The WaySample

Exploring the Way

This Broken World & The Lost Son

In the last lesson, you looked at the 3 Circles explanation of the gospel (or “good news” of Jesus). You can view the video again if you need a refresher. Each circle represents a different scene in the big story of God and humankind. One circle represents God’s original design. Another circle represents the brokenness we experience in this world because of sin (choosing my way over God’s way). The last circle represents God’s plan in Jesus to restore those who are in brokenness back to God’s design.

Now, take a closer look at this broken world. It’s easy to believe in the world’s brokenness when you consider the injustices and suffering all around you. Brokenness seems like a very outward problem. But a more personal form of brokenness is also at work inside of you. The greatest consequence of sin is the personal disconnect people experience with God. The most devastating form of brokenness is our broken relationship with God, and we are responsible for it. Even though sin existed before we were born, we keep the cycle of sin and brokenness going when we replace God with anything, including our own thoughts and wisdom. Romans 1:21-25 describes what that looks like and the consequences.

• What have you followed instead of God most of your life?
• What have been some of the consequences of that?

Luke 15:11-16 tells the first half of a story about a son who broke his relationship with his father to choose his own way to live. Like the passage in Romans, this choice had a disastrous effect on the son. Even though the son got exactly what he asked for, the joy of control gave way to the reality of unintended consequences. The son’s life was turned upside down. He went from wealth to being jealous of the scraps of food the pigs were feeding on.

Maybe you’re thinking that you’ve done better with your choices than the son in the story and that your life isn’t as bad in comparison. But the story alludes to how broken the world becomes when we break relationship with the Father and choose our way over His way. You may not be desiring pig slop, but that doesn’t mean you are not dealing with some serious brokenness in your life. The brokenness we see around us and in us reflects our broken relationship with God and is rooted in choosing our way over His way. As we examine the second half of the story in our next reading, we’ll look at how God did not design us to live in sin and brokenness, but He has a better plan.

Prayer:
“God, help me to see how the brokenness around me and in me is affecting me and others. Help me to understand how trying to live by my own rules instead of by Your love has caused this brokenness. Help me to see a way back into a relationship with You.”