Jenni Clayville

We had the amazing Mark Stegall guest speak yesterday at Church! at Bethany.

It’s always a blast having Mark speak because that means Cathi comes with him. Every time they are with us, hilarity ensues.

This weeks Sunday Setlist was:

1. Beautiful One – Tim Hughes
2. Rain It Down – Carlos Whittaker
3. Blessed Be Your Name – Matt Redman
4. Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone) – Chris Tomlin Version
5. Amazing Love – Billy Foote
6. Lead Me To The Cross – Brooke Fraser
7. From The Inside Out – Joel Houston

The set fit extremely well into the service. I LOVE when everything fits and connects to make sense.

This week, Mark hit a home run addressing not the prodigal son, but the OTHER son… the son who stayed. In life, you are either one or the other. We all know I’m a Prodigal. I ran away from my home where I had EVERYTHING with my husband and family, squandered everything that mattered and came back with my tail between my legs hoping for table scraps. However, when I “came home”, not only was I greeted with grace and forgiveness from almost everyone, but my inheritance was restored.

We’ve heard so much about THIS son… but what about the other son? The one who stayed and was faithful the whole time?

Matt was gone this week… but he got to share some of his story via video anyway.

Because of the party that’s thrown, for the returning son, the response and heart of the other son is somewhat stashed to the side. Well… Mark addressed this.

You see, the obedient son is just as lost as his returning brother, but in different ways.  He separated himself from his father’s love by works… but his heart was hardened, judgmental and without grace.  While the rebellious son insults his father by leaving him and throwing his inheritance away, the “good” son insults his father and the guests by refusing to join the festivities in his brothers return. Not only does he insult his father, but he disowns his brother by putting himself on a pedestal above his family (passage here).

Two different sons… but they’re exactly the same beneath the surface.  Both sons don’t have a meaningful relationship with their father. However… only ONE son ever humbles himself enough to come back home.

You see… coming home is more than a physical thing. It’s a heart thing. It doesn’t matter if you’re “home” if your heart is somewhere else, whether that’s in works, staying busy, church volunteering, judging others, worshiping your children through allowing them to run your lives, etc. It doesn’t much matter how “good” you are if you can’t find yourself authentically celebrating WITH your family when a prodigal returns.

While Mark was speaking, I couldn’t help but think of who the “good son” is in my life…

… my mother.

It really sucks for her that she’s missing out on the party, but most of all, she’s missing out on seeing and experiencing another side of God’s grace. This made me sad for her. This made me sad for us. But my hope is that she one day will also choose to be a prodigal.

It’s absolutely possible to be the son that never strayed AND the son that chooses a relationship with the Father AND your brother. But you have to make the choice to do so.

Which son are you?