Off Course

Jesus told a lot of stories. One of his most famous goes like this:

"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? When

he has found it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders, and coming home, he calls his

friends and neighbors together, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, because I have found

my lost sheep!'"

— Luke 15:4–6 (CSB)

He then says: "I tell you, in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one

sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who don't need

repentance."

Here's what I want you to catch in that story.

The sheep didn't find its way back. The shepherd went and got it.

That's not a small thing. That shepherd had 99 sheep still on the right path — doing fine, no

problems. And he left them to go look for the one that was lost. Not because the sheep

earned it. Not because the sheep called for help. Just because the sheep mattered to him,

and he wasn't willing to let the story end with it still out there in the brush.

Most of us have felt off course at some point.

Maybe it's a season of your life — you look up and you're not where you thought you'd be,

not who you thought you'd be.

Maybe it's a relationship, a decision you made, a habit you can't shake.

Something that got you into the weeds and you're not totally sure how to get back.

The message of Jesus isn't "get yourself together and come find me."

It's closer to this: He comes into the woods. He finds you where you are. And he carries

you out.

Now — some of you have been walking with Jesus long enough to know that's true from

experience. You’ve been in the weeds. You've been found. Maybe more than once. And if that's you, the invitation this morning is to let that story stay fresh. Don't let it calcify into a

thing that happened years ago. It's still the heartbeat of everything.

And if you're here and you're newer to all of this — or you're not sure what you believe — I'd

just ask you to sit with this one idea: What if you're not as lost as you think? What if

someone’s already looking?

Reflection

1. 2. When you go off course today — and you will — let it be a small reminder. Getting

lost isn't the end of the story. What matters is what happens next.

If you've been in the weeds for a while — in your own life, not just on the fairway —

it might be worth considering that the Shepherd in this story isn't sitting back waiting

for you to find your way out. He tends to go looking. I have been in this place many

times, and I'll acknowledge it's a difficult place to be. I can't speak for anyone else's

experience, but the Shepherd has been faithful time after time.

Father, thank you for everyone here. For the ones who've been walking with you a long time

— remind them today what it felt like to be found. And for anyone who feels off course right

now — meet them in the weeds. Go get them. You're good at that. Help us play well, walk

together, and notice you in the in-between. In Jesus' name, amen.

Brandon Kinsey- PDGA # 298262

Discin’ Disciples Chapter Leader: Michiana