“This son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.”

FINDING UNCONDITIONAL LOVE, PATIENCE, GRACE, RECONCILIATION AND A GODLY EXAMPLE IN THE STORY OF THE PRODIGAL SON

FIVE-DAY DEVOTIONAL

By Pastor Louie Pantelis

In celebration of the 50th anniversary for Christian Children’s Home of Ohio and its family of ministries LostINTRODUCTION Things o matter who you are, where you have been, what you have done or what Nhas happened to you -- if there is breath in your lungs, your story is still being written. Your past or even your present do not have to equal your future. I can testify to this reality. The early chapters of my life were messy, complicated and brutal. The chapter that you are living right now does not have to define you. You play a very important role in how your story will be told to future generations. As a young man, I was placed into foster care due to the abusive nature of my father. My life was a mess, it did not make sense and, at times, I was a part of the problem. Being an adolescent is challenging enough; it is even harder when you change homes, families and schools throughout those years. But as I know now, challenges have a way of helping you become who you were meant to be. At the age of 17, I entered Christian Children’s Home of Ohio (CCHO). I did not want to be there! God did not make sense (to be honest, He still doesn’t, but I am reminded throughout Scripture that His ways are not my ways). What I had experienced and endured made me question His ways. A Christian children’s home was the last place in the world I wanted to be. The thought of a new “home,” new rules, new “family” and new school was not something I was looking forward to; however, the children’s home became a life-altering chapter in my life. Pat and Tim McKelley (Ma Pat and Pa Tim) were responsible for cottage two, and they became responsible for me. It is amazing to me that anyone would sign up for such a task because, admittedly, I was a handful! Thank you, Ma and Pa. You are loved more than I can communicate.

BIBLICAL FOUNDATION The 15th chapter of Luke, and the story of the Prodigal Son in particular, will serve as the inspiration for this devotional. Jesus was accused of associating with sinners, and He told three stories about lost things to illustrate His purpose here on earth: the Lost Sheep (1-7), the Lost Coin (8-10) and, finally, the Prodigal Son (11-32). Throughout the chapter, Jesus examines the value of lost things and the great lengths people will go to recover them. Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.

“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.”’ So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to 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.’ So they began to celebrate.” ~ Luke 15:11-24 (NIV)

The story of the Prodigal Son illustrates unconditional love, patience, grace and reconciliation while giving us an example of how to be godly when there is dysfunction in the family. Even the healthiest families have some dysfunction. If we listen to what God is saying through Scripture, we can learn how to overcome dysfunction. What is broken can be fixed, but we must be willing to acknowledge the brokenness and invite God to do what only He can do. Healing begins as we invite Jesus, the ultimate Healer, into our brokenness. A Devotional Approach

• Begin each day’s reading with prayer, asking God to speak to you (it is more important you hear from Him than me). The purpose of a devotional time is to enter His presence. • Read, reflect, journal and respond to what God is speaking to you. A journal allows you to reflect on what God is saying to you and/or what He is prompting you to do. • End with prayer, thanking and praising God for the chapter you are in. Ask Him to take the pen and write the next chapter of your life.

THERE IS ANOTHER CHAPTER 2 D A Y O N E Unconditional Love

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 Opening Prayer Ask God to give you ears to hear what He wants to speak to your heart this day.

When I read John 3:16 for the first time many years ago, I looked for a disclaimer statement. It sounded like one of those commercials for a product that seemed too good to be true and is only available by ordering through the number given on the screen. Then the spokesman inevitably says, “But that’s not all!” before telling you how they are going to sweeten the deal. I have been snookered by those ads, and the product never lives up to the claims. When Jesus states that God so loved the world, it can sound too good to be true because it means that God loves everyone. I have lived in this world long enough to know that there are some people who are hard to love. To be candid, there are some people I struggle to love on some days. Chances are, you would admit the same thing. John 3:16 tells us that we do not even have to be lovable for God to love us. I can tell you about this unconditional love because I have experienced it. Through the story of the Prodigal Son, Jesus gives us an illustration of the unconditional love of our Heavenly Father. The prodigal gave the father so many reasons not to love him. When he asked his father for his inheritance early, it essentially was the equivalent of saying, “Dad, I can’t wait for you to die, so give me what is coming to me now.” The father simply allowed his son to leave with his portion of the inheritance. After spending everything he had on wild living, the son finds himself longing for hog slop. He decides to return home, reasoning that his father would take him on as a servant. When his father spots him on the horizon, he runs to embrace him. The love the father had for his lost and wandering son was unconditional. It did not matter how he had behaved, the ways in which he had disrespected his father, or even the fact that he had blown his inheritance. At the age of 17, I had come to believe that nobody wanted me. I had been through several homes and my caseworker was having a difficult time placing me. After spending the entire summer between my sophomore and junior year of high school as a runaway in Florida, I was placed at CCHO. I had spent every penny of the money I had earned delivering newspapers, mowing lawns, raking leaves and shoveling snow on that excursion. I was a party animal, living that summer with few rules and little accountability. I entered the children’s home a free spirit not looking forward to following new rules, respecting a new set of parents and lliving with a bunch of people I did not know. The fact that a Christian organization wanted anything to do with me was baffling. Was I lovable? I doubt it! But it did not matter to anyone at CCHO. I struggled with the rules and cooperating with others, yet they loved me. There were times I acted out in defiance, yet Ma and Pa celebrated my victories and worked with me through my failures, all while showing me love like I had never known. I joined the Norwayne High School International Thespian Society my junior year, and on the first night of “Arsenic and Old Lace,” Ma and Pa were at the show with several of my brothers and sisters from cottage two. There they were beaming, watching me ham it up onstage. On that night, the love they had for me was demonstrated through the support and attention they showed me. Journal and Reflection

