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The Long Walk Home: Discovering the Fullness of Life in the Love of the Father
There are a few questions that lie just below the surface for many Christians.
Does God really love me despite my failures?
Can God use me for good in this world despite all my sin and shortcomings?
Do my doubts and questions about faith make God think less of me?
Do I have a future in the family of God despite my past?
In the biblical story of the Prodigal Son, Jesus answers all those questions that lurk in the heart of so many believers. In The Long Walk Home , author and pastor Matt Carter takes a fresh look at this age-old story and helps the reader discover and experience, once again, the radical, never-ending love of God for His sons and daughters.
Does God really love me despite my failures?
Can God use me for good in this world despite all my sin and shortcomings?
Do my doubts and questions about faith make God think less of me?
Do I have a future in the family of God despite my past?
In the biblical story of the Prodigal Son, Jesus answers all those questions that lurk in the heart of so many believers. In The Long Walk Home , author and pastor Matt Carter takes a fresh look at this age-old story and helps the reader discover and experience, once again, the radical, never-ending love of God for His sons and daughters.
- GenresChristianChristianity
208 pages, Paperback
Published September 17, 2019
9 people are currently reading
57 people want to read
About the author
Matt Carter
39 books6 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
January 13, 2025
This one hit home!!! Such a sweet reminder of how often I forget the magnitude & depths of the Lord’s love for his children. “When we allow our past sin to keep us from coming home to God, we do that because we think more highly of our sin than we do the love of God”
May 11, 2020
RATING:
First half of book: 3.5
Second half: 4.75
Total rating: 4.13
When it comes to this book I had to split this book in half. It was hard for me to connect with the first half of the book because it felt like it was for new believers and/or if you have trouble learning to distinguish God’s truth, from yours and the enemy’s truth. He does a phenomenal job of asking and answering questions that pertains to living your life outside of God.
The book is written in a way that it feels like you are sitting down in your room and actually having a conversation with him. I personally like that because it makes it easier to be vulnerable and acknowledge what areas you are falling short in. He also does a great job of explaining the difference between sin and temptation. If you don’t know, you should probably check it out.
Now when you get to chapter 4, that’s when it took a turn. The moment he shared his testimony, I was gone. I kept reading and reading. The conviction became real to me. Every chapter was told in a way that drew me in. It felt like I was actually at an altar call and I am always down for that! The book really is personal and he even began to discuss some theology. I was shocked about the small details that I missed that made Jesus so much larger. He brings the gospel in every chapter. He does not disappoint when it comes to drawing you near to God. He centers everything back to the cross and to me, that’s a beautiful thing. We live in a society where we make everything about ourselves, but he made everything about our Lord and Savior and I will always be down for that!
First half of book: 3.5
Second half: 4.75
Total rating: 4.13
When it comes to this book I had to split this book in half. It was hard for me to connect with the first half of the book because it felt like it was for new believers and/or if you have trouble learning to distinguish God’s truth, from yours and the enemy’s truth. He does a phenomenal job of asking and answering questions that pertains to living your life outside of God.
The book is written in a way that it feels like you are sitting down in your room and actually having a conversation with him. I personally like that because it makes it easier to be vulnerable and acknowledge what areas you are falling short in. He also does a great job of explaining the difference between sin and temptation. If you don’t know, you should probably check it out.
Now when you get to chapter 4, that’s when it took a turn. The moment he shared his testimony, I was gone. I kept reading and reading. The conviction became real to me. Every chapter was told in a way that drew me in. It felt like I was actually at an altar call and I am always down for that! The book really is personal and he even began to discuss some theology. I was shocked about the small details that I missed that made Jesus so much larger. He brings the gospel in every chapter. He does not disappoint when it comes to drawing you near to God. He centers everything back to the cross and to me, that’s a beautiful thing. We live in a society where we make everything about ourselves, but he made everything about our Lord and Savior and I will always be down for that!
March 12, 2024
“Your sin might be fierce, but it’s not as fierce as the love your heavenly Father has for you…Your sin will never, ever be greater than God’s love for you, His child.”
A simple book, walking through the story of the prodigal son and how we all are or have been that prodigal child. Carter shares some excellent reminders that our sin is absolutely egregious, but His faithful love knows no bounds.
