Christian church for any length of time, you have almost certainly heard the story of the prodigal son. In fact, it’s possible that You’ve heard it or read it often enough that you feel like there’s nothing new to learn from it. Today, take the opportunity to read through this story as if you’ve never heard it before.
Write out in one sentence the main lesson Jesus was teaching in this story.
How does this lesson continue to apply to your life today?
PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, once again I acknowledge how easy it is for me to see the sin in others’ lives, yet fail to see the impact sin has had in my own life. Help me to celebrate the victories of others coming to know You, and to celebrate the forgiveness You have provided me! I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
F260 READING: (A Scripture Reading Plan for Busy Believers)
The F260 is a Scripture Reading Plan designed to read through the foundational passages of the Bible through a year (September 2019 – August 2020). It is a separate reading from the daily devotional but is included for those who would like to engage with the Scriptures on a deeper level throughout the year.
Read: Jeremiah 1:1-3:5
Journal: Write it out. Following the pattern from 7 Arrows Page (click here) what did you learn from today’s reading?
Note: Are you looking for a Study Bible to help you engage with the Scriptures at a deeper level? If so, click here for some recommendations.
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