Prodigal God, Chapter 4

Chapter 4 – Redefining Lostness

1. Create a table to help you think about the relationships between the people in the parable.
How does the younger brother view?
Himself? His brother? His father?
How does the older brother view?
Himself? His brother? His father?
2. Keep a running list of ‘elder brotherish’ characteristics as you read through this chapter.
3. “ The first sign you have an elder brother spirit is that when your life doesn’t go as you want, you aren’t just sorrowful, but deeply angry and bitter” (p. 49). What thoughts, feelings and assumptions lead to such anger and bitterness?
4. What is the difference in our thought processes between anger toward God, toward self, and toward others? Share verses on anger and insights that are helpful to you.
5. How do older brothers use superiority and competitive comparison? (p. 53). How does this create an unforgiving, judgmental spirit?
6. Quote, “People who are no longer sure that God loves and accepts them in Jesus, apart from their present spiritual achievements, are subconsciously radically insecure persons” (p. 54). Do you agree with this assessment? Why or why not?
7. If your motivation to do good is to earn God’s favor, how does this affect the goodness of the action?
8. How does fear based morality strengthen self-centeredness? (p. 60).
9. What might the prayer life of an older brother look like and why? (p. 64, 65)
10. How would the attitude of the older brother make it harder for the younger brother to come home? How can you prevent this from happening to the people around you? (p. 66-67).
11. Do you tend to be more of a younger brother or elder brother? Were there times in your past when you behaved more like one or the other?
12. What else in this chapter was significant to you?
13. This chapter was packed with descriptions of ‘elder brother’ characteristics. Since we all have some of this, what convicted you the most?

Action Point:
Group Challenge