The Father's Love

June 21, 2026 – The Father’s Love 

Today's Life Lesson: 1.) Five characteristics of our Heavenly Father include: 

* The patient and persistent faithfulness of The Father 

* The unconditional and selfless care and compassion of The Father 

* The abundant and amazing grace and mercy of The Father 

* The overcoming and overwhelming love and blessings of The Father 

* The awesome and life changing wisdom, guidance, and vision of The Father 

----------Be Grateful Today!-------- 

Trinity Baptist Community Church International is shepherded under the direction of Bishop Dr. Michael J. Love. Trinity is a preaching, teaching, and reaching church. Under the direction of Bishop Love, Trinity has over 100 ministries, as well as global expansion, church planting in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, and 37 churches in India. Please come out and join Bishop Dr. Michael J. Love as he critically imparts the Word of God at Trinity Baptist Community Church International www.trinitybcc.org

Copyright @ 2026 TBCCIdrloveministries. All rights reserved. 

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

calendar events and uh and weekly uh weekly ministry opportunities for you to take advantage of but during the 930 hour this every sunday morning lord willing uh we have our adult bible study it's on three conference calls on facebook live live by deacon dried it's a verse by verse study of the word of god and we invite you to come and become a part of that it will build you up and gird you up for your not only for your daily activities but for life so join us join us if you can please we flow right into the worship service during the 11 o'clock hour and uh we're live and in our main auditorium in crystal lake and we if you're in driving distance at all uh we have families driving over they will drive over an hour uh because they live in different parts of the uh of the uh area and so if you're in driving distance at all it's not too late to come and become a part of the Trinity worship experience and we'd love to have you come each and every Sunday that you are available and become a part of the family. And so uh take advantage of that if you can but if you're not in driving distance we do stream live stream our worship services on Facebook live on YouTube live on um our website TrinityBCCI.org and we record those and upload those after the service so that you can also view them uh at your convenience also there so however the Lord is blessing you to join with us we want to say thank you for taking the time uh to share with us in worship each and every Sunday morning uh first and second Sundays on the calendar wise first and second Sunday of the month our compassion center is open uh on the far east side of our campus it's a free clothing store and we have some household items small household items there and we're blessed to be able to touch the lives of so many families during those Sundays so uh uh it is not open this Sunday but first and second Sundays but uh take advantage of that if you you have a need or if you know someone who has a need uh please come out and let us meet you let us uh pray with you let us bless you with the uh material things that the Lord has blessed us with so it's a wonderful privilege wonderful privilege and opportunity we have other uh events throughout the week uh Reverend Yesha could be coming here share a little bit of perhaps about the prayer time on on the uh first and third Wednesdays of the month uh Reverend Dr. Sartor leads us in uh a discipleship study on Thursdays during the during the six o'clock hour so uh again there are a lot of good things and you can you can pull up the app and and view all of that and and tag into that uh at your convenience a lot of great things going it is Father's Day is a very special service day for us and we got some special things on the calendar for our time of worship together so as you think about your week think about the things the Lord has done the prayer the way he's made his presence known in your life especially during this week and on this very special day can you think of a good reason to give God some praise on the house if so put your hands together let's just open up our worship time as Reverend Steve yesterday comes and gets us started this very special Sunday morning.

