15

Jump Start # 2468

Posted on November 15, 2019 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2468

Mark 6:1 “And He went out for there; and He came into His home town; and His disciples followed Him.”

 

Home, sweet home. There is no place like it. Coffee always seems to be the best from your own cup in your own home. Nothing beats sleeping in your own bed. Even when on vacation, we long to be home. As we head into the holidays, many will be traveling home. “Home for the holidays,” is a wonderful feeling. Jesus came home. Our verse takes place in Nazareth, where Jesus grew up. He knew the streets. He knew the buildings. He knew the people. You’d think it ought to have been a wonderful experience for Jesus. The local boy is finally home. He was known. He was a hero. He has cured people. He has cast out demons. He has challenged the hardcore traditions of the established hierarchy. Now, He was home. A parade? A key to the city? A banquet? None of those things.

 

What he received was scorn, questions, and ridicule. Rather than embracing Jesus and all that He was doing, the unbelief of His own home town turned against Him. The text later tells us that Jesus could only do a few miracles there. The people that saw Him grow up, refused to believe that He was the Messiah. There was no honor for Jesus among His own people.

 

There are reasons for this.

 

  1. Jesus was from the wrong place. Nathanael said, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?”
  2. Jesus was from the wrong family. Joseph and Mary were just common people. How could the Messiah come from them?
  3. Jesus was from the wrong economic level. Within our context in Mark, the locals say, “Is not this the carpenter?” Many had likely purchased items that Jesus had made. He was blue collar. He was one of them. He certainly didn’t seem to have the credentials to be the Messiah.
  4. Jesus’ message was wrong. In the sermon on the mount, Jesus said, “I say unto you” 13 times. He forgave sins. He made Samaritans the heroes of His stories. He touched lepers. His concept of the kingdom seemed all wrong. Everything about His message was wrong.

 

The truth be, Jesus was from the right place. He was from the right family. He was from the right economic level. And, His message was right. He was right, but it was not what the people wanted. They wanted a Messiah that would not change them, but change the political map of the world. They wanted a warrior not a savior. They wanted someone to defeat their enemies, and they never realized that the greatest enemy was within them, it was sin and self.

 

 

Jesus came home and it wasn’t the response that it should have been. Jesus was home, yet the people wouldn’t accept Him for who He truly was. Jesus was home, but it didn’t go well.

 

From this we ought to see a couple of lessons:

 

First, people can have in their minds the way they believe things ought to be. That image may not be correct, but it’s how they see it. And, when something doesn’t match up to that image, they immediately begin to pick it apart and criticize it. We call that expectations. We can have the wrong expectations about the Lord, about the church, and about His people.

 

For instance, people have in their minds that churches exist to help people pay their bills. So, a guy out there lives any way he wants, not being a part of any church, does whatever he feels like and when the bills stack up, he picks up the phone and calls church after church until he can find someone to pay his bills. He has no intention of becoming a member, learning about the Bible way, or even talking with anyone. He simply wants someone else to pay for his bills. And, when a church says “No,” he gets angry, belligerent, offensive, rude and trash talks that church. His expectations didn’t line up with what the church would do.

 

It also happens in prayers. Grandma is very ill. The family gathers. Prayers are offered. Grandma doesn’t make it. Those that prayed get angry. They say ugly things about God. They assumed God would jump in and do whatever they needed. They asked, why didn’t He deliver? Their expectations weren’t met.

 

It also happens when people are around us. They know we worship weekly. They know we claim to be Christians. They watch and they watch. And, when we make a mistake, say the wrong word, have a sour attitude, immediately, like sharks, they are ready to jump in and declare, “You are a hypocrite. You’re not perfect.” We know and we’d be the first to admit that we are not perfect. However, in the minds of others, they expect nothing less. Never stressed. Never bothered. Never worried. Never out of control. Always kind. Always generous. Always thoughtful. And, the moment we are not, they are ready to use that against us. Expectations.

 

Jesus didn’t match the expectations that His home town had in their minds. Because of that, they could not accept that He was the Lord. Their unbelief closed their eyes to the truth and the evidence before them.