A simple book, walking through the story of the prodigal son and how we all are or have been that prodigal child. Carter shares some excellent reminders that our sin is absolutely egregious, but His faithful love knows no bounds.
October 8, 2019
Carter unpacks the hidden gems of a timeless parable
In his new book, “The Long Walk Home: Discovering the Fullness of Life in the Love of the Father,” Matt Carter unpacks the parable of the prodigal son in an expository style, gleaning insight into a timeless message that has been preached at thousands of pulpits around the world.
Published by B&H Publishing, Carter’s 208-page book is rich with revelation into the reality of spiritual drifting, wallowing in the mire of sin, and the eventual homecoming for the truly contrite in heart from the prodigal son’s perspective. The crux of the book is found in the ultimate question (page 31): “Am I missing out on life’s best by following Christ?”
In each chapter, Carter extrapolates every verse in Luke 15 to answer these kinds of questions that very few have ever dared to ask (page 38): “Why did the younger son choose to leave in the first place?” which Carter said will “get to the heart of this story.” After all, “nobody would ever walk down the road of sin if they truly knew what lay at the end of their journey (page 78).”
That’s exactly what Carter intended to find out in this book, which he does a masterful job of striving to answer. He shows us that we don’t have to squander a fortune and live in a pigpen to be prodigals. In fact, there are thousands who sit in pews every week who are prodigals in their hearts because they search in vain for what they think is a better life apart from Jesus. Carter also shows us the consequences of these bad decisions – and the way back home to the Father.
Overall, the parable of the prodigal son can very often be our story. He was desperately trying to fill a void and an eternal hunger (page 87) that only our Heavenly Father can fill.
“If I’ve learned anything in my forty-five years of life, I’ve learned that one Person, and one Person alone, can actually meet and satisfy those eternal longings. And that person is Jesus,” he writes (page 94). In the end, Carter does a great job of unpacking the hidden gems of this timeless parable.
About the only qualms I have with the book is it’s poorly edited, with many missing commas in every chapter and poor word usage (i.e., “reoccurring” should be “recurring” – page 19). Other than that, I would highly recommend this book.
I gave Carter’s book a 4 out of 5 stars.
Full disclosure: In accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, I received an advanced copy of this book free through B&H Publishing. My opinions are my own and I wasn’t required to write a positive review.
© 2019 by Doug S., M.A.
In his new book, “The Long Walk Home: Discovering the Fullness of Life in the Love of the Father,” Matt Carter unpacks the parable of the prodigal son in an expository style, gleaning insight into a timeless message that has been preached at thousands of pulpits around the world.
Published by B&H Publishing, Carter’s 208-page book is rich with revelation into the reality of spiritual drifting, wallowing in the mire of sin, and the eventual homecoming for the truly contrite in heart from the prodigal son’s perspective. The crux of the book is found in the ultimate question (page 31): “Am I missing out on life’s best by following Christ?”
In each chapter, Carter extrapolates every verse in Luke 15 to answer these kinds of questions that very few have ever dared to ask (page 38): “Why did the younger son choose to leave in the first place?” which Carter said will “get to the heart of this story.” After all, “nobody would ever walk down the road of sin if they truly knew what lay at the end of their journey (page 78).”
That’s exactly what Carter intended to find out in this book, which he does a masterful job of striving to answer. He shows us that we don’t have to squander a fortune and live in a pigpen to be prodigals. In fact, there are thousands who sit in pews every week who are prodigals in their hearts because they search in vain for what they think is a better life apart from Jesus. Carter also shows us the consequences of these bad decisions – and the way back home to the Father.
Overall, the parable of the prodigal son can very often be our story. He was desperately trying to fill a void and an eternal hunger (page 87) that only our Heavenly Father can fill.
“If I’ve learned anything in my forty-five years of life, I’ve learned that one Person, and one Person alone, can actually meet and satisfy those eternal longings. And that person is Jesus,” he writes (page 94). In the end, Carter does a great job of unpacking the hidden gems of this timeless parable.
About the only qualms I have with the book is it’s poorly edited, with many missing commas in every chapter and poor word usage (i.e., “reoccurring” should be “recurring” – page 19). Other than that, I would highly recommend this book.
I gave Carter’s book a 4 out of 5 stars.
