Freedom is one of the most desired things in life—but when we try to find it apart from God, it always ends in bondage. In Week 2 of Welcome Home, we look at the younger son in Jesus’ parable who traded the Father’s house for the illusion of freedom—only to end up in a pigpen. Through entitlement, reckless living, and a loss of identity, his story reminds us that “freedom without the Father always ends in filth.” But rock bottom can also be the turning point. In this message: – Why entitlement disconnects us from gratitude and real relationship – How “wild living” promises pleasure but delivers emptiness – The danger of building your identity apart from the Father’s love – How God’s grace meets us in our lowest moments
Main Passage:
Luke 15:11–24
Big Idea:
Freedom without the Father always ends in filth.
Key Points:
Entitlement – Wanting the benefits of God without His boundaries (Luke 15:12)
Wild Living – Squandering God’s blessings on self-indulgence (Luke 15:13)
Loss of Identity – Forgetting who we are when we forget whose we are (Luke 15:16–19)
Cultural Parallels:
Entitlement says, “I deserve it,” even if it means rejecting God’s design.
Wild living feels like freedom but ends in relational breakdown, moral compromise, and spiritual numbness.
Identity without God leaves us anxious, insecure, and unstable.
Illustrations:
Adam & Eve’s desire for the one thing they couldn’t have (Genesis 2)
The Lion King’s “You have forgotten who you are” moment as a call back to identity.
Reflection Questions:
Where are you chasing “freedom” apart from God?
What boundaries of the Father are you pushing against?
Is your identity rooted in His love or in your performance and possessions?
🚫 Freedom without the Father always ends in filth.
The younger son thought he was chasing freedom.
Instead, he found himself broke, alone, and feeding pigs.
Entitlement made him say, “Give me what I want, but don’t tell me how to live.”
Wild living promised joy but delivered shame.
And in the process, he lost himself—because when you forget the Father, you forget who you are.
💬 But rock bottom can be a turning point.
You can still “get up and go to the Father.”
No matter how far you’ve run, His arms are still open.
Where is God calling you back home today? 🏠