Day 1
Faith Fact:
God forgives me.
Faith Verse:
John 14:6(NLT)
“Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”
Question of the Day:
What happens if we choose to walk away from God?
Read:
Luke 15:11–16
Today’s question is a tough question to ask, but it is important to think about it. What would it be like if you chose to walk away from God and not be a Christian? Have you ever thought about it? Jesus told this parable about a father and two sons. A parable is simply a story about familiar things that helps us understand spiritual truths. This parable is called the Parable of the Prodigal, or Lost, Son.
In our story, the younger son chose to leave his home and his family because he thought he would find what he was looking for somewhere else. He looked for happiness in money and having fun. Can money buy you happiness? It can buy things that may make you happy for a little while, but money runs out and the happiness fades. When the younger son’s money was gone, he was hungry and desperate and even thought about eating the food of the pigs he was caring for. That would be gross, right? He knew something needed to change in his life.
We can learn from the younger son’s example not to go looking for happiness. Money, fame, success, and power all seem like they can give us happiness, but only God can give us true joy.
Think about it:
Question 1. Which of Jesus’ parables tells us that God is willing to forgive and restore the sinner who repents?
Answer 1. The Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11–32)
Question 2. What is a parable?
Answer 2. A parable is a story about familiar things which helps us understand spiritual truths.
Question 3. How many sons did the father in the parable have?
Answer 3. Two (Luke 15:11)
Question 4. What did the son do when his money ran out and no one would help him?
Answer 4. He got a job on a farm feeding the pigs. (Luke 15:14–16)
Question 5. What did the younger son consider eating because he was hungry?
Answer 5. He considered eating the food he was feeding the pigs (Luke 15:16)
Talk about It:
•Why do you think the younger son wanted to leave home?
•Do you think the son still loved his dad? Why or why not?
•Why didn’t his friends help the son when his money ran out?
Pray about it:
God, thank You for giving us an example of what it looks like to walk away from You. Help us to remember not to be like the lost son looking for happiness somewhere else. Amen.
God forgives me.
Faith Verse:
John 14:6(NLT)
“Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”
Question of the Day:
What happens if we choose to walk away from God?
Read:
Luke 15:11–16
Today’s question is a tough question to ask, but it is important to think about it. What would it be like if you chose to walk away from God and not be a Christian? Have you ever thought about it? Jesus told this parable about a father and two sons. A parable is simply a story about familiar things that helps us understand spiritual truths. This parable is called the Parable of the Prodigal, or Lost, Son.
In our story, the younger son chose to leave his home and his family because he thought he would find what he was looking for somewhere else. He looked for happiness in money and having fun. Can money buy you happiness? It can buy things that may make you happy for a little while, but money runs out and the happiness fades. When the younger son’s money was gone, he was hungry and desperate and even thought about eating the food of the pigs he was caring for. That would be gross, right? He knew something needed to change in his life.
We can learn from the younger son’s example not to go looking for happiness. Money, fame, success, and power all seem like they can give us happiness, but only God can give us true joy.
Think about it:
Question 1. Which of Jesus’ parables tells us that God is willing to forgive and restore the sinner who repents?
Answer 1. The Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11–32)
Question 2. What is a parable?
Answer 2. A parable is a story about familiar things which helps us understand spiritual truths.
Question 3. How many sons did the father in the parable have?
Answer 3. Two (Luke 15:11)
Question 4. What did the son do when his money ran out and no one would help him?
Answer 4. He got a job on a farm feeding the pigs. (Luke 15:14–16)
Question 5. What did the younger son consider eating because he was hungry?
Answer 5. He considered eating the food he was feeding the pigs (Luke 15:16)
Talk about It:
•Why do you think the younger son wanted to leave home?
•Do you think the son still loved his dad? Why or why not?
•Why didn’t his friends help the son when his money ran out?
Pray about it:
God, thank You for giving us an example of what it looks like to walk away from You. Help us to remember not to be like the lost son looking for happiness somewhere else. Amen.
