Breakfast By The Beach | Brad Bonhomme

We all know someone who has walked away from their relationship with God.

For some of you, this is a very difficult subject today.

Because in order for me to speak to this subject, right now, your heart, whilst in a place of victory, is also potentially in a place of pain, disappointment.

For you it may be a loved one, a son, a daughter, a brother, a sister.

For some it's a grandchild.

For others it's a friend that you've known for years who's no longer walking with Jesus.

I heard a pastor say in my teenage years, and I've never forgotten it, he said if all the prodigals came home our church services would be overflowing.

It's sad to think that thought.

Disappointing in some ways.

But what it also shows us is that there's work to be done when it comes to prodigals who need to come home.

For some, you've been wrestling with this for years.

It's so hard when a family member, a loved one, once walked with God and decided to leave.

You wrestle with it.

Keeps you awake at night.

And for some it can get to the point where it will drain your peace.

It'll rob you of joy.

The good news today is the God that we serve is the God who restores.

He is the God who's able to recover, restore, and He can reinstate a person.

Some of you in the room this morning, you were once a prodigal.

You know what it's like to run like Jonah, end up in a storm of disobedience.

But by the grace of God and the goodness of God, God brought you back to Himself.

restored you, healed you, loved you, forgave you and set you free.

The psalm today, the story or the thought of loved ones, friends who are away from God means that we have to go to a place in our emotions and in our thinking Sometimes set and forget can kind of be better.

Ignorance is bliss.

But today we're on a journey to declare we will not give up on these people and we will not give up on those who once walked closely with Jesus who decided to pursue the world.