The Wasteful Son

Luke 15:1-2
Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. 2 This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them!

Luke 15:11-12
To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. 12 The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.

Luke 15:13
A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living.

Luke 15:14
About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve.

Luke 15:15
He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs.

Luke 15:16
The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.

Luke 15:17-19
When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! 18 I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, 19 and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’

He’s helpless, humiliated and hungry…now he is homesick!

Luke 15:20-23
“So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. 21 His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’ 22 “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. 23 And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast.

Step One - We, like the prodigal son, must “come to our senses.” (v17)
 
Step Two - We, like the prodigal son, must confess our sin. (v18-19)
 
Step Three – We, like the prodigal son, must come home. (v20a)