Second, Jesus didn’t change to please His home town. He didn’t become what they wanted. He didn’t work on pleasing them and meeting their expectations. That is a lesson for us today. A lesson for us and a lesson for the church. The world has a skewed concept of what Christianity is and what Christians and the church ought to be doing. Pressure can be strong. But, like the Lord, we must be what the Bible says we should be. We must be faithful to God and His word. The world may not agree. The world may fuss. The world may say that we are wrong.

 

It is always amazing to me to see someone in the world who quotes a passage, such as Matthew 7, and declares that Christians are not to judge. The guy who quotes the passage likely doesn’t know who even spoke those words or why. He hasn’t read any more in that chapter to see that Christians ARE supposed to judge. He champions himself as a Biblical expert because he can misuse this one verse. His mind is set like concrete. There is no changing him. Like the citizens of Nazareth, his mind is made up and there is no undoing of that.

 

Sometimes the harshest things said are by our own families. Around the dinner table at the holidays, someone brings something up, just to push buttons. It can get ugly. It can ruin the dinner. Sometimes those that have known us all of our lives refuse to allow us to change. We are not that snotty kid who they remember decades ago. We’ve changed. We walk with the Lord. God’s word fills our hearts and today we are disciples of Jesus. Our outlook, attitude and hearts are so much better. But, still, some in the family just can’t see that.

 

It’s often hard going home. It was for Jesus and sometimes it is for us. Don’t change just to please people who do not believe. Keep doing what you know is right. The Lord understands.

 

Roger

 

 

14

Jump Start # 2467

Posted on November 14, 2019 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2467

Joshua 1:2 “Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel.”

 

Moses was dead. However, the mission wasn’t over. Israel had not reached the promise land. There was still more to be done. Joshua was now the new leader. He would take over after Moses. It is interesting that it appears that Joshua was being groomed or mentored for this role for a long time. He was with Moses several times on the mountain. He saw and learned from Moses. Now, the journey for Moses was over. It was time for Joshua to take over the helm and lead Israel into the new land. Interestingly, God didn’t open the door for other possible candidates for the position. God doesn’t interview others or have others submit resumes. There was no campaign, nor a vote taken by Israel. God decided and it was to be Joshua.

 

There are several layers of lessons in all of this but I want to focus upon a couple.

 

First, the work of God is much greater than any one of us. Moses died. For forty years it had been Moses. Everyday when Israel woke up, Moses was there. It was Moses before Pharaoh. It was Moses and the ten plagues. It was Moses and the Ten Commandments. It was Moses and the Red Sea. It’s hard to imagine life without Moses, but there would be such. In the New Testament, one by one the apostles died. How would the work go on without them? It would. And, for us today, the work is greater than any one of us. Elders come and go. Preachers come and go. Some retire and move away. Some just move. Some get too old to be functional. Some die. But the work of the Lord must go on.

 

Second, it is essential and very important to share, teach and train others to follow. Let me share a story that happened this summer. I love restoration history. Through connections I was able to visit an old church building that is still being used by one of the oldest existing churches in this state. There is an even older church building that is owned by the folks that had the building I was visiting. I asked if I could get inside the really old building. Several phone calls were made. This one was called. And then that was called. No one was really sure who had the keys. They are still trying to chase down who has the keys so I can get into that old church building.

 

Here’s the point. Are the passwords to the church’s website, the codes for the alarm, the keys to the building all in such a place that more than one person knows these things? If someone died suddenly, would anyone else know how to keep things going? Sometimes in matters like this, congregations are not on the ball very much. They operate like the dark ages. Important info ought to be kept in file cabinet and others know that.

 

The example of Joshua shows us that we ought to include others, teach other and train others how to do things that keep the church functional. I have heard of all kinds of horror stories such as the person who always takes care of the communion passes away and it’s Sunday morning and no one even knows what to do. I’ve heard of visiting preachers showing up to begin a meeting and the person who always kept that information moved away and forgot to tell anyone. No one knew that a meeting was scheduled. I’ve known of a place where the preacher made all the arrangements about the copy machine. He moved. No one knew if the church owned the copy machine or if it was leased. No one knew where any of the papers were kept or if they were kept.

 

I have heard of families having to dig through desk drawers and shoe boxes after a death, looking for important papers and life insurance. The person who died never told anyone where he kept those files. The family panics and gets frustrated because of such disorganized mess. Yet, congregationally, often it’s even worse. At home, in an old elder’s basement are papers concerning the church. Important papers. No one knew they were there.

