The Ring, the Robe, and the Rib Eye

In one paragraph

Brian preached from Luke 15, the parable of the prodigal son, but the point was not simply to retell a familiar story. He walked the room through several different camera angles on the same passage, arguing that wherever you find yourself stuck right now, a shift in perspective on this one story might be exactly what unlocks something for you. Brian opened by noting how easy it is to become...

Read together

1. Luke 15:7 More joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents than over 99 who have not strayed
2. Luke 15:11-32 The parable of the prodigal son read aloud in full as the sermon text
3. Romans 8:18-19 What we suffer is nothing compared to the glory to be revealed; creation eagerly awaits the revealing of God's children
4. 1 John 2:28 Referenced in connection with shrinking back at Christ's return
5. Hebrews 10:37-39 The coming one will come and not delay; righteous ones live by faith; we are not those who turn away
6. Matthew 25 Parable of the ten virgins; five foolish virgins find the door closed
7. 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sin he is faithful and just to forgive and purify us from all unrighteousness
8. John 10:15 As the father knows me and I know the father, I lay my life down for the sheep
9. Isaiah 53:10 It was the Lord's good plan to crush him; his life made an offering for sin
10. Hebrews 10:12 Our high priest offered himself as a single sacrifice for sin good for all time, then sat down at God's right hand
11. Matthew 10:12 A man with 100 sheep leaves the 99 to search for the one that is lost

What was said

• Read all of Luke 15 this week and do a word count of how many times the words rejoice, party, celebrate, and celebration appear.
• If you have not been water baptized, sign up to be baptized at the Tuesday service at the TMC.
• The next time you feel convicted about something, practice running to God with it right where you are rather than waiting until you feel cleaned up.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to show you your current situation from a different angle, the way Brian walked through the prodigal son story from multiple camera angles.
• If you want prayer for something specific, reach out to Jay, Chris, or Matt Grabowski, who were available at the end of service for that reason.

Talk about it

1. Brian talked about coming to God 'just as I am,' covered in pig slop and with nothing to show for it. What makes it hard to actually believe God receives us that way, and where have you personally felt that tension?
2. Brian suggested the title 'prodigal father' because the father took a reckless, extravagant risk in giving the son his inheritance. How does thinking of God as the one taking risks for us change the way you relate to him?
3. Someone in the room said that as a believer, he now identifies more with the older brother than the prodigal son, feeling a quiet resentment when others seem to get the ring and the robe quickly. When have you caught yourself in that older-brother posture, and what did it take to recognize it?
4. Brian read from Hebrews 10 about a 'shrinking back,' and someone connected it to that record-scratch feeling when you know you are somewhere or doing something you should not be. How do you tend to respond in those moments of conviction, and what would it look like to run toward God instead of away?
5. Brian walked through the same parable from four different camera angles: the prodigal son, the father as a picture of Jesus, the father scanning the horizon for Christ's return, and Jesus as the fattened calf. Which of those perspectives was most unfamiliar to you, and what did it open up?