Episode Details

Coming back to God after pain, doubt, or distance can feel overwhelming, but Luke 15:21–24 reveals the heart of a Father who welcomes His children home with compassion, grace, and celebration. Even when suffering, illness, or disappointment shake our faith, God remains loving, present, and ready to restore what feels lost.

Highlights

• Seasons of pain and unanswered prayers can cause believers to drift from God.

• Feelings of doubt don’t define truth—God’s Word does.

• Chronic suffering can deepen faith rather than destroy it.

• God is not the author of pain but the author of redemption and hope.

• The parable of the prodigal son reveals God’s eagerness to restore, not reject.

• Confession leads to restoration, not punishment, in God’s kingdom.

• No matter how far we wander, we are always welcomed home by our Heavenly Father.

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Full Transcript Below:

Coming Home to the Father
By Vivian Bricker

Bible Reading:
“The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate” (Luke 15:21-24).

Most of us have had times when we have strayed from God. Due to something bad happening in our lives, we just wanted to leave everything, including our faith. Since we know God is all-powerful, we become disheartened when He doesn’t bring us out of a troublesome time. 

I strayed from God when I was in the middle of being diagnosed with a now-known autoimmune disease. When I was still in the process of finding a diagnosis, I was scared of the worst-case scenario: an incurable disease. I constantly prayed to God and asked that I would not have to walk through the rest of my life with a chronic illness. 

During that time, I saw my faith begin to crumble. The excruciating pain I was experiencing made me question God, His goodness, and His presence in my life.

I saw other people around me, who were thriving and healthy, yet here I was, sitting in a hospital, waiting to undergo another imaging test. For months, I did not talk to God, and I blamed Him for my pain