Hello. My name is Frank Johnson, and I am speaking to you today from my video blog, ProdigalGod.com.

Today’s message will be the seventh and final part of a seven-part series entitled, “Wayward Sons and a Prodigal God.”

Through the first six parts of this series, we’ve looked at the Middle Eastern culture behind the parable, the core belief that both sons subscribed to, but the two very different philosophies of life that core belief led them to embrace, the depth of the younger son’s sin, the inner slavery of the elder son’s life, and the father’s great love which he expressed toward both his sons.

Today, we’re going to wrap up the series with some simple words for the younger sons among us and the elder sons among us.

Words For The Younger Son
Perhaps you are like the younger son. Perhaps you’ve committed some sin which you think is horrible and which you think will keep you forever from knowing God. You think you’ve strayed too far away from the ways of God to ever be accepted and loved by Him again. You think that returning to God would only mean punishment.

And what I want to say to you, dear one, is that no matter what you’ve done, no matter who you are, no matter where you are in life, no matter how far you think you’ve strayed, the Father’s heart is open wide for you, and you are welcome in His presence [Richard Foster, Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home (New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1992), pg. 2].

Even now, He sees you. Even now, He is consumed with compassion for your soul. Even now, He is rising and pulling up his robes. Even now, He is running to you. Even now, He longs to embrace you eagerly and kiss you fervently. Come home to the Father’s love. He will put the best robe on you. He will put a ring on your hand and sandals on your feet. And He will kill the fattened calf for you. And you will dine with Him in intimacy. And music and dancing and joy will be restored to your life. Come home to the Father’s love.

Words For The Elder Son
Or perhaps you are like the elder son. You are living in frustration, because you are struggling in your life to do everything right. You think that if you can just get everything straightened out in your life, then God will accept you and love you. You think that if you can just faithfully perform your duty, God will reward you.

And what I want to say to you, dear one, is that God accepts you now. He loves you now, in spite of all your imperfections and all your struggles. He loves you as you are, not as you should be. He loves you with a consistent love. He loves you with an ever-faithful love. He loves you with a relentless love. He loves you with a constantly-pursuing love. He loves you with a furious love.

And while you stand outside His presence, while you occupy yourself with trying to get everything right so you will be acceptable to Him, your Heavenly Father comes outside the house and calls you to His side and entreats you to enter into intimacy with Himself. He is the God of lavish grace. He is the God of extravagant mercy. He is the God of unrestrained love. He waits for you, and He waits for me, to pour His love upon us. He longs for intimacy with us. He longs to ravish our hearts with His love.

The Call Of The Prodigal God
Beloved, do you hear the call of the prodigal God? Do you hear His call to intimacy? Has your heart been ravished by the lavish, extravagant and unrestrained love of the Father?

If your answer to those questions is “Yes” and “No,”; in other words, if you hear the call of the prodigal God, if you hear His call to intimacy, but your heart has not yet been ravished by His love, then I invite you to cry out to Him and ask Him to ravish your heart in the days and weeks to come.

This concludes the seventh and final part of our seven-part series entitled “Wayward Sons and a Prodigal God.”

Thank you for joining me today.