Found Money

“We get excited over finding a five-dollar bill in our jeans”

Found Money• When’s the last time you

found some money around your house?

• What’s the “go-to” place to come up with money?– Laundry Room– Jeans hanging in closet

Found Money• “Dad, I can find two or three

bucks just by searching through the cushions in the living room couch,” – Erin Seitzler - 2016

Parable of the Lost Coin• Luke 15: 8-10

– The first verse starts with the word “Or”

• This is the second of three parables told by Jesus to make the same & similar points

• Jesus tells all three to “Tax Collectors & Sinners drawing close to him” while the Pharisee & Scribes grumbled

Parable of the Lost Coin• Parable of the Lost Sheep - #1

– Luke 15: 3-7– God is the Shepard

• Parable of the Lost Son - #3– Luke 15: 11-32– God is the father

• In this parable God is the woman

Parable of the Lost Coin• The first two parables show God is looking for

lost sinners– Rabbis taught God would receive sinners who

earnestly sought forgiveness– Jesus shows God is the Active Pursuer

• Parable of the Lost Sheep – Shephard left the 99 in the field to look for the lost one– More joy for the one lost sinner than the 99 “righteous

persons who have no need of repentance”

Parable of the Lost Coin• The woman in this parable goes to great lengths

to FIND THAT COIN

• Why?– It was Valuable!– Some scholars think it could have been a coin from

her veil or neck scarf– Money of this kind was used as a dowry in case her

husband died

Parable of the Lost Coin• The woman in this parable goes to great lengths

to FIND THAT COIN

• Why?– A Silver Coin in that time was no penny– Scholars think it was probably worth $100 today– God thinks EVERY person is worth it– No throw away money for God

Parable of the Lost Coin• The woman in this parable goes to great lengths

to FIND THAT COIN

• What did her search cost?– It cost her Money to search for the Money– To light a lamp cost money for the oil– Most homes had No windows or only two small slits

for window; If she didn’t light a lamp, she wouldn’t have found the coin

Parable of the Lost Coin• The woman in this parable goes to great lengths

to FIND THAT COIN

• What did her search cost?– Time & Worry– The search can be agonizing– Remember Uncle Billy?

Parable of the Lost Coin• From UGC.org website

“The search is on. Out comes her broom, and carefully she begins a systematic and thorough search. Across the packed-earth floor and under mats and pottery vessels she searches.

Nothing shows up. Again she goes back over the same area but from a different angle, the light from the lamp casting different shadows this time.”

Parable of the Lost Coin• When does she stop Sweeping the House?

• Not UNTIL she finds it!– How long did it take?– An Hour, a Day, a Week, a Month, a Year?– God does not stop pursuing us

• What happens when she finds it?– Lots of Rejoicing and NOT alone

Why this Lesson, This Week?• This is the lesson my daughter

Ellie will teach children in Canada on the Youth Mission trip– Many of our kids will be helping God

find those Lost Coins – She and I worked on our lessons

together last night– I looked for a Silver Dollar I’ve been

saving since I was her age• It took me a while to find it!

Found MoneyGroup Questions

1. Would you know a “Lost Sheep” or a “Lost Coin” if you saw one? How can we improve our eyesight? Do we need to spend money or time to do so?

2. When’s the last time to “rejoiced over” a person who was lost but found God through Jesus? Please share the story

The Fray – You Found MeIn an interview, lead singer and pianist Jason Slade:"'You Found Me' is such a great song you should really listen to it. I love it as if it were my own child. The heart ache, the let down that comes with life. Sometimes you’re let down, sometimes you’re the one who lets someone else down. It gets hard to know who you can trust, who you can count on. This song came out of a tough time, and I’m still right in the thick of it. There’s some difficult circumstances my family and friends have been going through over the past year or so and it can be overwhelming. It wears on me. It demands so much of my faith to keep believing, keep hoping in the unseen. Sometimes the tunnel has a light at the end, but usually they just look black as night. This song is about that feeling, and the hope that I still have, buried deep in my chest.”[11]