AHA!
This past Sunday we looked at Jesus’ parable in Luke 15 about 2 sons who were lost. One son was lost in a distant country while the other son was lost at home. We read that the son who was lost in a distant country came to his senses and returned to his Father, but we don’t read if the son who was lost at home ever found his way back.
Kyle Idleman in his book, AHA, said the younger son had an AHA moment. He had a sudden Awakening - I’m in a pigpen eating pig slop! He had brutal Honesty - here I am starving to death! And he took immediate Action - he got up and returned to his Father. Those are the steps we need to take to return to the Father. It doesn’t matter if we are lost in a distant country or lost at home.
There are people all around us who are lost and far from home. They might be in our family, they could be our neighbors, some probably work with us, but they all have a need to return to the Father. Like the father in Jesus’ parable, our Heavenly Father is pursuing those who are lost and, He is using us in that pursuit. He has put each of us in position to reach people for Jesus. Let’s take advantage of those opportunities and see more people return to our Father. That’s why we do what we do at Abundant Life - we want to see people discover and develop new life in Jesus.
If you were in the first service this past Sunday, you saw the Lord do a work of healing in my life at the close of the service. I felt burdened, exhausted, and a heaviness and I didn’t even understand the extent of it until, at the end of the service, I felt lead by the Lord to share a little of what I was going through - I heard Him tell me to be brutally honest, just like I had mentioned in the message. As soon as I said amen to close the service, I was surrounded by people who came to minister to me and lift me up to God’s throne of grace and mercy. Needless to say, the Lord met me and took the burden, exhaustion, and heaviness away! PTL! I’m so thankful for the family of God that is always there to care for us. Don’t go through tough times alone - the church family is here to minister to you in Jesus’ Name. If you are in need of God’s healing touch or just need someone to talk to, reach out to a brother or sister in the church. You’ll be amazed at what the Lord does when we are brutally honest.
April Lambert sent me this link to an article that expands on what we talked about Sunday. I’d encourage you to read it - it’s really good!
https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-lost-son-who-never-left
May God bless you!
-Pastor Rick
