DNA

Wk 2 “Deep Compassion:  The Parable of the Prodigal Son”

Luke 15:11-31

7/14/24

Justin Scarberry

Message Notes for Week 2

Luke 15:11-31 NIV

¹¹ Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. ¹² The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

¹³ “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. ¹⁴ After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵ So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. ¹⁶ He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

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! ¹⁸ I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. ¹⁹ I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ ²⁰ So he got up and went to his father.

“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

²¹ “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

²² “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³ Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. ²⁴ For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

²⁵ “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶ So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ²⁷ ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’

²⁸ “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. ²⁹ But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. ³⁰ But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

³¹ “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. ³² But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

Compassion:  To feel someone’s pain deep inside your own heart and to want to do something about it.

The audience Jesus is speaking to is: _____________________________.

Self-pleasing=temptation+sin+justification of the sin+repeat

Consistent patterns of sin always lead to a spiritual ____________ in our life.

Galatians 6:7-8 NIV 

⁷ Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.

⁸ Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

Sow=what we put into something.

Reap=what we get out of something.

4 Lessons from the Parable:

1. ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­____________________________
2. ____________________________
3. ____________________________
4. ____________________________

In your own spiritual life are you more like:

the younger son                or                     the older son?

Cures for a Hard Heart:

1. ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­____________________________
2. ____________________________
3. ____________________________

Kid’s Kingdom fund raiser—Bunco!

Thursday July 25^th, 5:30pm.

See Jen for more details.

• The Transition Team is in place, responsibilities are being assigned to individuals.
• There are gaps to fill! If you would like to help in any way please contact Darin or Justin
• The Board is in touch with Growing Healthy Churches. (GHC).
• GHC has helped 1000’s of Churches finding Pastors
• A Search Team is being put together to start the process
  • The typical time to replace a Pastor is 12-18 months. Please wait on the Lord with us!
  • The team will update the church regularly
• Prayer is a critical part of this process! Please pray continually for the board’s guidance in seeking God’s will.

1. What is compassion? Do you think our church can be classified as having “deep compassion”?  Why or why not?

2. Read Luke 15:11-19, why do you think this parable is often referred to the parable of the prodigal son? What does it mean to be prodigal?  Is this parable for a specific audience or to everyone?  How would we know which is applicable?

3. Look up the phrase “wild living” in your bible app or concordance. What does the phrase mean?  What are some of the other interpretations from other Bible translations?

4. Is there typically a pattern to sin? Why or why not?

5. Read Galatians 6:7-8, what does it mean to sow and to reap? What does “flesh” mean in scripture?  How do we “sow to the flesh”?

6. What are some positive things about the younger son? What are some negative things?

7. Read Luke 15:20-31, do you think the treatment of both sons is fair? Do you feel that one son is better than the other son?  Why or why not?  Would you say our church is more like the younger son or more like the older son?

8. What are some things that get in the way of repentance?

9. Read Matthew 9:13, what do you think is meant by this verse?

10. Please continue to pray for the leadership of the church in this transitional period. Also pray that God would work to soften our hearts to be compassionate in a world that usually shows zero compassion.