Day 2
Faith Fact:
God forgives me.
Faith Verse:
John 14:6(NLT)
“Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”
Question of the Day:
What should we do when we do something wrong?
Read:
Luke 15:17–19
When you become a Christian, God forgives all of your sins. Does that mean that you will never sin again or mess up? No! None of us is perfect even after we become Christians. God knows that, but that doesn’t mean we have a free pass to do whatever we want.
In the parable, the lost son “came to his senses” and realized it was time for him to go home. Can you imagine if he had just showed up and acted like nothing had happened? Something had happened! He messed up big time. He left home, wasted all his money, and ended up feeding pigs. He needed to apologize, say that he had done wrong, and ask for forgiveness. He was even willing to return as a servant if that’s what his father would allow him to do.
When we wander off God’s way and choose a path of doing wrong, God wants us to come back to Him, to come home. We need to pray to God and do what the lost son did—apologize, admit that we have done wrong, and ask Him for forgiveness.
Think about it:
Question 1. What did the lost son realize his father’s servants had that he didn’t have?
Answer 1. Food (Luke 15:17)
Question 2. What did the lost son decide he needed to do?
Answer 2. He decided to go home to his father, even if it meant becoming a servant. (Luke 15:18)
Question 3. What did the lost son plan on saying to his father?
Answer 3. “I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.” (Luke 15:18–19)
Question 4. What was the lost son willing to do when he came back home?
Answer 4. He was willing to become one of the hired servants. (Luke 15:19)
Talk about It:
•What was most important for you in today’s devotion?
•Have you ever chosen to do something that you knew wasn’t part of God’s plan?
•How did that choice make you feel?
•Do you believe that God will forgive you no matter how many times you do something wrong?
Pray about It:
God, thank You for providing a way for me to come back to You and be forgiven when I mess up. Please help me to follow Your plan and become more like You. Amen.
God forgives me.
Faith Verse:
John 14:6(NLT)
“Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”
Question of the Day:
What should we do when we do something wrong?
Read:
Luke 15:17–19
When you become a Christian, God forgives all of your sins. Does that mean that you will never sin again or mess up? No! None of us is perfect even after we become Christians. God knows that, but that doesn’t mean we have a free pass to do whatever we want.
In the parable, the lost son “came to his senses” and realized it was time for him to go home. Can you imagine if he had just showed up and acted like nothing had happened? Something had happened! He messed up big time. He left home, wasted all his money, and ended up feeding pigs. He needed to apologize, say that he had done wrong, and ask for forgiveness. He was even willing to return as a servant if that’s what his father would allow him to do.
When we wander off God’s way and choose a path of doing wrong, God wants us to come back to Him, to come home. We need to pray to God and do what the lost son did—apologize, admit that we have done wrong, and ask Him for forgiveness.
Think about it:
Question 1. What did the lost son realize his father’s servants had that he didn’t have?
Answer 1. Food (Luke 15:17)
Question 2. What did the lost son decide he needed to do?
Answer 2. He decided to go home to his father, even if it meant becoming a servant. (Luke 15:18)
Question 3. What did the lost son plan on saying to his father?
Answer 3. “I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.” (Luke 15:18–19)
Question 4. What was the lost son willing to do when he came back home?
Answer 4. He was willing to become one of the hired servants. (Luke 15:19)
Talk about It:
•What was most important for you in today’s devotion?
•Have you ever chosen to do something that you knew wasn’t part of God’s plan?
•How did that choice make you feel?
•Do you believe that God will forgive you no matter how many times you do something wrong?
Pray about It:
God, thank You for providing a way for me to come back to You and be forgiven when I mess up. Please help me to follow Your plan and become more like You. Amen.
Day 3
Faith Fact:
God forgives me.
Faith Verse:
John 14:6(NLT)
“Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”
Question of the Day:
What does God want us to know about forgiveness?
Read:
Luke 15:20–24
God included a lot about forgiveness in the Bible, so we have a lot to learn from Him. There is a reason He included so many stories and verses in the Bible about forgiveness. He knew it would be hard for us to understand and apply to our lives.