SPEAKER_07 3:18

Thank you so much good morning and happy Father's day to everyone God is good all the time and he's worthy to be praised aren't you glad? Yeah this is the day the Lord has made we will rejoice and be glad in it so yes as Pastor mentioned we have a prayer circle uh on conference call free conference call first and third uh Wednesdays of the month and uh uh wow it's it we really have uh bonded together and seeing God move through that gathering together and seeking him and God is really really good um I just want to share it a lot last Saturday my wife she passed out at home and had to go to the hospital and uh um sort of sort of frightening because of just the way the whole thing happened but um it it really causes you because you never know right she could have been totally gone in just that instant but she's uh still alive but it makes you reflect on uh you know just the whole reality of life and and and death and eternity and and what a great hope we have you know because when when we die we're just passing through you know we're we're going into that new land you know we're going into the the the eternity future you know because the reality is none of us are promised in in fact for all of us that's a that's a guarantee we're gonna die here on this earth every one of us but but the greater guarantee for those who believe and trust in Jesus Christ we just pass we just pass through we pass we pass through the veil you know and it's it's it's it's right there right now it's real and waiting for us and but so so so often you know we think of the sanctity of of light which is true but what is greatly sanctified is the believer through the Holy Spirit through the gift of salvation the gift of eternal life so you know we we can truly truly say you know death where is your staying you know there is it's been it's been removed you know because we have Jesus and he's the author and finisher of our faith he he just didn't start it and leave it up to us thank God right he is the author and finisher of our faith we are secure in in his arms we are secure but you know when we received Jesus we didn't receive temporary life what kind of life did we receive eternal life that that that that means it's not stop and go we are possessors of Christ Christ possesses us and he has deposited us his gift of salvation to anyone who would believe in Jesus so praise the Lord for that. Now today as we pray for fathers you know for for a lot of people father's day is not not the greatest day because they had real difficult either they were a real difficult father so there's a lot lots to to kind of work through on that but many people have been hurt by fathers and and and so for for many people when you say happy father's day do you think well were you were you raised you must have been raised on a different planet than me because it can be so so difficult but thank God for our fathers though doesn't mean we for those who are kind of problematic fathers well if they have Christ they have they have everything but they they need our prayers they're the the the the abuse has not stopped and um but our prayers are powerful so as we pray for we want fathers to celebrate but we want people who have wounds from their fathers to receive healing from that so our scripture for today if you would stand with me as we read Luke 15 31 and if you join me in prayer and I mean in reading and he said unto him son thou art ever with me and all that I have is thine it was meat that we should make merry and be glad for this thy brother was dead and is alive again and was lost and is found amen all right well just join me in prayer you can be seated if you like father you are the most high God but you you call us sons and daughters and such we are of the most high God through Jesus Christ and his sacrifice and the gift that comes by faith alone by grace alone not by anyone's works it's only by receiving that gift of forgiveness and salvation and eternal life thank you so much for that God we pray today that you would lead us in all truth you are the spirit of truth you are the one who is able to lead us and guide us Holy Spirit I pray for you to teach us to lead us to guide us and comfort us today through the worship and through through the preaching Dr. Love may you bless an anointing but may you bless each one here with a receptive heart to what you're saying and we think today you said rejoice in the Lord always and you even said and again I say to you rejoice in in the Lord God we want to rejoice in you are our everything you are our life and you have given us you took our our death and you gave us your life you are amazing and so amazing that we're part of your family today we pray God for Dr. Love that you'd bless him and anoint him as he preaches today and for the choir God to minister through them to your people and God we we we just are prostrate before you as a people that knows we owe everything to you and you have given us everything that relates to life and following you thank you for that.

SPEAKER_00 12:19

In Jesus' name Amenity Happy Father's Day thank you Reverend Steve for that um you just made me I just came back from New Orleans last week uh for June and it was on my father's side my father passed when he was 50 so he was very young um he wasn't in my life my my whole life but there were people that stepped up there were ministers there were deacons there were teachers principals cousins uncles so there's a lot of people that take up that role for people who don't have fathers are in their lives at any time so this letter is from Bishop Dr. Michael J. Love in the Trinity family and it reads Happy Father's Day Proverbs 27 the righteous who walks in his integrity blessed are his children after him in every season of life there are quiet acts of strength that shape the world the steady hands that work with diligence the patient hearts that listen with grace and the steadfast souls that choose love even when it's hard. Today we pause and honor the men and fathers who carry these gifts with courage and devotion to the fathers who rise early and stay late who provide not only with means but with mercy. Your steadfast leadership mirrors Christ's humble service your discipline becomes a shelter for your children and your tenderness refreshes a weary home. You show that true strength is found in choosing faithfulness day after day to the grandfathers and mentors who share wisdom earned through years of faith your stories become a map for the next generation your prayers whispered in the early hours are folded into a letter are seeds planted in a hopeful heart your example of integrity and grace helps others trust in God's steady care. To the single fathers who balance many roles to the adopted fathers who choose love as a pattern of sacrifice to the earthy fathers who reflect the father's heart in imperfect beautiful ways your love echoes the divine Abba Father your commitment reminds us that family is a blessing not merely a bond of love of blood but a covenant of grace and to all men who carry the weight of responsibility whether in homes churches communities or workplaces you contribute to a world that looks more like the kingdom of God when you lead with compassion serve with humility and forgive with generosity your daily fidelity is a testimony that God's love can transform ordinary moments into moments of grace. As we honor you today we also lift up the one who is the source of all good gifts may you find refreshment in faith courage in trial and joy in the everyday may your families grow in respect trust and love and may your legacy be counted not by the accolade you receive but by the hearts you lead closer to the heart of God.

