Excused From the Table

Recapp

seats at the table

malnourished at table

food fight at the table

Excused from the table

we meet for a family meal once a week

for some you drop in for supper for a mid-week meeting also

But most of our week is spent absent from this body of believers

not at the table

where you are not being served the food

can I tell you how I do between meals

I get a snack

Snickers

chipotle burrito

pizza

Here is what I am suggesting for your spiritual well-being

in between meetings

when we are not being fed by someone else spiritually

we need to learn to feed ourselves

start a reading plan or routine

read books

listen to or watch teachings

have some time of praise

have some time of prayer

find people to connect with

keep accountable

encourage

talk through issues with

seek council

youversion Bible app

find reading plans by your interests

share those with friends and read with others

adding comments & thoughts as you go

Rightnow media

watch some great video teachings

I can recommend books and speakers to listen, watch , or read from

there are many great radio stations available to listen to and get some time to praise God daily

create a schedule for your daily life where you pray, read, and praise God on a daily basis

find people in your life who are more spiritually mature than you and people who you can connect with to help keep you accountable for your own spiritual well being

we meet one-three times a week for a family meal

you must be feeding yourself when we are not at the table

feed yourself

take care of yourself

1 Corinthians 6:12 ESV

“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything.

he talks about not giving ourselves to sin

specifically he speaks to sexual sin for a moment

when we give ourselves to sin we are joined with that sin

1 Cor 6:

1 Corinthians 6:19–20 ESV

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

there are things that may or may not be a sin but that will try to dominate our lives

we cannot allow this to happen

we must not allow these things into our lives

IT’S NOT WORTH IT

Romans 12:2 ESV

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

learning to discern what God’s will is for every moment of our lives...

2 steps to pull out things that may not belong in your life

Is it helping me draw closer to God?

if you can say yes then it will typically be something that you should KEEP in your life

and maybe increase frequency or focus on these thigns

not all things that aren’t drawing us closer to God are harmful or are pulling us away from God

but we should learn to evaluate these things to check them

2. How do I tell what things are dominating my life?

is it something that I do regularly?

how much time and I allowing this to consume in my life

is it something that I feel that I shouldn’t do but I do it anyways?

every time I drink I do something stupid and I know I shouldn’t but I do it anyways

whenever I go to my girlfriends house we cross that line but I go anyways

when I talk to that person my attitude changes or we talk about things that I know are wrong but I do anyways...

is it creating ungodly or unhealthy habits in my life?

when I watch scary movies I become anxious

when I listen to music with this message or these words

my attitude or language changes in a negative way

we must learn to do a daily assessment of our lives and evaluate what we are doing with our time

it’s important because a little bad can ruin a lot

Galatians 5:7–9 ESV

You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion is not from him who calls you. A little leaven leavens the whole lump.

I’ve had my life on track and allowed something seemingly small to take hold and make a huge mess

If your struggling to know if it’s good or bad for you

ask God

James 1:5 ESV

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

ask other believers

if you would be imbarassed for other believers to know that you do something

OR if you wouldn’t do it with Jesus

then it’s probably not a healthy thing in your life

You can get all the Jesus that you can handle one day a week but when your filling your life with harmful things you will not be healthy in your faith

WHAT YOU PUT INTO YOUR LIFE IS WHAT YOU WILL GET OUT

JUNK IN… JUNK OUT

side effects will be even greater over small negative things if you put them in on an empty stomach

SO BE SURE TO FEED YOURSELF THOUGH THE WEEK

feed yourself

watch what you allow yourself to be subject to

watch your influence around others

1 Corinthians 10:23–24 ESV

“All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.

1 Cor 10:23

talks about convictions of others for a moment

and that we want to do what is best for those around us

WITHOUT hurting our own spiritual well being

this is not an open door to sin for the sake of helping a brother

1 Corinthians 10:31–33 ESV

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.

1 Corinthians 10:

something may not be harmful for you but it may be for those around you so...

don’t be a hinderance to others

Romans 14:13–21 ESV

Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.

Our focus is to influence others around us to be more like Jesus

if I am doing something that’s making it more difficult for the people around me to do that then I am a stumbling block to them

Isaiah 57:14 ESV

And it shall be said, “Build up, build up, prepare the way, remove every obstruction from my people’s way.”

Isaiah 57:

so we must learn to put other peoples needs before our desires

There is a second part to this too

Matthew 5:13-

Matthew 5:13–16 ESV

“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

you may be the only light in a sea of darkness in your family or at work but maybe you are the light that they need to see the truth of Jesus

saltiness is being bold

saw someone steal something and Megan told supervisor

we cannot sit back and watch others turn their lives over to the enemy and not speak up in truth ...

there is no love in that either