Jesus Christ - Lesson Nine: The Lost Sheep, Coin, and Son - Embracing The Unworthy

On Sunday, April 19th 2026, Assistant Pastor Dillon Meadway's teaching draws us into the heart of Luke 15, where we encounter three parables that reveal God's relentless pursuit of the lost: the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son. The message challenges us to examine our own hearts and ask a penetrating question: would we go after the one? While the Pharisees criticized Jesus for eating with sinners and tax collectors, He was demonstrating the very essence of His mission—to seek and save that which was lost. The shepherd didn't wait for the sheep to find its way home; he left the ninety-nine and searched until he found it. The woman didn't assume the coin would turn up eventually; she lit a candle and swept diligently until it was recovered. And the father didn't wait at the doorstep; he ran while his son was still a great way off. This teaching confronts our tendency to become comfortable with the ninety-nine, to forget what it felt like to be lost, broken, and desperate for grace. We're reminded that heaven rejoices over one sinner who repents more than over ninety-nine who need no repentance. The call is clear: we must learn to embrace the unworthy, to meet people where they are, and to restore relationship rather than demand perfection before acceptance. When prodigals return to our churches, will they find judgment or the Father's embrace?