Your story matters
There’s something deeply powerful about being listened to. It’s a gift we offer each other, and it’s part of how we share God’s love. This week we’ll explore the practice of telling our own story: speaking about what has happened between us and God. It might be a quiet change over time, a moment of clarity, or something we’re still trying to understand. Like all good storytelling, there’s no perfect way to do it—just speak honestly, from the heart. Your story matters. It may help someone else discover how God is at work in their life too.
Mini-adventures
Pick one of these challenges to try out this week. As you do it, pay attention to the ways in which God might show up.
- Write about or draw something that tells of a recent experience where you’ve felt God was with you, or felt something ‘out there.’
- Take some photos that tell a story about a time you were with someone else and how you felt about that time together.
Get talking
Luke 15:11-32 – The parable of the Prodigal Son
- Who are the main characters in this parable, and what do they represent?
- What does the father’s reaction to the younger son’s return teach us about God’s love and forgiveness?
- Have you ever felt like the younger son, distant from God with a desire to return to God?
- How might God be inviting you to respond to this passage?
Get inspired
- What do you notice in this artwork?
- How does it make you feel?
Get deeper
Stories speak straight to the heart. In the mini adventure you’ve had a taste of telling your own story, and you’ve also dug deep into one of Jesus’ stories — the parable of the Prodigal Son — which reveals so much about what God is like. Stories are powerful because they can carry big, complicated truths in ways that are easy to grasp.
In this course, we’re going to introduce you to twelve “big ideas” of Christian faith. These ideas have been shaped and discussed over hundreds of years, and they’re not simple — in fact, people spend whole lifetimes exploring them. To help us begin, we’ve created sketchnotes for each one. These aren’t the whole story, but they give you a clear starting point: a snapshot of the key ideas to get you thinking. So, here’s the first one: who is Jesus Christ?
- Jesus is fully God and fully human—a mystery. How do you balance needing certainty in life with accepting things you don’t fully understand?
- “We love because God first loved us.” What small ways could you show love to someone this week just because God loves them?
- If Jesus shows us God’s loving character, how could you reflect that love in your family, friends, or community?
Prayer
Loving God,
You are the Father who runs to meet us,
the Mother who embraces us with open arms.
Thank you for your boundless love and forgiveness,
even when we wander far from you.
Holy Spirit, guide us home.
Help us to return to you with open hearts,
and to celebrate when others do the same.
Teach us to love without judgment,
to forgive as we have been forgiven,
and to welcome all into your grace.
May we reflect your mercy in our lives,
and share the joy of your reign with everyone we meet.
In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.