1 of 16

Hospitality and the Church Community

Month 6| week 4: CONNECT

2 of 16

WELCOME!

3 of 16

Red carpet relay

Let’s Play!

4 of 16

Digging deeper

5 of 16

How have you seen your community reach out and practice radical hospitality?

6 of 16

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

Philippians 2:3-4

7 of 16

What are some examples of times when someone sacrificed to show you hospitality?

What are some examples of times when someone sacrificed to show you hospitality? How did that make you feel about them, yourself, or even God? (Take a few moments for students to share.)

The early Church was a mixture of cultures and backgrounds. Often the only thing that united them was their decision to follow Jesus, and even that was not enough to keep them from arguing.

In these verses, one of the early Church leaders, Paul, instructs the Church to first set aside their basic nature. Followers of Jesus were to be known for their willingness to set aside their own interests and to value others above themselves.

It is easy to say these words, but you have probably already discovered that to live them out is a battle. No church or community will do it perfectly, but we should always be working to reflect the life of humility that Jesus showed.

8 of 16

So what…

How does having an attitude of humility help me to share God’s love with my family and friends?

Tool time

9 of 16

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.

Acts 2:42-45

10 of 16

What do you think it means that the believers “were together and had everything in common”?

What do you think it means that the believers “were together and had everything in common”? (Take a few moments for students to share.)

After deciding to follow Jesus and to live out his teachings, it is not as though all their differences were erased. People still sat next to those they had considered their enemies. They still worshiped together with people who had done things that seemed unforgivable.

But the Bible says that they were so radically transformed by God that all they cared about was serving one another. The only thing that mattered was that they were each children of God.

They were called to live out God’s ways in all they did. The verses show this when it talks about how they listened to the apostles teaching, spent time together, shared meals with one another, and even took care of each other by providing for their needs.

11 of 16

12 of 16

Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Acts 2:46-47

13 of 16

Key idea

God’s Church needs to be a place where people pursue radical, biblical hospitality like that shown by Jesus.

14 of 16

What can I do to practice hospitality in my own life this week?

15 of 16

Let’s pray

16 of 16

Thanks

See you next time!