The Lost Boys | Ray Menchaca

Devotional

Day 1: The Nintendo Switch and the Father’s Relentless Pursuit

When something precious is lost, we’ll turn over every seat cushion and retrace every step. But heaven’s search party never stops scanning the horizon. The Father’s eyes never tire of watching for prodigals. His joy isn’t measured by our worthiness, but by His own relentless love that runs to reclaim what the world would discard. [01:05:53]

“Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
(Luke 15:8–10, ESV)

Reflection: What “lost thing” in your life have you stopped praying for? How might the Father’s persistence invite you to hope again?

Day 2: The Son Who Wanted Assets, Not the Father

Inheritance demands reveal hidden hearts. The younger son didn’t want relationship—he wanted resources. He traded the warmth of his father’s voice for the cold clink of coins. Yet the Father’s response defies logic: He hands over not just property, but His very life. Grace gives itself to those who wish the Giver dead. [01:03:48]

“And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living.”
(Luke 15:12–13, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you sought God’s blessings more than His presence? What would it look like to want the Giver over the gifts today?

Day 3: The Older Brother’s Unopened Gift

The party music grated because he’d mistaken duty for delight. While the younger son partied inside, the older brother stood fuming over unclaimed riches. The Father’s whisper cuts through self-righteous rage: “Everything I have is already yours.” The tragedy isn’t rejection—it’s refusing to open hands to receive. [44:51]

“And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.’”
(Luke 15:31, ESV)

Reflection: What blessings have you resented others for receiving? How might your clenched fists be blocking your own inheritance?

Day 4: The Interrupted Repentance Speech

The prodigal rehearsed a bargain, but the Father drowned his negotiations with a robe. Our best apologies still smell like pigpen deals. True grace doesn’t wait for perfect words—it runs, embraces, and silences our transactional pleas with unconditional belonging. [01:01:33]

“And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet.’”
(Luke 15:21–22, ESV)

Reflection: Where are you still trying to earn approval God freely gives? How might you receive His embrace without self-made conditions?

Day 5: The Gardener’s Carrot and the Nobleman’s Horse

Two gifts. Two motives. One heart gave freely; the other calculated returns. The Father sees past our offerings to our why. Whether we’re loose-living younger brothers or rule-keeping older brothers, He invites us beyond performance to the pure joy of being wanted. [58:43]

“But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature… For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.’”
(1 Samuel 16:7, ESV)

Reflection: What hidden motives might God be tenderly exposing in your service? How could living as the “gardener” instead of the “nobleman” change your relationships?

Sermon Summary

God stands as the source of every good thing, and the call to reach children carries real weight because every dollar, every volunteer, and every prayer represents real people. Kids camp becomes more than skits, bulls, and carnival fun; it becomes a place where children can hear about Jesus Christ and where the trajectory of a family, a life, and a legacy can change.

Father’s Day turns the eyes toward men who love Jesus, men who are hungry spiritually, humble, smart, hardworking, selfless, and steady under pressure. Joshua and Caleb show the kind of courage that looks at giants and says, “Bring it on, baby. If God is for us, who can be against us?” Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego show the kind of backbone that will not bow the knee to culture, even when the furnace is hot.

Luke 15 tells the story of three lost things, a sheep, a coin, and a son, but the lost son story carries a twist. Jesus shows not one lost son, but two. The younger son wants the father’s hand and not the father’s heart. His demand for the inheritance is not just a money request; it is a death wish. He wants the blessing but not the blesser, the stuff but not the father himself.

The father receives the younger son with shocking mercy. While the son is still a long way off, the father runs, hugs him tight, kisses him, covers his shame, and throws a party. Grace interrupts the boy’s prepared speech before he can ask to become a hired hand. The father refuses a business deal because sonship is not earned wages.

The older son is lost too, even while staying in the house. His anger shows an elder brother spirit, a heart so consumed with what it deserves that it has no room for what grace is doing in someone else. The shepherd looks for the sheep, the woman looks for the coin, but no one looks for the younger brother because that was the older brother’s responsibility.

Jesus becomes the true elder brother who actually goes after the lost. The robe goes on the son because Jesus’ robe is torn off. The ring goes on the son because nails pierce Jesus’ hands. The shoes go on the son because nails pierce Jesus’ feet. Heaven erupts over one sinner who comes home, not over a gadget, not over a game, but over a soul.

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Key Takeaways

1. The father wants the heart [49:40] The younger son exposes the danger of wanting God’s hand without wanting God Himself. Blessing can become a way to use the Father while keeping distance from His heart. The soul can look spiritual while still asking only for control, comfort, and stuff. [49:40]
2. Grace interrupts every negotiation [01:01:33] The father does not let the son finish his hired-hand speech. Even the son’s repentance still has a backdoor, a plan to earn his way back. The gospel cuts through that deal-making and says the Father runs before performance can speak. [61:33]
3. Goodness can still be lost [59:16] The older son stays home, works hard, and still stands outside the party grumbling. Religion can hide self-centeredness better than rebellion does. A heart can be lost in badness or lost in goodness, and both need the Father’s mercy. [59:16]
4. The true elder brother paid [01:04:23] The younger son receives robe, ring, and shoes because Jesus is stripped, pierced, and treated like the outcast. Sonship comes home at the expense of the true elder brother. Grace is not cheap sentiment; it is the life of Christ given for people who wished the Father dead. [64:23]
5. Heaven celebrates found souls [01:06:26] The found Nintendo Switch becomes a small picture of bigger joy. If a family can jump up and down over a recovered gadget, heaven’s joy over a repentant sinner is beyond price. The Father is already watching the road, and the church is called to keep looking.

