His Story: A journey through the greatest story of all time
The Bible isn’t just an old book—it’s God’s story, and it’s still alive today. His Story takes you chapter by chapter through Scripture, combining simple readings of God’s Word with prayer for every listener and occasional reflections on what the passage means for our lives right now.
Whether you’re brand new to the Bible or have been reading it for years, this podcast is a space to slow down, hear God’s Word spoken, and be reminded that His story is also our story.
His Story: A journey through the greatest story of all time
Heaven rejoices when the lost are found
A shepherd leaves ninety-nine, a woman lights a lamp and scours the floor, and a father runs down the road with reckless joy. We walk through the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the two lost sons to find their shared center: a God who seeks, finds, and celebrates before anyone can earn their way back. The setting is tense—tax collectors drawing near while religious leaders grumble—but the response is not a debate. It’s a trio of stories that build like a symphony, each movement louder than the last, until the feast erupts and a question lingers at the door.
We slow down to notice the textures: the sheep lifted onto shoulders, the coin discovered after diligent searching, the robe and ring that restore status, and the sandals that mark sonship rather than servitude. We talk about repentance as a turning toward home rather than a performance, and we wrestle with the older brother’s outrage at mercy that looks unfair. The ending stays open on purpose. Will we step inside and share the joy when someone we think doesn’t deserve it is welcomed? What does it mean to build communities that throw parties for one returning heart, echoing the joy of heaven over a single repentant person?
Along the way, we explore how value is assigned not by productivity or proximity but by belonging, and how grace disrupts the math of merit. If you’ve run far or kept score, if you’ve felt unworthy or resentful, this conversation offers a way home—and a seat at the table. Listen now, share it with someone who needs a welcome, and if this moved you, subscribe and leave a review so others can find the story of a God who seeks, rejoices, and runs.
The Bible isn’t just an old book—it’s God’s story, and it’s still alive today. His Story takes you chapter by chapter through Scripture, combining simple readings of God’s Word with prayer for every listener and occasional reflections on what the passage means for our lives right now.
Whether you’re brand new to the Bible or have been reading it for years, this podcast is a space to slow down, hear God’s Word spoken, and be reminded that His story is also our story.
Welcome back to His Story, a journey through the greatest story of all time. Today we listened to Jesus tell a story about a lost sheep, a lost coin, and two lost sons. Tax collectors draw near, Pharisees grumble, and Jesus tells stories of lostness, a sheep, a coin, and a son. And it's a scandalous family situation. A younger son's demand implying he wished his father was dead, an older son's grievance that he isn't celebrated for obedience. Chuck Swindah highlights the father's undignified sprint, which underscores the eagerness of divine mercy. Each story builds, God seeks, heaven rejoices, and grace runs. God, thank you so much for this day and for this word that you're giving us, these stories that Jesus told, so that we can understand more about who you are, your character, your nature, your pursuit of us, and ultimately your grace and forgiveness. May we plant this seed in our heart and may it produce fruit in our lives. Thank you for providing for all of our needs. In Jesus' name, Amen. Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to him, and the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, This man receives sinners and eats with them. So he told them this parable. And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep. Just so I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost. Just so I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents. And he said, There was a man who had two sons, and the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me. And he divided his property between them. Not many days later the younger son gathered all he had, and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself, he said, How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread? But I perish here with hunger. I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants. And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you I am no longer worthy to be called your son. But the father said to his servants, Bring quickly the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet, and bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this is my son, who was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found. And they began to celebrate. Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing, and he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, Your brother has come, and your father has killed a fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound. But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him. But he answered his father, Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed a fattened calf for him. And he said to him, Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead and is alive. He was lost and is found. These three parables are like a symphony. Each movement gets louder until the finale. First, a sheep is lost, one out of a hundred, and yet the shepherd goes after it, carries it home, and throws a party. That's God's heart. He rejoices over one. Then a coin is lost, one out of ten. The woman lights a lamp, sweeps, and searches until she finds it. Again, the story ends in joy. It's not just about the thing, it's about the value attached to it. And that's how God sees us. And then the crescendo, two sons. The younger squanders everything, the older simmers with resentment. But the spotlight falls on the Father, watching, running, embracing and restoring the robe, the ring, the sandals, a feast, all undeserved gifts. And here's the kicker. Jesus leaves the older brother's response hanging. Will he go inside? We don't know. Because the story is really aimed at us. Will we join heaven's party over lost ones being found? Even if, and especially when, it's undeserved. That's why this chapter is so powerful. It doesn't just tell us about God, it invites us to taste his joy. A God who seeks, a God who rejoices, a God who runs. And so often we forget that we are the Son who squandered everything. We are the ones that God has poured out his abundance of grace upon our lives. May we never forget that until we see his face in heaven. Let's pray. God, thank you so much for this incredible chapter in the Bible that shares parables that show your heart, that show your goodness, that show your love, to show us the lengths to which you would eventually go to bring us to you. God, thank you so much for your word that we can read it, that we can know you through it, and for your Holy Spirit that helps us understand it. May we celebrate anytime one is saved. Thank you for making a way for us to be with you. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Next time we will be in Matthew 2, following the Magi to the child king. Until next time, remember, Jesus wrote the greatest story ever told, and that includes loving you and me completely. See you next time.
