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Luke: Living with the Christ
Sometime around middle of the first century, a physician by the name of Luke began interviewing the men and women who had witnessed the life and ministry of Jesus. He wrote a careful account of everything he learned, and these accounts became our New Testament books known as the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. Over the next few months we’ll be exploring this remarkable book with the goal of answering a most important question: Who was this Jesus, the man who was called the Christ?
Today’s notes
“Party Time” | Pastor Sam Gyorfi | April 26, 2026
The Parable of the Lost Son
11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.
“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.
21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”
Themes: We will be exploring the ‘lost’ parables of Luke 15 and focusing on the parable of the lost son, continuing the theme of accepting the invitation to the party. Why was Jesus so insistent on preaching on this same topic over and over again? What can we learn about commitment and welcoming from these parables? We will be focusing on themes of God being with us and with our neighbor, always.
Series overview
Living with the Christ
Previous sermons
Devotionals by Pastor Sam
Baptism & dedication
Worship all week
At our core, we are passionate, engaged, and willing. What we do certainly involves Sunday worship, but it’s also about worship all week long in the form of discipleship, service, fellowship, and care.
