LOST IN THE HOUSE
The Weekly Update – September 21, 2026
My father-in-law pointed this out to me:
In the Gospel of Luke, there are two parables in which the lost (the son and the sheep) are lost outside. The other parable is different (the shortest of the three): the parable of the lost coin (vv. 8–10). It is inside the house that this coin is lost.
While it is true that most lost souls are found outside the church, the third parable that Jesus shared reminds us of this terrible reality: there are lost coins inside the house, inside the building, inside the local church. The coin is in the house, and yet it is lost! And often, those who are lost within the church don’t even know it.
That is why, in the house of God, in our Christian communities, and in our youth groups, we must “light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully” until that lost coin—that teenager in the youth group, that child who grew up in Sunday school, that retiree who attends the evangelical church Sunday after Sunday—is found.
I was saying the other day to a brother who is just starting out in ministry: “When you preach, no matter what the sermon is, always keep in mind that in your audience, there is surely a lost coin. It is essential that this coin, which is stuck under a piece of furniture, be safe with the other coins in the heavenly purse of God.”
A few weeks ago, at a small Chinese church in the outskirts of Paris where we were holding an evangelistic service, out of the 37 people present, 14 “lost coins” were found!
If we knew how many coins are lost in our church buildings, the content of our hymns and sermons would change radically.
Tim and Yukki
Today, September 21, my Dad would have celebrated his 89th birthday. He went home , last month, to be with Jesus. I miss him so much.