Full disclosure: In accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, I received an advanced copy of this book free through B&H Publishing. My opinions are my own and I wasn’t required to write a positive review.
© 2019 by Doug S., M.A.
September 23, 2019
Most of us have probably heard the story of the prodigal son. It is a story that I grew up hearing, and one that I would probably just skim over at this point because I already know it by heart. However, reading The Long Walk Home by: Matt Carter made me really stop and ponder this story, and how much relevant it is to my life.
In this easy to read book, Carter walks through the story of the prodigal son, and talks about how we often feel that we are “missing out” in life by following God’s will. We think the grass is greener on the other side, and like the prodigal son, journey to a distant land to squander our money and/or time in sin. However, we eventually come to realize that this life will never make us happy, and we have sinned against our Heavenly Father. This life and all it has to offer, no matter what it is, will never truly satisfy us. The only way to live is with our Father.
With all of this sinning and running away, it would make sense if God just rejected us. That, thankfully, is not the case. “You see, when Christ came to this earth, He lived a perfect life. He never sinned. And so when God sent Jesus to the cross, He did that so Jesus’ shed blood would be the once-and-for-all-time payment for all of your sin. Not part of your sin. Not most of your sin…When Jesus shed His blood, it was the complete and total payment for every sin you’ve ever committed and ever will commit.” Because of this beautiful sacrifice and offering of grace, nothing can separate us from the love of our Father. The prodigal son came home to the embrace and unconditional love of his father, even after squandering his inheritance and hurting him. God offers us this same gift. The main message of this book is that incredible and comforting truth.
“God is home to me. And if you are His child, He is home to you. And no matter how many times you’ve forgotten or even rebelled against that truth – and no matter how many times you’ve let go of Him, here’s a promise you can take to the bank: He will never let go of you.” Amen! If you need some encouragement and conviction, I highly recommend picking up a copy of this book.
I received a copy of this book from the B and H Blogging Program in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
In this easy to read book, Carter walks through the story of the prodigal son, and talks about how we often feel that we are “missing out” in life by following God’s will. We think the grass is greener on the other side, and like the prodigal son, journey to a distant land to squander our money and/or time in sin. However, we eventually come to realize that this life will never make us happy, and we have sinned against our Heavenly Father. This life and all it has to offer, no matter what it is, will never truly satisfy us. The only way to live is with our Father.
With all of this sinning and running away, it would make sense if God just rejected us. That, thankfully, is not the case. “You see, when Christ came to this earth, He lived a perfect life. He never sinned. And so when God sent Jesus to the cross, He did that so Jesus’ shed blood would be the once-and-for-all-time payment for all of your sin. Not part of your sin. Not most of your sin…When Jesus shed His blood, it was the complete and total payment for every sin you’ve ever committed and ever will commit.” Because of this beautiful sacrifice and offering of grace, nothing can separate us from the love of our Father. The prodigal son came home to the embrace and unconditional love of his father, even after squandering his inheritance and hurting him. God offers us this same gift. The main message of this book is that incredible and comforting truth.
“God is home to me. And if you are His child, He is home to you. And no matter how many times you’ve forgotten or even rebelled against that truth – and no matter how many times you’ve let go of Him, here’s a promise you can take to the bank: He will never let go of you.” Amen! If you need some encouragement and conviction, I highly recommend picking up a copy of this book.
I received a copy of this book from the B and H Blogging Program in return for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
October 3, 2019
I loved this book so much! And I think it is because of the tone of the author, Pastor Matt Carter. As a Christian raised in a Christian home, I know the story of the prodigal son by heart and have heard many sermons and messages based on it but I enjoyed the way the author used it to illustrate a very relevant reality. Truth is, we all have strayed some time in our walk. You don't have to full-blown reject God and embrace drugs, sex, alcohol, etc to stray. Simply by not spending enough time communion with the Father is already straying. Or maybe our mind is more on the things of the world rather than on the Truth of God.
The message hits home with all, no matter what stage you are in your Christian life. This book unpacks a powerful truth in a very simple and easy style to understand making it perfect for new believers and older believers alike. This book would also be perfect to use in a youth group study or young adult group. I recommend this book to all!
