“Now his older son was in the field, and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. And he summoned one of the servants and began inquiring what these things could be. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.’ But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him. But he answered and said to his father, ‘Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends; but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him.’ And he said to him, ‘Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.’”

Luke 15:25-32

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As children of the Kingdom of Heaven, we are invited to experience true joy. This week, as we conclude our Wasted Grace series, Pastor Amy Perez takes us through the parable of the Prodigal Son, offering a fresh perspective: what the older son lacked was genuine delight. We are invited to learn from his mistake and live a life of extravagant celebration, resting in the truth of what—and Whom—we truly delight in.

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What is the context?

• Jesus shares this parable with His disciples, Pharisees, and community members.
• The Pharisees and scribes question Jesus for eating with sinners and tax collectors.
• The story’s unexpected outcome challenges the crowd’s understanding of God’s mercy.

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What is Delight?

• The Greek word for delight is anog, which means to take exquisite joy or pleasure, to refresh or pamper oneself. It speaks to a sense of delicacy and softness, reflecting the intimacy we can experience in our relationship with God. 
• Out of an abundance of love, God created us—not out of necessity, but out of desire. From the very beginning, we were an idea in God's mind, designed for delight. It is up to us to believe and embrace this truth.
• Like the father in the parable, God is generous and full of joy. We are invited into His joy, as He delights in us with an overflowing heart.

‍How do we Delight?

• Our emotions, even negative ones, are indicators that we were wired to fully experience delight in God—mind, body, and spirit. Though we struggle to truly enter into His presence, it is available to us because we were made for it..
• We must slow down and practice being present, learning that God is willing and able to take on our worries and cares as we hand them over to Him.
• The entire earth is filled with His glory, and every part of creation reflects His splendor, inviting us to experience His presence in all things. We must behold His beauty—His character and nature—recognizing the cross as the ultimate expression of that beauty.
• Finally, we must make the effort to create memories with Him, building a life centered on the truth that He is near, ever-present, and eager to walk through life with us.

‍From Desire to Delight

• In the story, the older son’s desires were for affirmation and material reward. While God often speaks to us through our desires, our pride, sin, and brokenness can cause us to misunderstand them.
• Unanswered prayers can lead to frustration with God. However, when we delight in Him, He transforms the desires of our hearts.
• Jesus’ command to "ask, seek, knock" calls us to actively pursue God. As we find delight in Him, our approach to Him changes, and we grow to: some text
  • Ask without reserve
  • Ask with utter dependence
  • Ask with surrender

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Additional Resources:

• Psalm 37:4
• Genesis 1
• Isaiah 55:1-2
• Psalm 18:19
• Zephaniah 3:17
• 1 Peter 5:7
• Matthew 7:7-11‍
• God On Mute: Engaging the Silence of Unanswered Prayer by Pete Greig