The Lessons Of Life

Transcripts for Dr. Wiersbe's sermons are forthcoming. Below is an outline of his message.

The parable of the prodigal son is a great evangelical message, but it is also much more than that.

There are three ways we can learn about life: education, example, and experience.

One of the saddest ways to learn about the spiritual lessons of life is how the prodigal son did.

The prodigal son learned three lessons about his spiritual life.

• A lesson about sin: the meaning of misery.
  • We don’t have to practice sin to learn this lesson.
  • Sin is deceitful.
  • Sin promises life, but ultimately brings death. It begins with pleasure, but it ends up with pain.
  • Sin promises freedom but brings slavery.
  • The master you chose will determine the life that you live.
  • Sin says you can find yourself, but when you sin you end up losing yourself.
  • Sin makes everyone the same: broken before God. But God wants to mold each person to His own purposes.
• A lesson about himself: the meaning of maturity.
  • Mature people care about how what they do affects other people.
  • Mature people grow in wisdom and can make distinctions between good and bad (e.g. popularity vs success, reputation vs character).
  • The immature person says, “Give me. Give me.” The mature believer says, “God make me.”
• A lesson about salvation: the meaning of mercy.
  • Our loving heavenly Father receives sinners.
  • God is great in love, rich in mercy, and rich in grace.
  • We will never find what we are truly looking for in life until we come to the Father.
  • Every unsaved person is lost, ignorant, and dead.
  • Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

We can learn about sin and maturity through God’s Word, but we must experience salvation.