Dr. Mark E. Shaw's focus in part 1 of The Prodigal series is the younger brother's role and how the characters in the parable relate to addiction within the family.
Podcast #26 is the focus on the younger brother.
The father is the focus of podcast #27.
The older brother is the focus of podcast #28
The Addiction Connection's coming soon video series of Family Help for Addiction: A Care Group Study is where you can find Dr. Shaw's more thorough teaching on this Luke 15 passage.Find out how to obtain the study and all the supplemental materials as soon as it is released at www.theaddictionconnection.org. Obtain the book Divine Intervention: Hope and Help for Families of Addicts at www.focuspublishing.com or by calling 1800-913-6287.
Mark shows how the son in Luke 15:11-32 goes from the disrespect of his father in the demand of his inheritance all the way to the lowest place of desperation.
Once the son in Luke 15 makes a plan to get up, arise, go to his father, he plans out what he will say.
"Father I have a sin problem" is how he words it, not I have a disease of addiction.
"I've sinned against heaven and before you," is the exact quote from the Bible.
Note his posture of brokenness and unworthiness and wretchedness. The glorious truth of the Gospel is that anyone can come to the heavenly Father and ask for forgiveness through Jesus Christ. You can't earn it. You don't deserve it, but the Father freely gives it to you.
