The return home (Luke 15:17-20) was a journey of repentance. The journey began when he came to himself. Recognition of where he was, in comparison with what his father’s home was, drove him to arise and go to his father. The prodigal son returns home with a four-part speech that defines the true meaning of … Continue reading –>
Hailed in history as the most beautiful short story ever told on the forgiving nature of love, the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32), narrated only by Luke, may well be called the parable of the loving father and two lost sons. One son chose the lawlessness of the distant land over the love … Continue reading –>
Read Luke 15:4-7. What does this tell us about God’s love for us? Why is it so important to understand that it was the shepherd who went looking for the lost sheep? In a world that can appear uncaring and indifferent to us, this parable reveals a startling truth: God loves us so much that … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: Luke 15:4-7, Luke 11-32; Luke 16:19-31; Luke 18:35-43; Luke 19:1-10. Memory Text: The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19:10, NKJV). If we were to write a mission statement for Jesus, we could not do any better than to repeat His … Continue reading –>
South Korea – Song Sungsub: Wherever Song Sungsub goes, people follow-sometimes with stares, other times with their feet-and that’s OK with him because he has a message to share. The idea began when I was distributing literature door-to-door, Sungsub explains. We can give [the literature], but of course some people just throw it out. One … Continue reading –>
Immediately after giving His disciples a model prayer, Jesus taught them, through the parable of a friend at midnight (Luke 11:5-13), the need for persistent prayer. Then, as He neared the end of His ministry, He reminded His followers of the need for penitence and humility in prayer (Luke 18:9-14). Both of these parables show … Continue reading –>
Give us day by day our daily bread (Luke 11:3, NKJV). The petition begins with the word give. Whether the word comes from the lips of a millionaire or an orphan in perpetual want, the prayer is at once an expression of dependence and acknowledgment of trust. We are all dependent on God, and the … Continue reading –>
And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. Isaiah 65:24 More exciting than getting what you ask for from God is just knowing He listens to you! In the summer of 1991 I was enjoying my first full year of Literature … Continue reading –>
Read Luke 11:1-4. How do these verses help us to understand how prayer works? Father is Christ’s favorite way of describing God and is so recorded at least 170 times in the four Gospels. In addressing God as our Father, we acknowledge that God is a Person, capable of the most intimate relationship with humans. … Continue reading –>
Among the many times that Jesus prayed, some are recorded only in Luke. Note the following incidents that show Jesus in prayer during great moments in His life. Jesus prayed at His baptism (Luke 3:21). A new and important era was opening before Him. He was now, upon a wider stage, entering on the conflict … Continue reading –>