• How have you come to know the unconditional love of God? • What impact has the unconditional love of God had on your life? • Who has God placed in your life that needs to know the Father’s unconditional love? Commit to loving them! Watch God transform their life with His love expressed through you. Closing Prayer

Ask God to make you an expression of His unconditional love for someone who needs to know they are loved.

THERE IS ANOTHER CHAPTER 4 PatienceD A Y T W O “Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains.” James 5:7 Opening Prayer Draw closer to God and seek to understand how patient He has been with you.

very year, my wife Angie grows a garden. She takes the seeds from a E packet and starts them one by one on a wet paper towel. Slowly, but surely, they begin to sprout shoots. Some of those seedlings make it and some of them don’t. Angie plants the ones that show signs of real life and then goes on to fertilize, weed and water them, ensuring they have enough light and water, and that the temperature is just right. She tenderly cares for each one until the plants finish producing their valued crop. By mid-September, everything is harvested, canned or processed. I have allergy- induced asthma, so my role is to help process everything after it is harvested, pitching in on the salsa (tastes so good, it makes your tongue smack your brain silly -- you know you’re going to find yourself using that phrase!), spaghetti sauce and whatever else we might do with what has been grown. I am not sure I understood the correlation between growing seeds and patience until I watched her process. We’re talking about five months of waiting, and I do not even like to be the third customer in the checkout lane at the supermarket! James is clear in today’s verse: God’s patience with us is just like waiting for seeds to take root, grow and bear a crop. When I watch the plants in our garden slowly grow, I am reminded of how patient God is with each of us. You learn that vegetable plants are very temperamental through seasons of drought, in times when they are receiving too much sunlight or not enough, and during the occasional bug invasion. No matter who we are, we are every bit as temperamental. We have good, bad and ugly days. God patiently watches us stand on our own two feet, take a few steps and fall back down. If we’re honest with ourselves, that process happens far too frequently, but His unconditional love is evident as He endures our temper tantrums, disobedience, rebellion, miscues and pride. He patiently watches us work through the seasons of our lives so that we will one day bear spiritual fruit and ultimately spend eternity with Him. Jesus gives us the parable of the prodigal so we can see the patience of God. The father listened as his son made an unrealistic request (“I want my inheritance”), watched him as he walked away, and then waited with the hope that, someday, his prodigal would return home. We are not told how long the prodigal was gone, but every indication is that it was a significant amount of time. The father watched patiently for his wildly wicked son to return. Then, one day, the father spots him off in the distance and his response is astounding: The father runs to his wayward son, gives him a hug and kisses him. The patient father does not chastise, rebuke or grumble at his son in any way. No, in that moment his patience is rewarded. Pa Tim had that type of enduring love and patience. We were not allowed to have heavy metal music in our rooms at CCHO. On numerous occasions, Pa confiscated my music cassettes of Motley Crue, my favorite hair metal band at the time, and eventually gave me my favorite nickname: Motley Lou. Becoming part of a foster family at the children’s home had its challenges. I was introduced to kids who were as big a mess as me, and I had to learn how to get along. There were chores to be done in a home I didn’t want to be in. The worst of it all was eating food from the garden, stuff like fried-green tomatoes and eggplant. Ma sure was patient with me as I tried to find clever ways to dispose of those disgusting morsels every time they showed up on my plate! Journal and Reflection

• Take a moment and consider the patience of God toward you. Now praise Him! • What are some ways you have experienced God’s patience expressed to you? • Who in your life do you need to be a little more patient with? Closing Prayer

Thank God for His patience and ask Him to empower you to be patient with those who need it.