Have you ever had someone lie to you, steal something from you, or treat you so badly that you felt like they didn’t deserve your forgiveness? The world tells us that when someone does something bad or hurtful to us, we should stay away from them, do something mean to them, or hope that something bad happens to them to make it even. The truth is that none of us deserve to be forgiven. It is because of God’s grace that He offers us love and forgiveness as a gift, not because we have earned it or deserve it.
God’s way of doing things is often the opposite of how the world does things. God’s Word tells us to forgive. That’s it! No exceptions for when we don’t want to forgive someone. Thankfully, God shows that type of forgiveness for us by forgiving us over and over again. How many times have you lied in your life? You probably don’t even remember because it’s been so many times. God doesn’t say, “Well, they hit 100 lies! That’s it! I’m not forgiving them for lie 101.” We need to follow God and continue to forgive others even when they do something wrong to us again and again.
Think about it:
Question 1. What is grace?
Answer 1. Grace means that God offers us His love and forgiveness as a gift and not because we have earned it or deserve it.
Question 2. What did the Prodigal Son say to his father when he came back home?
Answer 2. “I have sinned against both heaven [God] and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. (Luke 15:21)
Question 3. What did the father do when he saw his son coming home?
Answer 3. He ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. (Luke 15:20)
Question 4. What four things did the father give to his son?
Answer 4. The father gave him the finest robe in the house, a ring, sandals, and a feast that included the fattened calf. (Luke 15:22–23)
Talk about It:
•What stood out to you from today’s devotion?
•What do you know about God’s forgiveness?
•How many times will God forgive you for doing the same wrong thing?
•Why do you think God continues to forgive you?
Pray about It:
God, thank You for always forgiving me even when I do the same thing over and over. Help me to stop doing the sins I keep repeating. Amen.
God forgives me.
Faith Verse:
John 14:6(NLT)
“Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”
Question of the Day:
What does God want us to know about forgiveness?
Read:
Luke 15:20–24
God included a lot about forgiveness in the Bible, so we have a lot to learn from Him. There is a reason He included so many stories and verses in the Bible about forgiveness. He knew it would be hard for us to understand and apply to our lives.
Have you ever had someone lie to you, steal something from you, or treat you so badly that you felt like they didn’t deserve your forgiveness? The world tells us that when someone does something bad or hurtful to us, we should stay away from them, do something mean to them, or hope that something bad happens to them to make it even. The truth is that none of us deserve to be forgiven. It is because of God’s grace that He offers us love and forgiveness as a gift, not because we have earned it or deserve it.
God’s way of doing things is often the opposite of how the world does things. God’s Word tells us to forgive. That’s it! No exceptions for when we don’t want to forgive someone. Thankfully, God shows that type of forgiveness for us by forgiving us over and over again. How many times have you lied in your life? You probably don’t even remember because it’s been so many times. God doesn’t say, “Well, they hit 100 lies! That’s it! I’m not forgiving them for lie 101.” We need to follow God and continue to forgive others even when they do something wrong to us again and again.
Think about it:
Question 1. What is grace?
Answer 1. Grace means that God offers us His love and forgiveness as a gift and not because we have earned it or deserve it.
Question 2. What did the Prodigal Son say to his father when he came back home?
Answer 2. “I have sinned against both heaven [God] and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. (Luke 15:21)
Question 3. What did the father do when he saw his son coming home?
Answer 3. He ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. (Luke 15:20)
Question 4. What four things did the father give to his son?
Answer 4. The father gave him the finest robe in the house, a ring, sandals, and a feast that included the fattened calf. (Luke 15:22–23)
Talk about It:
•What stood out to you from today’s devotion?
•What do you know about God’s forgiveness?
•How many times will God forgive you for doing the same wrong thing?
•Why do you think God continues to forgive you?
Pray about It:
God, thank You for always forgiving me even when I do the same thing over and over. Help me to stop doing the sins I keep repeating. Amen.
