Pastor ryan
Lead Pastor
The core idea of Luke 15:13-31 is to keep our hearts dwelling on the central character of the story, the prodigal father.
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Sermon Summary
Our tendency is to read the Bible as if we are the main character. We read it to affirm what we already know, infer our own presence as the hero of the story, and get our ego stroked by false affirmations. Instead, the Word offers another function in reading: it trains, it equips, and it shapes like fire and a hammer. The story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15 may be better titled if the focus is not on us, but on God. It’s a story about a father who recklessly loves his two sons. He showers the one with unrestrained celebration and offers all he has to the other as an excessive act of mercy. Our hearts are prone to connect with the younger or the older son, but the real connection is to keep our hearts dwelling on the central character of the story, the prodigal’s father.
Scripture References from the Sermon
Luke 15:13-31
Discussion Questions
- Why is it our tendency to read Luke 15 focused on ourselves as the center of the story?
- Why is it easier to identify with the younger or the older son instead of relating to the father?
- Have you seen a connection between your need for God and His goodness in your life? (Luke 15:14)
- Do you see correction and discipline as love? (Luke 15:18,21)
- Do you see God as a father who loves to celebrate? (Luke 15:22-23)
- If God loves to restore that which was lost, what is restoring or has He restored in you?
Event Highlights | Christmas Eve: December 24th
- Come celebrate with us for one of our 7 Christmas Eve interactive candlelight service experiences across our 3 campuses! Invite your friends and family to encounter the hope and Story of Jesus! Visit gracechurchsp.org/Christmas for service times and details
- The church is closed Christmas Day and New Years Day
Seek Week: January 11th-18th 2026
- Seek Week is a dedicated time for our church to come together with one heart and one purpose—to seek God for our city, our church, and our nation, through a week of focused prayer and fasting. It all culminates in our Seek God Night, where we gather to worship, pray, and encounter the living God together.