 

I have seen many times that when a preacher moves, there is no weekly bulletin until the next preacher moves in. No one knows how to use the copy machine. No one knows where the paper is. No one knows. And, with that we must ask, is that any way to conduct the Lord’s business. Why is it that no one knows?

 

So, the person who takes care of the website, ought to find some capable people and show them what he does. He ought to write out what he does and keep it in a notebook that is kept at the church building. Others ought to know where keys are kept, what the passwords are, and where to find the things necessary to keep the work moving.

 

All those years Joshua was tagging along Moses, he was being shown and trained. He may not have know it, but he was. The same goes for David. When we first meet him, he’s a teenager out in the fields watching the sheep. How does one go from that to running a kingdom? He didn’t know about armies, foreign policy and how to lead people. Yet, what took place? After Goliath, David’s harp playing put him in the palace before the king. There he saw. There he learned. There he witnessed the running of a kingdom. When the time was right and David was ready, he was ready to lead God’s people.

 

Who will be the next shepherds in the congregation? They may not even know it yet, but by spending time with the current shepherds, they can be mentored, taught and shown how to lead the people of God. Moses to Joshua and the kingdom never skipped a beat. It ought to be that way today in our congregations. It takes good communication, transparency, legacy and developing others for that to happen.

 

I’m sure Israel missed Moses. However, they weren’t stopped, crippled or defeated because he was no longer with them. They marched on because God was still with them. And, the same will be true of us. The church is greater than any of us. It will move on fine after we are finished here.

 

Keep great records about how things operate. Store them properly. Share the location with certain ones. Be looking for your Joshua.

 

Roger

 

13

Jump Start # 2466

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2466

Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of the soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Our wonderful verse today reveals the nature of the word of God. It’s alive. It’s active. It does something to us. The illustration used is of a sword. Swords were used in battle. They were weapons. They were used to kill. The word of God isn’t just going to give you a flesh wound. It’s not going to simply prick your finger. It’s going to be thrust deeply within you. It’s going to pierce you. The joints and the marrow are covered deeply within by skin, muscles and tendons. Separating the joint and marrow in a battle scene would be a very serious wound, nearly fatal. If the joints of your knee was separated, you wouldn’t be walking. If the blow was to your shoulder, you could no longer defend yourself. Powerful. Deep.

 

And, all of this leads to one of the grand principles about Biblical truth. It’s a principle that we often do not touch upon. Yes, as the Lord says, the truth shall make us free. And, yes the truth will open our eyes and enlighten us. But, first, truth often makes us miserable. To be thrust with a sword is a very painful experience. And, this is the powerful nature of truth.

 

Truth will cut, like a sword, through all the wrong opinions that we have held and believed for years. We’ve heard these things. We’ve read these things. We’ve heard others repeat these things. Everyone thinks these things are true. But a close examination of God’s word reveals that they are not true. And, it is at this moment, that the point of truth cuts us. The Bible or what we have always thought was right? The Bible or what our family has always said? Many, discount the Bible and without evidence, proof or facts, they continue to believe something that is false. But for the honest heart, there is that painful moment when truth has made us miserable. We realize that what we believed is not true. We see from Scriptures that we’ve held on to lies. We learn that we have been wrong. What a miserable feeling that leaves us with.

 

Truth will also cut through the empty excuses we’ve used for years to justify not doing what we ought to do. We’ve hid behind the way we were raised. We’ve used the excuse that we have been too busy. We’ve allowed our children to be excuses for not doing what we should. With those excuses we have found ways to remain comfortable and safe. But when we face the truth of God’s word, now we see that those excuses no longer work. Jesus told the young ruler to sell all that he had and follow Him. Jesus said let the dead bury the dead. Jesus said once you put your hand on the plow, there is no looking back. The truth of God’s word has opened up the reality that our excuses do not justify disobedience to God. The Lord won’t give us a pass for being lazy, worldly and uncommitted. Boy, the truth can hurt.

 

Truth will identify that we must change. And, change is hard. Few people like to change their lives. Truth will lead us to being a righteous person, which means putting aside things that are wrong. Truth has a way of redefining our priorities. The kingdom first changes the order of everything else. Truth will cause you to apologize rather than walking away. Truth will lead you to being helpful rather than inconsiderate. Truth will have you thinking about what you say and how you say it. Truth will make you sensitive to how you treat others. All of this can be very painful. All of this can make a person miserable.

