This passage is usually used to focus on the Prodigal son

Today I want to look at the Prodigal’s Father

As Fathers, we have an awesome responsibility to raise our children

To raise them in the admonition of the Lord

The problem is they grow and develop their own ideas, and become their own person

Sometimes, it seems that all your teaching falls on deaf ears as they stray away

In this passage we see a Father, who in trying to teach his son rightly, was wise

He was wise enough to let his son make his own mistakes and learn from them

Still you must wonder how hurt was the father by the son’s actions

Every time I read this story, I think of how far away from the Father I once was

My heavenly Father showed me love and kindness and I ran away from Him

Perhaps today you are thinking the same thing

I wonder how God feels when his children turn their backs on Him

All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God

Believers, too, still fall short and sometimes walk away from the Father

While he was still a long way off

We get that, while the father let the son leave, he was looking for his return daily

The father was wise enough to know that his son would learn from his mistakes

That when he realized he needed his father he would return

Sometimes, I wish that God would have designed us to only follow Him

No free will, but only able to do the right things

Then I realize, if we had no free will to choose, we would be like robots

I believe that God the Father is standing looking daily for those who have strayed

That, even though we turned our backs on Him, He will never turn His back on us

God loves us so much that He gave Jesus, His only son, as the perfect sacrifice

We had to have that sacrifice in order to be saved

While we were busy walking away, He was busy making a way for us to return

Perhaps you have turned on the live stream today because you were searching

Maybe you came in this building today as a last resort

I want you to know today, the Father is still waiting to receive you home with open arms

No matter how far away you have gone or how many bad things you have done

Jesus has made a way home to the Father for you

Will you come home today?