You would think it would be customary for party or dinner guests to act per status quo -- as in being polite -- but when you get people together around a table with food, things can often go wrong. There's the' always late perso'n who comes when they are ready, your family's version of Uncle Bob who drinks way too much and wants to give everyone a kiss! There's the 'food critic' who is quick to offer advice on how they would have cooked it, the raconteur who dominates the floor and thinks they are Jerry Seinfeld or keen to impart the knowledge gained from their latest intellectual reading. There's the 'the wine spiller' or the one who doesn't know when to leave! It can leave the host wishing they had never invited the person in the first place. Today at the table, Jesus is that guest, who makes the meal one that the host and other guests will never forget…for all the wrong reasons. We'll explore that today as Jesus speaks a hard word; a word that may even offend, a word that takes aim at those who take refuge in ritual, rote, resources or routine rather than finding a place of trust in the only relationship that matters.
#4 in series: At the Table
THEME VERSE:
The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7b
REMEMBER THIS WEEK:
Jesus is never after acts of religiosity, but genuine love, compassion, mercy and service that overflow from a deep relationship of love with him. He throws the spotlight on your heart, not to condemn you, but to cleanse you, so that the beauty of his love may be completely reflected in your life and draw others in his presence where they can take refuge forever.
FAITH TALK:
1. What’s the most embarrassing or awkward meal you have hosted/been to?
2. Who’s the person in your family that you can count on to embarrass you at a family event?
3. Who are the people who are good at pointing out the hypocrisy between your life and faith?
We've all been there: You're having a pleasant meal when, out of nowhere, you take a bite or have a drink and suddenly you start choking, gagging and gasping for air as the food goes down the wrong way. It can be a painful and uncomfortable experience. Today, in an unexpected encounter at the Table, an outpouring of emotion and gratitude goes down the wrong way as the host of the meal chokes on a bit of Lamb that he considers too hard to swallow. But Jesus' promise is that all who willingly receive this gift of grace will discover a place of forgiveness that is not only easy to swallow, but will restore, renew, and release to live fully and abundantly. For love is born from forgiveness and forgiveness makes love grow. And from great forgiveness, great love grows. That's what we will experience and explore today.
#3 in series: At the Table
THEME VERSE:
“I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love. Luke 7:47 NLT
REMEMBER THIS WEEK:
Bring Jesus your worst. He can handle it. Confess your worst. He will forgive it. At the table of his mercy, you will find a life-transforming grace that will lead to nothing less than spontaneous, unguarded, unplanned, emotional, and joyful worship.
FAITH TALK:
1. If you could meet any living person for a chat over a shared dinner, who would you pick and why?
2. Share a time in your life when you were incredibly thankful and relieved.
3. What difference does forgiveness make to your daily life?
Do you ever feel pressured to do it all? Be the perfect spouse, parent, child, employer, employee, Christian? Here’s the truth about having it all together. Jesus has not come for those who have it together, but those who are falling apart. He has not come for those who have made it to the top, but those struggling at the bottom. He has not come for the respectable, but for the despised. He has not come for those who are “healthy, wealthy, and wise,” but rather those who are sick, poor, and lost. He hasn’t come for the righteous but for the unrighteous, to give them a place of healing.
# 2 in series: At the Table
THEME VERSE:
Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Luke 5:31-32
REMEMBER THIS WEEK:
Jesus comes for those who are struggling and in need of healing. Unless you can admit your deep down and profound need of healing, Jesus has nothing to offer you. When you acknowlege that need, Jesus has everything you need.
READING
Luke 5:27-32
FAITH TALK:
1. In what circumstances do people hear the message: You don’t measure up or you are not good enough?
2. What's the most memorable banquet you have ever been a part of?
3. When's the last time you invited non-Christians over for a meal at your place?
It's heard in changerooms, on courts and grounds of all major sports - "The best defence is a good offense." If you score more points, tries and goals than your opposition, then you will win. Jesus takes that saying to a whole new level when it comes to advancing the cause of the Gospel. For Jesus it isn't about winning or losing, but about mercy, grace and living in imitation of the Father who gives life and joy and shows compassion even to those who don't deserve it. In a world that is all too ready to win at any cost, Jesus shows a way forward that gives life, breathes hope, multiplies joy and advances his kingdom locally and globally in a way that is radically countercultural.
BIBLE VERSE
Luke 6:27-36
THEME VERSE:
Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful. Luke 6:36
REMEMBER THIS WEEK:
When the mercy and compassion of Jesus, is lived out through our lives, we see the gospel transforming lives, communities and the world like never before. Grudges are transformed by grace, fractured relationships are restored through forgiveness and hard hearts are broken open by love. And the Lord adds daily in the Book of Life, the names of those being saved.
