So far through this month, we have been discussing "Doing What Jesus Did." We have talked about service, forgiveness and humility. Jesus' life is the pattern we are meant to follow—to do what he did. This means leaving comfort, pleasure and security in order to bend down, serve God, meet a need, and show some mercy.

Jesus' life and identity was paradoxical. In one way, he was extremely subtle and in another extremely obvious. It depended on the observer.

Even in his day, some of the religious people didn’t understand Jesus or his path. He made it obvious in Luke 15 what he came to do, though. He came to go after lost sheep like you and I. Jesus did not just come to die, he came to live a certain kind of life.

 
He came to show us the love of God. He came to show us that when we were separated from the flock and  tangled in a thornbush, he would be the one to stoop down to his knees, reach into the thorns despite feeling all the briars digging into his skin in order to pull us out of the messes we get ourselves in. He showed us what love looks like.
 

In our lesson we will:

1. Avoid the pitfalls of the Pharisees in seeing Jesus for who he was
2. Move through the parable of the lost sheep
3. Talk about what it means to leave the 99 to go after the one in our own context

As you prepare for worship on Sunday, please give consideration to these questions:

OPENING / WELCOME
Matthew Allen

SONG LEADER
Jim Grushon, Jr.

PRAYER OF PRAISE
Matt Ringle

LORD'S SUPPER
Ryan Fraser

SCRIPTURE READING
Roy Pyle
Luke 15.1-7

PREACHING
Cain Atkinson

CLOSING COMMENTS & PRAYER
George Wacks

WELCOME CENTER
Pat Reeder / Emily McDonald / Kathi Stewart

USHERS (arrive @ 9)
Jim Grushon, Jr. / Roger Robins

Closing the Building
Dillon Sluss