Ebook
The good news is bigger and better than we imagined.
Many Christians, especially young Christians stepping into a world and a church devastated by division, scandal, and abuse, are asking whether the gospel is good news for us today. And many are deciding that faith simply doesn’t have anything to offer. Our gospel has become too small—it looks nothing like the Jesus who embodies good news in the flesh.
How do we recover this gospel? When we turn to the parable of the prodigal son—a story of elaborate parties, upside-down kingdoms, and reunited families—we can hear in Jesus’ own words a clear presentation of a truth that is bigger and better than we’ve imagined.
In these pages, author and pastor Jonny Morrison invites us on a journey into the welcoming arms of this familiar parable, showing us how it shapes the entire story of Scripture. Along the way, we discover the radically inclusive power of the gospel that upends religions, disrupts empires, heals the wounded, and empowers the marginalized. After all, this is Jesus’ good news to tell. And when we listen to him tell it, we can be found again in the surprising, disarming, challenging gospel that is truly good news.
Foreword
Introduction
1 Prodigal Gospel
2 Prodigal Son, Part 1
3 Prodigal Son, Part 2
4 Prodigal Father
5 Prodigal Story
6 Prodigal Party
7 Prodigal Belonging
8 Prodigal People
A Final Word
Acknowledgments
Notes
The Author
“For every Christian, nothing compares to the importance of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the entry point to new life. Jonny Morrison’s Prodigal Gospel explores this entry point. He leads us into a deep dive with a deeper gospel and a deeper life with God through Jesus. Theologically faithful, compellingly personal—read this book and walk with Jonny into a deeper gospel.”
“I’ve been looking for a book like this for a long time—a book with power to evoke that for which it advocates: a fresh experience of the sheer goodness of the gospel. Prodigal Gospel thoughtfully exposes our distorted images of God and opens them up to the healing light of Jesus. Jonny Morrison’s deep examination of Jesus’ most famous parable invites us to find ourselves in a story of relentless grace and welcome and to experience the transforming power of being perfectly loved.”
“In Prodigal Gospel, Jonny Morrison presents the good news in high-definition. These pages introduce us to a God who desires to share space with us. Consider this book an invitation to the party that God set up for everyone who’s ever wandered.”
“Too often the gospel becomes a doctrinal formula, rarely good news that we can’t wait to live and share. In winsome ways, Jonny Morrison expands our imagination for how Jesus makes a real difference in daily life. And in so doing he expands our vocabulary for ways to share it with a world in need of good news.”
“With humor, storytelling, and compassion, Jonny Morrison offers the gospel back to those whose Christian life has been stripped bare by judgment and fear. Prodigal Gospel is a hopeful companion for those looking to renew and reconstruct their faith in a God who is love.”
“This book helps us move from a transactional to a relational framework for good news. By using the prodigal parable as the lens to examine things like atonement and sin and the Trinity and heaven, Jonny Morrison helps us shed our legalese, leaving us with a gospel that looks like Jesus. And that is a gift.”
“In a time when so many are asking big questions about God and what it means to be a part of God’s people, Jonny Morrison paints a loving portrait of both. With careful attention to both the text and the cultural layers we bring to our theology, he points us toward a gospel that is truly good news. If you’re looking to reorient your faith around toward a vision of hope and belonging, Prodigal Gospel is just the companion you need.”
Jonny Morrison is co-lead pastor at Missio Dei in Salt Lake City, Utah, responsible for teaching and vision. He’s passionate about helping people gain a bigger imagination for God, experience the radical love of Jesus, and learn to see and join God’s work in their everyday lives. Jonny has a master’s degree in exegetical studies from Western Seminary and a doctorate in contextual theology from Northern Seminary. He writes regularly for the website Missio Alliance and the Jesus Collective, where he is on the extended leadership team.