7-Day Devotional Reading Plan

Week 1 Devotional Holiday Home

Day 1 A Welcome You Can Trust                                          Read Luke 15:1–2, 11–16  

The holidays can awaken a longing for home. We remember familiar voices, meals around a table, and people  who were glad to see us. Yet home can also bring painful memories. Some people feel lonely even in a  crowded room. Our experiences of family shape our expectations, but Jesus invites us to discover the Father’s  heart through His words and actions. Luke introduces this chapter with a complaint: Jesus welcomes sinners  and eats with them. His critics see a reason for disapproval. Jesus sees people who need to be found. The  stories that follow explain His welcome and invite His listeners to rejoice when the lost return. The younger son  chooses a distant country because he wants his father’s resources without his father’s direction. We can make  the same choice while staying close to church. We may ask God to bless our plans while avoiding His  guidance. As you begin this week, consider what you expect from God when you approach Him. If you imagine  only rejection, listen carefully to the story Jesus tells. Whatever your earthly experience of home, you can trust  the compassion of the Father Jesus reveals.  

Reflect What do you expect from God when you come to Him honestly? How does Jesus’ welcome test that  expectation?  

Pray Father, help me see You as Jesus reveals You. Amen.  

Day 2 Tell the Truth                                                                   Read Luke 15:17–19  

The son’s turning point begins when he faces the truth. His money is gone, his situation is desperate, and his  plan for independence has failed. He remembers his father’s household and admits that he has sinned against  heaven and against his father. Honesty before God goes deeper than wishing life were easier. We can regret  the consequences of a decision while still defending the decision itself. The son begins to name his  responsibility. His confession makes room for a different direction. We sometimes postpone prayer because we  want to bring God an improved version of ourselves. We promise to return after we overcome a habit, repair a  relationship, or feel more worthy. But confession begins with the life we actually have. We bring God the real  story, including what we would rather hide. This does not mean that every hardship comes from personal sin.  Grief, illness, and wounds inflicted by others are not proof that you have rebelled. Where there is sin to  confess, name it honestly. Where there is pain to grieve, bring that honestly too. The Father does not need a  polished performance.  

Reflect What have you been excusing, minimizing, or avoiding in your relationship with God?  

Pray Father, You already know my story. Help me stop hiding and confess my sin honestly. Amen.  

Day 3 Take the Next Step Home                                                   Read Luke 15:17–20  

The son rehearses a confession, but the story does not stop with his thoughts. He gets up and goes to his  father. His decision becomes movement. The road home begins with a step he can take where he is.  Regret can keep us circling the same memories. We replay what happened, imagine what might have been,  and punish ourselves with what we cannot change. Repentance turns us toward God and begins to reshape  what we do next. You do not need to know how every part of your life will be repaired before you obey God  today. Your next step may be asking forgiveness, ending a dishonest practice, seeking help with a persistent  sin, or returning to prayer and worship. Those steps do not purchase God’s mercy. They express a heart that is  turning toward Him.  

Coming back to a church gathering can be a helpful beginning, but Jesus calls us into a relationship with God.  If you have never trusted Christ, turn from sin and place your faith in the Savior who died and rose again. If you  are a believer who has wandered, take the next faithful step toward Him today.  

Reflect What step of obedience have you delayed because you cannot see the whole way forward?  

Pray Father, help me move beyond good intentions. Give me faith to trust Jesus and courage to obey. Amen.

Day 4 Compassion Meets You on the Road                               Read Luke 15:20–21  

Imagine the son making his way home. He carries no wealth to return and no achievement to announce. He  has prepared a confession, but he cannot control his father’s response. Then Jesus draws our attention to the  father: he sees, feels compassion, runs, embraces, and kisses. The father knows whom he is welcoming. This  is the son who left and squandered the inheritance. His compassion does not depend on ignorance of the past.  The son confesses his sin, and the father receives him with love. 

