Take a second to imagine the most important person in your life. If they had been far off or absent for some time, and each day and night, you had watched and waited for them to come home… how would that day feel when they finally returned? 

This is the way the Father feels for you. He is filled with compassion, and he waits for every one of his children to come over the horizon after they’ve been far off. He doesn’t wait with crossed arms or a hard stance. Like the father in the story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15, he races to meet us, to wrap us in the embrace of grace and joy, and to throw us a celebratory feast. 

The table of Jesus waits with an open spot, reserved for the redeemed runaways God calls his sons and daughters. It’s a homecoming party, and we’re all invited to the feast. 

So, come home. There is a seat at the table.

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Jesus got into fights. While dining in the home of a Pharisee, Jesus confronts the teachers of the law about their hypocrisy, greed, and awful treatment of others. Sometimes faithfully following Jesus will include difficult table talk.

What does it look like for us to confront like Jesus?

Listen to this week's sermon on how Jesus, in perfect loving kindness, engages in conflict and confrontation.

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The more undeserving of grace you feel, the better place you’re in to receive it. In Luke 14, Jesus upends what it is to be invited to the table. Rather than a place for looking good, the table is a place for doing good. It’s not for the worthy, but the hungry. 

What does it look like for you to accept the invite to the table of Jesus?

Listen to this week’s sermon on humility and the grace that He extends to us. 

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Often we wear our busyness like a badge, proclaiming our worth by how much we accomplish. But as we see in Luke 10, Jesus calls us to take time to be present so we don't miss what really matters. He calls us to "be with Him" before we "do for him".

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God often moves most powerfully when we are facing impossible situations. In our moments of desperation, when our backs are against the wall, God asks us to surrender control and trust Him fully. Though we may be facing scarcity and lack, when we give God our all, He can do more than we could ever imagine.

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There is a transformative power of hosting tables in the spirit and style of Jesus. When we invite the people who need it most to the table, the marginalized will cease to be marginal, the lonely will find companionship, and strangers will become friends. In Luke 7, Simon is challenged to examine his heart, acknowledge his own brokenness, and extend grace to others, like the sinful woman who joined them during their meal.

How can we emulate Jesus' radical hospitality? Invite others to come as they are, be ready to give, and be open to receive.
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Jesus often ministered to people while sharing meals together. He welcomed many to his table that others excluded - the poor, the sick, those deemed outcasts by society. This radical act of eating with "unclean" people was in fact one of the most controversial aspects of Jesus's ministry. As followers of Christ, we too are called to move beyond our comfort zones and worldly status to enter into the messiness of life. We must be ready to offer those most in need of God's love a place at our table.
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God doesn’t always give us answers but He always gives His presence. During the craziness, the loneliness, the hurt, and the frustration of the holidays, it’s easy to lose sight of God’s presence. But, despite all of the distractions and all of the things that can inhibit you from feeling His presence, He is with us.

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When Jesus calls us to follow him, it’s an invitation into mission - to join the work of redemption through acts of grace. “Come, follow me,” Jesus says, “and fish for people.” As those saved by mercy, we get to pay that mercy forward through kindness, compassion, and gospel hope shared generously in Jesus' name.

Every neighborhood and workplace becomes our mission field when we walk empowered by the Spirit. Our homes can be shelters of shalom that welcome the stranger. Our hands can meet tangible needs that reflect the Father’s provision. Our presence can model Christlike love to reconcile and restore brokenness in all its forms.
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Spiritual formation happens through the stories we believe, the habits we cultivate, and the relationships we foster. Often this process contains suffering and takes place over a long period of time, like the growth of a tree. To become like Christ, we need teaching that paints a picture of the life we were created for, practices that train us in godliness, and genuine Christian community to expose sin and encourage growth.

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