What God is Really Like
Luke 15
The Older Son
April 26, 2020 • Chris Edmondson • Luke 15
We all have a tendency to judge others based on what we think they deserve. Maybe you’ve tried to do things the right way, but those who had no regard for the right way seemed to be rewarded. The truth is, when we overestimate our own righteousness and underestimate the grace we’ve been given, we can’t help but judge others. In order to discover true peace, we need to shift our focus from others to ourselves and rest in the relationship we have with the Father.
The Younger Son
April 19, 2020 • Chris Edmondson • Psalm 51:4, Luke 15
If there’s one thing that’s true for all of us, it’s that we will pursue our own desires and eventually come to regret it. It’s a cycle in which we often find ourselves. Unfortunately, we tend to circle back to the same desires that got us in trouble in the first place. Often this is because we’re afraid to come back home to our heavenly Father. We try to fix things on our own instead of coming home, where we can truly find peace and rest. What if we made the decision to come home—where we were intended to be all along? Maybe it’s here we will realize that our dependence on the Father is what gives us true freedom in this life.
God As Father
April 12, 2020 • Dr. Carlo Serrano • Luke 15
The term “father” stirs up a variety of feelings and memories in all of us. For some of us, our fathers were a dominant presence in our homes. For others, our fathers were people we barely saw. For still others, our fathers were consistent providers, but cold when it came to showing genuine love. So, when we hear the term “heavenly Father,” what feelings bubble up? In one story, Jesus gives us a perfect picture of who our heavenly Father truly is. THE BIG IDEA: It’s hard to get life right when you’ve got God wrong.
Broken
April 10, 2020 • Chris Edmondson • Luke 15
Throughout the story of the prodigal son, we tend to focus more on the sons than the father. This week we are going to take a long look at how the father in this story is a revolutionary representation of God, not just to the culture Jesus was speaking directly to, but also our culture. THE BIG IDEA: Your relationship with God is never broken beyond repair.