Matt Carter, pastor of Austin Stone Community Church in Austin, Texas, has a message for Christians who have wandered from God. In The Long Walk Home: Discovering the Fullness of Life in the Love of the Father, Carter writes an extended treatment of the story of the prodigal son. In the familiar biblical story, a son demands his inheritance from his father, squanders it in a faraway land, and, after he hits bottom, returns to his home, where his father joyfully welcomes him home.



To Carter, the parallel for Christians is that we often come to believe that a better, more satisfying life awaits us in a faraway land than what we can experience with God. Our faraway land may not be an actual other land. Rather, we try all the things of this world, outside of the will of God, seeking satisfaction and happiness, always coming up short.



This theme was the most convicting and powerful thread of the book. "When our hearts are divided and we give part of our heart to some other person or possession, that hinders and muddies our experiences of God's presence. So if the fullness of joy is found in God's presence, if you have a divided heart, you simply cannot experience that fullness." Simply put, you won't experience the joy of knowing God if you are harboring sin. "The bad news for the believer walking in sin is that it will produce emptiness and misery every single time."



As bleak as that sounds, Carter's message is a message of great hope. "There is a place, and a home, and a Person that will always take you back, restore you to wholeness, and fill the deepest longings of your heart." No matter how far you have wandered, how low you have fallen, home miserable you are, God will take you back. "God is home to me. And you are His child, He is home to you. . . . He will never let go of you. Friends, not believing that is the first barrier that keeps us coming home to the Lord when we fail Him."



Carter writes with a lot of honesty about his own life, and a tone of directness that puts the reader in the spotlight of truth. Every Christian, no matter how long you have been walking with God or how long you have been wandering in a faraway land, needs this message. Be prepared for deep conviction and hard questions. Don't say I didn't warn you.





Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

The parable of the Prodigal Son has been a great favorite of many preachers, teachers, and church folks. Matt Carter carefully unpacks this ancient story in order to convince readers that no matter how badly we screw up or how far away we stray from God, we can return home again to be received lovingly and graciously by our Heavenly Father.

The chapters are easy to read and Carter’s style will probably appeal most to millennials who are now experiencing a spiritual and meaningful gap in their lives. The constant message is one of hope and restoration no matter who we are or what we’ve done.

This would be a great study book for a small home group to read, discuss, and share the valuable insights that the author expresses in each chapter. He also courageously tells his own story which will probably connect with many of his readers, especially if they are truly seeking God’s grace.