I received a copy from B&H in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
The message hits home with all, no matter what stage you are in your Christian life. This book unpacks a powerful truth in a very simple and easy style to understand making it perfect for new believers and older believers alike. This book would also be perfect to use in a youth group study or young adult group. I recommend this book to all!
I received a copy from B&H in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
October 22, 2019
I’ve always been captivated by the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15. Matt Carter provides a new, important angle on this story for contemporary American culture. He compares our entire society to the prodigal son, who wonders what lies beyond the safety of his father’s home and heads into a life of indulgence. I appreciate his unique insights that are spot-on for this generation.
He provides interesting and sobering statistics about our culture, along with his personal story of how God transformed his life. It’s an engaging read that I had a hard time putting down. There are several spelling errors that could have been fixed with a closer edit. However, overall I enjoyed this book’s wise, yet down-to-earth perspective on a familiar Gospel story. If you have been intrigued by this Bible story like me, you’ll appreciate Matt Carter’s insights as well.
I received a preview copy of The Long Walk Home from B&H Publishers.
He provides interesting and sobering statistics about our culture, along with his personal story of how God transformed his life. It’s an engaging read that I had a hard time putting down. There are several spelling errors that could have been fixed with a closer edit. However, overall I enjoyed this book’s wise, yet down-to-earth perspective on a familiar Gospel story. If you have been intrigued by this Bible story like me, you’ll appreciate Matt Carter’s insights as well.
I received a preview copy of The Long Walk Home from B&H Publishers.
August 29, 2019
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.
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.
September 21, 2019
This is a great book that uses the story of the prodigal son and applies it to our lives today. Each chapter in the book takes one part of the story and dives deep into helping the reader see things that they may have glossed over.
One of my favorite things about this book was how the author helped me not only to see my life in light of the prodigal son story, but also how it so intimately relates to our relationship with God. This book gave me not only a better understanding and love for the story, but a better understanding of where I am in my relationship with God and his incredible love for me.
I would highly recommend this book for anyone who would like a deeper appreciation of this particular story as well as a deeper appreciation of God's love for us.
One of my favorite things about this book was how the author helped me not only to see my life in light of the prodigal son story, but also how it so intimately relates to our relationship with God. This book gave me not only a better understanding and love for the story, but a better understanding of where I am in my relationship with God and his incredible love for me.
I would highly recommend this book for anyone who would like a deeper appreciation of this particular story as well as a deeper appreciation of God's love for us.
August 7, 2023
Examine the story of the "prodigal son", Matt Carter shares truths about God our Heavenly Father. This story not only reminds us of the wickedness of man's heart (easily deceived in believing we are missing out on life) it proclaims the love of the Father and the satisfaction and fulfillment we have in Him. Overall 4 possibly 4.5 stars.
September 27, 2019
This book oozes a pastoral tone that is so needed and valuable. I’ve heard Matt Carter say “preach pastorally”, and I feel that is what he is working to accomplish here as he attempts to preach at the heart with the truth of the Gospel.
December 19, 2022
Very easy, conversational read. He is able to get his points across with simplicity, making this a great book of recommendation to a new Christian. I enjoyed the precious reminders of God’s love for us throughout.
June 12, 2021
Resonated so much with this book. A beautiful detailing of the prodigal son. Well done Matt Carter, well done.
December 7, 2023
Great way to look and think about a parable we all know so well. The last two/two and a half chapters were phenomenal.
July 23, 2020
This is a very easy read utilizing the story of the prodigal son and the author's own life experiences to fill the pages. There is a lot of love given by the author and an encouragement to return back to God regardless of where we find oneself.
Overall though, I would say that it was one of the books I enjoyed less in the more recent past. That is not to say that it is bad, but it just did not keep my attention like I had hoped. The book itself is very aesthetically pleasing and has very nice typography that makes it nice to hold and easy to read. Unfortunately, it did not resonate with me that much.
The publisher sent it to me in exchange for an unbiased review.
Overall though, I would say that it was one of the books I enjoyed less in the more recent past. That is not to say that it is bad, but it just did not keep my attention like I had hoped. The book itself is very aesthetically pleasing and has very nice typography that makes it nice to hold and easy to read. Unfortunately, it did not resonate with me that much.
The publisher sent it to me in exchange for an unbiased review.
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