THE FATHER WHO RUNS
Pastor Hope Flask
November 1, 2026
Luke 15:11–32 — The Father Who Runs

BIG IDEA: Your past tells a story, but grace gives you an identity.

Your PAST can take you places you never intended to go
Sin promises freedom but hides the consequences. Our choices matter, and our failures can bring real pain, but they don’t have to become our permanent identity.
Your past may explain where you’ve been. It doesn’t decide where you belong.

Shame says you NO LONGER BELONG
Conviction says, “What I did was wrong.” Shame says, “I am wrong.” Conviction calls us to repentance; shame convinces us we’re beyond restoration. We may acknowledge our sin without believing we can be welcomed home.

Grace gives you a place you could NEVER EARN
The father ran toward his son with compassion, restoring him as a son rather than treating him as a servant. God’s grace doesn’t ignore our sin; Jesus deals with it through the cross. We are saved by grace through faith, not by our performance.
Your failures are real. But His grace is greater still.

Your ACCOMPLISHMENTS don’t decide where you belong either
The younger son thought his failures disqualified him. The older son thought his faithfulness made him more deserving. Both misunderstood grace. We belong to God through Jesus—not our failures, successes, rebellion, or religious résumé.

THIS WEEK
Ask God what you’ve been allowing to define you.
Am I defined by my failures or my accomplishments?
Where do I need to receive God’s grace?
How can I help others discover they belong to Jesus?