THERE IS ANOTHER CHAPTER 6 GraceDAY THREE

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” Ephesians 2:8 Opening Prayer Enter into the presence of the God, who unconditionally loves you, and seek His grace.

ne night my son, Augie, called to ask for a ride home from work. As we O were heading home, I looked in my rearview mirror to see red and blue flashing lights. I pulled over thinking I had done nothing wrong. When the officer approached, I rolled my window down and he asked, “Do you know why I pulled you over?” I told him, “Honestly, officer, I have no idea.” He proceeded to tell me that my taillights were not functioning and then asked me for my driver’s license, registration and proof of insurance. I said to him, “Sir, in my haste to pick up my son, I did not grab my wallet, so I do not have my driver’s license or proof of insurance. Here is my registration. I am Pastor Louie and I assure you I do have a driver’s license and insurance.” He looked at me, recognized me, and let me off with no ticket. I did not receive what I deserved. Instead the officer was gracious to me and I received insight into how to fix the problem, by replacing a fuse. In a very real way, the prodigal son experienced his father’s amazing grace. He had been defiant and disrespectful, living in total disregard to his father’s feelings. The son knew he had done wrong and felt as though he no longer deserved to be called a son. He returned home, knowing the kind of man his father was, hoping to experience the grace to become a mere servant in his father’s home. Instead, his father threw a party celebrating his son’s return. Grace is receiving what we do not deserve. Grace is receiving a party when we deserve punishment. On those Motley Crue cassettes that Pa Tim kept confiscating, there were two songs I enjoyed above the rest: “Home Sweet Home,” the anthem that played on the way to my court-appointed advocate’s house for home visits, and “Smokin’ in the Boys Room.” The latter became a lesson for me. A group of us boys decided to take a cigarette break one day. Several of us served as lookouts while we took turns smoking cigarettes in the boys room. We were careful to blow the smoke into the vent and flush our cigarettes down the toilet when we were through; however, one of the boys flipped his cigarette into the vent. A little while later, we smelled smoke. The house was on fire. When a cigarette butt was determined to be the cause of the fire, each of us boys was called into the executive director’s office individually. I reluctantly entered Gary Porter’s office, knowing I was guilty of smoking in the boys room. Gary asked, “Were you smoking in that bathroom?” Gary was the big kahuna and I had no idea what he would do with me. With fear and trembling I said, “Yes, but I flushed my cigarette when I was through.” After interviewing all of us boys, they found the culprit, and we were all disciplined. Prior to being caught smoking, I had been on level five, which meant I was allowed more privileges and visits to my advocate’s home. As a result of my shenanigans, I was graciously placed on level four. In my mind, I deserved and anticipated worse -- I received a warning and lost some of my privileges, but I still had a home. Grace is what God extends to every man, woman and child. Scripture is clear: We have all sinned and because of sin, we deserve to be punished (Romans 3:23 & 5:23); however, God in His grace extends forgiveness to all who believe in Him. Our role is to confess our sin, turn away from our sin, and believe that Jesus the Son of God has paid the penalty for our sin. Journal and Reflection

• Have you experienced God’s grace and forgiveness? If so, praise Him! If not, why not? Write down the reasons you might be reluctant to confess your sin. • Reflect on a time you experienced grace. Write about your experience and share your story with another who needs to know that there is grace and forgiveness for every wrong. Closing Prayer

Thank God for His amazing grace. If there is sin in your life that has not been confessed, confess it. Ask God to give you an opportunity to share your story of grace with another.

THERE IS ANOTHER CHAPTER 8 ReconciliationDAY FOUR

“That God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5:18 – 19 Opening Prayer Ask God to identify and restore relationships in your life that are dysfunctional.

