WEBVTT 00:04.877 --> 00:11.301 [SPEAKER_00]: The story of the prodigal son moves my heart to delve into new depths of God's limitless grace. 00:12.102 --> 00:16.264 [SPEAKER_00]: I find myself in every facet of Jesus' words in the story. 00:16.965 --> 00:19.627 [SPEAKER_00]: I identify with the younger son's rebellion. 00:20.407 --> 00:23.989 [SPEAKER_00]: I identify with the older son's judgment and resentment. 00:24.770 --> 00:29.013 [SPEAKER_00]: I identify with the experience of the father's compassion and love. 00:30.010 --> 00:38.636 [SPEAKER_00]: Today, we begin a week-long focus on this life-giving and perception-shattering story of Jesus, the story of the prodigal son. 00:39.336 --> 00:45.961 [SPEAKER_00]: May God draw you even closer to him this week and teach you of his redemptive and life-changing love. 00:46.681 --> 00:48.743 [SPEAKER_00]: Welcome to the first fifteen podcast. 01:10.750 --> 01:16.280 [SPEAKER_00]: Our scripture for today comes from John one verse six, scripture says. 01:17.262 --> 01:22.411 [SPEAKER_00]: And from His fullness, we have all received grace upon grace. 01:25.215 --> 01:32.818 [SPEAKER_00]: No single passage of Scripture has impacted my life in greater ways than Jesus' parable of the prodigal son. 01:33.878 --> 01:36.999 [SPEAKER_00]: I find myself in every facet of this story. 01:38.099 --> 01:43.601 [SPEAKER_00]: I see my own sin and pride in the foolishness of the son to run from the father. 01:44.521 --> 01:52.024 [SPEAKER_00]: I see the despair and destitution that results from my own sin as the son longs for the sloppy feats to pigs. 01:53.275 --> 01:58.618 [SPEAKER_00]: I see my desperate need for forgiveness, grace, and restoration in the sun's return. 01:59.619 --> 02:10.725 [SPEAKER_00]: And more than anything, I see the unfathomable grace of my Heavenly Father as the Father in the story runs out to embrace his disobedient and waver child. 02:12.678 --> 02:24.527 [SPEAKER_00]: Rather than beginning this week on the prodigal son with my thoughts on this story, I want to create space to allow the entirety of Jesus' words in this transformative story to impact your life. 02:25.688 --> 02:28.290 [SPEAKER_00]: Ask the Holy Spirit for fresh eyes today. 02:29.271 --> 02:31.592 [SPEAKER_00]: Find yourself in Jesus' words. 02:32.733 --> 02:36.854 [SPEAKER_00]: I pray that you will feel the selfishness and rebellion in the prodigal sun. 02:37.674 --> 02:43.256 [SPEAKER_00]: I pray that you will feel the despair and loneliness that comes from sin and separation from the Father. 02:44.116 --> 02:53.579 [SPEAKER_00]: And I pray that you will feel the loving embrace of your heavenly Father as the heart of your God is clearly displayed through this life-changing story. 02:54.579 --> 02:58.040 [SPEAKER_00]: This is Luke chapter fifteen, starting in verse eleven. 02:59.365 --> 03:11.407 [SPEAKER_00]: There was a man who had two sons, and the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me, and he divided his property between them. 03:12.530 --> 03:22.377 [SPEAKER_00]: Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squoundered his property in reckless living. 03:23.358 --> 03:30.063 [SPEAKER_00]: And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. 03:31.064 --> 03:38.590 [SPEAKER_00]: So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 03:39.722 --> 03:46.127 [SPEAKER_00]: and he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate and no one gave him anything. 03:47.508 --> 03:56.234 [SPEAKER_00]: But when he came to himself, he said, how many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger. 03:57.195 --> 04:04.921 [SPEAKER_00]: I will arise and go to my father and I will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 04:04.941 --> 04:08.483 [SPEAKER_00]: I am no longer worthy to be called your son. 04:09.574 --> 04:11.475 [SPEAKER_00]: Treat me as one of your hired servants. 04:12.815 --> 04:14.996 [SPEAKER_00]: And he arose and came to his father. 04:15.776 --> 04:24.879 [SPEAKER_00]: But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 04:25.919 --> 04:30.961 [SPEAKER_00]: And the son said to the father, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 04:30.981 --> 04:34.462 [SPEAKER_00]: I am no longer worthy to be called your son. 04:35.670 --> 04:51.482 [SPEAKER_00]: but the father said to his servants, bring quickly the best robe and put it on him and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet and bring the fatten calf and kill it and let us eat and celebrate. 