Day 4
Faith Fact:
God forgives me.
Faith Verse:
John 14:6(NLT)
“Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”
Question of the Day:
How does unforgiveness affect you?
Read:
Luke 15:25–32
If we are honest, we can probably relate to the older son and his attitude. How many times have you said, “That’s not fair!” because a sibling or friend got something you didn’t think they deserved or you thought you deserved it more? That’s basically what the older brother was saying. “It’s not fair! Why does he get a party and gifts when he messed up and I’ve been working hard all this time?”
In one way, it really doesn’t seem fair, but check out what happens in the story. The younger brother and everyone else is inside eating and partying, but the older brother is outside pouting and throwing a fit. Who is missing out? The older brother missed out because he allowed his anger and unforgiveness to keep him from celebrating his brother’s return and attending the party.
God says we can be forgiven if we forgive others (Luke 6:37). That sounds hard, but it’s true. God wants us to follow His example and forgive others even when it doesn’t seem fair.
Think about it:
Question 1. What did the older son hear when he returned home from working in the fields?
Answer 1. Music and dancing in the house (Luke 15:25)
Question 2. How did the older son act when he found out the party was for his younger brother?
Answer 2. He was angry and wouldn’t go in even when his father begged him to. (Luke 15:28)
Question 3. Why was the older brother angry?
Answer 3. He had worked hard for his father and had always done what his father told him to do. He had never received a party like this. (Luke 15:29)
Question 4. Why was the father so happy about his lost son returning home?
Answer 4. “For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found.” (Luke 15:32)
Talk about It:
•Why do you think Jesus told this story to His followers?
•Have you ever had someone refuse to forgive you? How did that feel?
•Have you ever chosen not to forgive someone? How did that make you feel?
•Do you think choosing not to forgive someone helps the situation? Why or why not?
•What is one thing you are thankful God has forgiven you for?
Pray about It:
God, thank You for forgiving me. Please help me to remember that holding onto unforgiveness doesn’t help anything. Help me to forgive others the way You forgive me. Amen.
God forgives me.
Faith Verse:
John 14:6(NLT)
“Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”
Question of the Day:
How does unforgiveness affect you?
Read:
Luke 15:25–32
If we are honest, we can probably relate to the older son and his attitude. How many times have you said, “That’s not fair!” because a sibling or friend got something you didn’t think they deserved or you thought you deserved it more? That’s basically what the older brother was saying. “It’s not fair! Why does he get a party and gifts when he messed up and I’ve been working hard all this time?”
In one way, it really doesn’t seem fair, but check out what happens in the story. The younger brother and everyone else is inside eating and partying, but the older brother is outside pouting and throwing a fit. Who is missing out? The older brother missed out because he allowed his anger and unforgiveness to keep him from celebrating his brother’s return and attending the party.
God says we can be forgiven if we forgive others (Luke 6:37). That sounds hard, but it’s true. God wants us to follow His example and forgive others even when it doesn’t seem fair.
Think about it:
Question 1. What did the older son hear when he returned home from working in the fields?
Answer 1. Music and dancing in the house (Luke 15:25)
Question 2. How did the older son act when he found out the party was for his younger brother?
Answer 2. He was angry and wouldn’t go in even when his father begged him to. (Luke 15:28)
Question 3. Why was the older brother angry?
Answer 3. He had worked hard for his father and had always done what his father told him to do. He had never received a party like this. (Luke 15:29)
Question 4. Why was the father so happy about his lost son returning home?
Answer 4. “For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found.” (Luke 15:32)
Talk about It:
•Why do you think Jesus told this story to His followers?
•Have you ever had someone refuse to forgive you? How did that feel?
•Have you ever chosen not to forgive someone? How did that make you feel?
•Do you think choosing not to forgive someone helps the situation? Why or why not?
•What is one thing you are thankful God has forgiven you for?
Pray about It:
God, thank You for forgiving me. Please help me to remember that holding onto unforgiveness doesn’t help anything. Help me to forgive others the way You forgive me. Amen.