This That And The Other
This That And The Other
Bonus: The Story Of The Prodigal Son
What if the love you thought you knew was far deeper than you imagined? Join us as we unpack the timeless Parable of the Prodigal Son, where family dynamics, forgiveness, and redemption take center stage. Pastor Josh sheds light on the younger son's audacious request, the father's surprisingly gracious response, and the older brother's inner turmoil. Discover how these relationships illuminate themes of repentance, grace, and the priceless nature of love over material wealth. This episode invites you to see yourself in this narrative and challenges you to reflect on your own familial and spiritual bonds.
Pastor Josh also guides us through foundational Christian beliefs, highlighting God's role as creator and ruler, and the separation sin causes in our lives. We explore the hope offered through Jesus Christ, who bridges that divide, urging us to cultivate a genuine relationship with God beyond mere requests for blessings. Whether you're embarking on a new spiritual journey or revisiting long-held beliefs, this conversation encourages a deep look at your faith.
-find us on Instagram @thisthatandtheother_pod
-follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/share/dgPq18Zsy1VxMzze/?mibextid=WC7FNe
-look us up on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@thisthatandtheotherpod?_t=8ksSLeCk8A3&_r=1
-subscribe on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/@ThisThatAndTheOtherPodca-qg9cn
-contact us at jratliff33@yahoo.com
-listen every Monday wherever you get your podcasts
-also listen to Jody and his two buddies at Three Wheels No Direction Podcast every Monday and Thursday
https://open.spotify.com/show/6URaZdKPqAOYrWovnrMnES?si=ZIsj6OqdQGywymW_O9H4sQ
-Thank you so much for listening
If you are interested in the nails or any of Amanda's social media, she talks about here is her link.
https://linktr.ee/Manda772
If you listened to our last episode, we talked about a recording we did for our fall festival about the prodigal son. We thought y'all might enjoy it, so here it is.
Speaker 2:As we embark on our journey. Please remember to keep your hands and feet inside the carriage at all times and remain seated until we come to a complete stop. Tonight we'll explore a well-known parable from the Book of Luke, often referred to as the Prodigal Son. This story revolves around a son who squanders his father's inheritance only to return to his loving father. However, it's important to recognize that this narrative is not solely about one son. It actually highlights the contrast between two brothers. As you enjoy the hayride, keep an eye out on the right side of the carriage for beautiful scenes depicting the story. Our narrative tonight is based on Luke, chapter 15, verses 11 through 32. We hope that through the story of the prodigal son, you can find where you are in your relationship with the father.
Speaker 3:There was a man who had two sons. The younger son was restless. He wanted to explore the world and live life on his own terms. So one day he went to his father and said Father, give me my share of inheritance.
Speaker 2:now I want to go out and live my life.
Speaker 3:The original listeners would have been blown away by this comment. The younger son would have been entitled to one-third of the estate and the older son two-thirds, but only after the father had died. So when the younger son says, give me my share of the estate now, while the father is still alive, he's basically wishing his father dead. He wants the father's things, not the father himself.
Speaker 2:The father was sad to see his son go, but he agreed. He divided his wealth and gave the younger son his share. With excitement, the younger son packed up his belongings and set off to a faraway country. Packed up his belongings and set off to a faraway country.
Speaker 4:If the original listeners were shocked by the son's request, they would have been even more amazed by the father's response. In his culture, the father would have been expected to kick the boy out of the house and even to have him publicly punished for the disgrace he had brought on his family. But to grant him that that was unheard of.
Speaker 3:In that new land. The younger son spent his money on parties, fancy clothes and a carefree lifestyle, but soon all the money was gone and he found himself broke Worse. A famine hit the land and there was hardly any food to be found.
Speaker 2:What am I going to do now? I have no money, no food and nowhere to go.
Speaker 3:The only job he could find was feeding pigs. He was so hungry that he longed to eat the food the pigs were eating. He began to think about his life and he remembered how well his father treated even the servants back at home.
Speaker 4:Home, it's about a relationship. A relationship he was missing, a place where he once belonged, and now he had nowhere to belong.
Speaker 2:I've made a terrible mistake. My father's servants have food to eat and here I am starving. I'll go back to my father and say Father, I've sinned against heaven and against you. I'm no longer worthy to be called your son.
Speaker 4:Let me be like one of your hired servants See, the younger son had devised a plan to pay his father's back. What he's saying is I don't deserve the status of being a son and I have found a way that I can earn my way back.
Speaker 3:So the younger son set off on the long journey back home, unsure of how his father would react. But while he was still far off, his father saw him coming.
