Aug 31, 2025 "The God Who Leaves the Ninety-Nine" (Luke 15:1-7)

 

Luke 15:1-7 New International Version

The Parable of the Lost Sheep

15 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 

² But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

³ Then Jesus told them this parable: 

⁴ “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 

⁵ And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 

⁶ and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 

⁷ I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

The God Who Leaves the Ninety-Nine

Luke 15:1-7

 

Most people are familiar with the passage of the shepherd who leaves his flock to find one lost sheep. Although people may know the passage, they do not fully understand the love of God.  

 

People are too calculating and look at benefits and losses rather than doing what is right and pleasing to God. We look at people in terms of their usefulness and how we can benefit from them or what it will cost us to have a relationship with them. 

 

The Pharisees hated tax collectors and saw them as traitors and useless to their country of Israel. Yet, they did not understand the character of God.

 

Jesus presents that the useless and lost are the ones that God puts his energy to rescue and not the ones who are already safe.

 

Luke 15:4 ESV

[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? 

 

God loves all of His creation. You cannot put a value on people you love. We have a value that cannot be calculated because God has created us. In God's eyes, you are precious and carry value.

 

This value not only applies to you but also to others. It is our neighbors, friends, family and enemies. It includes the people who are marginalized or do not have others who care and love about them.

 

When we come to believe and understand how much God loves us and others, we will make decisions that glorify and please God. 

 

Our children have values that no parent can calculate. Children should not be treated or viewed as burdens but have value. The birth rate has fallen because too many people have tried to count the costs of raising children and not the value which God has put on the child.

 

Our lives have meaning that we cannot comprehend  

• You're Worthy of My Praise
• Every Giant Will Fall
• Way Maker

Aug 24, 2025 “The Holy Judge, Our Loving Father”(Ezekiel 20:1-9)

 

Ezekiel 20:1-9 New International Version

Rebellious Israel Purged

20 In the seventh year, in the fifth month on the tenth day, some of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the Lord, and they sat down in front of me.

2 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 3 “Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Have you come to inquire of me? As surely as I live, I will not let you inquire of me, declares the Sovereign Lord.’

4 “Will you judge them? Will you judge them, son of man? Then confront them with the detestable practices of their ancestors 5 and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On the day I chose Israel, I swore with uplifted hand to the descendants of Jacob and revealed myself to them in Egypt. With uplifted hand I said to them, “I am the Lord your God.” 6 On that day I swore to them that I would bring them out of Egypt into a land I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all lands. 7 And I said to them, “Each of you, get rid of the vile images you have set your eyes on, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.”

8 “‘But they rebelled against me and would not listen to me; they did not get rid of the vile images they had set their eyes on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt. So I said I would pour out my wrath on them and spend my anger against them in Egypt. 9 But for the sake of my name, I brought them out of Egypt. I did it to keep my name from being profaned in the eyes of the nations among whom they lived and in whose sight I had revealed myself to the Israelites.

• Kingdom Planted Seeds
• Mercy
• Back To Life

Kingdom Planted Seeds

Kingdom Planted Seeds

Verse 1

You have called us here today

By Your amazing grace, we walk Your way.

Show your dream You’ve placed within,

We will follow, hand in hand.

Verse 2

Build our families on truth and grace,

Lead us in each time and in every place.

In joy we come to do Your will alone

Serving in humble love and grace

Chorus

Send us, O Lord, to wherever You lead,

Let our lives be kingdom planted seeds.

For Your glory, not our own,

We are Yours alone.

Let all the nations see Your light

Verse3

With open hearts, we hear Your call,

To love and serve, surrender all.

Not with fear, but with joy for love

Embracing fully what You’ve planned.

Chorus

Send us, O Lord, to wherever You lead,

Let our lives be kingdom planted seeds.

For Your glory, not our own,

We are Yours alone.

Let all the nations see Your light

(2X)

Bridge

Though We Are Weak On Losing Ground,

Still In Your Love, Our Strength Is Found.

You Lead As Head, We Stand As One,

In You, O Lord, The Battle Is Won.