04:52.303 --> 04:56.286 [SPEAKER_00]: For this my son was dead and is alive again. 04:57.006 --> 05:01.570 [SPEAKER_00]: He was lost and is found and they begin to celebrate. 05:02.977 --> 05:10.100 [SPEAKER_00]: Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music in dancing. 05:10.980 --> 05:14.682 [SPEAKER_00]: And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 05:15.502 --> 05:23.605 [SPEAKER_00]: And he said to him, your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatten calf because he has received him back safe and sound. 05:24.766 --> 05:27.647 [SPEAKER_00]: But he was angry and refused to go in. 05:28.727 --> 05:32.850 [SPEAKER_00]: His father came out and intrigued him, but he answered his father. 05:33.390 --> 05:38.793 [SPEAKER_00]: Look, these many years I have served to, and I never disobeyed your command. 05:39.474 --> 05:43.757 [SPEAKER_00]: Yet you never gave me a young goat that I might celebrate with my friends. 05:44.637 --> 05:51.841 [SPEAKER_00]: But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatten calf for him. 05:53.022 --> 05:59.486 [SPEAKER_00]: And he said to him, son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 06:00.566 --> 06:06.990 [SPEAKER_00]: It was fitting to celebrate and be glad for this your brother was dead and his alive. 06:07.631 --> 06:09.872 [SPEAKER_00]: He was lost and is found. 06:13.127 --> 06:22.153 [SPEAKER_00]: May God stir up your heart and give you the grace to get lost in his loving embrace today as we enter into a time of guided prayer. 06:52.545 --> 06:57.846 [SPEAKER_00]: As we begin, place yourself in every facet of the story. 06:59.226 --> 07:04.147 [SPEAKER_00]: Find your own story of redemption and reconciliation in Jesus' words. 07:58.626 --> 07:59.867 [SPEAKER_00]: Now look at your own life. 08:00.887 --> 08:04.129 [SPEAKER_00]: Where do you need the grace of your Heavenly Father today? 08:05.301 --> 08:08.966 [SPEAKER_00]: What part of your life needs the redeeming love of God? 08:44.472 --> 08:45.533 [UNKNOWN]: Thank you. 09:01.783 --> 09:17.855 [SPEAKER_00]: And last, turn to the Father and confess your sin, confess your need of his embrace and forgiveness, allow him to forgive and heal the areas of your life, rot with the destruction of sin. 09:28.063 --> 09:30.225 [UNKNOWN]: Thank you very much. 10:00.102 --> 10:02.545 [SPEAKER_00]: We are in constant need of God's grace. 10:03.266 --> 10:05.468 [SPEAKER_00]: We will never live a perfect day. 10:06.269 --> 10:12.677 [SPEAKER_00]: We will never step outside and immense need to be unconditionally loved and forgiven by our Father. 10:13.678 --> 10:18.724 [SPEAKER_00]: Sin robes us of the abundant life available to us in Jesus every day. 10:19.565 --> 10:30.953 [SPEAKER_00]: And until we allow God to forgive and heal the sinful places in our lives, we will not experience the tremendous power and grace of our Heavenly Father in those areas. 10:32.154 --> 10:37.297 [SPEAKER_00]: May you spend the entirety of your day wrapped up in the arms of your Father. 10:38.178 --> 10:44.863 [SPEAKER_00]: May He speak a new identity over you as His child, both forgiven and empowered for freedom. 10:45.900 --> 10:53.237 [SPEAKER_00]: and may you experience the abundant life only found in receiving the overwhelming and free grace of God. 11:09.300 --> 11:11.461 [SPEAKER_00]: Thanks for listening to today's podcast. 11:11.641 --> 11:13.162 [SPEAKER_00]: I'm Josh with verse fifteen. 11:14.103 --> 11:24.709 [SPEAKER_00]: Every day this week will look at a different aspect of this story, creating room for God to apply it to our lives, to illuminate new ways He wants to love us. 11:25.589 --> 11:29.291 [SPEAKER_00]: Tomorrow we'll do that by looking at how patient God is with us. 11:30.112 --> 11:37.476 [SPEAKER_00]: I think tomorrow's podcast will really give you some peace and help you get rid of some self-judgment, so make sure not to miss it. 11:38.415 --> 11:42.516 [SPEAKER_00]: Have a wonderful rest of your day and may God bless you as you see Kim.