 

And, because truth, like a sword, can hurt and cut, some, steer clear of it. Some would rather be happy and comfortable, than being right. Some would rather be wrong and stay the way they are than have to change. Some just don’t want to think about these kinds of things. They fill their days with thoughts about the here and now and have little depth to their thoughts, conversations or their goals. Many have the notion that “religion” ought to make you feel better. It will, much like a surgery. But that doesn’t happen at first. There is always some cutting, pain and recovery involved with surgery. After the healing, the person feels so much better, but the first few days can be tough. The truth is like that as well. Where many of us are now, we love what God’s word has done for us. But thinking back, there was those moments when we were scared, we knew we had to make some tough decisions and we need that this was going to change our lives.

 

We ought to remember this when we are teaching someone. There is a period when they may resist, feel uncomfortable and even be miserable. That’s the truth piercing deeply within them. Don’t apologize for what God’s word says. Don’t try to lessen the pain. Don’t soften the message. The audience that heard Peter was pieced to the heart. In battle terms, that’s a death blow. A sword to the heart was fatal. These folks weren’t just uncomfortable, they were stunned, shocked and rattled to the core. That’s the nature of truth.

 

The Gospel begins where we are. And, where we start, isn’t a good place. There is a lot of cutting that needs to be done. If one stays with it, the truth will turn him into a disciple of Jesus.

 

It’s been said of preaching, that it ought to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. It’s that afflicting part that some have trouble with. That truth will bring one to their senses. It will lead them home to God, just like it did for the prodigal.

 

God’s word is sharper than any two-edged sword. It’ll do it’s job. It will even work on you.

 

Roger

 

12

Jump Start # 2465

Posted on November 12, 2019 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2465

1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be stedfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toils is not in vain in the Lord.”

 

Our verse today are the stirring words from the apostle that almost sounds like an army officer inspiring his troops before battle, or a coach firing up his team before the big game. Be stedfast. Be immovable. Always abounding. Hold your ground. Move forward. Keep going. But this was not a game, nor a military battle. This was about the kingdom, God’s kingdom. The work never ends. We must not lose ground. And, yes, there is an enemy, and it is Satan.

 

I want to focus upon how this verse ends. “Knowing that your toil, or labor, is not in vain in the Lord.” You are not wasting your time, when you are engaged in the work of the kingdom. This is not busy work. What you do is of value. It is not in vain.

 

I sure needed this verse a while back. It was a Sunday night. I worked hard on a lesson that I thought would be very practical and helpful. But it was a tough night. I didn’t preach it well. I wasn’t connecting with the audience. The crowd seemed tired. Preachers can tell that. The kids were fussy and noisy. Everyone seemed to be somewhere else but with me. I went home and sat in my chair and just thought. Maybe I spent too much time working that lesson up. Maybe I was expecting too much. I felt like I was wasting their time. After all these years of preaching, somehow I still wasn’t doing something right. The clouds of discouragement were gathering around me.

 

I had a tough time sleeping that night. Running through my mind was this expression, “your work is not in vain in the Lord.” I was arguing with that within myself. It sure seemed like a waste to me. I liked the sermon on paper. It was a great idea. But to me, it flopped. Was it me? Was it the audience? Was it the circumstances?

 

Your labor is not in vain in the Lord. Here are some things I learned:

 

First, the measure of success is not often seen. If we preachers are shooting for compliments, spiritual “high-fives” we will soon be tickling the ears of the audience. We’ll put ourselves before the message and before the Lord, and that is always dangerous. Must we have verbal communication to accredit whether we did well or not? What if no one says a thing? What if no one mentions the sermon? Does that mean it was a flop? Does that mean no one was helped? Had I learned anything? Had I been drawn closer to the Lord? Did I not do what the Lord wanted me to do? In the context of 2 Timothy, the young preacher was told that the congregation would not endure sound doctrine. Yet, he was told to preach the word. They may not want it, but he was to continue delivering it. Was this going to be a waste of time? Was this all to be in vain? No.