SPEAKER_03 16:28

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the peace of God our Father and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all today and always amenities are commonplace all kinds of diseases people are slipping away economies down people can't get in a fake as for me all I can say is thank you for you for me out in the streets in the drug habits of stage they just can't be muggers and robbers no place to be today

SPEAKER_04 22:15

No we were shut you mighty No Rabbit No we were shut you all we were shut you all we all do with all my heart on my soul I think we just do it Lord of glory Lord God Almighty Lord of glory Lord we shall be all my soul I sing praises to the King All the glory All the praise we worship the King We the heart all my soul I sing praises all the glory all the glory We worship the key We worship the key We worship the keyboard Amen worship in each other worship the kingdom in the fifteenth chapter of the book of Luke We want to continue our sermon series for these last couple of months we've been focusing our attention on some selected parables of Jesus spending some time at his feet through the word listening to him as he taught.

SPEAKER_02 33:22

Before I time today, I want to once again take you to one of the familiar, one of the more popular parables of Jesus and focus in on the closing segment of it with a narrow lens, but in the context of the powerful storyline. It is one of one of a trilogy of parables that's been recorded in this 15th chapter. Jesus talks about lost things. An opening parable, the opening verses of the chapter talking about the lost. The difference in the approach that I found myself making this week with the surgeon with fathers, our heavenly father divine model that he lays in the teaching for us today is on these characteristics that jump off the page and us, our heavenly father is look at these closing verses. I jumped down verses 17 through 24. But we read together a closing segment of 31 and 32 that I I want to emphasize, I want to read us, you want us to read again. Just to get clear in our mind as he closes out this con this powerful conversation that he has in the panel. So let me invite you to stand if you're able. If I can have 31 and 32 again, we will just read that, set our tone. And then let's just dive into this word here and spend some time with the Lord and his holy word. And let him speak to us in the area of wherever we are in our walk of faith and our fellowship with him. And then gird us up and strengthen us up for our for the work that we have, the representation of the work that we have that he's given us the privilege and the opportunity to do. Is that all right, family? As we read it together, it says once again, and when he came to himself, oh thank you 17, he said, How many hired servants of my fathers have bread enough to spare, and I perish with hunger? I will rise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against thee and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. Make me as one of thy highest servants. Let's call it Ken's face reading. This is good. And he arose and came to his father, and when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe and put it on, and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet, and bring hither the fatty cat and kill it, and let us eat and be mad. Final verse. For this my son was dead, and is alive again. He was lost and is found. And they began to be mad. Oh, as you take your seats. Somebody say amen and how I'd like to do today is spend some time with you talking about the father's house and with these life messages. I jotted down five hours. The youngest comes in the father. Give me the possession that I'm mine. And he now wants to get there and launch out into the world and do all the doing a journey after many days. He finds himself in the journey and as we know about a little bit of the background as we know we know about how society. If you if you're coming out of the country and strangers to see individuals to see, they'll find a way to make themselves. And the money began to run away. He wasn't paying attention to that. He was spending his money and all of a sudden he found himself in the very long account. Enjoyed himself with a citizen country, set himself to the philosophy. Trying to become one of the boys, fit in, make sure that everybody loves him, doing what seems to be right in the eyes of the world. And the world loves him as long as he's got stuff that they can consume off of him, can take advantage of him up. But just as soon as his difficulty hits him, he's running out of money, he ran out of friends. And then came the famine. Then his circumstances changed. Not only his material circumstances, but his environment that he's in began to change, letting him know very clearly you don't control your circumstances. You think that you're in charge. You think that you got the power to handle all your stuff. You think that maybe you are, you, you made all this happen. You think that somehow you earned it, that you were entitled to it. But it takes just a little bit of famine and trial and tribulation in life to remind you, young man, that this stuff is not yours and it's not eternal. And when the famine hits and the circumstances change, he, a Jewish one young man, goes on and tries to find work, feeding, it says he filled his belly with the husk of the swine, and no man gave unto him. He was a Jew out there eating pig sandwiches. And he's got no business. It was all against his whole uh his whole uh cultural mindset, religious mindset that he was indeed eat pork, much less, much less be associated with uh slopping hogs out there. And then it says, and no man gave unto him. Where did all my friends go? And then we come to the point where he where it tells us how he kind of he joined with joined with a countryman out there slopping pigs, feeding the swine. Barely had enough to eat on his own, as I