[June 7, 2026] North Chatham Campus - When People Meet Jesus

Jun 07, 2026

Devotional

Day 1: The Shepherd Leaves the 99 for the One

The image of Jesus abandoning safety to pursue a single wandering sheep redefines divine priorities. Heaven’s economy values the lost over the comfortable. This parable dismantles religious complacency, revealing a God who risks everything for those still outside the fold. When we grasp this, our view of “worthy” people shifts. Celebration erupts not in preservation but in restoration. [57:51]

“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” (Luke 15:3–7, ESV)

Reflection: When have you felt like the “one” Jesus pursued? Who in your life might need you to mirror this relentless love today?

Day 2: Breaking Our Hearts for the Lost

A decade of prayers for a family reveals how God’s longing becomes ours. The story of Shane and Kit’s slow journey to baptism shows divine patience working through ordinary persistence. Heaven’s celebration is worth our tears, awkward conversations, and years of showing up. Repentance here isn’t a transaction but a tectonic shift in how we see people. [01:02:18]

“And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” (Ezekiel 36:26, ESV)

Reflection: Whose absence from God’s family keeps you awake at night? What small step could you take today to align your heart with His?

Day 3: Lighting Lamps for Hidden Coins

The woman sweeps shadows, refusing to accept loss. Her determination mirrors Jesus’ refusal to abandon those society deems insignificant. Searching requires humility—getting on knees, peering under furniture, valuing what others overlook. Every recovered “coin” proves God’s love for the apparently invisible. [56:56]

“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: Who have you quietly written off as “too far gone”? How might you begin “sweeping” for them this week?

Day 4: When Heaven Throws a Party

Angels aren’t polite—they erupt when a soul turns home. The Pharisees’ muttering drowns in this celestial roar. Our call isn’t to critique the guest list but to join the dance. Joy here is warfare against cynicism, a defiant belief that no one is beyond redemption’s reach. [01:10:48]

“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 15:9–10, ESV)

Reflection: When did you last celebrate someone’s spiritual step more than their moral performance? Who needs your unguarded joy today?

Day 5: Carrying Names in Bleacher-Section Prayers

Folded note cards with inked names become altars. Holding them upward mirrors the shepherd’s shoulders—our prayers participating in divine rescue. These aren’t projects but beloved image-bearers. Ten years of invites and Facebook posts matter: persistence is the language of hope. [01:13:32]

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19–20, ESV)

Reflection: Whose name will you write today? How can you move beyond vague concern to intentional pursuit this month?

Sermon Summary

Luke 15 puts Jesus in the middle of growing tension with religious insiders as tax collectors and sinners gather close and the Pharisees mutter about the company he keeps. The in-group instinct names those people as the wrong crowd, and the complaint lands hard because table fellowship marks tribe and loyalty. The complaint becomes religious when God-language is pulled into the boundary lines, and that is where the critique turns dark. The contrast between soul-sucking isolation and self-righteous tribalism frames the human problem, and Jesus’ mission comes to rescue from both in order to rescue for himself, his virtues, and his mission to seek and to save the lost.

The first parable sets a shepherd in motion. The shepherd leaves ninety-nine to hunt the one, finds it, throws it over his shoulders, and calls for a party. The second parable sets a woman in motion. The woman lights a lamp, sweeps the house, hunts every corner, finds the coin, and calls friends to rejoice. The main actors in both parables initiate, search, find, and celebrate. The summary refrain then names what makes heaven sing: repentance. Heaven’s joy breaks out over one sinner who turns. The shepherd and the woman image Jesus’ persistent love, but the summaries push the hearer toward a choice. Repentance becomes the U-turn from self-direction and idols toward the Good Shepherd’s arms.

The invitation Jesus presses works on two kinds of insiders. The religious insiders are called out of muttering and into the heart of God. The churchly comfort is asked to yield to God’s ache for those still far off. The heart work begins with a prayer. Lord, break my heart for what breaks yours. That prayer reshapes a life from safe subculture to a life that feels God’s longing.

The searching work then takes shape in ordinary, patient practices. Prayer, relationship, spiritual conversations, invitation, repeat. The good news sets ordinary people into a long obedience of love, risk, and patience, because the Good Shepherd is already at work and even uses things like social media to nudge people home. The rejoicing work finally becomes a litmus test. If heaven erupts when one repents, then joy is discipleship. Some temperaments must go to work on celebration, but the call stands. All of heaven is leaning in, ready to rejoice over a name and a story that ends, and that is how they met Jesus.

