Lost Things
Scripture
All the tax collectors and sinners were approaching to listen to him. 2 And the Pharisees and scribes were complaining, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
So he told them this parable: “What man among you, who has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open field and go after the lost one until he finds it? When he has found it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders, and coming home, he calls his friends and neighbors together, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my lost sheep!’ I tell you, in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who don’t need repentance.
“Or what woman who has ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? When she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found the silver coin I lost!’ I tell you, in the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents.”
He also said, “A man had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate I have coming to me.’ So he distributed the assets to them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered together all he had and traveled to a distant country, where he squandered his estate in foolish living. After he had spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he had nothing. Then he went to work for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. He longed to eat his fill from the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one would give him anything. When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food, and here I am dying of hunger! I’ll get up, go to my father, and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I’m no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired workers.”’ So he got up and went to his father. But while the son was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I’m no longer worthy to be called your son.’
“But the father told his servants, ‘Quick! Bring out the best robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Then bring the fattened calf and slaughter it, and let’s celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ So they began to celebrate.
“Now his older son was in the field; as he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he summoned one of the servants, questioning what these things meant. ‘Your brother is here,’ he told him, ‘and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
“Then he became angry and didn’t want to go in. So his father came out and pleaded with him. But he replied to his father, ‘Look, I have been slaving many years for you, and I have never disobeyed your orders, yet you never gave me a goat so that I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your assets with prostitutes, you slaughtered the fattened calf for him.’
‘Son,’ he said to him, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”
(Luke 15:1-32)
Finding What is Lost
Prayer. Have a family member pray for your time together. Ask God to help everyone in the family understand His Word and who He is.
Today we will be learning how Jesus is all about finding that which is lost!
Luke 15 shares 3 different stories of lost things and the great lengths people will go to recover that which is lost. All three stories point to Jesus and his quest for lost souls. But at times it’s hard for us to relate to these stories because most of us probably have never searched for a wayward sheep, flipped our house upside down for just one coin, or ran away from home and in turn longed for the food of the pigs. The context is important here though, Jesus begins to tell these 3 stories of lost things in response to the Pharisees being upset with Him for welcoming and eating with sinners.
Thus we get 3 stories to explain the great lengths that Jesus goes to for that which is lost. 3 things that the people of the day could easily relate to. The lost things in our day might be car keys, our pets, or like in the video our cell phones! As you read today, think about the Sheep, Coin, & Son. What story do you fit in most?
Ice Breaker:
What was the last thing that you really lost? Did you ever find it?
Where was the weirdest place you’ve ever found your TV remote or car keys after they were lost?
Read Luke 15:1-32
Activity: Writing about how God helped you when you were lost or write the name of someone that’s lost and needs to be found by Jesus.
Discussion Questions:
- Why do you think Jesus spent so much time with the “sinners” of his day?
- How are the Pharisees just as lost as the sinners they despised?
- How can we be more like the woman who rejoices and invites others to get excited about it as well; rather than the brother who struggles to be happy about his lost brother returning home?
- If you are more like the brother or the Pharisees what needs to change in your life?
- What does the shepherd, woman, & Father in these stories show us about God?
- If God is relentless in his pursuit of lost souls shouldn’t we be the same way in telling others about Jesus?
- How can you help someone this week that may be straying away from God?
- What practical steps can you take to avoid getting “lost” like the things in the story? If you are lost what do you need to change and come back to Jesus?
Jesus is all about the lost, the sick, the broken, and the sinners. He wants us all to be found. And the great thing is we can never mess up too much for Him to stop searching for us. He is relentless in His pursuit of sinners. Like when we lose our phone or the tv remote we don’t stop until it’s found. Jesus is the same way with His children and wants to bring all of them into a relationship with Him.
Activity
So the final part of today’s Family Devo is for you as a family to search for the lost words in the activity sheet. The trick is you don’t know which words are in there! So search high and low, side to side, & diagonally for all the words. Be relentless in your search like Jesus is for lost souls!
Score 2 points if the word is in Luke 15.
Score 1 point if it is not.
Text your score to Greg at 615-582-5759
