Oh Sinner, Come Home

God's love and grace are truly amazing. Our great God is just like Jesus described Him in the Parable of the Prodigal Son.

Oh Sinner, Come Home

"But the father said to his servants, 'Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' And they began to be merry."

(Luke 15:22-24)

Artists like Kristyn Getty, Vince Gill, Alan Jackson, and Carrie Underwood have sung the classic hymn titled, "Softly and Tenderly Jesus is Calling," written by Will L. Thompson. Here are the opening lyrics:

Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,
calling for you and for me;
see, on the portals he's waiting and watching,
watching for you and for me.
Come home, come home;
you who are weary come home;
earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,
calling, O sinner, come home!

God's love and grace are truly amazing. Our great God is just like Jesus described Him in the Parable of the Prodigal Son. He is, as Thompson wrote, on the portals waiting and watching. The younger son came home and was embraced and forgiven by his father; however, the older brother showed how, though still near his father, he was further away from him than the son who had left.

Henri Nouwen argues that Rembrandt saw himself in both sons in the famous parable of Jesus, the younger who lived a sensual hedonistic life and the older in the sense that Rembrandt was known to be arrogant and vengeful. Writing about both sons, Nouwen states, "Both needed healing and forgiveness. Both needed to come home. Both needed the embrace of a forgiving father. But from the story itself, as well as from Rembrandt's painting, it is clear that the hardest conversion to go through is the conversion of the one who stayed home." (Source: The Return of the Prodigal Son, p. 65-66)

Here are a few pointers or takeaways I want to leave with you from this amazing story of Jesus portrayed so powerfully by Rembrandt:

God really loves you that much.
The prodigal life is one of pleasure but then disappointment.
The sin of offense enslaves many religious people.
Come back to God. Return.

Have a blessed weekend and Valentine's Day tomorrow. Jesus loves you!

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Podcast of the Week

Be Strong & Courageous

Pastor Danny shares a special message on the beginning of the Book of Joshua (chapter 1:1-9), in which God commanded Joshua three times to "be strong a courageous." He also shares about his trip to Israel this past December.

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