A New Book on the Prodigal Son 

Last week our church (in Belarus) had its annual kid’s summer camp. We had a great time serving the Lord together. The very main part of our day was an afternoon preaching time.

The Lord impressed upon my heart to preach five messages on the prodigal son that week. I have never done it before and wasn’t sure how it would turn out. For a long time I had an old book with the messages on the prodigal son in my library. I’ve always wanted to make it available on Kindle and reprint it.

Well, the week before the camp I finally scanned the book and began reading it again. What a blessing it was! I have never read or heard better and deeper preaching on the prodigal son. I thank the Lord for this small book.

When I was preparing to preach I would make my own outline and wrote my side-thoughts and then I would open up “The Waste of Sin” by W.W. Melton (a Baptist pastor from TX in the begging of the 20th century). This book is filled with great seed-thoughts for pastors and preachers. It is amazing how a book of sermons on the prodigal son was written almost a hundred years ago and most of it still so relevant and applicable to our days. I wish modern preachers and authors were as deep as this one.

Some of the highlights (there could be many more)

THE FIRST STEP IN THIS TRAGIC STORY IS A SIGNIFICANT ONE, because on it hang all the succeeding steps. It also shows uncontrolled ambition will bring; and what life will come to when given free rein. It is the first outburst of an unprincipled life. It is the first defeat in life’s great warfare. Let the beginning be guarded, and the end will have no dread. Let the first overdraft be avoided and there will be no bankruptcy; let the first drink be shunned and there will be no drunkard; deny Satan his first victory and hell shall have no fears in the future.

…that innocency is better than repentance; and that it is easier to pull down than it is to build up life.

Time is the world’s greatest factor; it is also the world’s greatest waste.

Life is lost or gained moment by moment.

Sin will wreck anybody, and anything, at any time and anywhere.

As long as men do not see the shame of their sins they will not see the glory of God.

The realization of sin is the first condition of salvation.