said, as no man gave unto him. And something, and and and and I'll give this credit to the Holy Spirit. There's only been something, he says he came to himself. Something moved inside of him, something reminded him of who he was. Something stirred up inside of the young man that, regardless of his circumstances, here I'm getting to where here I'm getting to a little bit of the training, a little bit of preparation. It doesn't talk about his livelihood as he was growing up, the two boys growing up together. But but something stirs inside of him, and it has to be something that had been prepared in him, and the Holy Spirit nudging him and moving him to remember who you are. Remember where you've come from, remember how God has protected you, and remember that even though you drifted away in your fellowship with your father, that you're still a son. If I were taking a theological moment right there, I might just want to point out the importance for those who might be struggling. I was sitting across from a young man who was one of our contractors just this week, who's wrestling with his walk of faith in a family that is that that really, as he describes it, has no faith experience there. And he's and a part of his, a big part of his wrestle is how do I, you know, I'm I'm I'm alienated from, I didn't mean to tell this story. I'm alienated from my family because I'm I'm in here talking about Jesus and they don't want to hear about Jesus, and all of a sudden it's it's difficulty in my house ongoing, and therefore they treat me like I'm ostracized, alienated. I'm I'm still a young man in here. And and he began to struggle, wondering, well, why is it that I I seem to, you know, I seem to not be able to even get along with my family? I can't seem to be able to accomplish the things I think in my mind I ought to accomplish. And he says, I wonder if I'm I wonder if I'm even saved. And he starts going out into Googling stuff and he starts picking up things that tell him they know you can you can lose your salvation and you can and he's struggling with whether or not if I believe in Christ Jesus, if I trust in him, I mean, am I doing something that that that I've displeased my father, the God, my Christ in, or my father in, the Holy Father in, to the point that I'm not receiving anything and the blessings, and even my family's turning against him. And we had this rich and deep conversation over the significance and the power of understanding the difference between your relationship with God through Christ and your ongoing fellowship, which is where we humanly find ourselves being confused or the world being critical or challenging. Man, you make me want to launch into this thing. I did not, this is not my sermon for today, but let me take this moment. Because it's important for us to understand our security in Christ. And so let me summarize it this way. Because Christ paid the price for your sins and mine on the cross, did for us what we could not do for ourselves. Sinless God man living a sinless life, dying on the cross for your sins and mind, rising on the third day that you would have the hope and assurance of life everlasting. Lord help me get through this quickly. The Bible says some important things that I wanted to shared with him. I said, number one, first of all, it says when you accept Christ Jesus, you have been made right in the eyes of God. His righteousness has been imputed to you. Your sins have been taken from you through Christ Jesus. Placed on the cross. And in doing so, he also says, now, Paul says you become a new creation in Christ Jesus. Old things have passed away, all things have become new. They passed away positionally, they're now in the process of maturing practically. So you're growing in your Christmas. Right? Until you reach, until you see as you are seen, and you live in eternity with him. Holy Spirit now comes to live in you. It's making you that new creature. So since you didn't, you you could not you could not impress God with enough good behavior to be saved, to force God to save you. It was a gift of God. What is the logic that you're using to make you think you could do enough bad, you can do some behavior you're doing once you are saved, can take you out of the hand of an Almighty God. Is anybody okay? Just walk with them. Now that doesn't mean you can just go out there and start living a righteous life. That's not the purpose of your salvation. You're gonna grow as a baby, you're gonna grow from baby to maturity in Christ as you walk along with him, but you may break fellowship with him and be a son and daughter. But the beauty of the convicting nature of the Holy Spirit, convicting and convincing and comforting nature of the Holy Spirit is He has a way of getting our attention. He has this marvelous way of getting. Has he ever gotten anybody's attention in the house? You ever had a drifting moment? We're human, we've all had a drifting moment. You had a drifting moment, had a rebellious moment, had a unbreaking fellowship type of type of moment. Your identity has not changed, your fellowship has just changed. It's not your identity in Christ, it's just your proximity to Christ. And so the beauty of this thing is that God loves us enough that even while we were yet sinners, the text said, He died for us. I'm coming to your text. I'm coming to your text. And so he has this transformational, revolution, revelational type of a moment in which he comes, the text says he just words it very, he just came, he says he came to himself. And in coming to himself, he arose and came to his father. And the text says in verse number uh, he says, I will rise and go to my father and say to him, I have sinned against heaven before them, and I'm not even worthy to be called thy son. Make me one of thy high hands. That's a beautiful repenting, repenting moment. I'm not worthy of this. This is this is this is all by God's grace, all by God's mercy. But I'm gonna go and fall