RETURNING HOME – Part 4

“There Will Be A Celebration”

Luke 15:22-23

“But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:

And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:”

By the time the son made his way back home, he had already prepared himself for less. Less position. Less privilege. Less identity. In his mind, he wasn’t coming back as a son—just a servant hoping for mercy.

But the father had something entirely different in mind.

Before the son could get used to shame and regret, the father called for a robe. Not just any robe, the best one. Before he could hang his head in failure, a ring was placed on his hand, this restored identity.

RETURNING HOME – Part 3

“You Will Face Resistance”

Luke 15:25-28

25 Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing.

26 And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.

27 And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.

28 And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.

When we think about “coming home,” we often picture peace, relief, and restoration—and rightly so. But tucked inside this story is a truth we don’t always expect:

Not everyone will celebrate your return.

The younger son came home broken, humbled, and ready to be restored. The father ran to him, embraced him, and rejoiced. But while there was music and dancing in the house… there was resistance in the field.

RETURNING HOME – Part 2

“Some Things Will Never Be The Same”

Luke 15:17

“And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father’s have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!”

There’s a turning point in this story that doesn’t get much attention, but it sure gets deep, that is the fact that “ he came to himself.”

That moment didn’t just change his direction… it changed him. It had to be his choice.  There may have been some who tried to convince him to just go home, stop spending so much, they are not really your friends, they are just using you…

But the only way to really Return Home, (and by that I mean return to the Lord), is to get to this point. The point where you realize your current position is because of the decisions you made.

The son that left home and the son that started back home was not the same person.

RETURNING HOME – Part 1

“Some Things Will Never Change”

There comes a moment in a person’s life when the chaos of our choices settles down just enough for truth to be heard again.

In Luke 15, the prodigal son had reached such a moment,

Luke 15:17-20

17 And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,

19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.

20 And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.

“when he came to himself.”

That’s phrase is so powerful because it reminds us that running from God will always take us away from who we are really meant to be, but returning to Him not only brings us back to God, but also brings us back to ourselves.

A Legacy That Lives On

2 Timothy 1:5

“When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.”

To me, there’s something very powerful about memories.

Not just recalling moments, but truly feeling the emotion of where you came from, who poured their lives  into you, who prayed over you, and  believed in you before you even understood what belief really meant.

Paul looked at Timothy and didn’t just see a young man trying to walk in faith. He saw a legacy. He saw a grandmother… a mother… voices and examples that had been planted long before Timothy ever stepped into his calling. That faith didn’t start with Timothy—it flowed into him.

And if we’re honest, the same is true for all of us.

As we approach six years of This Is The Life Podcast this coming June, it still feels a lot like sitting on that front porch, looking back at where the Lord has brought us from, and quietly listening for where He’s leading us next.

What started as a simple step of faith has become something far greater than we could have ever planned.

And yet, it still carries that same purpose. A place of peace, reflection, and drawing closer to Jesus Christ.

The vision moving forward is not as much about becoming Larger, as it is about becoming more impactful.

More Than Enough Grace

Have you ever had days that seem to begin with a heaviness you can’t quite explain.

It may not be one big thing at all. Sometimes it’s just the weight of several little things that settled on your heart and mind over time.

Maybe it’s a burden for your family, or maybe it’s simply a tiredness that no amount of sleep can help.

There are mornings when your feet hit the floor, and before the day has even fully begun, your mind is already trying to solve things that only God can handle.

We all know what it feels like when we get ahead of grace, when the mind starts running miles down a road we were never meant to be on in the first place.

If we’re not careful, our thoughts can travel too far ahead of God’s plans.

We start trying to carry tomorrow’s weight with today’s strength, and that is always a burden too heavy for our shoulders.

But the Lord has such a great way of reminding us that we are only asked to live in the grace for this moment.

By the time this day ever reached you, His grace was already there.

A Life That Matters

1 Thessalonians 4:11-12

“And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;

That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.”

In a world that constantly measures success by comparison, it can be easy to feel like we are failing to meet the expectations of others.

Someone always seems to have more, accomplish more, or be recognized more. But the Bible reminds us that a life that truly matters is not built on comparison, it is built on contentment and faithfulness.

Stronger Than Before

James 1:2–4

“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.”

