Rule of Life | Gospel & Hospitality
There’s a beautiful and peculiar story in John 21 of Jesus preparing and serving breakfast on the shore for his disciples. This is how he chose to appear to them after he had been raised from the dead. After breakfast, Jesus asks his disciple, Peter, “Do you love me?” three times. As Peter responds, “Yes, Lord, you know I love you,” Jesus responds each time with, “Then feed my sheep.” There is an interesting lesson to be learned here about the intersection between sharing a meal and caring for others’ earthly needs and sharing the truth of the Good News.
• Discover: Before filling out the Gospel & Hospitality arena, read Acts 16:11-15. What does Lydia’s transformation story reveal about the role of hospitality in sharing the Gospel?
• Do: What are you currently practicing to live out the Gospel through hospitality? Here is a recommendation on where to start: Commit to sharing a meal with a friend, coworker, family member, or neighbor who is close to you but far from God, and grow from there!
Here is a list of “Gospel & Hospitality” Practices to explore: Hosting neighbors for dinner, regularly gathering with others, serving the local community, praying for your relational map, meeting with your faces & places, meeting with your group for Discover Bible Study, etc.
• Share: As you practice, be in a rhythm of learning and debriefing with God and others about your experience using the following questions or prompts:
What is a story of encountering God from this past week’s Gospel & Hospitality practices?
What did you notice happening in you as you practiced living out the Gospel and practicing Biblical hospitality?
What was challenging, surprising, and/or life-giving?
Where did you most experience God with you?
Pro-Tip: When was the last time those in our relational networks experienced deep and genuine hospitality from someone else? We have an opportunity to show up with surprising hospitality for those we love who may have not experienced that before!