Part 1: A Bold Demand and a Painful Goodbye
(Luke 15:11-12)

In a quiet village, a father’s peaceful life was disrupted by a shocking request. His younger son, restless and tired of home, demanded his share of the inheritance. It wasn’t just a request for money—it was a rejection of the father’s love. Heartbroken but unwilling to control his son, the father divided his estate and gave the young man what he wanted.

With his new fortune, the son packed his things and set out for a distant land. He plunged headfirst into a life of indulgence—lavish feasts, wild parties, and reckless spending. For a while, he reveled in the freedom and pleasures of the world, thinking it would never end. But soon, his money ran out, and so did his so-called friends.

Part 2: Hitting Rock Bottom
(Luke 15:13-17)

Just as his fortune vanished, a famine swept through the land. Hungry and desperate, the young man found work feeding pigs for a local farmer—an unthinkable task for someone who once lived in comfort. Every day, he stood ankle-deep in mud, longing to eat the pigs’ food, but no one offered him anything.

One morning, exhausted and ashamed, he realized, Even my father’s servants have more than enough to eat, and here I am starving. Determined to make things right, he decided to return home. As he rehearsed his apology, he told himself, I’ll say: Father, I’ve sinned against heaven and against you. I’m not worthy to be called your son. Just make me one of your hired workers.

Part 3: A Father’s Compassion
(Luke 15:18-20)

The road home felt long, but the weight of shame felt longer. As the son neared his village, still far from the house, he saw a figure running toward him. His heart raced—it was his father.

Without hesitation, the father threw his arms around his son, embracing him tightly. Overwhelmed, the son began his apology: “Father, I’ve sinned. I’m no longer worthy to be called your son—”

But the father wasn’t listening. He turned to his servants with joy spilling from his heart. “Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Prepare the fattened calf—we are having a feast tonight! My son was dead and is alive again. He was lost, and now he is found.”

Part 4: The Older Brother’s Anger
(Luke 15:25-28)

That evening, music and laughter filled the house, but not everyone shared in the celebration. The older brother, returning from the fields, heard the noise and grew furious. “What’s going on?” he demanded of a servant. When he learned of his brother’s return and the feast in his honor, bitterness welled up inside him.

When his father came outside to invite him in, the older son let his frustration spill out. “All these years, I’ve worked hard for you and never disobeyed. Yet, you never gave me so much as a goat to celebrate with my friends. But this son of yours—who wasted everything—comes back, and you throw a feast for him?”

Part 5: A Father’s Wisdom and Extravagant Love
(Luke 15:31-32)

The father’s expression softened. “Son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad. Your brother was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.”

The feast continued late into the night, but the real joy was found not just in the food and music, but in the reunion of a father with his lost son. The son realized that his father’s love had never left him. Even when he was far away, his father’s heart had been with him all along.

Part 6: An Invitation to Come Home
(Luke 15:11-32)

This parable is not just about two brothers—it’s a picture of God’s extravagant love toward us. Whether we run away in rebellion, like the younger son, or stay close but grow resentful, like the older brother, God’s invitation is the same: Come home.

No matter how far we’ve wandered, His arms are open. He doesn’t just forgive—He celebrates.