Prodigal Part 1 - The Lavish Grace of God | Pastor Greg Ford Sermon | One Church Columbus

The Lavish Grace of God | Pastor Greg Ford Sermon | One Church Columbus

ICEBREAKER:

How did you see God move this last week?

Summary:

In Luke 15, Jesus tells three consecutive parables to reveal the nature of God’s grace in the face of loss, shame, and rebellion. The prodigal son story (Luke 15:11-32) centers on a younger son who squanders his inheritance, returns in hunger, and is welcomed with extravagant grace. The Father’s response contrasts with an honor-shame culture: grace is costly, restorative, and public. The overarching message is that God pursues, forgives, and reconciles sinners, inviting them—and us as followers—to be recipients and agents of that mercy.

Key Points

  1. The story is set within an honor-shame framework: the younger son’s request and departure bring deep dishonor; the father’s reception and restoration renegotiate honor in the community.

  2. Prodigality has two meanings: wasteful and extravagant. The Father’s grace is extravagant mercy, not stingy righteousness.

  3. The Father runs to meet the returning son, an action that publicly redefines honor and demonstrates costly grace.

  4. Reconciliation is not just personal restoration but communal restoration: the feast and return to the family signal public redemption.

  5. The gospel pattern: the prodigal is received as a son, not a servant; the Father diverts the shame onto himself, foreshadowing Christ’s atonement.

    • Scripture References

    • Luke 15:11-24

    • Optional context: Luke 15:1-2 (context for the audience) and Luke 15:25-32 (the older brother’s perspective in the following discussion)

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the parable of the prodigal son powerfully unveils the lavish grace of God—a grace that pursues, forgives, and restores even the wayward and broken. It challenges our notions of honor and entitlement, inviting us to receive grace as freely as we are called to extend it. As followers of Christ, we are not only recipients of this grace but also ambassadors of reconciliation, tasked with reflecting the Father’s compassionate heart in our relationships, communities, and churches. May we embrace extravagant mercy, run toward the lost, and celebrate restoration, knowing that in doing so we participate in the broader, redemptive story of God’s grace for the world.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How does the Father’s reaction to the prodigal challenge or reinforce your understanding of grace today?

  2. In what ways can you imitate the Father’s posture of compassion and welcome in your own relationships or church community?

  3. What does it mean that the younger son “came to his senses” in Luke 15:17-20, and how can we cultivate repentance and humility in our own lives?

  4. Why is the running of the father to greet his son significant in an honor-shame culture, and how does it point ahead to Jesus’ mission?

Guided Prayer:

Lord Jesus, thank You for the lavish grace You displayed on the cross and in the prodigal’s story. Forgive me for growing weary of extending grace to others or for clinging to my own sense of honor. Fill me with Your compassion, so that I run toward the weary and welcome them home. Teach me to be an agent of Your grace—sharing mercy, seeking reconciliation, and celebrating restoration in community. May my life reflect the Father’s heart, diverting shame onto Yourself and inviting others into the feast of Your grace. In Your holy name I pray, Amen.

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