Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost! —Luke 15:6

Popular teacher, speaker, and author Howard Hendricks warns against "enshrining" the gospel in a church building. He once wrote, "I can't find a verse of Scripture that commands a lost person to go to church; I know a lot of Scripture that commands believers to go into a lost world."

Hendricks then told about a Christian woman who read in the newspaper about a car that crashed into a house and killed a baby. With a compassionate heart, she grieved over the family's loss, but she was also concerned for the driver, who was facing criminal charges. She wrote to the driver, assuring her that God cared about her situation. She included her telephone number and then waited to see if she would respond.

The devastated woman called her and they agreed to meet. Because of that Christian's witness of God's love, that sorrowing woman trusted Christ as her Savior. She then began attending a Bible study and a church. The compassion shown to her resulted in others in her family coming to Christ. She did go to prison for her crime, but her faith strengthened her and made a great impact on other prisoners.

When one Christian goes after one lost soul (Luke 15:1-7), there can be salvation and great rejoicing.

-JEY

Seeking the lost, and pointing to Jesus,
Souls that are weak and hearts that are sore;
Leading them forth in ways of salvation,
Showing the path to life evermore.

-Ogden

God's love in our heart gives us a heart for the lost.