SPEAKER_00: As we begin today, breathe deeply and listen to the way that God longs to dwell with you.
SPEAKER_00: The book of Luke tells the story of a son who rebelled and went away from his father, taking his inheritance.
SPEAKER_00: After squandering it, he comes home and the father embraces him with open arms, despite his betrayal and mistakes.
SPEAKER_00: In Luke 15, 31, the Father says, My son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.
SPEAKER_00: Jesus is telling the story for a reason, because he wants us to understand that he is the father and we are the son.
SPEAKER_00: God's heart as a father is not distant or conditional.
SPEAKER_00: He is consistently near, always available, and always inviting you close.
SPEAKER_00: Like the father in the prodigal son story, he welcomes you back again and again.
SPEAKER_00: You never outgrow your place with him.
SPEAKER_00: Pause for a few seconds to thank God that he is always with you.
SPEAKER_00: Think about the closeness he offers you.
SPEAKER_00: How does this change the way you approach today?
SPEAKER_00: Now, tell God where you've felt distant or disconnected.
SPEAKER_00: Ask him to draw you back into closeness.
SPEAKER_00: Invite him to remind you that you are always welcomed and never rejected.
SPEAKER_00: Ask him to deepen your relationship with him.
SPEAKER_00: Let his closeness replace distance in your heart.
SPEAKER_00: Become close again today.
SPEAKER_00: Amen.