Speaker 2:Put yourself in the father's place. If you saw your son who told you he'd wish you were dead and had wasted your wealth. Now you see him coming back. How are you going to react? Maybe you are thinking this better be good, he better be sorry, but how does the father react?
Speaker 1:That's my son. He's come back.
Speaker 3:The father ran to his son, he hugged him, he kissed him. The son was shocked by his father's love.
Speaker 4:It's important to note that fathers in that culture didn't run. It would have been unthinkable. He is publicly displaying his love for his son as he runs through the town to greet his son.
Speaker 2:Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I'm no longer worthy to be called your son.
Speaker 3:But the father didn't even let him finish.
Speaker 1:He called out to the servants Quick, bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger, put sandals on his feet. Let's prepare the fatted calf and celebrate. My son was lost, but now he's found.
Speaker 4:The ring that shows that the son is part of the family. We don't earn sonship, but it's a gift. Some people only want what they can get from God. We have to understand that we can't earn salvation. It's a gift from God.
Speaker 3:There's one more character that we need to see. Most of the time we dwell on the younger son, thinking the message is to say that God will forgive us for whatever we do. These original listeners would have been blown away by the scandal. But remember, we are meant to compare the two sons. Let's meet the older brother.
Speaker 2:The older brother was out working in the fields. When he came back and heard about the celebration, he was angry.
Speaker 4:What's going on? Why is there a party?
Speaker 2:Your brother has returned. Your father is celebrating because he's safe and sound the older brother refused to join the celebration.
Speaker 3:He was upset that his father had never thrown a party for him, even though he had stayed home. He had worked hard.
Speaker 2:Like the younger brother, the older brother wanted his father's wealth. However, he sought to gain love and wealth by doing what everyone expected by staying home with his father. However, he was reluctant to celebrate something that brought joy to his father.
Speaker 4:Father, I've served you all of these years and never disobeyed you, and you never gave me a party or a feast. But when this son of yours comes back after wasting your money, you throw him a party.
Speaker 1:My son, you are always with me and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad because your brother was lost, but now he is found.
Speaker 3:And so the father's love and forgiveness brought joy to the family. The younger son learned a valuable lesson no matter how far he wandered, his father's love was always waiting there for him.
Speaker 4:The story ends abruptly. Does the older brother join in the celebration or does he stay outside and never go inside? Jesus doesn't give us a resolution to the parable. This is something that you, the reader, have to answer for yourself, Much like the question we began with. Where are you in the relationship with the father? Are you like the older brother? Are you like the younger brother?
Speaker 2:And so, as you embarked on this journey, you received a gospel bracelet, and we want that gospel bracelet to serve as a reminder of this parable.
Speaker 3:On this bracelet, you will see four statements that help to explain how Jesus has planned a rescue for those that are far away from him. Statement one is God rules. The Bible tells us that God created everything, including you and me, and since he created us, he owns us. God is in charge of everything. There is nothing that is outside his control.
Speaker 2:Statement two is we sin. Since the time of Adam and Eve, every person that has ever lived has chosen to disobey God and the Bible calls this sin. And because God is holy, God cannot be around sin. Sin separates us from God and deserves God's punishment of death. That's bad news.
Speaker 3:But God provided. This is good news. God provided a solution to our sin problem. God loves us so much that he sent his son, jesus, to rescue us from the punishment that our sin deserves. That's something we, as sinners, could never earn or do on our own. Jesus alone saves us from our sins.
Speaker 2:And Jesus gives. Jesus lived a perfect life, died on the cross for our sins and rose from the grave. He's still alive today. Because Jesus gave up his life for us, we can be welcomed into God's family now and forever. This is the best gift that we could ever receive.
Speaker 4:Hey guys, this is Pastor Josh and I'm glad that you rode the hayride and that you came to our fall festival here. We've been praying for you, we've been preparing for you to be here and we are so glad that you're here and we hope that you learn something as you journey through the story of the prodigal son. There was a chance for you to respond as you journeyed through the story of the prodigal son. There was a chance for you to respond as you went through this. The gospel has been presented and there's an opportunity for you to respond to the questions that are being asked.
Speaker 4:The question is are you just wanting something from God or do you want a relationship with him? Have you recognized sin in your life? Have you repented of that sin and, by faith, trusted Jesus? And if you're ready to talk more about that and we have volunteers that are all over this site that would love to talk to you more, including the one that's here on the hayride with you and those that are going to help you disembark here in just a minute I'd love for you to talk to one of them. Or, if you happen to see me, I'd love to talk to you about how you can know Jesus as your Savior. Maybe you're just an older brother that's been going to church your whole life and you've been going through the motions, but you've never enjoyed the relationship with the Father. I pray that you won't leave here today without dealing with the Father.
Speaker 3:Thank you you.
