Lesson 5: Battling Overthinking Monsters

The Story of The Prodigal Son

Bible Scripture Reference: Luke 15:11-32

Message

Every person is capable of making mistakes.

In the Bible, Jesus often used parables to explain the principles of the kingdom of heaven, and the story of the prodigal son is a familiar one to us. In life, we may inevitably make selfish or wrong decisions. However, sometimes our stubborn choices can lead to our own or others' suffering. In the story, the younger son squandered his inheritance and ended up in a miserable state, so much so that he wanted to share food with pigs. Just imagine the scene of someone getting themselves into such a situation. It may seem foolish, but the truth is that every one of us is capable of falling into such circumstances. We are often trapped by irrational thinking without even realizing it, and we sometimes end up in inexplicable predicaments.

God is willing to forgive us.

When irrational thinking and mistakes occur, you can choose to either escape and hide or face them. Imagine if the prodigal son in the story had chosen to remain in a distant land because he was concerned about saving face or feared his father's reprimand. What might have been his fate? Would he have starved or despaired and died? Regardless of the outcome, it's likely that he would not have been in a good place emotionally. Fortunately, in the story, the prodigal son was willing to swallow his pride and return home. When we are willing to make changes, there is an opportunity for errors to be corrected.

Our God is like the father in the story, waiting eagerly each day and seeing us as precious, whether we are the lost and returning younger son or the defiant older son. As long as we are willing to repent, He will protect and accept us.

Approach

• Read the Bible with students or refer to adapted Bible story content.
• Use worksheets to guide students in identifying the emotions of the events and characters in the story.
• Share insights and engage in discussions with students about the issues faced by the characters in the story and how they can bring about change.
• Conclude with a prayer.

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Worksheet

Bible Story - The Story of The Prodigal Son

Story Adaptation from Luke 15:11-32

In the Bible, Jesus told a story about a character who made a big mistake and found himself in a dire situation, but he received an unexpected reward. Let's explore this story.

There was a man with two sons. One day, the younger son asked his father, "Dad, please give me my share of the inheritance now!" So, the father divided his property between his two sons.

In a few days, the younger son sold his share of the inheritance, turned it into cash, and left for a distant country. He lived a reckless and extravagant life, quickly spending all his money. He ended up penniless and had to work on a local farm, feeding pigs. Life was very harsh, and he was starving. No one gave him anything to eat, and he was so desperate that he considered eating the pig's food. He realized he had made a terrible mistake and felt miserable and helpless.

In his despair, he remembered his father and thought that even his father's hired workers had better lives than he did. He regretted his actions and decided to go back home and humbly ask for forgiveness.

Surprisingly, as the younger son was on his way back home, his father saw him from a distance. Filled with compassion, the father ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him repeatedly. The son confessed, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son." But the father commanded his servants, "Quick, bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found."

Meanwhile, the older son was in the field, and as he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked what was going on. The servant replied, "Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound."

The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, "Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!"

The father said, "My son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found."

Questions and Discussion

1. Try to identify the emotions of the characters in the story.(You can refer to the emotions characteristics chart and list the possible emotions for each character)
   • The younger son asked for his share of the inheritance and left home.
   • The younger son became destitute and began to starve.
   • The younger son was so hungry that he longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating.
   • While the younger son was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion.
   • The father saw his son and ran to him, embraced him, and kissed him.
   • The older son heard music and dancing and asked a servant what was happening. The servant told him that his younger brother had returned, and their father was celebrating his safe return.
2. Please help the younger son complete the following "I-Statements".

   I feels_____________(emotion) because I made a mistake, and now I have to go back home to face my father. (event), making me think I'm doomed, not worthy to be my father's son. (thought)."

   Is this thought supported by evidence? Is it true? ☐ Yes ☐ No

   I've found that I've been invaded by_____________(Overthinking Monster) I want to use_____________(Facilitating Weapon) to evolve it.

3. Have you ever made a mistake and felt regret? Try using the "I-Statements" and share what happened at that time.

   I feels_____________(emotion) because_____________(event), making me think_____________(thought)."

   Is this thought supported by evidence? Is it true? ☐ Yes ☐ No

   I've found that I've been invaded by_____________(Overthinking Monster) I want to use_____________(Facilitating Weapon) to evolve it.

Let's pray together

We don't like making mistakes, but it's impossible to avoid them completely. Sometimes we worry that if we make a mistake, something bad will happen, and there's no way to change or fix it. However, God is a merciful and loving God. He understands our weaknesses. We should seek God's help to identify our irrational thoughts, learn to face our mistakes, and have faith that God will accept us and guide us in finding solutions to our problems.