‘A foundational message that all of us need.’
John Arnott, Catch The Fire World
The story of the Prodigal Son may be the most well-known parable Jesus told. Yet what would have happened next for the returning prodigal had the story continued? How would he have adjusted to his new identity as an ennobled son, and what lessons might there be for our lives?
In his beautiful new book, The Road to the Father’s House, pastor Alistair Forman reflects on these questions and offers profound answers based in Scripture and his own discipleship journey. Recognising the power of story-telling, he opens each chapter with a richly imaginative continuation of the parable, creatively leading us through some of the difficult things the prodigal son may have had to face, and perceptively applying these to our own journeys with the Lord.
As with the prodigal son, when we first turned to our Father, He ran to meet us in a collision of forgiveness and grace. He gave us a new identity, a new belonging and a new future. But like the prodigal, we all carry wounds and have distorted perspectives of who we are as children of God and who He is as the perfect, endlessly good Father. Alistair shows how God gently heals and restores us as we walk with Him, learning to share our brokenness and trust in the lavish love and abundance He has for us as cherished sons and daughters.
‘The parable of the Prodigal Son is the story of our lives,’ comments Alistair. ‘We ran from God and He came running to find us. This book is about the walk home to the Father’s house with Him at our side. It’s a journey where over time and with great patience and grace, He reveals who He really is to us. It’s where He shows us who He’s always been. It’s where He tells us who we are in His eyes. It’s where He shows us where we’re going with Him.’
If you have been a Christian for years, The Road to the Father’s House will remind you of how complete a work of restoration God longs to do in us, and how lavish the inheritance He bestows. And if you are holding back from the Father in fear and shame, it will reveal how kind He is, willing you to rest in His tender embrace. As John Arnott says, this truly is ‘a foundational message that all of us need’.
‘An absolute gift to anyone who desires to draw closer to the heart of God.’
Marie Aitken, Head of England, Alpha; founder, Girl Can Daily
The Road to the Father’s House by Alistair Forman (ISBN: 9781912726479) is published by Instant Apostle and is available on 17th September 2021 from bookshops and online