The three parables found in Luke 15, that is, the Lost Sheep, the Lost Coin, and the Prodigal Son, teach us about God's incredible, illogical grace. Our God seeks sinners rather than perfect followers. By reflecting on God's grace toward us, the parables also teach us about our need to extend grace toward one another.
Session 1 invites participants to define grace and reflect about their experience of God's grace in their lives. Through exploring the parables of the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin, participants see the illogicalness of God's grace, a God who takes great risk to meet the one most estranged. The second session has participants examining the parable of the Prodigal Son and reflecting on how the parable might make sense today.
The study can easily be adapted for a retreat or made into a three-week session by dividing the second session into two parts.
Rev. Dr. Thomas Walker is senior pastor at Palms Presbyterian Church in Jacksonville, Florida. Tom has also served as associate pastor/theologian-in-residence at Second Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis, Indiana.