And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man [Jesus] receives sinners and eats with them.”
“…my [prodigal] son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.”
But [the angry older brother] answered his father, “Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends.” Luke 15:2, 24a,29 ESV
Thank you for continuing to pray for God’s intervention in the Ukrainian conflict. Click below to find out how you can help.
You also won’t want to miss Casulana’s choir concert at Trinity THIS SUNDAY at 3:00 pm. You can purchase discounted tickets at the Welcome Center. Click below for more information.
Jesus told many parables, but arguably one of the most poignant and popular is the story of the Prodigal Son. The story has been the topic of countless sermons and books, including Henri Nouwen’s excellent exposition in “The Return of the Prodigal Son”.
The parable reflects the depth of Jesus’ mastery of the human heart and neatly encapsulates the pros and cons of living a life “by the book”. (Or not, in the case of the Prodigal!) Each path has its own pitfalls; the “rule follower” risks descending into condescension and pride, while the “rule breaker” suffers from his/her own lack of discipline. It takes the heart of a loving and grace-filled Father to redeem them both.
Each of us has experience with this; sometimes we play the role of the Prodigal, and sometimes the angry older brother. Either way, we need the grace and love of Jesus to bring us out of the ditch(es) we’ve fallen into.
As we approach the end of the Lenten season, this parable of Jesus gives us a chance to renew our dependence on God’s grace, and remember that we were, and to some extent still are, a Prodigal. It also sets the stage for the upcoming emphasis on “Joining Jesus on His Mission” as we focus anew on how we can share Jesus’ grace with a neighbor.
That’s why reminding ourselves every day that we need Jesus is so important. Please take advantage of our daily Lenten devotional videos, and come together with your church community each week to get reinforcement. Use this Lenten season of repentance and contemplation to deepen your relationship and sharpen your focus on what really matters.
You can join us in our traditional worship service on Sunday at 9:00 am, or the contemporary service at 11:15 am. Or, you can watch the “live stream” of either service by clicking here. And, of course, you may also participate by watching the “on demand” video of our contemporary or traditional services by clicking here. You can enhance your worship experience by viewing the traditional service’s worship folder by clicking here. Our weekly prayer list can also be found by clicking here.
Our doors will open 30 minutes before the start of each worship service, and you may enter from any door. As always, we ask that if you are not feeling well, please stay home and participate with us online.
You won’t want to miss attending one of our adult Bible studies held at 10:15 am on Sunday. Your kids will enjoy Kingdom Quest, our Sunday School program for children from age 2 through grade 4, and our Sunday morning Youth events.
You can watch the “live stream” of our traditional worship service on Sunday at 9:00 am OR our contemporary worship at 11:15 am by clicking here. And, of course, you may also participate by watching the “on demand” video of either service by clicking here. You can enhance your worship experience by viewing the traditional service’s worship folder by clicking here. Our weekly prayer list can also be found by clicking here.
Please take advantage of our nursery, which is now open to care for children 2 years old and younger on Sunday mornings.
Don’t miss the kick-off of our Joining Jesus sermon series beginning with a workshop on April 2nd with author and pastor Greg Finke, and a plenary Bible study with Pastor Finke on April 3rd. See our website for more details. Study guides are available for purchase at the Welcome Desk for $5. You may also purchase online by clicking below.
This Sunday come learn how placing your hopes, fears, uncertainties and doubts in the hands of the Lord can lessen our stress load and bring deep transformation in our hearts. Celebrate with us the depth of Jesus’ love for us and find out how you can live a life of significance, filled with meaning. Discover how following Jesus can help you and your family navigate around the minefields of life. I promise you it will make a tremendous difference in your life.
Your Pastor,