Key Takeaways

1. Jesus rescues from twin pitfalls The mission of Jesus saves people from isolating aloneness and from the vicious spiral of tribal contempt, not to drop them into neutrality, but to gather them into his life, his virtues, and his mission. The gospel does not simply negate sin; it positively forms faith, hope, love, wisdom, and courage. That formation pushes back against cynicism and consumer drift with the weight of a better way. Salvation therefore reorients identity, desires, and purpose all at once. [54:46]
2. Heaven rejoices over repentance The parables drive to a single thunderclap: heaven erupts when one sinner repents. The shepherd’s search and the woman’s sweep both climax in communal celebration, and Jesus says that is how heaven feels about a single turn toward God. Repentance is not groveling; it is re-direction into joy. Heaven’s party sets the emotional temperature for the church’s response. [56:56]
3. Share God’s longing for the lost The heart work begins with a simple, costly prayer: Lord, break my heart for what breaks yours. That request asks God to rewire affections so that apathy toward neighbors becomes ache and intercession. Over time, that ache matures into persistence, patience, and tears that mirror Jesus’ love. Compassion then stops being a mood and becomes a maintained posture. [1:01:45]
4. Join the search with simple practices The searching work is not flashy. Prayer names people before God, relationship bears quiet witness, spiritual conversations open doors, invitation offers a path, and repeat keeps going when nothing moves. This is seed-sowing over years, trusting that the Good Shepherd is already hunting hearts. Patience here is not passivity; it is faithful participation in Jesus’ pursuit. [1:07:28]
5. Learn the work of celebration Joy is a discipline for those wired to worry, grump, or stay cool. Jesus makes rejoicing a measure of alignment with heaven’s heart, because celebration honors what God honors. Practiced joy also trains communities to notice grace and to resist the narcotic of constant outrage. Shared rejoicing becomes part of the witness that draws more people home. [1:09:40]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[43:18] - Testimony: when people meet Jesus
[46:54] - Remembering the lost matter to God
[48:39] - Luke 15: Jesus and the wrong crowd
[51:22] - Our in-group instincts and their danger
[53:37] - The trap of self-righteous alignment
[54:22] - Rescued from isolation and tribalism
[55:57] - Two parables and heaven’s joy
[57:51] - Repentance that makes heaven sing
[58:42] - Invitation to be found today
[59:50] - Three entry points: longing, looking, rejoicing
[1:01:45] - Prayer: break my heart
[1:07:28] - Five simple practices for the search
[1:09:40] - The work of rejoicing
[1:16:19] - Prayer of surrender and celebration

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Luke 15:1-10 (ESV)
1 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, “This man receives sinners and eats with them.” 3 So he told them this parable: 4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ 7 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. 8 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? 9 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.’ 10 Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Observation questions

What specific actions do the shepherd and the woman take to find what was lost? How do their efforts compare?
How do the Pharisees and scribes respond to Jesus’ association with “sinners,” and what does their grumbling reveal about their priorities? [53:08]
What repeated phrase does Jesus use to describe heaven’s reaction to repentance?
In the sermon, what two extremes does Jesus rescue people from, and what does he rescue them for? [54:46]

Interpretation questions

Why might Jesus have chosen a shepherd (a common, humble role) and a woman (culturally marginalized) as the main characters in these parables?
The Pharisees’ grumbling assumes God would reject “sinners.” How do these parables redefine God’s heart toward those who are lost?
The sermon mentions that “in-group bias” can become toxic when combined with religious language. How does this dynamic play out in modern communities of faith? [51:22]
Why is celebration called a “discipline” for some people, and how does practicing joy align with heaven’s priorities?

Application questions

What would it look like to pray, “Lord, break my heart for what breaks yours” this week? Name one person you feel prompted to intercede for regularly. [01:01:45]
The sermon suggests “prayer, relationship, spiritual conversations, invitation, repeat” as practical steps. Which of these feels most challenging for you, and how could you take one small risk in that area? [01:07:28]
Are there ways you’ve unintentionally created “in-group” boundaries (socially, politically, or spiritually) that exclude others? How could you intentionally engage someone outside those boundaries this month?
When have you struggled to celebrate someone’s repentance or spiritual growth? What practical step could help you cultivate joy in those moments? [01:09:40]
The parables emphasize persistent searching. Is there a relationship or situation where you’ve given up hope? How might you re-engage with patience this season?