down in front of my father. And here's the beauty of for me. And it said, but the father. First of all, it says, the father, as he arose, he came to the and and his father saw him, and yet a great way off, his father saw him, verse 20, had compassion on him, ran to him, fell on his neck, and kissed him. This this this this beautiful, patient, and persistent faith that the father had for his son, this never giving up on him. He's my son, and even though he's out in the far country, even though he's not doing what I did not teach him to do, that's not the way he was brought up. But yet, there was some seed planting that had taken place. There was some uh let me context it, let me imaginarily context this if I could. You've grown up in this house, you've been under this teaching, you've been in the word of God, you had model in front of you the love and graciousness and patience and persistence of the father. You you know that even though, even though I I gave unto you that I never gave, I gave to you, the father's son had had two things. Give me and didn't make me. There was these two requests. The first one was give me. The father gave it to him. He went on and did his thing. And yet it feels like there was a safety net around him. There was a there was a safety net underneath him. God was still with him even in his difficult times, even in his wilderness types of moments in which everything around him could have crashed and burned, and yet God didn't leave him out there to die in the midst of it because there was a greater plan and purpose God had for him. So that somehow the Holy Spirit moved in him and said, But remember, son, remember who you are. Remember the training that you've been given, remember the power and position that you've been living in. There's something greater inside of you, potential is designed in you, and the father saw him from a distance, the text tells me. Which gives an indication that he was looking for him. He had not given up on him. Talk to me, Dad. And there was this patient, persistent faith, number first and foremost, that when the father saw him, he had compassion, the text tells me on him. He dropped his dignity and his and and draped himself in humility because you know no Jewish dad was going to be gonna be running and pulling up his garment running to meet us. You know, that's that's that's a little status thing going on there. He says he ran to him. He he said, This is all this all this pomp and circumstance is not even important here. What's important is that of my son. He ran, fell on his neck and kissed him. The patient and persistent faith. The unconditional and selfless compassion of the father. He there was nothing gonna get in the way of him reuniting with his son. And it makes it just makes me, it gives me a sense of uh sense of a sense of hope, joy, and I don't know, security maybe is the term I'm searching for. To know that God loves us so much, loves us so much, that even when we fall down and fall apart and make mistakes, which we humanly are gonna do because we're we're human, you know, we don't become perfect when we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior. I mean, I'm telling you what you you already know. The beauty, but the reality is that within that journey of our ups and downs, within that journey of our of our good days and our bad days, within that journey of our uh our our weaknesses and and perceived strengths, he is ever with us. And as Peter says, he invites us to cast all our care on him because God cares for you. And so the I picked up those two life lessons of just how how unconditional. He didn't he didn't he didn't lay out a set of conditions for him to come back in, he just loved him unconditionally, dropped any facade of what uh protocol need to call, and he just got out and ran and met his son and loved on his son. This was his young young youngest son of the two. And the son repeats what he said to himself before he got to his father. He lays out his speech before him and makes it powerfully plain that this is this is who I am, this is what this is what I this is why I this is the transformation that's taking place. And then in verse 22, the father joins in again. It's about the father said to his servants bring forth the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet, and bring hither the fatty calf, kill it, and let us eat and be merry. For this, my son was dead, and is alive again. He was lost and is found, and they begin to be merry. I notice how how this uh how this demonstrates and reflects this powerful and amazing grace of God. This mercy, this this this relationship that we can find strength and assurance and that we serve, that we serve, and we are a relationship with a merciful God through Christ Jesus. That in other words, you're not getting the punishment that you deserve for the actions that you've taken. Am I still preaching? Somebody, somebody ought to be taking a reflective moment and thanking God that you didn't destroy me all those times you could have. One of them may be right now is I got stuff going on in my life that I got no business going on in my life. Whoever you are on that journey, let me talk to the camera. Whoever you are on that journey, you might feel like I'm so far out in the wilderness, I'm so far out in the far country that there's just no way that I can see my way back. Or I've never been, I've never felt like I've had that kind of a relationship at home. Does the God that you talk about, does this Jesus that you talk about, did He does He love me enough that He came for me, that He die for me? Am I too big of a sinner? You know, Paul talked about himself as being the greatest among the sinners, you know. And then he says, Yeah, but I was a I was the greatest among the sinners while I was just still among Hebrews and set at the freedom to melee hell. I had all the trappings of religiosity, and then in the midst of that, I had a broken relationship. I