Kruse's Keys: Read "The Long Walk Home" to Be Reminded of a Father's Compassion

In The Long Walk Home: Discovering the Fullness of Life in the Love of the Father, pastor Matt Carter uses the biblical story of the prodigal son to grapple with the idea of faith in a broader church community where youth are struggling with depression in record numbers and leaving the church in droves once they reach adulthood.  Carter’s central thesis is that as believers we need to taste Jesus’ love in a personal way within an authentic community.  The biggest barrier to that?  Sin–which separates and divides.  The author is quick to point out however, that we often fall prey to thinking more highly of our sin than God’s love and forgiveness–in other words we dwell on sin that’s already been forgiven and let that weigh us down.  He offers a model prayer for confessing sin that reframes a Christian’s approach from asking for forgiveness to agreeing with God that you did sin and acknowledging that we’ve already been forgiven.  Here’s the prayer in its entirety:

God I confess and agree that what I did was wrong and is contrary to your nature, and 

because you are a faithful and just God, I know you have forgiven me. Please help me live my life in light of your amazing love for me.

This mode of confession seeks to bolster our faith as it puts us in the position to take God at his word.  “God loves it when His people believe him” Carter asserts and this is truly the simplest definition of faith.  The one time in the Bible that Jesus “marvels,” came when a Roman soldier took Jesus at his word and told him that he didn’t need to physically visit his ailing servant but could just speak the words and he’d be healed. 

The book closes by highlighting perhaps Jesus’ most amazing attribute: compassion.  As the prodigal son returns home, we see a father looking for his son “from a long way off” with “compassion.”  Previous to reading this, I most often thought of God being disappointed in my failures–but never feeling compassion.  Jesus comes along side of us and feels our failures acutely–indeed he’s already felt their weight on the cross weighing him down. And those failures have been finished (tetelestai) and left behind on the cross.  There’s a comfort in knowing that our God isn’t waiting for us on his throne to come groveling back to him, but he’s out in the field waiting and looking for us.

For more on the parable of the Prodigal Son, read my review of Tim Keller's Prodigal God here.

Looking for book ideas? Check out our 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015 and 2014 reading lists!

Notes:

16 One reason kids walk away from the church–not having tasted Jesus’ love in a personal 

way.

20 Kids walk away because of the lack of an authentic community

24 That we’re missing out on life is a lie from hell

28 “We’re literally dying from despair.”  From Sen Sasse Them book on declining average 

lifespan in U.S.  https://www.amazon.com/Them-Hate-Each-Other-Heal/dp/1250193680 

31 the world needs ordinary people who will go “all-in”

52 The one time in the Bible that Jesus “marveled”--when the Roman soldier came to Jesus 

for healing of his servant.  And he told Jesus he didn’t need him to come see the servant–he just needed to say the word!  “God loves it when His people believe him.”  This is the simplest definition of faith.  

63 Lingering after noticing someone’s attractiveness can lead to temptation to lust and then 

sin.  Sin then is a matter of your focus.

86 We all–that is mankind–has a Jesus-shaped void in our hearts–that’s what it means in 

Ecc 3:11 when it says God has put eternity in our hearts.

132 Sin creates a separation and divides

149 Model prayer for confessing our sin: 

God I confess and agree that what I did was wrong and is contrary to your nature, and 

because you are a faithful and just God, I know you have forgiven me. Please help me live my life in light of your amazing love for me.”

154-55 John Piper was asked on a panel if there was anything that made him doubt God.  His 

answer was “slowness of his sanctification.” Even this great pillar of the Christian faith 

has self doubt!

159 “God is home to me.” 

160 When we allow our past confessed sin to keep us from coming home to God–we are 

thinking more highly of that sin than God’s love.

165 we should mourn our sin looking at the cross which paid for that sin.  

174 God is looking for us “from a long way off” and feels compassion.  I’ve always thought of 

God feeling disappointment in my failures but never compassion. 

187 Grace= receiving what we don’t deserve

Mercy= not receiving what we deserve