{"href":"https://api.simplecast.com/oembed?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbroward-church-in-the-meantime.simplecast.com%2Fepisodes%2Fthe-prodigal-son-K7fQqbfV","width":444,"version":"1.0","type":"rich","title":"Lost, Found and Loved","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_url":"https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/dfef3200-0eda-4242-ae21-1121ba92d869/851be6bc-4285-4617-b004-a1fe8481ed81/bible-20parables-1-20x-201.jpg","thumbnail_height":300,"provider_url":"https://simplecast.com","provider_name":"Simplecast","html":"","height":200,"description":"In Luke 15, Jesus tells three connected stories that reveal God’s heart toward people who have wandered away. The setting is tense—religious leaders are frustrated that Jesus is welcoming and eating with sinners. In response, Jesus offers a powerful trilogy: a shepherd searching for one lost sheep, a woman sweeping her home to recover a treasured coin, and a father running toward a broken son who finally comes home.\n\nEach story builds on the last. Something precious is lost, someone makes a deliberate effort to find it, and when it’s restored, the whole community is invited to celebrate. Jesus is showing us that God doesn’t view lost people as disposable—He goes after them with intention, compassion, and joy.\n\nThe climax comes in the story of the two sons. The younger son, after rejecting his father and hitting rock bottom, returns with a repentant heart. Before he can even finish apologizing, his father restores him fully. But the older son refuses to join the celebration, exposing the same hard-heartedness as the religious leaders in Jesus’ audience. The parable ends without resolution, inviting listeners to consider their own posture: will we join God in rejoicing over those who repent, or stand outside the celebration?\n\nThis episode explores what these stories reveal about God’s character, how they challenge our assumptions about grace, and why understanding God’s joy is essential for understanding the gospel itself."}