This is the first week of our worship devotionals for Lent 2024!

What is Lent?

Lent is the name given to 6-weeks leading up to Easter, where Christians take time to reflect on their relationship with God and prepare their hearts and minds for the Easter celebrations.

People often give things up or try to do something new during Lent. Share some examples of how you have done this or seen others do this before!

This year, as we prepare for Easter, we want to explore an incredible story that Jesus told some locals who gathered around him. A story which demonstrates God’s heart for us all and helps us to capture the heart of Easter.

This story is the parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15: 11-32).

Choose someone to read the summary of the story below and then watch the video!

The story

We see in the story, a father with two sons. The younger son takes his share of his dad’s inheritance and runs aways without a care for his dad. The son spends it recklessly, wasting it away until he has nothing left. About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. The young son became so hungry that even the pods fed to the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.

In desperation, he decided to try go back to his father and ask to at least be his father’s servant. He knew anything would be better than where he was. So, he set off back home.

How do you think his father reacted? Do you think he accepted his rebellious son?

We read, while the son was still a long way off home, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. The father dressed him with his robes, ring and sandals and organised a celebration feast. The father said ‘for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So, the party began.

To help us picture this moment, watch this powerful adaption of that moment:

Once you’ve watched the video, have a read and chat about the following questions:

1. How do you think the son felt when he was walking home, before he saw his father again?
2. How do you think the son felt when he saw his dad running towards him and meeting him with a hug?
3. How do you think the father felt when he saw his son walking towards him?

Let’s reflect to finish,

Over the next few weeks, we are going focus on this moment of the prodigal son’s return. An incredible, compassion-filled embrace between son and father. We’ll unpack what the ring, robe, sandals and a party symbolises for our relationship with God.

Do you feel lost? Do you feel like the prodigal? I want to invite you to journey with us as we explore this incredible story together.