Some time ago, I read a story that sort of brought home to me how many times we try to please the Lord in the flesh and we end up blowing it in the spirit.

How many times we think how, we know how to please the Lord in our walk with him and in reality, we are really not pleasing him at all.

Let me tell you the story so you can understand what I'm trying to tell you.

Mom was sick and in bed, and her little girl so much wanted to help.

I mean, she really wanted to be a big helper to Mommy,

so she brought her a magazine and then fluffed her pillar, and finally she thought she might do something really big.

So she disappeared for a while, and then she came back a few minutes later with a cup of tea.

And the mother was so amazed.

She was so surprised.

And she said, darling, that is really nice. And I didn't even know how you know how to make tea. And she said, oh, mommy, yes, I've been watching you making tea all the time. All these years I've been watching you. I first put the tea leaves in the pan and then I added water. And when it comes to the boil, I put the strainer on the cup, and I strain the leaves. She said, well, that's wonderful. She said,

only one thing, I couldn't find a strainer, so I used a fly swatter. And as the mother spotted out the last sip of tea that she was drinking, she said, oh,

mommy, don't worry.

I used the old one.

I didn't use the new one.

And how many of us sometimes, the children of the living God try to please God our way?

How many times we try things in the flesh instead of in the spirit?

How many times we try to do things with our own brilliant mind and own ideas,

and then we blow it and we wonder why. I want you to turn with me, please, to Luke chapter 15.

Now most preachers through the years have always focused on the strong will, the defiant boy.

That's why we call him the prodigal.

In fact, that is why the prodigal son's story is very well known,

because preachers through the years have focused all of their attention on that one boy

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