The Prodigal Son

Luke 15:11-13

Then He said: "A certain man had two sons. And the younger of = them said to his father, 'Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.= ' So he divided to them his livelihood. And not many days after, the younger son= gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions = with prodigal living. (NKJV)<= /o:p>

Anything done apart from God resul= ts in waste.

Luke 15:14

But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine= in that land, and he began to be in want. (NKJV)

But we can experience the same thing as Christians. Moving away from natural provision through faith and moving into a place of want.

Once you start working something out yourself, the ten= dency is to keep trying to work it out.

A lack of fa= ith and believing puts our self-sufficiency into action

2 Corinth= ians 13:5

Examine yourselves = as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? unless indeed you are disqualified.(NKJV)

Self-exam= ination might indicate that we are in a land of famine

Luke 15:1= 5-16

Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything. (NK= JV)

I believe= that whatever is not from faith is sin.

Romans 14= :23

But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; = for whatever is not from faith is sin. (NKJV)

James 1:2= 2-25

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, dece= iving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is lik= e a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes a= way, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer b= ut a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. (NKJV)

Luke 15:1= 7

"But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants h= ave bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! (NKJV)

Luke 15:1= 8-19

I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants."'(NKJV)<= /span>

Luke 15:2= 0

"And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed = him. (NKJV)

God’= ;s unconditional love

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Zephaniah= 3:17

The Lord your God is in the midst of you, a Mighty One, a Savior [Who saves]! He will rejoice over you with joy; He will rest [in silent satisfaction] and in His love He will be silent and make no mention [of past sins, or even recall them]; He will exult over you with singing. (AMP)

Luke 15:2= 1-23

And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sig= ht, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put [it] on him; and put a ring on= his hand, and shoes on [his] feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill [= it]; and let us eat, and be merry:(KJV)

Your salvation may be intact but provisionally you may be away in a far land.

When the = Father is just waiting for us to come to Him

2 Timothy= 1:7

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of powe= r and of love and of a sound mind. (NKJV)

1 Peter 5= :7

Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. (AMP)

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