Sermon Clips

39s

#HeartForTheLost

“And then somehow I ended up at a conference, one of those weekend conferences that was about god's heart for lost people. I didn't realize that's what I was getting into, but that's what I got into. And over the course of the weekend, I realized Jesus when Jesus says that he came to seek and save the lost, to come after lost things, that was God's priority. And there's this beautiful phrase in the old testament about king David. King David is described as a man after god's own heart, and I still wanted to be that, to be me. I wanted to be me. I wanted to be who I was. I wanted to be a man after god's own heart, and I realized I can't be a man after god's own heart if I don't care what god cares about.”

32s

#CultivateRejoicingHeart

“If we don't ache over the fact that there are people in your neighborhood, at your workplace, in your family that are far from God, if you don't ache over that, then we're not gonna rejoice and celebrate when they find their place in God's in God's household. And for some of you, frankly, here's also the other Some of you are not naturally wired up for rejoicing. You're more wired up for worrying or grumping or cynicism or ambivalence. So for some of you, it is work to rejoice. So, alright, go to work. Roll up your sleeves. Because all of heaven's rejoicing, you don't wanna miss it.”

32s

#NoTribalismInFaith

“This man welcomes the wrong kinds of people. He even eats with them, and who you ate with in the first century in Middle Eastern culture still, really big deal. That's how you had that's who you had business dealings with. That's that's that's your tribe. Your people is who do you sit down and eat with. That's Jesus' tribe. So here's that in group bias. The religious people saying, those are the not religious group. Now are not the religious people now. So here you've got that natural in group bias, that preference for my people, but here's where it gets really, really, really bad when you start putting God in the middle of it.”

40s

#JesusSeeksOutOfLove

“And so that week, I prayed this giant stack of cards, and I'm praying, praying, praying. And one day, one morning, as I'm praying over these cards that of the of the things of the people that the students loved and and and and hadn't met God, I started crying. I thought, how far I've come? How much I've changed, how much I've grown, how much has the Lord answered that great prayer? Lord, break my heart for what breaks yours. Because here's the thing, Jesus doesn't go chasing after lost people, maybe you're kinda lost, someone he would call lost. Jesus doesn't go chasing after lost people out of obligation or guilt. He does that out of love.”

31s

#RejoicingIsTheTest

“to to share in the celebrating, to be a part of what's happening and celebrating. The religious leaders of Jesus' day were not celebrating that the tax collectors and sinners were gathering around Jesus because they didn't share in Jesus' heart. They didn't share in God's heart for lost things. In fact but Jesus said, this is so important. He emphasizes it twice. The rejoicing, the celebrating part. This is so so critical that he emphasizes it twice. And frankly, the the the the the trick is that's a litmus test. It's a litmus test for where our hearts is. If we don't share in the longing for god's heart for lost people, we're not gonna celebrate when they come home.”

41s

#ComeHomeToGod

“You are the fact that you're here is maybe a small or major miracle. We are so so glad you're here. And today, what Jesus is saying is all of heaven is leaning in, holding their breath, hoping, hoping, hoping that today you might finally say yes to Jesus, the good shepherd who's coming to carry you home. Hey. Are you willing today? Are you willing today to be the sheep that stops running away? To let Jesus throw you over your shoulders with joy to bring you home to your good father, a family that loves you, to the place where you were made for, where you belong? Are you willing? Because all of heaven is holding his breath, leaning in, can't wait to celebrate over you, your name. Today.”

31s

#PrayLoveInvest

“repeats. These are the five primary. Prayer. Prayers you might pray. Pray for people that don't know the lord. Maybe it's again, maybe it's a a spouse, a sibling, a a neighbor. Just pray, god, would you would would you meet them? Would would you come up in conversations? Would you give them a spiritual longing, spiritual hopes? One of the things I started praying for a lot is that Jesus would breathe dreams to people that don't know the lord. They just disturb their dreams, call them to self. Right? So prayer is a great thing. Relationship. Just loving people the way that Jesus calls us to love people. Just being invested, being intentional, coming alongside, caring for people, demonstrating the love of Christ in in tangible concrete ways.”

19s

#BreakMyHeartForTheLost

“And so I had to repent. I had to repent. Ask the Lord to forgive me. I had to ask the Lord to change my heart. And so I I prayed that prayer. For many many years, I prayed that prayer. And the prayer that I prayed is is similar to a song we used to sing around here pretty regularly. The song was, Lord, break my heart for what breaks yours.”

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