## [66:26]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[31:12] - Kids Camp Impact And Offering
[35:20] - Father’s Day And Godly Men
[35:59] - Joshua, Caleb, And Courage
[36:55] - Men Who Will Not Bow
[38:32] - Losing Things In Hawaii
[40:43] - Luke 15 And Two Lost Sons
[46:01] - The Younger Son’s Death Wish
[49:40] - Wanting The Blessing, Not The Blesser
[53:28] - The Older Brother Outside The Party
[55:34] - The Elder Brother Spirit
[56:32] - The Carrot, The Horse, And Motives
[60:17] - Acknowledging The Need For Grace
[62:32] - Gazing At The True Elder Brother
[65:30] - Heaven Rejoices When The Lost Come Home

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Luke 15:11-32
“And he said, ‘There was a man who had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, “Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.” And he divided his property between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living. And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself, he said, “How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.’” And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate. Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.’ But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’” [40:43]

Romans 8:31
“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” [36:21]

Daniel 3:16-18
“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.’” [36:39]

Numbers 13:30-33
“But Caleb quieted the people before Moses and said, ‘Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.’ Then the men who had gone up with him said, ‘We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we are.’ So they brought to the people of Israel a bad report of the land that they had spied out, saying, ‘The land, through which we have gone to spy it out, is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people that we saw in it are of great height. And there we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak, who come from the Nephilim), and we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers, and so we seemed to them.’” [35:47]

Observation questions

In Luke 15, what are the main differences between how the younger son speaks to the father and how the older son speaks to the father?
What actions does the father take when he sees the younger son coming home, and what do those actions show about his heart? [43:12]
In the three lost things of Luke 15, who goes looking for the sheep and the coin, and what stands out about the lost son story? [54:23]
In Numbers 13 and Daniel 3, what kind of pressure were Joshua, Caleb, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego facing, and how did they respond? [36:17]

Interpretation questions

The younger son asks for the inheritance before the father dies. Why does that reveal more than a money problem? What does it show about a heart that wants the Father’s gifts without wanting the Father Himself? [47:21]
The older son stays near the father’s house but still refuses to enter the celebration. How can a person be outwardly good, responsible, and religious, yet still be far from the Father’s heart? [59:16]
The younger son prepares a speech about becoming a hired servant, but the father interrupts him. What does that reveal about grace, repentance, and the inability to earn a place back in the family? [01:01:33]
Jesus is the true elder brother who actually comes for the lost. How does that help make sense of the robe, ring, shoes, and the cost of bringing sinners home? [01:04:23]

Application questions

Which of the two sons feels closer to home right now: the one who ran away in open rebellion, or the one who stayed close but became proud, cold, and resentful? What signs point in that direction? [56:23]
It is possible to want God’s hand and not God’s heart. Where is that temptation showing up right now—in work, money, family, ministry, reputation, comfort, or control? [49:42]
Grace interrupts every attempt to bargain. Where is there still a tendency to say, “If I do better, then maybe I’ll be accepted”? What would it look like to receive mercy instead of trying to negotiate for it? [01:01:19]
Some people are lost in badness, and some are lost in goodness. Which danger seems more personal right now? Is there more struggle with obvious sin, or with pride, comparison, and quiet resentment? [59:12]
Heaven rejoices over found souls. Who is one younger brother-type person that could be prayed for, welcomed, or gently pursued this week instead of being written off? [01:06:39]
The Father’s heart is to keep looking down the road. What would it look like for this group to build bigger bridges to people far from God rather than simply staying comfortable with one another? [56:02]
Men who love Jesus stand firm when pressure comes. Where is courage needed right now to trust God like Joshua and Caleb, or to refuse compromise like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? [37:05]

Sermon Clips

44s

“``When I read that, I've never seen that before, and here's the thing, the father never lets him finish. He interrupts the speech. The boy never gets the words, make me a hired servant, out before the father puts a robe around his shoulders anyways. You know why? I want you to remember this if you don't remember anything else. You ready? Because it was never about the son's performance and it's not about your performance. It's not about the quality of your confession, the sincerity of your return, or the plan you have cooked up in the pigpen, it was about the father running and that's the gospel message.”

43s

“Grace that gives itself away to the one who wished the dead. On a cross, Jesus said, Father, forgive them for they know not what they do. You see, a robe was placed on the younger son because the robe of Jesus was torn off of him. You see, a ring was put on the younger son because nails were pierced through the hands of Jesus. You see, shoes were put on the feet of the younger son because nails were driven through the feet of Jesus. On the cross, Jesus was treated as the outcast so that we could be brought into God's family.”

34s

“It's not our performance that brings us home, it's the performance of the true elder brother, Jesus Christ. You see, the gospel message is this, that Jesus lived the life we should have lived. He died the death we deserved. We cannot earn our way to heaven. Jesus earned that and we must receive it and live a life out of gratitude for that. So the first thing I want you to do is acknowledge our need.”

59s

“The younger son made a shocking statement. He said, give me my share of the property. And I found another solid truth in the Greek that I've never seen before. When he asked for the property, it's the word o u s I a. So this is what the younger son asked for. But what the father actually hands over, Luke switches the word and he says that the father divided up his bios. This is where we get the word biology or biography, it's the word life. So the son asked for assets, but what did the father tear off? He tore off something far more than property, he gave them his life. And that's the shocking story. It's the gospel message that grace that gives itself away to the one who wished the dead.”

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