Living Room RevivalSample

FED: "Man.. I’m Starving"

“The Son of Man came eating & drinking..” — Luke 7:34

“Sharing a meal has power. It could connect, inspire, astonish, shock, excite and leave you better because of it.” - Anthony Bourdain

Grace is shown best over meals. I find it interesting how the Pharisees accused Jesus as being "a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.”, it wasn’t just his teachings they outright opposed but rather how much he ate, drank & who he share his meals with.  

If you look throughout Luke’s Gospel, you can find Jesus either going to a meal, sitting at a meal, or even coming from a meal. Even “The Son of man came eating & drinking..”. Sounds like my normal Tuesday. 

Food was fundamental to Jesus’ ministry. Ultimately the way we are to remember the crucifixion is through a meal.. Communion. 

A practical & simple way of approaching food at a Connect Group is ‘potluck'. A suggestion is providing a list of ingredients in advance that connect members can each choose to bring to put together to create ownership. E.g. For Nachos — corn chips, salsa, mince, avocados, cheese etc. 

Although physical food is important at any Connect Group, so is spiritual food through opening the Bible and talking about how to apply it to our lives together. 

Discussions are important, because they create an environment where discipleship can happen. Discipleship is an integral part of any Connect Group, as we want to be grow more like Jesus. 

Before starting to prepare for a Discussion, start from a position of knowing who you’re meeting with & what will practically speak to their season. 

Doing an in-depth hermeneutical study on eschatology may not be as helpful for a group of New Christians, as maybe starting with how to pray or read the Bible. 

Prepare, then prepare some more.  

Before you put together questions for the discussion think where you want the discussion to finish, like aiming an arrow to your target, ask yourself:  

What will a win look like for this discussion today? 

Jesus is recorded to ask over 300 questions in the New Testament but he already knew the answers. If even Jesus spent time asking questions intentionally, even so should we. 

As the discussion is going, I’d encourage you to pause as people are sharing, listen & ask yourself “God, what do you want to do in this moment?”  

(Don’t be creepy and say it out loud). 

I’d encourage you to affirm & encourage people as they share to create an ease to the discussion and for you to lead the positive & uplifting tone. 

Here is a suggested time-frame below: 

60 mins: Hanging out & Eating 

30mins: Bible Discussion 

15 mins: Prayer & Missions Offering

The goal is for each person to walk out of your living room better than how they walked in. 

Questions

(1) What are some ways you can create family over food next time you share a meal with others? 

(2) Ask yourself before preparing the Discussion, “What will a win look like for this discussion today?” 

Prayer:

Dear Jesus. Guide me in what you want me to share with people that will encourage, uplift them & help them see you more. Thank you for your forgiveness & grace. Amen.