Tag Archives: Repentance

Message In A Minute: Return

Every time I hear the song “In the Air Tonight”, I’m instantly 8 years old riding in the back of a station wagon on my way to my grandparents’ house.

When you hear certain songs, does your mind go back to specific times in your life?

Have you ever gone through a closet and found some old photos that take you to another place and time?

Have you ever smelled something that filled your mind with nostalgia?

Of course the answer to all of those questions is yes.

This phenomenon is common in all cultures and it is bitter sweet most of the time.

There is a time in all of our lives that we hold close. A time when all seemed right with the world. He was still around. She was still in your life. Everything seemed to be at peace. What I’m touching on is deeper than we can go into in this article. But I believe “God placed eternity in our hearts” Ecclesiastes 3:11.

There is a longing in each of us for innocence, for peace, for Eden or Heaven if you will.

That’s where repentance comes in. (Don’t let the “religious” word repentance scare you.)

We commonly think of repentance in a religious sense. For example, say you’re sorry and mean it, now change your ways and do better. That’s part of it but not the full picture.

Repentance in the common Jewish understanding is known as “Teshuva” it literally means to “return”. It involves quite a process but for our purposes it means to come home, back to where you’ve always belonged.

You may have never even considered a life with Christ; He is asking you to return to Him, where you’ve always belonged. There may be changes you have to make, there may be things you have to let go of, but the most important thing is to repent… come home.

So maybe those nostalgic feelings that show up every so often do more than just point to a time in your life, maybe they are the impulse in all of us to return to the innocence (forgiveness) that is found in the love of God.

Jesus told the story of the prodigal son 2,000 years ago but it has survived and circulated because it’s true in the deepest sense. Why is the prodigal son story so powerful? Because the son comes home.

The son repents (returns) not knowing if his father will forgive him, if he has lost everything. He plans a speech about how sorry he is for all he has done. But his father jumps off the porch and welcomes Him with open arms. The father doesn’t even let the son get his apology out. He throws a huge party for his son. The father cries out…

“My son who was lost has come home.”

Is that you?

Do you need to return to where you’ve always belonged?

-Tom Wise

CONFESS YOUR SINS WITH HUMILITY | THE PARABLE OF THE PRODIGAL SON

Photo by Liane Metzler on Unsplash

Once again, we need to be mindful that this parable is the third in series of stories, that Jesus began to teach, in response to the scribes and Pharisees grumbling, because He was spending time with “those sinners.”

The Prodigal Son

11 And He said, “A man had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me.’ So he divided his wealth between them. 13 And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country, and there he squandered his estate with loose living. 14 Now when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country, and he began to be impoverished. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him. 17 But when he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger! 18 I will get up and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in your sight; 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me as one of your hired men.”’ 20 So he got up and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion for him, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 But the father said to his slaves, ‘Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet; 23 and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; 24 for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate.

25 “Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 And he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring what these things could be. 27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.’ 28 But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him. 29 But he answered and said to his father, ‘Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends; 30 but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’ 31 And he said to him, ‘Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.’”

– Matthew 11:15-32

Continue reading →

31 POWERFUL PRAYERS: DAY 31 | THE SINNER’S PRAYER

31 Powerful PrayersHave you ever watched a preacher on TV, and he closes the broadcast with a prayer that you are invited to pray with him?

That prayer usually says something similar to a prayer you may have heard a local Pastor or Sunday school teacher offer. It’s usually referred to as The Sinner’s Prayer. Continue reading →

28 WAYS TO EXPERIENCE GOD | #17: RETURN

28 WaysHave you ever been caught up in something and suddenly you hear a song and your mind goes back to a certain time in your life?

Have you ever gone through a closet and found some old photos that take you to another place and time?

Have you ever smelled something that filled your mind with nostalgia? Continue reading →