Hospitality Message

Thoughts:

How do we promote racial reconciliation in our city? Reconciling people to God and to each other?

Bringing others, who are different from us, to a table. It’s just flat out more powerful when it takes place in our homes.

Intro:

Concept: Back porch vs. Front porch culture in America

English Standard Version Chapter 12

The Great Commandment

28 And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

English Standard Version Chapter 4

19 We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

The gift of hospitality: we are great in corporate environments, but not necessarily in our homes. Why?

I would contend that some of us possess the spiritual gift of hospitality in different measures.

Also to consider: season of life.

If hospitality is a key to reconciliation, how do we cultivate this gift in our people? How do we help them flex this muscle?

Help them become “invitable”

prepare your own table.

Goal: grow DEEP, not just WIDE

Every leader in our church needs to leverage hospitality to draw people togther around a table regularly in groups that fit their size and season of life.

Landing:

Which families are gifted with Hospitality in our church?

Hospitality Master Class: roundtable with people gifted with hospitality.