Luke 15

In the dark night of the soul or caught in the foggy haze of confusion, is there good news for me? Rick Brown writes a beautiful story on the background of Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer and a reminder that Jesus came for all of us misfits so we could know we fit in.

"Dear Friend, Today, we focus on the final story in Luke's collection of three of My parables about finding lost things and lost sons. In today's..."

Have you missed the story about the other son? Rick Brown writes about the prodigal son parable and reminds us that there are two sons who are lost and need to come home to the heart of the father and join the party he longs to throw for both of them!

Can you capture the memories even if you can't hear the words? Phil Ware begins a series of messages called "The Journey Home" and focuses on God being the home we long for.

Which of the two do you choose to do? Jesus chose people over practices and love over legalism.

"Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that....."

"[Continuing the tale of the two sons and talking about when the younger profligate son returned home, Jesus said,] "Meanwhile, the older son was in....."

Why is it so hard to learn this simple lesson on which so much of life hangs? Phil Ware continues his series on the prodigal son called the Journey home and he looks at the hardest lesson learned, that it is better to be a servant in our Father's house than to be on our own and alone.

Are you washed by the water? Tammy Marcelain shares her experience at a recent baptism and reminds us of the mercy and grace that are ours in Jesus.

"So Jesus told them this story: "If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won't he leave the ninety-nine others in the...."

"So Jesus told them this story: "If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won't he leave the ninety-nine others in the...."

"[Continuing the tale of the two sons, Jesus said, "So the younger son who had wasted all his money in wild living] returned home to his father. And....."

Make that last effort to make it home! Tom Norvell reminds us that we will all have difficult points in our journey, but let's finish strong, especially when we find ourselves in the home stretch.

How can we follow in the same pattern doing the same ol' thing yet it appear on the surface as something very different? Phil Ware continues his series on the prodigal son called the journey home, this message is about how both sons wanted the same thing and both loved the father's stuff more than they loved the father.

"Dear Friend, In the verses today and the next two days, you will find three of My stories — often called parables — about lost things and..."

Haven't we all wasted enough time piddling around when there is a party going on? Phil Ware continues his series on the prodigal son called The Journey Home, and he focuses on the older brother and God's desire to throw him a party.

"[Jesus continued,] "A few days later [after the sons received their inheritance from their father, the younger son] packed all his belongings and..."

"[Continuing the tale of the two sons, Jesus said,] "When [the younger son who had wasted all his money] finally came to his senses, he said to..."

"[Jesus continued,] "Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Won't she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully..."

"[Jesus told this parable:] "[S]uppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Won't she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search..."

Are we the older brothers? Phil Ware continues his series on the prodigal son called The Journey Home focusing this week on the older brother and the hardest lesson to lose: that it is better in the Father's house!

You can come home again! Tammy Marcelain reminds us that God is only a breath prayer away from stepping in and blessing our lives if we will only invite him in.

How far would you go to bring home a stinker? A skunk caught far from home is ushered home by a couple of volunteers and this reminds Patrick of how much God did to bring us home when we were far away and stunk spiritually.

"To illustrate the point [about the celebration at finding something that was lost] further, Jesus told them this story: "A man had two sons. The..."

"Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he..."

"[Concluding the tale of the two sons, Jesus said,] "His father said to [the older angry, jealous son], 'Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me,..."

What brings you joy? There is great joy in finding what was once lost.

Can you find a father? God is the father I never had.

How can we protect them? Letting a child go is a scary thing and when they hurt or they are killed or they go through a traumatic experience, it awful for the parent, so all we can do is ask that God be present and real for them.

Lost ring, found joy! Patrick Odum writes about a lost class ring and compares it to Jesus' parable about the lost coin and reminds us that the joy of someone coming to Christ should thrill us, too.

"Dear Child of God, How precious is a child? What is the value of a human life? What is one person worth? If you want to know the true answer to..."

"It is quite certain that those whom Christ has washed in his precious blood need not make a confession of sin, as culprits or criminals, before God..."

"Observe the condescension of this fact. This Man, who towers above all other men, holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners-this Man..."

Inspirational illustration of Luke 15:17 -- When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say

Isn't it a blessing when you find what's been lost?! Phil Ware tells about a time he lost his son Zachary and then found him and the joy of finding lost sheep in the teaching of Jesus.

How much difference should it make in our lives to know it all is ours? Tom Norvell remembers the words of the father to the older brother in the parable of the Prodigal son that everything the father has is his, it belongs to him.

God's people have been in lost places before our time. They made it safely through their wilderness to better times and better places. James Nored in video and Phil Ware with words reminds us that God is the finder and mender of lost and broken things and lost and broken people.

I know my heavenly Father is looking forward to having me home to enjoy the celebration with him and his other children. Phil Ware shares an article about his son coming home from college and how it reminds him of the Father in heaven waiting for us to return home to him.

Sometimes we just need to be reminded that we matter. Brian McCutchen reminds us that we are known, loved and valued by God.

Can you wait? Tom Norvell shares modern day stories of the prodigal son as he talks about a son, daughter, husband, and a wife who left and came home.

How could He love us so? Tammy Marcelain talks about Henri Nouwen's book and also about the prodigal son and the great love of God.

Why is it so important that God be called Father? Phil Ware continues his series on the Prodigal Son called the Journey Home about the God we all need to be our Father.

I’m thankful for the way the Lord teaches me about his character through the pitter patter of those little feet. Jordan Harrell reminds us of the comfort we find in the times of our darkness are tied to the amount of time we have sought to have a path to the Father when we are in the light.

We must not treat sin cavalierly, but we also must not think we have to earn God's grace! Rubel Shelly risks being misunderstood by talking about the frustration of trying to win God's grace by living perfectly and over-analyzing our sins, failures, mistakes, and missteps.

How an old journey and a brief meal can help us reshape ourselves... and our world. Ann Voskamp looks at our ravaged world this summer and uses the image of a ravaged countryside to help us remember the power of sharing scars with the one who bears our sin in his scars.