What Should We Know About God? – Luke 15:11-32

The Lost Son (The Prodigal Son)

Background: This is part of a triplet of parables that make up Luke 15: Lost coin, Lost Sheep,
and Lost Son.

1. Rebellion, heartbreak, and foolish living (11-13)
   a. Rejection of his father
   b. Chasing selfish desires
2. Rock bottom (14-16)
   a. Everything was gone
   b. Shameful work
   c. Embarrassing reality
3. A moment of sanity (17-20a)
   a. He came to his senses
   b. He thought of home
   c. He realized he was dying
   d. He came up with a plan
   1. Go to his father, confess his sins, become a servant in his father’s house
4. A loving father (20b-24)
   a. A father who was looking and longing
   b. A father filled with compassion
   c. A father who loved (to the point of looked foolish)
   d. A father ready to celebrate
5. A self-righteous son (25-30)
   a. Anger
   b. Jealousy
   c. A good memory

• Final thoughts (31-32)