“If a man owns a hundred sheep and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the other ninety-nine on the hillside and go off in search of the one who went astray?” - Matthew 18:12 (NCB)
Every year about this time I am reminded of my own spiritual journey. This is about the time when a group of high school friends reached out to this lost sheep and introduced him to the Savior. I am convinced that there are still lost sheep that need to be found and introduced to the Savior.
“The shepherd leaves the 99 well-behaved sheep to find the one that is lost. Why? Because that one who is lost is a soul needing redemption. God does not play a game of statistics where having 99 sheep is a good enough day. God has a special caring for each and every one of us” (Ballou, p. 23, 2022).
What is your ministry plan to reach the one lost sheep this year? What would happen if you carefully laid out a thematic plan to “seek the lost.” Take each month of the year or even a quarterly theme and ensure everything you do in your ministry focuses on and around the “seek the lost” theme. Here are some ideas to get you started:
If you are a quarterly planner, try some of these ideas:
Make sure your curriculum, lessons, bulletin boards, and everything you do in ministry reflects the “seek the lost” theme. If your church has both Sunday School and Children’s Church, the theme is going to be “seek the lost.” If your church has a summer ministry event (VBS, camp, or mission trips) the theme is, “seek the lost.” You get the idea. Bring your team together and start brainstorming how you can unpack this theme throughout your ministry and “seek the lost” sheep for the Kingdom! Jesus reminds us, “your Father in heaven does not want any of these little children to be lost.” (Matthew 18:14, NCV).
No matter what season you find yourself teaching and leading ministry in, look for opportunities to take the message of hope to a lost world.
Ballou, Judith A. Advent Reflections. Denver, Self-published, 2022.
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