 

Second, like a meal we ate months ago, or the falling rain last spring, we may forget and not realize the good that has been done. Sometimes a person may be bothered by the sermon and that “bother” moves them to a better place with the Lord. That person may not leave the building with smiles and “great sermon,” but they may be thinking. And, over the course of the next few days, or even months, that seed that was planted in their hearts starts to spring up to a deeper faith in the Lord. You may never see that, but it’s happening.

 

Third, kind acts, words of encouragement, cards sent, texts and emails and phone calls made, do a world of good that we may never understand. It tells a person that someone was thinking about them. It tells a person that someone cared enough to reach out to them. Was it worth the effort? We send a card and sometimes we wonder, did it do any good? We visit the funeral home. Was it worth the effort? We drop by the hospital and spend a few minutes chit-chatting with someone. Those are all rays of sunshine that do make a difference. They touch hearts. They build people up. They connect with others. They make people realize that they are not forgotten. They are loved.

 

There are many things we do that we can wonder if it’s doing any good. We teach a Bible class to kids and we can wonder, is this doing any good? We invite a friend to services and we wonder is that just a waste of time? We send a card. We take a meal. We invite a family over. Hundreds and hundreds of things we do all the time. Is it a waste of time? Is it in vain? Does it do any good?

 

The answer is always “Yes.” Well, someone says, no one came when I invited them. That’s between them and God. Your job is to sow the seed. Your job is to invite. The measure of the good you do is not in the response but in doing your part. If not careful, we’d have to conclude that Noah was terrible at preaching and it was all a waste of time. No one outside of his family responded. But God didn’t see it that way. Noah warned. Noah preached. That’s what God wanted him to do. His work was not in vain. Success is not measured in numbers. If it were, then God would be a failure. Jesus said the broad way to destruction is wide and many are on that path. The way to God is narrow and only a few are on that. Was the Gospel a failure? Was it preached in vain because so few responded? No. Never.

 

The weary servant of God often wonders if he is doing any good. He is. He must remember that. Doing what God wants you to do is never a waste of time or effort.

 

Finally, when discouraged, pray more, pick up your bucket of seed and head back out to the fields to do some more sowing. God will give the increase, not you. God

 

Your labor is not in vain in the Lord…come on weary servant. There are more fields to be sown. There are more things to be done. The seeds you plant today may grow to be mighty leaders in the kingdom some day. You may never see the good you have done, but God will. Our labor is in the Lord and for the Lord.

 

Some sermons flop. It’s not the end of the world. Keep going. Keep preaching. Keep plowing ahead. What you do may make all the difference to someone. There is a story of a guy walking along the beach that was covered with star fish. He’d pick one up and toss it back into the water. This went on for a long time. Someone said, “You’ll never get all of these in the water. Do you really think you are making a difference?” The man bent over, picked up another star fish and tossed it into the water. He turned and said, “I did to that one.”

 

Roger

 

11

Jump Start # 2464

Posted on November 11, 2019 by Jump Starts Daily in Jump Starts Daily | Tagged | Leave a comment

Jump Start # 2464

Luke 15:20 “And he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him, and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him, and kissed him.”

 

Our verse today comes from the amazing story of the prodigal son. I love that parable. I have a whole collection of books just on this parable. We have a Jump Start book devoted to this parable. Sixteen years ago, I edited an issue of Biblical Insights that was completely devoted to the prodigal son. There was a fantastic list of writers who submitted articles for that special issue. It was definitely one to keep. You can see, I love this story. Currently, I am in the midst of a series of lessons at home on the Prodigal son.

 

This parable is ageless. And, I guess the reason I connect so well to this parable is that I have stood in the shadows of all three characters in this story. I have been with the prodigal. I have had the opportunity to forgive those who have hurt me and by doing that I have stood with the father. And, sadly, and with much regret, I have stood with the older brother and have been judgmental at those who were just wanting to do what was right. I’m all over this story and I guess that is why I love it.

 

Every time I read it I find new nuggets of insights and truth. Our verse is one example of that. The prodigal decided to come home. There was no where else that he could go. The pig farmer that he was working for provided food for the pigs, but not for the prodigal. It seems that the farmer cared more for his pigs than this down and out prodigal. He got up and headed home. Our verse says, “while he was still a long way off, his father saw him.”

