What do you think?
Rate this book
Finally Free: Three Lessons in the Parable of the Prodigal Son
Recounting the parable of the prodigal son, author Bryan Wolfmueller discusses the biblical account in light of our culture today.
The author focuses on "three slaveries": The Belly Slavery, which prioritizes our passions and desires; Despair, which causes us to feel trapped and unworthy of God's forgiveness and love; and Pride, which focuses on our self-centered nature. The conclusion points to the Gospel promises and freedom in Christ, emphasizing His forgiveness and love.
The author focuses on "three slaveries": The Belly Slavery, which prioritizes our passions and desires; Despair, which causes us to feel trapped and unworthy of God's forgiveness and love; and Pride, which focuses on our self-centered nature. The conclusion points to the Gospel promises and freedom in Christ, emphasizing His forgiveness and love.
- GenresReligion
64 pages, Paperback
Published January 15, 2026
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
June 11, 2026
This book was not for me.
It is well written and theologically correct. The chapters, individually or as a whole, create a good sermon preaching both Law and Gospel. However, as a book, it fell short for me. There wasn't much that was truly new or helpful unveiled about this story. Wolfmueller's way of presenting the information did not have me questioning my assumptions, nor did it unlock a deeper resonance with Scripture. The result is that I did not enjoy reading this book. But I am sure that many people might enjoy it, for whom this book would be very valuable to seek out and read.
This book would be very good for the layperson who feels they do not have time for theology but would like to go deeper into what Scripture is saying than a typical devotional book.
There are a few specific points I want to address.
First, the good: Wolfmueller makes the very good point that Jesus loved the Scribes and Pharisees. As obvious as this seems upon reflection, it doesn't match the way we often talk about the opponents of Jesus, treating them as evil and unredeemable foes that Jesus delights in knocking down a few pegs. Wolfmueller also provided an insightful comparison between the younger son's character arc and our understanding of the two parts of confession.
Next, the bad: in his discussion of the elder son, Wolfmueller makes the mistake of overly psychologizing. He goes beyond the parable Jesus tells to paint a picture of a son who was never doing honest work for his father, but rather only stuck around out of a desire to inherit. It would be better instead to focus on the specific actions Jesus brings out in the parable rather than dwell so long on what this hypothetical son might have been like at other times. There is enough pridefulness within the story without needing to make up more.
It is well written and theologically correct. The chapters, individually or as a whole, create a good sermon preaching both Law and Gospel. However, as a book, it fell short for me. There wasn't much that was truly new or helpful unveiled about this story. Wolfmueller's way of presenting the information did not have me questioning my assumptions, nor did it unlock a deeper resonance with Scripture. The result is that I did not enjoy reading this book. But I am sure that many people might enjoy it, for whom this book would be very valuable to seek out and read.
This book would be very good for the layperson who feels they do not have time for theology but would like to go deeper into what Scripture is saying than a typical devotional book.
There are a few specific points I want to address.
First, the good: Wolfmueller makes the very good point that Jesus loved the Scribes and Pharisees. As obvious as this seems upon reflection, it doesn't match the way we often talk about the opponents of Jesus, treating them as evil and unredeemable foes that Jesus delights in knocking down a few pegs. Wolfmueller also provided an insightful comparison between the younger son's character arc and our understanding of the two parts of confession.
Next, the bad: in his discussion of the elder son, Wolfmueller makes the mistake of overly psychologizing. He goes beyond the parable Jesus tells to paint a picture of a son who was never doing honest work for his father, but rather only stuck around out of a desire to inherit. It would be better instead to focus on the specific actions Jesus brings out in the parable rather than dwell so long on what this hypothetical son might have been like at other times. There is enough pridefulness within the story without needing to make up more.
January 26, 2026
This is a wonderfully written book—easy to read and very engaging. Pastor Wolfmueller presents three forms of slavery: our sinful flesh which makes us “belly slaves” (like the younger son); despair, (which the younger son in the parable experiences before he decides to return home), and pride, (the self-righteousness of the older son.) All three are slaveries we all experience, sometimes even managing “to do all three before breakfast,” as Wolfmueller states. Jesus wants to free us from each of these slaveries…and we need to know we can’t free ourselves. Grab this book and read about the three freedoms!
