When God is Your Father-Pastor Lee Cummings
Scroll to read a recap of Pastor Lee’s sermon from May 17, 2026
Let’s Break it Down
Understanding God as our Father transforms our entire identity and sense of worth. Many struggle with this concept due to broken earthly relationships, but the parable of the prodigal son reveals a Father who runs toward us with unconditional love. When God becomes our Father, we receive a new identity as His children rather than strangers, and hope is restored in our lives.
Key Takeaways
When God becomes our Father, He gives us a new identity as His children and affirms our value through Christ's sacrifice
Many Christians struggle with an 'orphan spirit' that relates to God based on performance rather than relationship
The parable of the Prodigal Son reveals God as the Father who runs toward us, not away from us, when we turn to Him
Water baptism represents the burial of our old identity and the resurrection into new life as God's children
We are not free agents or orphans - we belong to God's family and have full access to our Heavenly Father
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5-Day Devotional
Day 1: The Mirror of Our Hearts
Devotional
Every human heart carries a deep question: "Who am I, and what is my value?" We search for answers in achievements, relationships, and recognition, yet something always feels incomplete. The truth is, our hearts will never feel truly at home until we discover our identity through our relationship with our Heavenly Father. Many of us struggle to see God as a loving Father because broken relationships have shattered our understanding of what fatherhood should look like. Perhaps your earthly father was absent, harsh, or disappointing. These experiences create a distorted lens through which we view God, making it difficult to trust His heart toward us. But here's the beautiful truth: God is not like the broken father figures we may have experienced. He is the perfect Father who defines love, compassion, and faithfulness. When we begin to see Him as He truly is—not through our pain but through His character—everything changes. Our search for identity and value finds its answer in His embrace.
Bible Verse
"Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God." - John 1:12
Reflection Question
What past experiences or relationships have shaped your view of fatherhood, and how might they be affecting your relationship with God?
Quote
A lot of us, when we look at the mirror of who God is, we see him through the broken and the shattered lens of relationships and disappointments that we've had on this side of eternity.
Prayer
Father, help me see You as You truly are, not through the lens of my past disappointments. Open my heart to receive Your perfect love and discover my true identity in You.
Day 2: The God Who Runs
Devotional
In Jesus' parable of the prodigal son, we discover the most scandalous truth in the universe: God doesn't wait for us to clean ourselves up before He welcomes us home. Instead, He runs toward us with arms wide open, filled with compassion and love. This story shatters our misconceptions about God. We often imagine Him as distant, disappointed, or reluctant to forgive. But Jesus reveals a Father who is constantly watching the horizon, eagerly waiting for the moment we turn our hearts toward home. No matter how far we've wandered, how broken we've become, or how disqualified we feel, God is the God who runs to us. This isn't just a nice story—it's the foundation of the gospel. While we were still sinners, God sent His Son to redeem and restore us. He doesn't love us because we're good; He loves us because He's good. His love isn't based on our performance but on His character. When we truly grasp this truth, it transforms how we approach Him in prayer, worship, and daily life.
Bible Verse
"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." - Luke 15:20
Reflection Question
In what areas of your life do you feel too broken or distant from God, and how does knowing He runs toward you change your perspective?
Quote
He's the God who runs. He's the God who runs to us. No matter how far away we are, no matter how broken we are, no matter what we've done, no matter how bankrupt we think we are, no matter how disqualified that we think we are. God is the God who runs.
Prayer
Thank You, Father, for being the God who runs to me with love and compassion. Help me believe that Your arms are always open, no matter what I've done or where I've been.
Day 3: From Strangers to Sons
Devotional
When God becomes our Father, He doesn't just forgive our past—He completely redefines our identity. We are transformed from strangers to sons and daughters, from slaves to saints, from hopeless to hopeful. This isn't a gradual process based on our good behavior; it's an instant transformation that happens the moment we receive Jesus. God doesn't just tolerate us or put up with us—He adopts us into His family with all the rights and privileges of beloved children. He gives us His name, His inheritance, and His unconditional love. This new identity isn't something we earn or maintain through performance; it's a gift freely given and permanently secured. Understanding this truth changes everything about how we live. We no longer have to strive to prove our worth or fear losing God's love. Instead, we can live with the confidence that comes from knowing we belong to the King of the universe. We are His children, and nothing can change that reality.
Bible Verse
"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" - 1 John 3:1
Reflection Question
How would your daily decisions and relationships change if you truly believed you are God's beloved child, not just His servant or follower?
Quote
Strangers to sons, slaves into saints, hopeless to hopeful. That's what happens when God becomes your father.
Prayer
Father, help me embrace my new identity as Your child. Let this truth sink deep into my heart and transform how I see myself and live my life.
Day 4: Breaking the Orphan Spirit
Devotional
Many believers live as spiritual orphans, relating to God based on performance rather than position. They work hard to earn His approval, constantly worried about disappointing Him or losing His love. This orphan mindset keeps us trapped in cycles of striving and fear, never fully experiencing the freedom that comes with being God's children. But children don't earn their place in the family—they belong simply because they were born into it. A child is audaciously confident in their parent's love, knowing they are accepted regardless of their behavior. This is how God wants us to approach Him: with the bold confidence that comes from knowing we are His beloved children. When we reject orphan thinking and embrace our identity as God's children, everything changes. We stop trying to earn what we already have and start living from the security of His love. We can take risks, make mistakes, and grow without fear of rejection because our position in His family is secure.
Bible Verse
"The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father.'" - Romans 8:15
Reflection Question
In what ways do you still operate with an 'orphan spirit,' trying to earn God's love rather than resting in your position as His child?
Quote
A child is audacious. A child is confident that he is loved no matter what.
Prayer
Holy Spirit, help me reject orphan thinking and embrace my identity as God's beloved child. Give me the confidence to live from His love, not for His love.
Day 5: The Receipt of Love
Devotional
Have you ever wondered how much you're really worth to God? The answer isn't found in your achievements, your potential, or even your failures. It's found in the nail-scarred hands of Jesus hanging on the cross. Those wounds are the eternal receipt of God's love for you. When Jesus stretched out His arms on the cross, He was declaring your value to the entire universe. The price He paid—His very life—reveals how precious you are to the Father. This wasn't a reluctant sacrifice or a last resort; it was the joyful expression of a Father's love for His children. Every time you doubt your worth or question God's love, look at the cross. Those scars in His hands and feet are permanent reminders that you are not your own—you have been bought with a price. You are not on your own—you belong to the King of kings. This is the foundation of your identity and the source of your hope.
Bible Verse
"Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price." - 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Reflection Question
When you look at the cross, what does it tell you about your value and worth in God's eyes?
Quote
Those wounds are the receipts for eternity. Whenever we wonder, how much do you love us? All you have to do is look at his hands. I love you that much.
Prayer
Jesus, thank You for paying the ultimate price for my life. Help me never forget how much I'm worth to You and live in the confidence of Your sacrificial love.