 

How did he know it was his son? Parents know their kids. We know the back of their heads. We know the tone of their voices. We know how they walk and carry themselves. But more than that, I believe this father was always looking for the prodigal. I expect he had prayed for this day since the prodigal left. The text tells us that the father ran, which was odd in that culture. We run for exercise. Most folks didn’t run in the first century unless their house was on fire. The father ran, embraced and kissed. He was so happy that his son was coming home.

 

Did you notice that the father did all of these things BEFORE the prodigal ever spoke the first word to his father. The father didn’t wait for the apology. The father didn’t hold back until he saw how this would turn out. The father didn’t know if the son was going to ask for more money. He saw him. And, he ran. And, just as the prodigal knew the father, I believe the father knew the prodigal.

 

The text doesn’t tell us this and we can always put more into it than intended, but it’s not a stretch to imagine the prodigal walking slowly, head hung down, the steps of defeat. He probably left the house with his head held high and eyes full of dreams. Now, it was all a nightmare. He had failed. He had no where to go but home.

 

And, amazingly, the father saw, ran, embraced and kissed. That was certainly unexpected. The Jewish crowd who first heard this must have thought that this father was weak and spineless. No lecture. No scolding. No “I told you so.” No get out of here. No thousands of questions. None of that. Just, ran, hugged and kissed.

 

Although the prodigal made a fool of himself, whose money was it that was wasted? Technically, it was given to the prodigal, but it was the father’s money. It was the prodigal’s inheritance. It likely took a lifetime to accumulate that. And, now it was all gone. There was nothing to show for it. There was no real estate bought. There was no home purchased. There was no money sitting in a bank account. There was no cattle. There was nothing. It was all gone. Years and years of labor and saving was gone. There probably wouldn’t be enough life left in the father to recover that money again. The father was hurt. The prodigal had insulted him, shamed him and left him with very little. Yet, it was this father who ran, embraced and kissed.

 

Jesus is showing us that this is what God is like. He’s just like that. Now, the father didn’t run to the pig pen. There was no hugging and kissing in the pig pen. The prodigal had to come home. He had to make the steps. But the father was waiting. The father was looking. The father was hoping.

 

Many of us grew up with our moms telling us, “Wait until your father gets home.” We knew what that meant. We’d hear the door open, we’d hear his heavy steps coming in and we knew before long we’d be getting it. And, most times we deserved it. And, in this story, so did the prodigal. He deserved it. But, he didn’t get it. Instead of wrath, he found grace. Instead of hatred, he was given love. Instead of being kicked out, he was received. The father ran, embraced and kissed. Powerful words and thoughts for us to consider.

 

Now, some thoughts for us:

 

First, the prodigal was hoping to be made a servant. That, he thought would be the best situation for him. As hard as it would be to serve your own family and take care of them and to end the day by sleeping in a barn while they were in the house still was better than being with pigs. The father was much better than that. It’s hard for us to anticipate God. It’s hard for us to figure God out. He’s not like us. He’s better than the best among us. We must remember that the prodigal son is a story, a parable. It is easy to stretch things more than what God intended. And, theologically, there are many points that would pull us from this, but it sure seems like the father forgave the prodigal based upon his return and not the words that he said. God knows our heart. He knows when we are genuine and when we are blowing smoke and making excuses.

 

Second, God’s love for us is something that we may never fully understand. Sure there are verses that state that. Sure there are examples that show that. But putting this on our front porch, is just hard to grasp. We know what we have done. We know that God knows what we have done. We know that we deserve the book thrown at us. We know that saying, “I’m sorry,” just doesn’t seem to be enough. And, it’s not. We know, like the prodigal did, that some damage cannot be restored, repaired or replaced. Still, God loves us.

 

Third, that long trip home, as hard and as bad as it may have seemed for the prodigal, turned wonderfully well for him. The father treated him so much better than he could ever expect. A ring? The best robe? A meal of beef? Music and dancing? Some would think that the father was over the top. He was. Some would think he did too much. He probably did. Some would think that the wrong message may have been sent. He didn’t think so. Some may think that he was rewarding wrong. He didn’t think so. He knew what was needed. He knew compassion to be felt must be expressed. He knew how low the prodigal was feeling.

 

God trusts you. God loves you. God wants to be with you. God is so glad that you are home with Him.

 

I just love this story….don’t you. If you would like either a copy of our Prodigal Son Jump Start book or reprints of the Biblical Insight on the prodigal son, drop me an email (Rogshouse@aol.com).

 

Roger