ll of us, no matter who we are, have sinned (Romans 3:23), and sin causes A separation between us and God. We have rebelled, rejected and refused to live by God’s holy standards. Our behavior makes God’s unconditional love even more incomprehensible. The fact that He sent His one and only Son to die for our sins amplifies the perplexity of His love. We were lost and without hope, and God sought to reconcile the relationship that was severed by sin. He sought to restore the relationship we were created to have with Him from the beginning of time. Typically, when someone has been mistreated, they expect and anticipate the guilty party to seek forgiveness for their transgressions. In seeking to restore every sinful man, woman and child, God has defied that logic by taking the first steps to restore the relationship He wants to have with us. God so loved the world that He intervened on our behalf by sending His Son to pay the price for our sin. Now, by God’s grace and forgiveness, the relationship He wants to have with us can be reconciled. Faith in Jesus Christ, who He is, what He came to do, and all that He accomplished through His life, death and resurrection allow us to be reconciled to Father God. Our forgiveness is not based upon our guilt, but upon the unconditional and unmerited love of God. In today’s verse, Paul is clear that God has committed those who have put their faith in Jesus to the message and ministry of reconciliation. The Creator and Sustainer of all things invites us to become part of His story. Let the magnitude of that sink in for a moment. In February of 2001, I embraced the call and invitation of God to become a part of His story. I had been a Christian for eight years and I knew God was calling me to serve as a pastor. Motley Lou, the man with a history of being a wild child, was reconciled to God and began sharing with others how they can be reconciled and restored to a proper relationship with God. Know this: If He can forgive Motley Lou, He can forgive you too. The prodigal son was humbled by his plight, working with pigs (literally) and starving to the point of desiring to eat the slop he was feeding them. He had mistreated his father in ways that left little more hope than returning to be a servant in what was once his home. You can imagine the son trying to muster the energy to make that journey. To his surprise, his father spots him off in the distance, welcomes him home, and puts new clothes on him and a ring on his finger to celebrate the return of his son. What the father had lost -- what appeared to be dead -- was found alive and there would be a great party to celebrate the prodigal son’s return. Due to the damage in cottage two, I had to spend some time in cottage one. The house parents there were nice, but they were no Ma and Pa. A little disappointed in myself for smoking in the boys room, I longed to be back in cottage two with Ma and Pa. I was not certain how that return was going to go; after all, I had broken the rules and I felt like I had embarrassed them. The day arrived for my return, and Ma and Pa welcomed me home. I apologized for what I had done and did not smoke another cigarette at the children’s home. Not once did they ever mention the incident. The relationship was reconciled immediately because of the unconditional love they had for me. They may not have felt the weight of being separated like I had, but I was glad the relationship was reconciled, and that I was back at “Home Sweet Home.” Journal and Reflection

• Have you been reconciled to God? You can be, but you must choose to acknowledge your sin and admit that you need His grace and unconditional love. • Write down your reconciliation story. Consider how you extended or experienced grace that allowed a relationship to be restored. Seek to reconcile broken relationships in your life. Closing Prayer

Thank God for reconciliation and ask Him to use you as part of His story.

THERE IS ANOTHER CHAPTER 10 D A Y F I V E A Godly Example

“Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” 1 Corinthians 11:1 Opening Prayer Ask God to empower you to follow the example that Christ has set for you. Then let your life be an example to others of what it means to be a follower of Jesus.

aul gave himself a huge challenge in today’s verse by telling the church to P follow his example as he followed the example of Christ. If (and that is a big if) the believers in that church were going to live the life to which Christ was calling them, Paul’s example needed to be just like Jesus. Paul had set the bar for himself very high, because Jesus was sinless. When we read the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), we find the accounts, teachings and life of Jesus. Jesus lived in our world, as God in the flesh, and He lived His life as an example of what it meant to live from the will of God in every facet of life. He came to show us the way and then made a way (by His death upon the cross) for us to know Father God and understand His will for our lives. As believers in Jesus Christ, we are called to become more and more like Christ every day. My life verse is found in Galatians 2:20. It is my aspiration to make this verse a reality in my life. Paul wrote, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” For me to become Christlike, I must die daily to the life I used to live as a sinner and commit to living like Jesus in every way. Each day of our lives, we are living as an example to someone. We are a good or bad example by the decisions that we make. One day, my boys and I were driving down the road and someone cut me off. My instant response was to call them something. The name I chose was “tuna head” (don’t judge). My oldest son, Tony, asked from the backseat, “Is that the best you could think of?” I told him, “Yeah, for a Christian that is pretty good.” Now, if Tony gets aggravated by someone, he calls them a tuna head. He has followed my example. I will let you decide if I was a good or bad example. Through the parable of the prodigal son, Jesus paints a beautiful picture of our Heavenly Father. The father’s actions show us how God reacts and responds to His rebellious and defiant children. The unconditional love, patience, grace and reconciliation we see in the parable become an example for us as we work through dysfunction in our family and other relationships. The example we see in this parable is the example we should follow. Ma and Pa gave me so many good examples of what life in a family should look like during my time at CCHO. I watched a mother and father work together to raise children – they were an incredible team. Through their relationship, I was given a more complete picture of what marriage should be. Pa gave me an amazing example of what a Christian man ought to be. Ma, I would run out of ink writing about the love, patience, grace and availability you have shown me. When I turned 18, I was no longer a ward of the state of Ohio, and I moved out of the children’s home. But Ma and Pa never stopped being parental figures in my life. They were always available. When I needed counsel, I would call them. I even called them when I was going to ask Angie to marry me. Pa went to be with Jesus a while back and I was honored to speak at his funeral. Ma is my friend on Facebook, and I am constantly being encouraged, supported and loved on by her. Ma and Pa’s example of believing in foster kids, and this foster child in particular, has made the biggest difference in who I have become. Thank you both! Journal and Reflection