didn't have a relationship with the true God, my father, through Christ Jesus. But now that I do, there's a change that is taking place in me. Something different that is going on inside of me. I recognize that I can't have a righteousness in myself, that I don't deserve a heaven in the opportunity to be elevated in the eyes of God. And I'm still I mess up that on him. I need forgiveness, ongoing forgiveness and reconciliation with God on a trans, not just a transactional basis, but a transformational basis that you're walking with me in fellowship, Lord. And so He makes it powerfully plain that I'm I'm you know I messed up big time, Dad. And and Dad demonstrates to him the mercy and demonstrates the grace. I'm not only gonna, the mercy, I'm not only gonna not punish you, give you the consequences of the that you deserve within this rebellious activity that you've gone through, but I'm gonna give you the grace, I'm gonna give you, I'm gonna merge you, I'm gonna bless you in ways that you could not possibly earn. Nothing he did earn this grace and mercy. He deserved to still be out there slopping hogs, trying to figure out what am I gonna eat the corn or the husk of the corn, what am I gonna eat? Feeling a full impact in the effect of this of his of the decision points that he'd made. He could have stayed out there, but the Lord had mercy on him, the Lord had grace, gave him grace, the Lord touched his heart, helped him to remember who he is. Church, family, it is so important for us to remember who we are in Christ Jesus and not be wrapped up in who the world says we are, should be, or wants us to be. Don't let anyone other than God Himself, through His Holy Word, define you. Or your potential. So the father just the father just lays it out. He brings, he calls a banquet, brings out his best robe, puts on him his signet ring, puts new shoes on his feet. You know this, you know this young man came back looking just, I mean, just ratty. I mean, he he he's been through it all now. And then he makes the life lesson. Not only does he show amazing grace, abundant and amazing grace and mercy, but he he gives him the kind of love that is not over, not only overcoming, but overwhelming. This young man had to feel like how did I possibly get this kind of impact? How did I I don't deserve this? Why would you do this, Daddy? When everything that I've done has been the pushback against your love, your grace, your preparation, your mercy in my life, all the good things that you you've done in and through me that you poured into my journey. I I didn't appreciate it. I walked away from uh I asked you to give me give me the inheritance as if you were dead already, and let me just go out and do my thing. And I I went out and wasted that thing. I thought I was wiser than you, whatever. I thought that I had it all figured out inside of me. I had my plan laid out in front of me. I got out there in the world and and then in New York City looked like it was just lights and uh, you know, all the lights and all the all the all the trappings and all the confetti and all of that. And this poor old country boy didn't know what hit him when he got into the big city. He paid the price, physically, emotionally, intellectually. But God stepped in and moved him spiritually, and then he gives him the life. For my son, who is dead, is alive again. He was lost and is found, and they begin to get married. And my final life lesson comes from this encounter, from the characteristics. And it's in that 31st and 32nd verse that we read together. Because the second son, who's been in the background, this whole storyline begins to chime up and say, Well, wait a minute, wait a minute. I've been with you all. I've been the faithful son. I'm the elder son. This is the younger son, and he's gone out and done what you know, rebellious young guys do. He said, But I've been here with you, man, the whole time. You you never threw me a party. I mean, I mean, what's up with that, Dad? He messes up, comes back, and it looks like he's getting all this great benefit. It's like you're rewarding it to the to the elder son, it's like you're rewarding bad behavior. And you know he's reasoning to himself, well, what would if if you reward bad behavior, what would make you think that he's not gonna just get here and get reset again and then run back out into the world? And Dad, and the and the and the the loving father, the the all-knowing father, gives him a powerful life lesson, a glimpse of wisdom and guidance that is designed to set the tone not only for the prodigal, the old, the previously prodigal son, but now the elder brother, who refused to come in to the banquet, and said, This child of yours messed up big time. He's not, you know, I'm not even gonna call him my brother. This this this this son of yours. So much subtle richness in this. So much subtle richness. I in other words, I don't want anything to do with this guy. I mean, you know, he messed up so bad he took your money and ran out. Look at you, dad. Come on, dad. You you know this isn't right. Some of us who've had children, you know, you you've heard you've heard them play off of each other like that, little bit. Like, wait, wait a minute. How come how come he or she gets all the benefits here? And and and they they act up and you still letting them back in the house? I mean, you you have the audacity. I mean, you you you still you feeding them like you feed me. I've been faithful in here. I obeyed all your rules, I I followed what you told me to do. I didn't go out hanging out with the boys, hanging out with the girls. I didn't I didn't mess up. I didn't come home, I didn't come over no no strays, I didn't do nothing. And and and He's not only demonstrating every father. What hating and persistent faithfulness looks like. It's been it's been exhibited towards your your younger brother. But this is the same characteristic of the father. Which means that you you you have