Hold on to Hope | Shannon O'Dell

In Luke 15, Jesus shares the story of the Prodigal Son—but what if the real prodigal was the older brother? This powerful message dives deep into the heart of God as the Father of prodigals and reveals why we often struggle to celebrate when the lost come home.

We’ll discover:

1️⃣ Jesus sheds tears for prodigals—He longs for them to return.

2️⃣ Jesus can bring back the rebellious—no one is too far gone.

3️⃣ Jesus is the only perfect Father—our hope is in Him, not our performance.

4️⃣ Jesus can use wrong decisions to direct us toward His plan.

5️⃣ Jesus must remain our joy—don’t let prodigals steal your faith.

6️⃣ Jesus specializes in redeeming prodigals—He restores what’s been lost.

Through Scripture and story, we’ll see how:

You don’t get good to get God…you get God to get good.

Religion points to shame, but Jesus takes shame on Himself.

Real rebellion isn’t just leaving home—it’s staying in the Father’s house without joy.

If you’ve been praying for a prodigal, or if you feel far from God yourself, this message is for you. The Father is running to meet you with a robe, a ring, and a reason to celebrate!

📖 Key Scriptures: Luke 15:11–32, Jonah 1–2, Romans 2:4, Genesis 50:20, Habakkuk 3:17–18, Psalm 40:2, 2 Samuel 14:14, 2 Corinthians 5:21

00:00 Intro

02:22 Luke 15 Story

08:13 Jesus Sheds Tears for Prodigals

09:32 Jesus can bring back the Rebellious

13:05 Jesus is the only Perfect Father

15:49 Jesus can use wrong Decisions to Direct

16:50 Jesus is, and must stay Your Joy

19:25 Jesus specializes in Redeeming Prodigals

23:01 We can't celebrate the Comeback

26:25 You can't high-five the Confession

27:42 We can't celebrate the Celebration

31:53 Closing Prayer