(2X)

Bridge 2

Though We Are Weak On Losing Ground,

In Your Love, Our Strength Is Found.

You Lead As Head, We Stand As Church,

The War Is Over Jesus Has Won.

Chorus 2

Send Us, O Lord, And Use Us For Your Days,

For Your Kingdom, The Power The Glory Of Yours.

Build Your Kingdom Through Us Renew Our Flame,

All For The Christ Our Lord.

Chorus

Send us, O Lord, to wherever You lead,

Let our lives be kingdom planted seeds.

For Your glory, not our own,

We are Yours alone.

Let all the nations see Your light

Ending

Let all the nations see Your light

let all the nations see Your love

Let whole world see You are the Lord

Aug 17, 2025 “Rooted in God, Not in the World”(Ezekiel 17:1-10)

 

Ezekiel 17:1-10 New International Version

Two Eagles and a Vine

17 The word of the Lord came to me:

² “Son of man, set forth an allegory and tell it to the Israelites as a parable.

³ Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: A great eagle with powerful wings, long feathers and full plumage of varied colors came to Lebanon. Taking hold of the top of a cedar,

⁴ he broke off its topmost shoot and carried it away to a land of merchants, where he planted it in a city of traders.

⁵ “‘He took one of the seedlings of the land and put it in fertile soil. He planted it like a willow by abundant water,

⁶ and it sprouted and became a low, spreading vine. Its branches turned toward him, but its roots remained under it. So it became a vine and produced branches and put out leafy boughs.

⁷ “‘But there was another great eagle with powerful wings and full plumage. The vine now sent out its roots toward him from the plot where it was planted and stretched out its branches to him for water.

⁸ It had been planted in good soil by abundant water so that it would produce branches, bear fruit and become a splendid vine.’

⁹ “Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Will it thrive? Will it not be uprooted and stripped of its fruit so that it withers? All its new growth will wither. It will not take a strong arm or many people to pull it up by the roots.

¹⁰ It has been planted, but will it thrive? Will it not wither completely when the east wind strikes it—wither away in the plot where it grew?’”

• Open The Eyes Of My Heart
• Praise
• Reckless Love

Aug 10, 2025 “The Power of Repentance”(Ezekiel 14:1-6)

Ezekiel 14:1-6 New International Version

Idolaters Condemned

14 Some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat down in front of me. 

2 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 

3 “Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all? 

4 Therefore speak to them and tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: When any of the Israelites set up idols in their hearts and put a wicked stumbling block before their faces and then go to a prophet, I the Lord will answer them myself in keeping with their great idolatry. 

5 I will do this to recapture the hearts of the people of Israel, who have all deserted me for their idols.’

6 “Therefore say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!

• King of Kings
• Goodness Of God
• There Is None Like You

Aug 3, 2025 "Faith That Sees the Invisible" (Hebrews 11:1-3, 13)

 

Faith That Sees the Invisible  

Hebrews 11;1-3

 

God is invisible and no one living can say that they have seen God. People might ask you, "Where is God?"

 

In Hebrews 11, we see what our faith is.

 

Hebrews 11:1 ESV

[1] Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.  

 

True faith is not just something in your head, it is shown in your actions. How you behave shows what you believe.  

 

In the Bible, we see the heroes of the Bible act in faith. They obeyed before seeing proof or a guarantee what the outcome would be.   

 

If we believe in the triune God, we will know that God is the creator of all things that we can see and those things which we cannot see.

 

Hebrews 11:3 ESV

[3] By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

 

When we start to understand who God is and have real faith, we will stop chasing things of this world. We will abandon the wisdom of this world and embrace the seemingly absurd commands of God.

 

Hebrews 11:7 ESV

[7] By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

 

Paul talks about several other heroes of the Bible and comes to this conclusion.

  

Hebrews 11:13 ESV

[13] These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.  

 

True faith is not getting the outcome I want but trusting the big picture of God. Know that God's plan is perfect and trusting in the promises which were in the distance. They desired God and their true home.

• Forever
• Because He Lives
• O Praise The Name