We are a society searching for a model father, and there is no such thing as a perfect human father.

KEY VERSES

Luke 15:11-24 (NASB)

11 And He said, “A man had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.’ So he divided his wealth between them. 13 And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living. 14 Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him. 17 But when he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger! 18 I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight; 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men.”’ 20 So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; 23 and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; 24 for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate.

UNDERSTANDING

• What do we learn about the father through his willingness to honor the son’s request anyway?

• Would you agree that we treat God with the same type of contempt we see in the son here? Explain. How does God provide for our needs anyway? Is He obligated to do this? Explain.

• When is it hard for you to provide for your children? How has God’s provision for you been an encouragement to keep on when the road is hard?

• How big of a part does “what other people think” play in how we relate and respond to our kids? Should it play a role at all? Explain.

• Why didn’t shame play a part in the father’s response to his son? Why doesn’t shame play a part in God’s response to us when we sin?

• In this week’s message, the point was made that a great dad respects the individuality of his children. This is true in any relationship where there is authority or influence. How do you know when to respect individual choice and when to step in and intervene in what you sense is a bad choice?

• What did the son need to learn?

• How difficult do you imagine it would have been for the father to provide the space for individual choice that the son requested? How much would he have needed to trust God for this to happen?

• What was different about the younger son at this point? Did he come back only because he was broke? What did he have to know about the love of his father in order to return?

• Why do you think the son knew that he had not lost the love of his father?

• What did the father do when he saw his son coming? Considering the father had every right to be hurt by his son’s actions, or at the very least, wary of his son’s motives for com- ing home, why do you think Jesus told the story this way?

• The father’s very joyful and generous response to the son’s return would have also been considered shameful in that culture. How does it make you feel to know that God is not ashamed of you, no matter how you have behaved in the past?

• How should the Father’s love for you impact your relationships with other people?

APPLICATION

• In this week’s message, the following points of application were made. A great dad: teaches his children God’s truth from day one, respects the individuality of his children, won’t stand in the way of consequences, has a never-give-up kind of love, and is willing to live with a little ambiguity. Which of these stands out to you the most personally? Why?

• Where do you see your relationship with God the Father in these same points of application: He teaches truth to His children, He respects our individuality, He won’t stand in the way of consequences, and He has a never-give-up kind of love?

• With this in mind, how can you pray for your father? How can you support other fathers in our church and in your life? How can you support the fatherless, whom God loves as His own (Ps. 86:5; James 1:27)?

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