This book is only 63 pages long, in an easy to read font. I highly recommend it…you’ll have new understanding of this much-loved parable. You can also hear a three-part series of Pastor Wolfmueller discussing his book on the Issues, Etc. podcast—check that out too.
This book is only 63 pages long, in an easy to read font. I highly recommend it…you’ll have new understanding of this much-loved parable. You can also hear a three-part series of Pastor Wolfmueller discussing his book on the Issues, Etc. podcast—check that out too.
February 9, 2026
I received this book, unsolicited, in the mail from CPH (the publisher).
Do we really need another book on the parable of the Prodigal Son? Sure.
Wolfmueller is cognizant of the volumes written on this parable already, but he wishes to drive home a particular point, namely that there are three "slaveries" this parable identifies. Wolfmueller warns against them, and shows how Christ rescues us from them.
The book is short. 63 pages. The pages are small, the font is large, the spacing is greater than "single" and there are blank spaces between each paragraph. This makes the book extremely accessible for people who are not in the habit of reading books (to say nothing of books on theology). You might say this book is a "stocking stuffer."
The theology in it is rich and Christ-focused. I don't know that Wolfmueller adds anything "new" to the interpretation of the Parable, which is a good thing. However, his focused presentation of the material is a gift to all. He doesn't get distracted from his point.
My one objection (and reason for a 4 star review) is this. In the introduction Wolfmueller says, "I'd like to focus on the older brother, who is sulking in the field" (5). He then spends the first two (of three!) chapters talking about the younger brother, and then only discusses the older brother in the last third of the book. The focus isn't on the older brother, but on the three slaveries that Christ overcomes.
I read the whole book in under and hour, and you can too. It'd be a good use of your time.
Do we really need another book on the parable of the Prodigal Son? Sure.
Wolfmueller is cognizant of the volumes written on this parable already, but he wishes to drive home a particular point, namely that there are three "slaveries" this parable identifies. Wolfmueller warns against them, and shows how Christ rescues us from them.
The book is short. 63 pages. The pages are small, the font is large, the spacing is greater than "single" and there are blank spaces between each paragraph. This makes the book extremely accessible for people who are not in the habit of reading books (to say nothing of books on theology). You might say this book is a "stocking stuffer."
The theology in it is rich and Christ-focused. I don't know that Wolfmueller adds anything "new" to the interpretation of the Parable, which is a good thing. However, his focused presentation of the material is a gift to all. He doesn't get distracted from his point.
My one objection (and reason for a 4 star review) is this. In the introduction Wolfmueller says, "I'd like to focus on the older brother, who is sulking in the field" (5). He then spends the first two (of three!) chapters talking about the younger brother, and then only discusses the older brother in the last third of the book. The focus isn't on the older brother, but on the three slaveries that Christ overcomes.
I read the whole book in under and hour, and you can too. It'd be a good use of your time.
April 14, 2026
As the great theologian Ignacio Villalobos once said, "Beneath the clothes, we find a man… and beneath the man we find his… nucleus." Pastor Wolfmueller helps us uncover our human condition and God's incredible work for us through the lens of the Parable of the Prodigal Son. A very delightful and brief read, but one worth reading over.
April 27, 2026
This book is so helpful to me. I am going to read it again starting tomorrow. It’s short and super easy to read. I put this on the same tier of importance (for me) as The Spirituality of the Cross.
January 19, 2026
Wish it was longer. Loved the chapter on pride.
February 17, 2026
This is an excellent concise book. It could even be given to those who don't know Christ as it is a beautiful overview of the Gospel.
March 4, 2026
A great short meditation on this powerful parable. Wolfmueller does a really good job at conveying Christ’s love and grace towards sinners.
March 16, 2026
Nothing special. Helpful insights about different motivations that may lead us to sin.
May 18, 2026
A very quick read and an interesting take on the prodigal son parable.
March 31, 2026
Audiobook.
3.5 stars 🌟
Solid teaching. Wish it were longer. Nice and simple. Would be a good book for a young adult or teen, but still beneficial for older adults.
3.5 stars 🌟
Solid teaching. Wish it were longer. Nice and simple. Would be a good book for a young adult or teen, but still beneficial for older adults.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews