Verse
Luke 15:11-32
Probing Questions
• If we sin, does God still forgive us?
• What if someone stops believing, is there any hope for them?
Memorization Verses
Luke 15:10:
“In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Luke 15:32:
“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.’
Jesus taught 43 parables, this is the most famous one.
Terms
Famine
An entire community starves because there’s not enough food. This can cause disease, anger, theft, weakness and death in some cases.
Restoration
Imagine you have a friendship or a close bond with someone—maybe it’s your best friend, a family member. But then, uh-oh, something goes wrong. Maybe they accidentally hurt you, like stepping on a LEGO brick in the dark. Ouch! Remember, even broken LEGO pieces can be fixed. Relationships, too.
Fellowship
Christian fellowship is like having a secret handshake with other believers. It’s when we share our hearts, our jokes, and our faith. Remember, Christian fellowship isn’t just about going to church—it’s about building friendships with others who love Jesus.
Parable
A Christian parable is like a secret message wrapped up in a story. Jesus loved telling these special stories to help us understand big ideas about God and how to live better lives. It’s an earthly message with a heavenly meaning.
Grace
Imagine a Court Judge ruling over a courtroom, and someone comes to the trial and talks to the Judge , and says, “hey your honor, I stole something and feel bad for doing it”. Now imagine that the Judge says, “you are forgiven and have my grace. Now go and return the thing you stole and ask for their forgiveness, like I have done to you.” That love and kindness—that’s grace.
Theme
This story is about a man with two sons. The restoration of a believer into fellowship with the Father by his grace.
Parable of the Lost Son
Jesus told them this story (Note: Greatly GenZ'd version of the NLT)
“A man had two sons. The younger son told his Dad, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.
A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. He convinced a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. The young man became so hungry that even the slop he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.
When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired workers have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! I’m going to go home to my Dad and say, “Hey Dad, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired worker, and I will work for you.”’
So he returned home to his Dad. And while he was still a long way off, his Dad saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Dad, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’
But his Dad said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest clothes in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening and make steaks for a BBQ. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.
Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, and he asked one of the servants what was going on. ‘Your brother is back,’ he was told, ‘and your Dad has killed the fattened calf and is BBQing steaks. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’
The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His Dad came out and begged him, but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a meat feast with my friends. Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on needless things, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf and having a BBQ!’
His Dad said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’”
The Big Lesson
• God is like that dad. He loves us—whether we mess up (like Son A) or follow rules (like Son B).
• No matter how far we wander, God waits with open arms. He forgives us when we say sorry.
• Remember: God's love has no limits. He's the best dad ever!
Sidequest
Romans 2:4
“Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?”
If we sin, does God still forgive us?
Luke 15:10:
“there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
What if someone stops believing, is there any hope for them?
The parable of the Prodigal Son tells us that not only will God and the angels celebrate a return, but he will be meeting us halfway there, throwing a party.
There is always hope. Just because someone seems to have given up, doesn’t not mean it’s over. God acts in mysterious ways, and will turn the people struggling the most, completely around. It’s up to us to remind them that there is always hope as long as they are still alive.
Challenges
If Hitler was still alive today, what would be our response to him based on what we read today?
Pray for him, encourage him, talk to him about Jesus.
If someone has heard about God before, but still chooses to ignore him, what can we do?
Pray for them, encourage them, talk to them.
If you, or a friend does something horrible, and you think that God would never forgive you for that, what is the truth?
Remind them of the truth: God forgives those who repent and believe. For true repentence, a sinner has to be genuine with God, he knows our heart.
How do we rebuild that relationship with God and return home?
Repent and believe. Approach God with a sincere heart, asking for forgiveness. Give up that pain and sorrow, give it to Him. Then move forward. Take that new found clear heart and mind of yours, and plan to do something about it. Pray, study, and live the truth you have found from the bible.
Charles Mattson
Student Ministries Director
