Today we will allow ourselves to see and hear what God is saying to us through the story of the Prodigal Son.

I title this message “It’s a reality” in order to bring hope to all parents who think their children are presently not who they are expected to be or doing what is expected of them in terms of how they live their lives as relating to God.  Yes, HOPE. Hope in the Lord who is able to help restore your children to their rightful position in him.

Yes, it is a reality that more than 60% of college graduates do not keep up their relationship with God.

It is a reality that in the Old Testament we have an example of a child whose father, Hezekiah, was all out for God (King Hezekiah – 2 Kings 18:5) but his son, Manasseh,  was all out for the devil (2 Chron. 32:33 – 33:13); but later in life, Manasseh was restored. Your own shall be restored also. You may be a parent who taught your children about God but you are not seeing the result, listen, trust in the Lord, He will restore your children. You may be a pastor whose children do not have it all together, I trust in the Lord that they will someday.

To God be the glory, it is also a reality that God has restored many prodigal children and is able to restore your own.

While we wait for God to turn around the lives of our children, we should pray and expect. Prov. 22:6 has hope embedded in it. It says when they get old, they will not depart from the way of God. This gives us the chance to look forward to the return of our children into the will of God.

Jesus is the Father who waits to restore us all (Luke 15:11-32)– the Prodigal man, woman, husband, wife, child and soul. I offer hope that if we trust the Lord, so long as we offer an environment of love for them to return to, they will return. When they do, please accept them as Jesus would accept you when you return from your sins.

Have you gone astray from the Lord? Jesus says, come. He has His arms open and ready to embrace you. Come and He will receive you back.