Sermons on Luke 15:31:

The Entitled Brother

Contributed by Sean Boucher on Sep 14, 2019

A look at the Prodigal Son story through the eyes of the older brother. Video of this sermon can be viewed at https://vimeo.com/253087477

For those who haven’t been here, the story so far is this – A son scandalously asks his still-living rich father for his half of the inheritance. Even more scandalously, the father gives it to him. The son does what you might expect from a young man – he goes and wastes it on wild living. He goes ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:25-32, Matthew 19:16, Matthew 19:21-22

Denomination: Baptist

God’s Unconventional Reach

Contributed by Kerry Haynes on Sep 14, 2019

Jesus shares three stories to show how much every person matters to God. Jesus calls us to repent and return to him, love people he loves, and celebrate with heaven when lost people are found.

Luke 15:1-10 God’s Unconventional Reach Have you ever lost anything? It’s really irritating, isn’t it? Losing car keys, losing your wallet, losing your cell phone. They make devices to ping all these things, but I’m sure I would probably lose that, too! Luke chapter 15 is all about lost things, ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:1-10, Luke 15:11-32, Ezekiel 34:11-16, Luke 19:10

Denomination: Baptist

Overwhelming Grace: The Prodigal Son, The Unjust Steward, And You!

Contributed by Nickolas Kooi on Sep 19, 2019

This sermon examines the relationship between the prodigal son, unjust steward, and the hearer. It draws upon the parallels among all three to make a Gospel application. I am indebted to Dr. David Schmidt's observations on this text found on 1517.org for the idea.

A few weeks ago, I bought the movie Dunkirk on sale, which is about the evacuation of over 300,000 British troops after the Fall of France in World War II. I tried to watch this movie at night as I was going to bed. Between falling asleep, helping with Mia, or checking my phone, the movie took ...read more

Scripture: Luke 16:1-8, Luke 16:1-16, Luke 15:11-32, Luke 15:12-24

Denomination: Lutheran

Pride And Prejudice

Contributed by Thomas Clawser on Oct 6, 2019

Two Things that Constrain Our Joy

Legend holds that in 1884 a young man died, and after the funeral his grieving parents decided to establish a memorial to him. With that in mind they met with Charles Eliot, president of Harvard University. Eliot received the unpretentious couple into his office and asked what he could do. After ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:1-32

Denomination: Other

Now, That Makes No Sense At All!

Contributed by Michael Stark on Oct 11, 2019

It makes no sense to be part of the same family and be mad when the father chooses to do for one what he hasn’t chosen to do for the other. Yet, this is precisely what happened in the parable Jesus told of two sons, either of whom were prodigal.

“Jesus said, ‘There was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, “Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.” And he divided his property between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:11-32

Denomination: Baptist

This Is Our Story Series

Contributed by Brad Bailey on Nov 11, 2019

This is Our Story Series: Encountering Jesus (through the Gospel of Luke) Brad Bailey – November 9, 2019

This is Our Story Series: Encountering Jesus (through the Gospel of Luke) Brad Bailey – November 9, 2019 Series #46 / Luke 15:11-32 Intro As we continue in our extended season of Encountering Jesus through the Gospel of Luke…we are challenged to face that we haven’t understood the actual story ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:11-32

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational

The Father's Job Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Apr 7, 2021

Fathers are God's agents of the law, but they are also God's agents of grace. To be the first, and not the second, is to be one testament shy of a Bible, or shy of God's full revelation. A half of a Bible is not the Bible, and half of a father is not a father.

Dick Van Dyke tells the stories of how children act toward their father when they are angry. In his book Faith, Hope and Hilarity he tells of a boy who had been spanked by his father for making too much noise. The boy climbed into his mother's lap and said, "Mama I wish you had married ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:11-32

The Prodigal's Father Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Apr 7, 2021

Fathers need some encouragement. There are two things I see in the parable of the Prodigal that can be an encouragement to fathers, for these two things make it clear that fatherhood is hard, but that there is hope. The two things I see here are the intricacy and the intimacy of fatherhood

We live in the age of the marvelous machine. In Washington D. C. the traffic for a half mile around the White House is controlled by a computer system. The system is constantly telling the lights when to change to move the traffic according to the need. 450 buses have a transmitter which is ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:11-32

Four Gospel Pictures From The Parables Of Jesus

Contributed by Justin Steckbauer on Apr 24, 2021

But did we allow that consuming power of God's love reshape our lives? Did we make a decision to give our whole lives to Jesus Christ the savior of all? That is the question I want you to ask yourself today.