• Who is looking at the way you live your life? What kind of example are you giving them? • If you are a Christian, are you following the example of Christ? If not, write down what you need to work on. If so, write out some areas that may still need some work and how you plan to be an even better example. Closing Prayer

Ask God to grant you what you need to follow His example so you can be an example to others.

THERE IS ANOTHER CHAPTER 12 CLOSING THOUGHTS Hand Over the Pen

here is another chapter for the prodigal, what was lost has been found, a Tnew narrative is being written. The wayward son has a chance to live from what he has learned. His relationship with the father has been redeemed and reconciled, and he has been restored as a son to his family. He will know the love of his father and their relationship will be remarkably different. Of course, the parable illustrates all that we can experience and know as God’s children; however, we must be willing to acknowledge we are lost in our sinful ways so that we can be redeemed, reconciled and restored. If you are a prodigal son or daughter, now is the time to put your faith in Jesus. Allow His grace to permeate your life. Then I would encourage you to speak to your pastor or a trusted believer about the decision you have made. You were never meant to walk this journey with Jesus alone. Become part of a Bible-believing church where you can learn, grow, and become a person who lives for Jesus. The most important thing to remember as you head into the next chapter of your life is to hand the pen over to Jesus. The writer of the book of Hebrews tells us, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith...” (Hebrews 12:2). He authored our salvation by dying on the cross for our sins and He is working to perfect us as men and women of faith. When we become Christians, we learn to put our faith in Jesus. One of the most significant steps of faith for me was giving Jesus the pen. My journey with Jesus has been wildly eventful. Serving a God who knows no limits, to whom the word “impossible” means nothing, tends to make this journey with Him a great adventure. Because I am growing in grace by learning to give Jesus control and submit to Him, there are times things get messy. It is my fault, and I know it. I am so thankful for His unconditional love, patience and grace, the reconciliation He makes possible, and the example Jesus has given us.

Serving Our Lord Daily, Pastor Louie Pantelis AKA: Motley Lou ABOUT PASTOR LOUIE As the lead pastor at Grace Chapel Community Church in Worland, Wyoming, Louie Pantelis is engaged in making more and better disciples in the most beautiful place in the world. He shares this great adventure with his wife Angie (28 years of marital bliss) and their adult sons, Tony and Augie. Beyond ministry, Louie and Angie love to camp, fish and star gaze as amateur astronomers. Louie earned his bachelor’s degree in Church Ministry and his master’s in Leadership. He is a member of the International Honor Society, the fraternity of Sigma Beta Delta.

ABOUT CHRISTIAN CHILDREN’S HOME OF OHIO In March of 1969, one young boy with no safe place to call home set in motion a ministry in Wooster, Ohio that has helped thousands of children and families experience their worth in Christ on the other side of painful traumatic events. Christian Children’s Home of Ohio (CCHO) provides a safe and stable environment where abused and neglected children find healing, discover hope and experience unconditional love. CCHO’s young residents use a variety of therapy, connection and interactive strategies to recover from painful traumatic events. Treatment is focused on helping them build skills that will not only make them successful in homes and communities, but will also enable them to lead productive lives as adults, breaking the cycles of abuse they have experienced. In 1989, CCHO opened its foster care network. Encourage Foster Care continues to develop partnerships with public agencies throughout Ohio. By connecting foster and adoptive families with the strong support systems they need when opening their hearts and homes, Encourage wants every foster parent and youth to be successful in the purpose to which God is calling them. CCHO’s first outpatient counseling office opened on the Wooster campus in 1993. Today, Encompass Christian Counseling treats a variety of emotional, mental health and relationship issues for adults, children and families from a growing number of regional offices. Services include traditional outpatient therapy, in-home and school-based services, intensive trauma therapy and equine therapy at One Heart Stables on the CCHO campus. To learn more about these services or to support our family of ministries financially or by volunteering, please visit us online: ccho.org • encouragefostercare.org • encompasscounseling.org Read 50 Stories from 50 Years of Ministry at ccho.org/stories

God knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I will comeas forth gold JOB 23:10