Below is a poem written by one of the dads in our curriculum at Hutchins State Jail where I teach each Wednesday. Since I have written poetry most of my life, I was encouraged by Dustin S. and his ability to grasp a subject and express it poetically. Us \u2018rhymers\u2019 stick together! Dustin shared that he had not ever read the Scriptures concerning the lost coin as taught by Jesus in the Gospels. When he did, he was led to pen this poem and I for one think he deserves publishing.<\/p>\n
As you read, remember that Dustin is serving a sentence and I am sure at times felt lost and unloved. This is a part of his personal testimony I believe. And reflects what many of his fellow inmates have experienced along their way. Lean into his message.<\/p>\n
The Lost Coin<\/strong><\/em> If you feel like a big disgrace; Do not fear what is around; We celebrate the Savior, we celebrate the saved; We didn\u2019t deserve it; He sacrificed Himself, You might interpret the parable of the lost coin some other way, but this is how Christ spoke to Dustin. And I sense his personal joy in being \u2018found\u2019. That\u2019s what saved coins do\u2014they run to tell others\u2014sharing with other lost coins that Jesus loves them and they can be found also.<\/p>\n Maybe you can now understand a little better why I for 48 years continue to go each week to a prison. So many \u2018lost coins\u2019 for which Jesus lived and died. It\u2019s not always pretty, even discouraging some times, but then a Dustin comes along and you realize you have met Jesus there, working in and through His word to capture another heart, another \u2018lost coin\u2019. You know you were right where He wanted you today.<\/p>\n Dads, do you also have some \u2018lost coins\u2019 in your family, maybe your own children? Wouldn\u2019t it be the greatest joy to help them be found by Jesus? Are you living out the gospel in such a way that if they were looking to be found by Jesus, they would find Him in you? And would you be able to share the gospel with them in such a clear way, they would have no problem being \u2018found\/saved\u2019?<\/p>\n It really is simple\u2014God made it that way. Larry Moyer, founder of EvanTell, narrows it down to ten words. The gospel by which you may be saved is: \u201cChrist died for my sins, and rose from the grave.\u201d<\/strong><\/em> Go now to I Corinthians 15.1-5. These ten words are a capsule of the central message by Paul as he was explaining salvation to the Corinthians, and now to us. We are all \u2018lost coins\u2019 until we are found. Jesus came to seek and save the lost. Dads, do not let the sun set on you and your children until you give them the opportunity to be \u2018found\u2019.<\/p>\n \u201cI have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth\u201d<\/strong> <\/em>(3 Jn. 1:4 NKJV). Dustin would tell you as a son and as a dad; pursue your lost coins until they are found. And when that happens, observe carefully what they might write in a note, a text, a poem or letter to someone else who is lost. You just can\u2019t keep from spreading \u2018good news\u2019. And that\u2019s the gospel!<\/em> Thank you, Dustin.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A poem from prison Below is a poem written by one of the dads in our curriculum at Hutchins State Jail where I teach each Wednesday. Since I have written poetry most of my life, I was encouraged by Dustin S. and his ability to grasp a subject and express it poetically. Us \u2018rhymers\u2019 stick […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1024,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[60,64],"tags":[61,62,63,142],"class_list":["post-2805","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-abiding","category-mentoring","tag-bcd","tag-bethedad","tag-discipleship","tag-mentoring"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/af2.musiimes.space\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2805","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/af2.musiimes.space\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/af2.musiimes.space\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/af2.musiimes.space\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/af2.musiimes.space\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2805"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/af2.musiimes.space\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2805\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/af2.musiimes.space\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1024"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/af2.musiimes.space\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2805"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/af2.musiimes.space\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2805"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/af2.musiimes.space\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2805"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nBy Dustin E.
\nInspired by Luke 15:8<\/p>\n
\nFeel like you\u2019re lost and out of place;
\nDon\u2019t have any idea where you\u2019re going;
\nFeel like an old and discarded lost coin.<\/p>\n
\nHe will not give up until you are found.
\nHe is eager and waiting for you to join;
\nHe will never give up on the lost coin.<\/p>\n
\nLike the coin that was lost but found today.
\nWe run in the streets welcoming others to join;
\nTo celebrate the finding of the lost coin.<\/p>\n
\nBut we received it that day.
\nFor it is by grace through faith
\nThat we have been saved.<\/p>\n
\nNot thinking the cost;
\nHe gave us his life
\nFor the coin that was lost.<\/p>\nShare the good news<\/h3>\n
10 words for salvation<\/h3>\n