"Kenneth Clark, internationally know for his television series Civilization, lived and died without faith in Jesus Christ. He admitted in his autobiography that while visiting a beautiful church he had what he believed to be an overwhelming religious experience. "My whole being," ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 25:1-13, Matthew 21:28-32, Luke 15:11-32, Luke 18:9-14

Denomination: Salvation Army

The Rebel Returns Series

Contributed by Glenn Pease on Apr 30, 2021

We want to look at the story Jesus told about a youth who learned the hard way. It is often called the parable of the Prodigal Son, but it could just as rightly be called the parable of the Faithful Father.

The main social event of the year in many Sunday Schools is the summer picnic. William Porkess was in an English Sunday School that was granted permission by an Earl to have a picnic on his large estate. How excited they all were as they were being carried to the estate by horse and ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:11-32

Rending, An Encouragement To Repent.

Contributed by Andrew Moffatt on Apr 30, 2021

Looking into the first two chapters of Joel

Rending Over the past few days, I have been drawn to the book of Joel again. This interesting little book brings focus to a number of things. Joel starts his book with a description of a plague, not a pandemic plague like we are now experiencing, but a plague of locusts. Locusts move like an ...read more

Scripture: Joel 1:1-20, Joel 2:12-20, Luke 15:11-32

Denomination: Salvation Army

Look To The Crucified One And Receive Our Healing

Contributed by William Tan Yh on Sep 10, 2020

Sometimes we are tempted to think that life is so unfair. Where is God when we are suffering? We attempt to look at questions such as: Why does Jesus has to suffer and die? & What does the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ has to do with me?

Part 1 : Facts About the Crucifixion Crucifixion probably started first with the Persians but perfected by the Romans to inflict the maximum pain to the victim. Crucifixion was also the most disgraceful form of execution and cruel that Roman citizen will not be executed by crucifixion. ...read more

Scripture: Luke 23:26, Luke 15:11-32, Psalm 139:13-16

Denomination: Charismatic

A Father’s Love

Contributed by Norman Bernad on Sep 28, 2020

Popular comedian/entertainer Bill Cosby wrote, "Now that my father is a grandfather he just can’t wait to give money to my kids. But when I was a kid and I asked him for 50 cents, he would tell me the story of his life.

A Father’s Love Psalm: 127 1. Gen 1:27-28 2. Luke 15:11-31 Illustration Popular comedian/entertainer Bill Cosby wrote, "Now that my father is a grandfather he just can’t wait to give money to my kids. But when I was a kid and I asked him for 50 cents, he would tell me the story of his life. ...read more

Scripture: Genesis 1:27-28, Luke 15:11-31

Denomination: Assembly Of God

The Lost, The Loving, And The Livid

Contributed by Larry Turner on Mar 19, 2015

This is a sermon based on the parable of the lost son and how it reflects on todays church.

Let me begin today with a story about a youngster. His mom died during his birth so his father was the family he had. He and his father were very close. But as the youngster grew older, he became a bit rebellious. He began disobeying his dad. One day he traveled to far from his father’s ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:11-32

Denomination: Foursquare

Self Pity: Enemy Of Joyous Living

Contributed by Shawn Miller on Mar 19, 2015

Sermon on the destructive nature of feeling sorry for ourselves

Self-Pity: An Enemy of Joyous Living Introduction: A woman was heartbroken when her dog disappeared. She put an ad in the paper offering a reward for its return. The next morning the phone rang. It was the voice of a woman: “I'm calling about your dog.” Then she began to cough. ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:25-32

Denomination: Evangelical/Non-Denominational