Savage2Saint Sobriety Sept 30, 2026

“So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him." - Luke 15:20 (NLT).

I was called to preach on January 10, 1993, at the age of 15; I preached my first sermon in November 2023, at the age of 46. I wish I could give you a list of good, honest reasons why there is a 30+ year gap between those dates, but all I have are really bad excuses. I wish I could tell you that my life was a huge success before I finally submitted to my calling, but that would be a lie. The truth is that time was marked by guilt and shame; failures and mistakes; heartaches and brokenness. I was running from a calling that I didn't think I wanted.

The funny thing about God's calling is that running doesn't change anything; If you're called, you're called. Failures don't make a calling null and void. Mistakes don't disqualify you and nothing in this world can change what God has ordained. You were created for a purpose, and you will die with that same purpose. No matter how far or how long you run from God, He will always be only one step away. As long as we have breath in our lungs, we have the opportunity to turn away from the world and run back to God.

That's why I love the parable of the prodigal son. The son ran from the life his father had prepared for him, squandered his inheritance, and proceeded to live a life of guilt and shame. The Word of God tells us that the son's failures and mistakes led to him working in a field of pigs where he decided that a life of service for his father was better than where he was. Our key verse says that while the son was "still a long way off" the father saw him. One of the greatest parts of this parable is that after all that time, after all of the mistakes, the father was still looking for his son to return.

If you've been running from God and you're wondering whether He has anything left for you, then here's your message: He's not only waiting with open arms, but He's also looking for your return. The gifts He gave you to fulfill your purpose may have been squandered to this point, but that doesn't make you any less gifted and He's not looking to give you a lesser position. He gives all of us exactly what we need to fulfill His purpose. If your life has felt like one roadblock after another, then maybe it's time to get back into God's will for your life. Quit running. You're Everlasting Father is looking in your direction. For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn. - Romans 11:29 (NLT). God Bless!