1. Stepping Up to Repentance -- What the Prodigal Son overcame in order to be right with his Father
Luke 15:11-32

2. Stepping up to Repentance
The pleasure of sin
Covetousness (15:12)
Worldly lusts (15:13, 30)
REPENTANCE
Pleasure

3. Stepping up to Repentance
Sin is briefly pleasurable (Hebrews 11:25)
But it is deceitful (Hebrews 3:13; Ephesians 4:22, Titus 3:3; 1 Timothy 5:6)
And it breaks our fellowship with God (James 4:1; Romans 8:5-7)
REPENTANCE
Pleasure

4. Stepping up to Repentance
Pride
What had hold of the prodigal between the time he “spent all” and “when he came to himself”? (15:14-17)
Pride keeps a person from admitting obvious error (Psalm 10:4; Proverbs 21:4; Isaiah 28:1-4)
REPENTANCE
Pride
Pleasure

5. Stepping up to Repentance
Feeling Unworthy (15:17-19)
While no one deserves the mercy of God, He extends it freely to all (Romans 3:23-24, 1 Timothy 1:15)
REPENTANCE
Unworthiness
Pride
Pleasure

6. Stepping up to Repentance
The condemnation of others
The prodigal expected his father to be judgmental, but his older brother actually was (15:25-30)
Judgmental self righteousness discourages repentance (Romans 14:13; James 4:11-12; Matthew 7:1; Cor. 2:6-8)
REPENTANCE
Others
Unworthiness
Pride
Pleasure

7. Stepping Up to Repentance -- What steps do you need to take to be right with God?