There is a different kind of strength that only comes after a struggle.

Not the kind of strength that boasts or draws attention, but the quiet kind.

The kind that has been tested, stretched, and refined and pressurized.

James tells us to “count it all joy” when we face various trials.

This Is The Life

Psalm 90:14

“O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.”

There is something sacred about a quiet porch in the early morning.

I realize that everyone may not have a front porch, but it is a very scared place for my wife and I.

Before the noise begins. Before responsibilities start to press in.

Before the world starts demanding my attention. It is in those gentle moments — where the cool morning meets the day, that the heart often hears the clearest whispers of God.

Steady In The Storm

This time of the year, people begin to think about and talk about “The Storm Season”.  Just like storms in our area are very unpredictable, the storms of our lives can be as well.

Isaiah gives us a promise that feels almost impossible in turbulent times: perfect peace. Not partial peace. Not temporary relief. Perfect peace.

Isaiah 26:3

“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”

Storms have a way of revealing what we are anchored to.

Keep Moving Forward

Philippians 3:13–14

13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

There is something powerful and important about the word press.

It implies resistance and It suggests something that takes effort.

It seems to acknowledge that moving forward is not always easy.

Yet Paul said, “This one thing I do.” Not ten things, Not some kind of divided focus. One thing keeps him moving forward, and that is the constant mark set before him in Jesus.

Getting To The Root

Matthew 7:17-18

17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

Every fruit starts in the root.

If You walk into an orchard and see that the apples are all bad, you don’t blame the apples, You look at the tree.

The fruit simply reveals what is really going on beneath the surface.

Yet in our spiritual lives, we often spend years trying to deal with the fruit of our behavior, without ever examining the root system that is causing the behavior.

And you will never change the fruit until you first deal with the root.

If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

John 8:36

Spiritual freedom is not just a single moment; it is a lifetime journey.

In the Gospels, Jesus revealed that many could believe, some could have faith, but only those who learned to trust Him fully walked in lasting freedom. Each step moves us closer to living unbound, not just forgiven, but free.

Defining Biblical Freedom:

Being released by God from the power, penalty, and control of sin, death, and fear, so we may willingly live under the Lordship of Christ.

God’s Plan For You – Deliverance

Our key verse in this week has been:

1 Peter 5:8 — “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”

This reveals the enemy’s intentions, but the very next verse reveals the believer’s response and God’s direction.

1 Peter 5:9 — “Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.”

What we see is God never points out a threat without also giving us a strategy.

His plan for us is never defeat, it’s deliverance.

The Enemy’s Plan For You – Pt. 4: Destruction

Scripture warns us that the enemy never stops at simple doubt or discouragement. His path, if left unchecked, always moves toward destruction. Jesus made this plain in

John 10:10

10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

That is not just some poetic type saying, it is a spiritual reality.

The enemy’s goal is not merely to make life difficult; it is to tear down what God is building.

The destruction I am speaking of has nothing to do with your Salvation, which is secure in Christ, but refers to the constant attempt to destroy your purpose, your reputation, and your ability to serve the Lord.

The Enemy’s Plan For You – PT. 3: Depression

In this series we’ve looked at how the enemy often works in stages, first doubt, which if left unchecked will lead to discouragement.

If those seeds are left unattended, they can grow heavier, sometimes settling into what the Bible refers to as Spiritual heaviness or becoming “Dismayed”, or to become depressed.

1 Peter 5:8 — “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”

The Enemy’s Plan For You – Part 2: Discouragement

1 Peter 5:8 — “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”

Discouragement is often the second step in the enemy’s plan against us.

As we said yesterday, first comes doubt, that quiet whisper that questions what God has said.

Then comes discouragement, a heavy feeling that makes you question whether it’s even worth it to keep going.

The Enemy’s Plan For You — Part 1: Doubt

1 Peter 5:8

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”

It is important for us to know that The enemy rarely begins with open attack.

He begins with a question. A whisper. A seed of uncertainty.

His first step is not destruction — it is doubt.

Many have asked recently about the songs that I play at the end of some of our devotions. The particular interest usually seems to be, who wrote them and who sings them.

  Since I don’t usually like to take up much of our devotion time discussing these types of subjects, I thought I would write this Blog to answer these questions.