This is how a child gets his/her identity, feeling of worth, feels wanted and secure in this world. A child deprived of love, no matter what else has been given, is a deprived child.

The text is the story of a father's never ending, never faltering and never diminishing love. The boy left his father's house, provision and authority but never left his father's love and concern. The fact the father watched the road, recognized the son and ran to meet him, acts out his love. The fact he embraced him, kissed him and interrupted his confession, speaks of his love.

Love should be without interruption. Sometimes we tell children God doesn't love them when they are bad. That's not true. We often don't love them when they are bad. Ego and pride become barriers to love. This is hard for men.

I remember a couple sitting in my office telling me about their daughter. She had been a delightful young girl but something happened in her life. She ran away from home and moved in with a man three times her age. The mother wept and said, "Pastor, tell me how to communicate with my daughter." The father said, "Pastor, what I want to know is how many years are they going to put me in prison after I get my shotgun and blow the ______ out of him?"

Here are two different ways the parents -- one weeping but trying to build a relationship and one a raging bull whose pride had been injured -- were dealing with the problem. Fathers need to love their children and communicate that love -- not afraid of showing affection and not afraid of putting their feelings into words.

My father was not articulate. I know my father loved me. The closest he ever came to saying the words were when he said, "I'm mighty proud of you, son." This macho world in which we live teaches fathers they are to be stern, never affectionate, never tender and never articulate about their love, causing a terrible disservice to their children. Learn to say, "I love you."

The third set of words are, "All is forgiven." There are things that damage every relationship which need to be repaired and children need to learn to forgive parents. Some of you need to forgive things your parents have done to you and parents need to learn to forgive children. Things need to be surfaced and dealt with.

The father's love made forgiveness possible and the son's change made it actual. He started to think straight, began to face realistically his situation, and remembered home differently. How many of you have adult children and remember, when they came home, you suddenly realized they had begun to understand things about home? Things they used to resent are now coveted. Jesus told this story of how we come back to God but the young man's decision to go back was the decision to hear the words, "You are forgiven."

The last words are, "I enjoy you." The story began with estrangement and ends with a party, a feast, music, dancing and joy. It's the story of a father enjoying his child again. Fathers need to learn to enjoy their children as grownups.

A man said to me years ago, "When my children were small, I really enjoyed them. Then something happened." What happened is, they grew up and he never figured out a way to build an adult relationship with those children.

Are these words you can say -- you are free, I love you, all is forgiven, I enjoy you! These are the words our heavenly Father can and has said to us. These are the words that call us home. These are the words that give us clues of how we can be better fathers and better parents.