opportunity, you you have the benefit of being of receiving the benefit of that kind of persistent and patient faithfulness also. This unconditional and selfless care that you've seen this compassion of the father. This is yours too, elder son. You need to recognize what you're living on. This abundant and amazing grace and mercy. This is this is not just for the younger who's running out and running out and wasted his life on famous living. This is a blessing towards you, just in different forms. And this overcoming and overwhelming love, this blessing is for you also. And now you need this teachable moment. That was his teachable moment. That was expressable before you, but now it is your teachable moment. You need to understand and appreciate reconciling. Reconciling. But now it's the kind of mindset that needs to transform your thinking. So that you can afford. All of this was not just for the moment to his family. All of this blessing he poured out on the younger in the presence of the elder and all of his servants was not just for the moment. This was legacy-building stuff. This is the kind of mindset you want your children. You want not only want to distribute, exhibit, and uh share with your children, but you want your children's children to be able to love like Christ loves. You want him to be able to be patient, patient and persistent, like the father was patient and persistent. You you want your children to be love unconditionally and care and compassion compassionately for those within their circle of their family and their circle of influence. Don't you want your children to be to fill out the abundant grace and mercy that comes from a loving father, a loving parent, so that in the midst of that they don't have that identity crisis and worry about who should have who's gonna help define me? He went out into the world trying to let the world defining who he was until God admitted him, but that's not who you are, son. That's not who you are. We don't want our children to be struggling with that identity. Help me out, somebody. You know that you notice the great struggle out here is an identity struggle. The world is constantly in the process of trying to trying to redefine who you ought to be and what you ought to be doing, and placing a secular definition on identity. But all you gotta do is open up the word of God and let the let the Lord speak to you. The creator of the universe has a tendency to know more about who you are than anybody else could possibly know. He created you. So let me close out my time. Thanking God for these few poor passages of scripture, thanking God for on this Father's Day, uh, especially, and praying that God will that men will receive this word and blessing from the Lord that will empower and enable us to step up and step into this privilege and opportunity that God has given us to have impact and influence for Christ and whatever setting that He places you generation, not just for the moment that love of Christ that you received and now have an opportunity to pour out and pour into your children and grandchildren and your your children and your children's children and your children's children's children if you live long enough. And I'm blessed that way. It's a privilege and a blessing. And I would just say, man, it it is it is very very important for our young people to feel that. When you say it out, it might feel like, oh man, that's that's an obligation. I don't know that I can feel. But the beauty of it is that God never asks us to do that in and of our own strength. But through the through the relationship we have through Christ Jesus, he empowers us and positions us and provides for us and protects us and gives us his peace and enables us to share that into the lives, privilege to share that into the lives of family members and others around, whether you're physically a dad, or mentoring, or coaching, or doing whatever opportunities you have to speak into somebody's life. Because they hunger for that. We did when we were young, I gotta get up. We did when we were young. If you've ever had anybody speak into your life, and know what a difference that makes on an ongoing basis, encouraging not constantly telling you that you you are, you can't accomplish, you're not this, you're not worthy of that, you're not but speaking Christ-like encouraged into the life of the hero. And watch how loud the Lord will take that seed to plant and blossom. So let me pray. Father God, it is a marvelous, marvelous privilege again just to be able to come together on this beautiful Sunday and step into your word these few short verses. And have you lift out words of wisdom for us to apply to our hearts and minds and lives that we not we might grow in Christ, but we might also be representatives and touch lives and might come to know Jesus as Lord and Savior. And have a generational impact through our walk of faith and fellowship with you. Strength carriage us. Lord, you know we need it on an ongoing basis. Let us be filled and controlled in and through your Holy Spirit, Lord, guiding us in this journey. And give us opportunities. I know you will. You have doing it now, you do it in the future, to be able to share this good news of the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Anyone and everyone you send across our path, we will give you the glory, the honor, and the praise that is yours, yours alone. We're so thankful to be a part of this journey. In Jesus' holy and precious name, we pray it all. God's people in our said amen. And amen. Just before our entertainment worship here, Dr. Sar told him to come. And uh, we want to make sure we open up our arms and open up the doors of the church. If you're here seeking a church family, invite you to come now. Your Christian experience was a candidate for baptism or after the church and see us and let us take your information and welcome you home. Welcome you home to the family. Doors open. Dr. Sultan.

