Hey everybody, welcome to the podcast, I’m Nick and it’s great to be here with you today.
Today is September 14.
Each day, we follow a simple rhythm: Slow Down, Read, Notice, Reread, Meditate, Respond, and Exercise.
Let’s begin.

Slow Down

You are stepping into a sacred space with the intent of meeting Jesus.
He wants to meet with you and spend time with you.
Take this moment to slow down, quiet your mind, and prepare your heart to connect with Him.
Close your eyes. Take a deep breath in, then slowly release it.
As you inhale, whisper: “Jesus, I thank You.”
As you exhale, pray: “Because I am alive again.”
Do this three times, then rest in His presence.

Read

To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons. “A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything. “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.” ’ “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.’ “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began. “Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, and he asked one of the servants what was going on. ‘Your brother is back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’ “The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’ “His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’ ”
(Luke 15:11–32, NLT)

Notice

What stands out to you in this passage?
Is there a word or phrase that catches your attention?
Hold it in your heart for a moment.

Reread

Hear this passage again and hear what Jesus is saying to you.

Meditate

This is the parable to end all parables. The lost sheep. The lost coin. And now, the lost son.
Jesus tells this third story to emphasize His point: lost people matter to God, and they should matter to you too.
But this story is different. It's longer. It's messier. It has layers.
Here's what Jesus is saying through this story: God's heart is for the lost. And if you're going to follow God, your heart needs to be for the lost too.
Which son are you? Are you the younger son—lost, broken, coming to your senses, discovering that the father's love is greater than your failure? Or are you the older son—faithful on the outside, but bitter on the inside, keeping score, unable to celebrate grace because you're too busy calculating what you deserve?
The truth is, we're probably both at different times.
Take a few moments to sit with this question:
What would it look like for me to have the father's heart—to celebrate grace, to run toward the lost, to throw a feast for the found?

Respond

Jesus, give me Your heart for the lost. Help me learn to celebrate with all of heaven.

Exercise

The rush of life will meet you again when you leave this sacred place—but you can carry this moment into your day by forming new habits.
Habit: Throw a Feast
Today's habit is an act of radical celebration.
The father didn't just welcome his son back. He threw a party. He called the servants. He killed the fattened calf. He made it a celebration.
Today, identify one person in your life who is coming home—spiritually, emotionally, relationally. Someone who's been lost and is finding their way back. Someone who's made a mess and is trying to make it right.
Now do this:
Reach out to them. Tell them you see their return. Tell them you're proud of them.
Don't lecture them about their past. Don't make them prove themselves. Don't keep score.
Celebrate them. Specifically. Genuinely.
If possible, do something tangible: invite them to dinner, send them a gift, spend time with them. Make it a feast, not a lecture.
You're not the father. Jesus is. But you can be someone who celebrates grace instead of judging failure. You can be someone who throws a feast instead of keeping score.
This is what it means to have the father's heart.

I have two asks of you before you go, could you please share this podcast with one person today and check out the review of this podcast on Elevate Society?
That’s your two minutes with Jesus for today.
Now, take what you’ve heard…share it and live it.
Until next time, keep slowing down, keep listening, and keep walking with Jesus.