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Boys and girls, our story today is
about a father who had two sons. The man was very rich, and one day
his younger son came to him and said, "Father, please give my share of
your wealth to me now, so I can enjoy it while I'm still young!"
The father gave the money to him, and
the young man got his belongings together and went on a long trip to a
country that was far away from home.
He spent the money by buying everything
he thought would make him happy, and very soon, the money was all
gone. He looked for work so he could
 have
money with which to buy food, and after awhile he found work taking
care of some pigs.
He didn't really like the job, and
finally he said to himself, "I am a fool to live like this! My father
has many servants who have plenty of food to eat and a nice place to
sleep every night, and I have to live in a barn with these pigs with
very little to eat! I'll go back to my father and tell him I was
wrong. Perhaps he will take me back."
When the young man had earned enough
money, he went back to his own country and to his father's house.
As he was coming toward the house, his
father saw him, and he ran to meet him. He put his arms about the
young man and said, "My son, it is so good to have you home again!"
The young man said, "Father, I have sinned against God, and I
have done the wrong thing toward you. If you will let me stay, I will
be happy to live with your servants. I am not worthy to be called
your son any more."
His father replied, "My son, you are
and always will be my son! Your room is ready and waiting for you.
Go now and refresh yourself, and I will have a feast prepared in
honor of your return."
The older son had been working in his
father's fields, and when he came to the house at the end of the day,
he heard music and laughter coming from inside the house, and he asked
one of the servants about it.
The servant replied, "Your brother has
come back home, and your father has prepared a great feast in honor of
his return to us!"
The elder son became very angry, and
when he found his father he said to him, "Father, I don't understand
why you are doing this for my brother who has disgraced you! I have
served you for many years, and I have never disobeyed you! Now you
are celebrating the return of my brother who has done nothing at all
to honor you!"
His father answered, "Son, you have
been with me all these years, and everything I have is yours. Don't
you think it is right for us to be happy that your brother has learned
his lesson and has come back to us again? We thought he was dead, but
he is alive! He was lost to us, and now he has been found! We should
certainly be happy and not angry about it!"
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Boys and girls ... if you have believed
in Jesus Christ, you are a child of God, and no matter what wrong you
may do, you will always be His child ... just like the young son in
our story. You were born into God's family, and you can never be
unborn!
You know when you have done something
wrong, and God wants you to admit your wrong-doing to Him ... just as
soon as you know what you have done. God loves you, and He will
forgive you and welcome you back into fellowship with Him.
WE HOPE YOU WILL COME BACK AGAIN SOON FOR
"STORY TIME"....
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