Next Gen Service - Britnee Lacuesta & Pastor Mitchel Espinoza

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vx1H1hhr_4I

Free,” both Britnee and Pastor Michel spoke about fathers and sons.

First, Britnee introduced herself as the daughter, who is radically obsessed, madly in love with the Father. While several children played the parts of the father, sons, servant and pig, Brittnee narrated the well-known “Prodigal Son” story and emphasized that the son was lost but was found just like she was.

In Luke 15 are the parables of the one hundred sheep with one lost, the lost coin and then the prodigal son. The second son decided he wanted his inheritance before the father died, so he demanded it, and the father gave it to him. The son already had everything he needed, but he was not satisfied. He was obsessed with what the father could give not the father. And Britnee applied that statement to herself. “I was more obsessed with grabbing what was in the Father’s hand than grabbing the Father’s hand.” What a profound and telling statement. Are we too obsessed with asking our Heavenly Father what He can do for us? Let us re-evaluate our attitudes and actions and check to see if we value what He can do or Him more. For our connection with the Father should be relational not transactional. Nothing can satisfy you like the Father.

The sins we choose separate us from the Father, but Paul wrote to the Romans,

“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from 

 God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,

neither fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not

even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No 

power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing 

in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of

God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39 (NLT)

“The Lord loves you. You are His daughter. You are His son,” declared Britnee.

Then she personalized the prodigal son story. The prodigal went to the foreign land of UCLA as a dance major, and she binged on the wreckless life. When she was on break, she would visit Ashley and Pastor Josiah. They would not shame or put guilt on her. “They just loved me,” she stated.

In La Mesa, Ashley, her older sister, prayed and interceded for her. Back when Britnee was eleven, Ashley brought her to church and helped her see who the loving Father was. Britnee stated, ”Children will do what you do. Raise a child in the way of the Lord, and she/he will not depart from you.” She did return because the Father continued to pursue her, and her sister interceded for her. 

“Prodigals are starving from lack of nourishment.” The world is dark and is starving the people. In contrast the Holy God would be as close as she allowed. He would tell her, ”I miss you.”

Britnee declared, ”I tried every way. There is no way but one way, and His name is Yahweh.”

“Kezazah-Hebrew means cutting off-public ritual of shame and rejection.” In the Jewish culture if someone shamed his/her family, the leaders would perform Kezazah to banish the offender. However, the father ran to the prodigal, clothed him with a fine coat, put a ring on his finger, and gave him sandals to wear. He intercepted his son and protected him from the Kezazah ceremony. God runs to restore His prodigals before the world’s rejection and preempts the Kezazah ceremony. He absorbs the shame and lovingly declares, ”You’re home now.” What an incredible picture of redemption!

As Britnee was moving into her office to work at FC, Shari Dresselhaus was moving out, and she told Britnee that Ashley and she would pray for Britnee right in her office. They would cry and intercede for her return to the Lord. How fitting it was for Britnee to have the office where Shari and Ashley prayed for her return to her Father. Every time she steps in the office, she can remember the faithful prayers of Shari and Ashley for her.

The older brother of the story had a different response. He was so enraged that his father gave his wasteful brother a party to celebrate his return. Though the older brother faithfully worked for the father, he never understood the father’s loving heart. He did not comprehend the beauty of his father’s grace. The challenge for us is to check our pride and self righteous attitudes. Where are we on the scale, and are we like the older brother, mad, vengeful and jealous? Let us see the grace-filled heart of the Father and understand it to our core. For his brother was lost and was now found! “God’s grace is not a reward for good behavior. It is a gift for those who are lost and is available to all,” declared Britnee. May we understand the beauty of God’s grace, His loving heart and reflect it.

Next Pastor Michel shared about another father and son. The father is King David, and the son is Absalom, his second son. Absalom was a very handsome man and was renown for his long, beautiful hair. He began to woo King David’s people and tried to rip David’s kingdom from him. It got to the point where the kingdom was divided, and King David and his followers had to flee from Jerusalem for their safety. Absalom chased after his father and his people. What possessed this son to betray his father like that?

However, David still loved Absalom, and he instructed his generals,”Be gentle toward the young man Absalom because of me.” 2 Samuel 18:5 (NLV) However, one of his generals Joab saw Absalom hanging by his beautiful hair in a tree. He took three swords, stabbed, and killed him. When King David heard the news of Absalom’s death, he was heart broken. The victory turned to mourning because the king was crying, “O my son Absalom! O Absalom, my son, my son!” 2 Samuel 19:4 (NLT)

What Pastor Michel loves about this story is that the wicked son wants to take from his father, but King David is waiting for him at the gates just like the father for the prodigal son. But the son did not return. Some of our sons and daughters will not come home. Let’s not take the stories for granted, but diligently pray for those who are still out there. May we put our knowledge and beliefs to action. 

“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” Matthew 6:33 (NLT) May we put God first in our lives and reflect His love and light to the starving world.

Calendar:

8/29-Men of God Movement

9/7-Prayer night

9/12-LB potluck, worship and Meet to Swap with proceeds for FC Youth and Young Adults in the Activity Center starting at 6:00

Submitted by

Larry and Annette Linthicum