Shame tells us to hide until we become acceptable. Jesus gives us a reason to come honestly. Our sin is  serious, and the Father’s mercy is real. We cannot earn His welcome by finding the perfect words or displaying  enough sorrow. This parable reveals God’s heart toward repentant sinners. The wider gospel shows how we  are brought near: Jesus gives His life for sinners and rises again. Our confidence rests in Him. When shame  tells you that you have been away too long, turn toward the Savior who welcomes those who come to Him.  

Reflect What shame has made you reluctant to approach God? What does the father’s response help you  see?  

Pray Father, thank You that my failures have not exhausted Your compassion. Amen.  

Day 5 Receive Your Place in the Family                                     Read Luke 15:22–24; Galatians 4:4–7  

The son had planned to ask for a hired servant’s place. The father calls for a robe, a ring, sandals, and a feast.  Together, these gifts publicly honor the returning son. The household hears the father identify him as his son  and call for celebration. The son has nothing to offer that could purchase this welcome. He receives what his  father gives. That can be difficult for people who are used to earning approval. Even after asking forgiveness,  we may try to prove that we deserve to remain. Galatians reminds believers that God sent His Son so that we  might receive adoption. Through Christ, we belong to God’s family. We learn obedience from within that  relationship, depending on the grace that brought us near. Grace does not erase every earthly consequence.  The inheritance in Jesus’ story has been spent. Repairing trust may take time, and some losses remain. Still,  the father’s welcome is real. If you have trusted Christ, you can face the work of growth without treating every  struggle as a threat to your place with Him. Let gratitude for His grace guide your next faithful choice.  

Reflect Where are you trying to earn the acceptance God gives through Christ?  

Pray Father, thank You for making me part of Your family through Christ. Teach me to receive Your grace.  Amen.  

Day 6 Come Inside the Celebration                                                Read Luke 15:25–32  

The older brother stays outside while the household celebrates. He remembers his years of service and  measures them against his brother’s failures. His father’s generosity feels unfair. He is close to the house, but  his resentment keeps him from sharing its joy. Notice that the father goes out to this son too. He pleads with  him and assures him of his presence and provision. The father’s tenderness reaches both the son who  wandered and the son who resents the welcome. We may recognize ourselves in the older brother. Perhaps  someone receives another chance while we feel overlooked. Perhaps we think a returning person should have  to explain every absence before being welcomed. Our faithfulness matters, but it never gives us ownership of  God’s mercy.  Jesus leaves the older brother’s response unresolved. We must consider our own response. Will we remain  outside rehearsing what others do not deserve, or join the Father’s joy? We can acknowledge real harm and  support wise boundaries while rejoicing when someone turns toward God. Grace invites us to see a person to  love rather than a rival for the Father’s affection.  

Reflect Whose restoration is difficult for you to celebrate? What does your reaction reveal?  

Pray Father, forgive my resentment when Your generosity reaches someone else. Amen.  

Day 7 Make Room for Someone Else                                                Read Luke 15:1–2, 22–24; Romans 15:7  

Jesus welcomed sinners and ate with them. The father brought his returning son into a celebration. God’s  grace creates a welcome that people can experience. Those who receive it are called to extend it.  At Wagoner First, that welcome can begin with a simple act: learning a name, making room beside you,  introducing someone to a friend, or inviting a person to share a meal. A warm greeting matters, and ongoing  friendship helps someone find a place to belong.  The holidays give us opportunities to notice people whose absence, grief, or loneliness might otherwise go  unseen. Welcome does not require someone to explain their entire past before we offer kindness. We can  listen patiently, respect their pace, and help them take a next step with Jesus.  As this week ends, remember the invitation at the center of the story: you may have wandered far, but the  Father still welcomes you home. Keep turning toward Him in faith. Then consider who needs to experience His  kindness through you. Ask God to make our church a place where His grace is received with gratitude and  another person’s return is met with joy.  

Reflect Who needs more than a greeting from you this season? How could you begin a continuing friendship?  

Pray Father, Help me notice someone and make room for them this week. Amen.