___Luke 15:11-23. 11, And he said, A certain man had two sons:

___12, And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.

___13, And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.

___14, And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.

___15, And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.

___16, And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.

___17, And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

___18, I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,

___19, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.

___20, And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.

___21, And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.

___22, But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:

___23, And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:

II. A Model Happy Home is One Where

__1. Jesus dwells.

___Luke 10:38-42. 38, Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.

___39, And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.

___40, But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.

___41, And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:

___42, But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

___John 11:1-5. 1, Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.

___2, It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)

___3, Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.

___4, When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.

___5, Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.

___John 14:23. "Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him."

__2. True love exists between husband and wife.

___Eph. 5:25. "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;"

___Titus 2:4, 5. 4, That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,

___5, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

__3. True love exists between parents and children.

___Eph. 6:1-4. 1, Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.

___2, Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise;

___3, That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.

___4, And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

__4. All are submissive.

___Eph. 5:21. 21, Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

___1 Pet. 5:5. "Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble."

__5. All are kind.

___Rom. 12:10. "Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;"

__6. All are gentle.

___Jas. 3:17, 18. 17, But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

___18, And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

__7. All forbear each other's weaknesses.

___Col. 3:12-14. 12, Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

___13, Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.

___14, And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

__8. All dwell in unity.

___Psa. 133:1. "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!"

III. The Bible Teaches

__1. That the happiness of home doesn't depend upon the abundance of things possessed

___Luke 12:15. "And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth."

___Pro. 15:17. "Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith."

__2. Home is incomplete without children.

___Psa. 127:3-5. 3, Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

___4, As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.

___5, Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.

___Psa. 128:1-6. 1, Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways.

___2, For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.

___3, Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table.

___4, Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the LORD.

___5, The LORD shall bless thee out of Zion: and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life.

___6, Yea, thou shalt see thy children's children, and peace upon Israel.

___Pro. 17:6. "Children's children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers."

__3. That the father and children should bless and praise mother.

___Pro. 31:28, 31. 28, Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.

___31, Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

__4. That the mother can rule her home.

____(a) With the law of kindness.

______Pro. 31:26. "She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness."

______Pro. 15:1. "A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger."

____(b) With the law of love.

______So. of Sol. 8:6. "Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame."