Lessons from the Prodigal Son
God’s love is always open and available to us. But so many of us fail to experience it.
Even after years of pursuing our creator we can still find ourselves feeling miles away from God. Still questioning if His love is available. Today we are going to tackle a huge question.
How do I receive God’s love?
Part 2 Here
Spoiler Alert! The answer is surrender.
The best way I can explain this is to walk through the parable of the prodigal son . So grab your Bible and
Read: Luke 15:11-32.
John 15:9 CSB
“As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you. Remain in my love.
Let’s focus on Luke 11:13
The heart of the prodigal’s struggle wasn’t just about wasted money—it was about refusing to surrender. Think about it: this son accepted his father’s resources but rejected his father’s wisdom. He insisted on “carving his own path” apart from his father’s protection and care. The Bible shows us how he deliberately put physical distance between himself and his loving father.
The Prodigal son could not receive his fathers love because he refused to remain.
“This distance represents more than geography, it reveals our human tendency to resist God’s authority while still wanting His blessings. We say, ‘I’ll take your gifts, God, but I’ll decide how to use them.'”
Sound familiar?
This is the exact mindset that blocks God’s love from fully reaching us. When we maintain control, even in small areas of our lives, we create barriers to experiencing the depth of love our Father wants to give.
Luke11:14
Eventually, he ends up with nothing. The Bible tells us that a severe famine hit, mirroring our own struggles when we drift away from God’s loving care.
“This kind of famine is everywhere today, showing up as a deep spiritual hunger. It leaves millions craving nourishment, peace, and hope—so what’s the cure? GOD’S LOVE.”
Stop trying to “Become” worthy of God’s Love
Luke 15:20
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him…”
Now the young son has experienced the contrast between the shallow, temporary love that the world gives and how his father cared for his servants. He comes to his senses and understands that his father treats his servants well.
At this point in the story, he understands his father to be a good Lord, but not a Beloved Father… at least not yet.”
Here’s what I want you to focus on: He believed the lie that his father’s love was conditional, based on his performance.
“Look carefully at his rehearsed speech in Luke 15:18-19:
‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’
He thought he needed to work his way back into a relationship! He was planning to become a servant because he didn’t believe in his father’s love. So he could not see his father’s desire to restore him as a son.”
Perfect Love Casts Out Fear
Scripture directly addresses this exact fear in 1 John 4:18:
“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.”
The prodigal son’s fear of punishment kept him rehearsing a speech, planning to be a servant. But his father’s perfect love—running to him, embracing him before he could even finish his confession—drove out that fear completely. This is how God’s love works in our lives today.
“But how did the father respond? He ran to his son (something dignified men didn’t do in that culture), embraced him, and interrupted his rehearsed speech before he could even suggest becoming a servant. The father immediately restored him to full sonship with a robe, ring, and sandals—symbols of family position, not servanthood.”
“The son could have returned home at any moment. His fear kept him among the pigs when he could have been enjoying a feast at his father’s table.”
Experiencing God’s Love
Here are some practical steps to take.
1. Surrender
First, we must recognize where we’ve believed the lie that God’s love is conditional. Lay down our Tedency to “ carve our own path.”
2. Repent
Second, we take the courageous step of returning to God with complete honesty about our condition, trusting that His love exceeds our failings.
This invites us to practice a lifestyle of ongoing repentance. Just as the prodigal son finally came to his senses, we too are constantly invited to return to God whenever sin creates distance between us. Whether you accepted Christ this morning or have walked with Him for decades, God’s invitation to repentance remains unchanging.
The beautiful promise in 1 John 1:9 reminds us,
‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.’
There’s no expiration date on this promise. Each time we recognize areas in our lives that have turned away from God, we can boldly approach His throne of grace, knowing His arms are always open wide to restore us fully as His beloved children.
3. Remain
I can’t express this enough
Keep spending time in God’s presence, refuse to shrink away in shame. If we want to recieve God’s love we must remain in Him.
John 15 illustrates just how vital our connection to Jesus is. Take a look!
John 15:1, 3-4 CSB
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.
You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. [4] Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me.”
John 15:9 CSB
“As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you. Remain in my love.”
It’s impossible to completely recieve God’s love while run. Yes! His compassion chases us down and stops us in our tracks.
but at some point we have to lay down our pride. And take God at his word.
So go worship, go pray, and read your Bible. Remain in His presence, not to earn it, but because the blood of Jesus has already been shed, giving you the freedom and right to be here with the Lord.
Here are a few verses to help!
Boldly going before His throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16).
All things we can do with confidence because we know that He loves us (1 John 4:16).
Let’s close with this.
Receiving God’s love isn’t complicated, but it does require surrender. Today, identify one area where fear has convinced you that God’s love is conditional or performance-based.
Maybe it’s in your prayer life, your service, or how you handle failure. Write down this specific fear, then physically cross it out, writing “1 John 4:18” over it.
Reflection Questions:
1. How does the father’s response in the prodigal son story challenge your view of God’s love?
2. In what ways do you try to “earn” God’s love through your performance?
3. What would change in your relationship with God if you truly believed His love for you is unconditional?
4. What specific action will you take this week to actively receive and rest in God’s unconditional love rather than trying to earn it?
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