SPEAKER_01 1:18:29

Amen. What a powerful word. Me as a father, knowing that uh I'm his son, and that I have sinned, and that I've been at times in the past a prodigal son. Our bishop's words let me know how wealthy our father is, how much he loves us. Let me take a moment and say happy Father's Day to all of you. Let me especially say happy Father's Day to my son and my six of my seven grandchildren that are here. Thank you for joining us. He's a truck driver, so he's on the road a lot. So thank you. Thank you for allowing me to be your father. As Bishop said, one of the saddest three words that he read today was that he squandered his wealth in while living. This is our time of giving. God gives us the power to get wealth. That's what he told Moses to tell the children of Israel. That means he also gives you power to get wealth. Interesting thing when Bishop read the story is that even though one of his sons had squandered the wealth, he was still a wealthy man. When he came back, his son, barefoot and broke, God gave enough wealth to the Father that he still gives. God does that for us. He gives us wealth, he gives us the power to get wealth. Anytime that you need funds or money, ask God. He's a wealthy God. Ask him to give you a cow. I have to tell the story of the cow a little bit later on. He's the owner of a cow on cows on a thousand hills. So he has wealth. When you give today, know that he'll give back to you as well. We we don't give to get, we give to give. So as you give today, know that we serve a wealthy God, owner of everything. I'm gonna ask the users if they will come down and will you please stand as we pray and thank God for the ability that we have to get wealth and to give to others. So let's pray. The Heavenly Father, we know that you are our great God, owner of everything. Everything that we see and everything that we don't see, all the planets, all the universes that exist. When you said let there be light, you didn't say stop. So it still continues, Lord. Thank you, Father, for all that you've done for us and given us the ability to give back to our church, back to one another, Father. Thank you for your blessings that you've given us. For I ask these things in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ. And everyone say it, Amen. You may be seated.

SPEAKER_02 1:23:56

Thank you for taking the time to worship with us. Praying for you, praying with Him for you. Please drop us a note if there's any prayer requests that we can continue placing our prayer just for you, we love to be able to join whatever journey that you walk on. Close out our time and have some refreshments out in us. God thanks are you there for some fellowship times to win Christmas. Partake the goodies out in mind. God thanks there, you're there. And we just wish you a very special day. Celebrate you, honor you, thank God during this particular season. May this week be marvelous. And may you step into that moment confidently, knowing that the Lord is preparing you all. You get to plant some seed, somebody else might want God will be your body. So as we stand and close out our time with our benediction, with our heads bowed and with our eyes closed and our hearts hoped before the living God. As we assume an attitude of prayer, lift our hands to Him in place, and now unto Him, who is able to keep you and me from falling, and present us faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy. To the only wise God, our Savior, the glory, majesty, dominion, and power. Now, henceforth, forevermore, that all God's people say amen. We lift our voices and say, Holy, holy, holy. And if I somebody new to search next Sunday more, have a marvelous day.