Our dream is to become a people who consistently create space over a meal with
,
, and
to experience the loving grace of God.
FEASTING WITH THE SAINTS
Romans 12:3-16 CSB
When the enemy wants to divide a church, he starts at the
1. The shadow side of proximity in community is
.
Romans 12:10
2. The shadow side of vulnerability in community is
.
“How do you know if you are in a codependent relationship? One sign is that you constantly feel discouraged and disappointed by the person. When you have an extreme reaction to something, you need to pay attention because it’s probably evidence of something or someone you’ve made into an idol. When you are unusually upset that a person didn’t call or that person wasn’t loving enough toward you or didn’t invite you to something, ask yourself, Am I putting unfair expectations on this person to meet my needs?” —Jennie Allen, Find Your People, 205
Romans 12:4-8
3. The shadow side of practice in community is
.
Romans 12:12
4. The shadow side of mission in community is
.
Romans 12:14-16
“Many people love the idea of the church as a community. But when we eat together, we encounter not some theoretical community, but real people with all their problems and quirks. The meal table is an opportunity to give up our proud ideals by which we judge others and accept in their place the real community created by the cross of Christ, with all its brokenness. It’s easy to love people in some abstract sense and preach the virtues of love. But we’re called to love the real individuals sitting around the table.” —Tim Chester, A Meal With Jesus
Your
This week: put Romans 12:13 into practice.
There are different levels to the practice this week:
Very Easy - Come early and stay late to church to have intentional conversations.
Easy - Find someone sitting alone, sit by them, and go out to lunch after.
Moderate - Invite people you know to your home for dinner.
Hard - Invite people over that are in a different stage of life, might be in need, or just someone you’ve never spoken to before.
Very Hard - Have dinner with someone who has hurt you and practice reconciliation.