By: Pastor Daniel Ethridge
God has MORE for our lives. As we continue this journey together, we must keep our hearts focused on what matters to Him: people who need Jesus.
In Luke 15, tax collectors and sinners were drawing near to listen to Jesus. The Pharisees and scribes complained that He welcomed them and ate with them. In response, Jesus told two stories about something lost, someone who searched, and the joy of finding what was missing.
These parables reveal God’s heart and help us understand our calling as a church. The most important number in our MORE initiative is one. Every person matters to God, and every one of us has a part to play in reaching one more.
1. Clear Focus
“What man among you, who has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open field and go after the lost one until he finds it?”
— Luke 15:4, CSB
When something valuable is lost, it changes your priorities. If you have ever lost your keys, your wallet, or sight of your child in a crowded store, you know how quickly everything else becomes secondary. Your attention turns toward finding what is missing.
Jesus used that familiar experience to teach a spiritual reality. God’s heart is set on His lost sons and daughters. As His church, our hearts must be set on them too.
We are here for those who are not yet here.
That conviction shapes why we launch campuses, revitalize churches, and go to new cities. We want people who do not know Jesus to hear the gospel and experience the life only He can give. It also shapes how we see other Bible-believing churches. We are on the same team. The need around us is too great to approach ministry as a competition. As long as people in our communities are living without Jesus, we still have work to do.
That mission reaches across the world, but it also reaches across the street. We should pray about going on a mission trip and serving in a new place. We should also recognize the opportunities God gives us at the grocery store, the gas station, the ballfield, and our workplace.
There are people all around us who need Jesus. Those everyday encounters can become opportunities to share His love.
Who is your one—the person furthest from God and closest to you?
Think of a name. Begin praying for that person daily. Ask God to work in their heart and give you opportunities to show His love. Then be willing to take a step toward them.
2. Compelling Pursuit
In the next parable, Jesus described a woman who lost one of her ten silver coins.
“Or what woman who has ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it?”
— Luke 15:8, CSB
Notice the actions she takes. She lights a lamp, sweeps the house, and searches carefully. Her concern leads to intentional, persistent action. That raises a question for us: What are we intentionally doing to reach the people around us who do not know Jesus? It is easy to spend all our time around other Christians. But Jesus welcomed people who were far from God. He shared meals with them. He made room for relationships. Following His example means making room in our lives for people who need to know Him.
For many of us, the hesitation comes from feeling unprepared. We worry someone will ask a question we cannot answer or bring up a subject we do not understand.
But Jesus called us to be witnesses.
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
— Acts 1:8, CSB
An attorney builds a case. A witness shares what they have seen and experienced. You can tell someone what Jesus has done in your life without having an answer to every question. “I don’t know” is an honest response. So is, “I need to study the Bible more on that.” You can keep learning while helping someone else take a step toward Jesus.
We naturally tell people about things we love—a restaurant, a team, a place we visited. We share because we have experienced something we want others to experience too. As followers of Jesus, we have a story worth sharing.
Help Someone Take the Next Step
Sometimes we put so much pressure on a single conversation that we never start it. We assume we must take someone from having no interest in God to making a decision to follow Jesus in a matter of minutes. Think about a football game. First downs move a team toward the end zone. In a similar way, a conversation can help someone move one step closer to Jesus. That might begin with listening to a struggle, offering to pray, inviting someone to church, or sharing how God carried you through a difficult season. A simple act of care can open the door to a deeper conversation about faith.
Ask God, “Show me who You are already working in. Give me an opportunity to share Your love and truth.”
Then pay attention. Listen for the hurts, questions, and desires people share. Be willing to tell your story, including the places where you have needed God’s healing and grace. The experiences we are tempted to hide may be the very things God uses to help someone recognize their need for Him.
What could happen if, in our everyday conversations, we helped people take one step closer to Jesus?
3. Consistent Conclusion
Both parables end with the same response: rejoicing.
The shepherd finds his sheep and calls his friends and neighbors to celebrate. The woman finds her coin and invites others to share her joy. Jesus explains what those celebrations reveal:
“I tell you, in the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents.”
— Luke 15:10, CSB
Heaven rejoices over one person turning to God. As a church, we should celebrate what heaven celebrates. Every salvation represents a person loved by God, a life changed by His grace, and a story He is still writing. We must keep that purpose in front of us as we pray, serve, give, and take steps of faith through MORE.
God is at work drawing people to Himself. Will we take our place in that work?
When Jesus saw the crowds, He felt compassion for them because they were distressed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. He told His disciples:
“The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.”
— Matthew 9:37–38, CSB
There are people ready to hear. There are people searching for hope. There are people God has placed in our path whom we can love, serve, and point toward Him.
It is time to put feet to our prayers.
Who Is Your One?
As we continue the MORE journey, take time to reflect: Is your focus on the people who need Jesus? Are you intentionally building relationships with them? Are you willing to share what He has done in your life? Pray faithfully for your one, and stay open to every person God puts in your path. Start the conversation. Extend the invitation. Share your story. Trust God to use your obedience.
Perhaps you recognize that you are the one who needs to respond. You have been listening, asking questions, and taking steps toward Jesus. Today, you can turn to Him in repentance and faith, trusting His death and resurrection for your salvation.
God’s heart is for the lost. May our hearts reflect His as we reach one more.
If you’re ready to take your next step, whether that’s baptism, or something else, fill out a Connection Card or visit one of our campus locations. We would love to pray with you, baptize you, or help you get connected.