MRI, CT Scan, blood tests, bone density scan, mammogram, dental exam, x-ray, angiogram, ultrasound. From the simple bathroom scale and a tape measure to medical equipment costing millions of dollars, we can physically assess, diagnose, prescribe, and treat almost every part of the human body. But there is no scan, swab or scope for your soul. We can’t make an appointment and have someone probe, poke or pry and determine the condition of our spirit. But like all things living, even there you are either growing/thriving or withering/dying. So at this week's waypoint we are going to look at the way of growth and explore some outside indicators that reveal an inner spiritual health.
#4 in series: Waypoints
THEME VERSE:
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. Colossians 2:6-7
REMEMBER THIS WEEK:
The way of growth is a call to each of us as individuals but also as a community. The body of Christ grows when its members are well nourished in the word and bound together in Christ; it leads to a life that overflows with thankfulness and grace.
FAITH TALK:
1. Rate your physical fitness 1-10 - 1awful 10 ready for a marathon. How did you determine that? To improve?
2. What “data” would you use to rate your spiritual fitness? What would you currently score?
You can tell a lot about the purpose of a trip or the nature of an event by the invitation and the list of instructions given.
1. Bring a hat and plenty of sunscreen (outdoors activity)
2. Dress is business casual (social event for work)
3. Bring a Bible, sleeping bag and a torch (church or youth camp)
4. Bring a salad or dessert to share (church potluck)
5. In lieu of flowers please send donations to... (funeral)
Today Jesus' invitation and instructions clue us in to the purpose of the Kingdom trip he is sending us on. It's an urgent trip that will challenge and confront but it comes with a promise that will sustain us in all circumstances. So today we pack our faith and our courage and get ready to embark on 'The Way of Mission.
#3 in Series: Waypoints
THEME VERSE:
After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. Luke 10:1
REMEMBER THIS WEEK:
In the way of mission , the question is not what you need for the journey, but who you need. It's Jesus and the community of faith. For when we are on the way of mission, his mission, we are never, ever alone.
‘Whatever it takes…’. Three little words that embody a strength, a commitment and passion. Three little words that will not be pushed aside when the obstacles become too large or the challenges too great. Three little words that we are reminded of again today as Jesus shows us the unexpected, life transforming ‘whatever it takes’ that both surprises us and enables us to live fully. Three little words that lead to a healing, restoration and a fullness of life that goes way beyond what is expected. Today we explore ‘The way of life’ that God has envisioned for us as his people.
#2 in series: Waypoints
THEME VERSE:
When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” Luke 5:20
REMEMBER THIS WEEK
Living fully is only possible when you receive three little words - love, grace and forgiveness - spoken to you from the cross. It creates faith that is active, persistent, creative and sacrificial; a faith that enables you to do whatever it takes to bring people into the presence of Jesus.
READING
Luke 5:17-26
FAITH TALK:
1. Finish the sentence: “My life would be so much better if______________”
2. Share a time when someone did somethng for you that was more than you ever expected. How did it make you feel?
3. Who is someone you would do 'whatever it takes' for? Why them?
Waypoints are a part of our life. To varying degrees we all have them. For some they are called a "Bucket list" - things that we want to do and tick off before we die. For others, they are life goals - markers along the way that signal we are on the right path, whether relationally, financially, spiritually or career wise. But the only way we can punch in the waypoints for the journey ahead, is to know our starting point and the destination that we are heading to. So as we launch into a new season of ministry, it’s time to check our bearings, be clear about the vision God has called us to, so that we can continue the journey with confidence and boldness in the Way he has shown us.
#1 in series: Waypoints
THEME VERSE:
"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him." 1 Corinthians 2:9 NLT
REMEMBER THIS WEEK
The beginning, the waypoint and the goal of life is Jesus!
READINGS
1 Corinthians 2:1-10
Luke 6:17-23
FAITH TALK:
1. Share a time when you got lost or lost your way. What happened?
2. What are some things that help you keep your life “on track?”
3. As you look back on your life, what have been key waypoints for you in your walk with Jesus?
Routines - we all have them. Routines in relationships, in daily quiet times, in weekly scheduling. Routines bring order to chaos. It makes life predictable and less scary. It brings comfort and stability. But routines can also be dangerous; weakening us with fatigue, blurring our vision, limiting our ability to grow, and blinding us to new opportunities. Today Jesus issues an invitation that wakes us from our complacency, gives us a new situational awareness and calls us to a deeper trust as he gives us a kingdom refocus.
THEME VERSE:
Simon answered, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.” Luke 5:5
REMEMBER THIS WEEK
Jesus calls us to leave the shallows of our faith and life and venture into the deeper water of trust. The water may be deep, the vision murky, and the work difficult and uncertain, but the moment you respond to Jesus' call and say, "but because you say so", you will discover an abundance of blessing like you have never imagined.
READINGS
Isaiah 6:1-8
Luke 5:1-11
FAITH TALK:
1. What is your normal morning routine?
2. Where in your life does it feel like you are working hard but coming up empty and how does it make you feel?
3. What would it take for you to go deeper in trust in your relationship with Jesus?