As usual, I was thinking the other day about the prodigal son story, and I remembered a particular insight that I really wanted to share. As Henri Nouwen observes, we may identify with the younger prodigal son, or we may identify with the disapproving elder son, but God is calling us to a place where […]

Sometimes, did you know, other people get blessed instead of you? Sometimes other people much less deserving than you prosper and are honored. Sometimes, God likes to forgive and bless other people to whom you would rather see “justice” meted out. Sometimes God just will not do the right things on the right schedule! Let’s […]

Henri Nouwen, in his marvelous little book “The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Meditation on Fathers, Brothers, and Sons”, makes the observation that if you look very closely at Rembrandt’s painting of the return of the prodigal son, there is something funny about the appearance of the son. Given his circumstances, one would think […]

I’m going to commit one of the cardinal sins of writing and start off with a definition. The free dictionary defines prodigal this way: 1. recklessly wasteful or extravagant, as in disposing of goods or money 2. lavish in giving or yielding prodigal of compliments I think we get words like prodigious, product, productive, from […]

The son who wished the father would die, who only wanted his money, who left and squandered his whole inheritance, at last came to himself. That’s what it says, “he came to himself.” We tend to think that he squandered everything and then immediately came home, but notice that once he was broke he still […]

I’ve been waiting eagerly to get to the parable of the prodigal son, as it is the richest and most profound teaching about the father heart of God in all of scripture. Everything up to this point has been leading to this teaching. Let’s start by reading it: Then He said: “A certain man had […]

Reading Jesus’ parables, it seems God is always losing things! “Now all the tax-gatherers and the sinners were coming near Him to listen to Him. And both the Pharisees and the scribes began to grumble, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” And He told them this parable, saying, “What man among you, […]

photo © 1929 National Maritime Museum | more info (via: Wylio)   Tullian Tchividjian has written a wonderful little book called “Surprised by Grace,” which goes through the book of Jonah to paint a picture of a godly man in desperate need of grace. You really should consider reading it, it is a great book […]

In this chapter we’re going to examine another problem passage from the writings of Paul. Here is the verse: “Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And […]

As Christians, we believe the Bible. The whole message of scripture is the right message. There is no situation where we should be saying “they believe these verses but we believe these other verses.” We all believe all the verses. I believe that the perspective of grace ties all the message of scripture, Old Testament […]