Seen, Known, and Loved
One of the most beautiful chapters in all of Scripture is Luke 15. In just a few verses, Jesus shares three parables that reveal the very heart of God: the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son. Each story Jesus tells is a window into God’s relentless, personal love for us. Each reminds us that no matter how far we wander or how long we hide, we are always Seen, Known, and Loved by God.
Over the next three weeks, we’ll journey through these parables in a new sermon series that invites us to see ourselves the way God sees us and to see others through that same lens of grace.
Week 1 – Seen by God – Luke 15:1-7 – The Lost Sheep
God sees each of us personally and will go to any length to bring us home. In this first week, we’ll explore how our God is The God Who Notices. Our Savior is the good shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine to find the one. Being seen by God gives us the courage to see others with holy attention, especially those who are often overlooked.
Week 2 – Known by God – Luke 15:8-10 – The Lost Coin
God searches tirelessly for us because we are of inestimable value. To be known by God is not to be surveilled but to be cherished and celebrated. As Henri Nouwen reminds us, “God’s knowing is intimacy, not surveillance.” This week, we’ll explore how our identity rests not in what we do, but in who we are in God.
Week 3 – Loved by God – Luke 15:11-32 – The Prodigal Son
God’s love welcomes, forgives, and celebrates—whether you’re the wayward younger child or the resentful elder. In this final week, we’ll discover that love is our truest home and the source of our mission.
Putting Love Into Action – Our Pittman Park Fair Booth
One of the simplest and most joyful ways we can put love into action is by serving together. This month, Pittman Park will once again host our Missions Booth at the Kiwanis Ogeechee Fair, and we need your help to make it a success!
Serving at the fair is about more than selling chicken fingers, hot dogs, and Cokes; it’s about being a warm, welcoming presence in our community. It’s about seeing, knowing, and loving our neighbors in real and tangible ways. Each conversation, each smile, and each act of hospitality reflects the God who first loved us.
You can sign up for a shift online or at the church this Sunday. Bring a friend, wear your Pittman Park smile, and join us in sharing God’s love with the thousands of people who will pass by our booth this year.
As we move through this series and this season of community engagement, may we be a church that helps people know deep in their bones: they are seen, known, and loved by God.
God bless,
Jonathan Smith
For Jesus. For People. For Community.