The Gospel at the Table
"They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts." - Acts 2:46
Eating is one of the most common things we do. It is so essential that if we stop, we die. Everyone you know eats. They may not like the same music you do, watch the same sports you enjoy, or live the same lifestyle you live, but every single person you know shares this one thing: they eat. That reality makes the dinner table one of the most powerful tools we have for the gospel.
In the early church, meals were more than just a way to fill stomachs. They were moments of connection, places where strangers became friends, and friends became family. It was often around a table that lives were changed. We see this in Acts 2 when believers shared meals together, and their fellowship became a powerful witness to the world. In fact, many people encountered Jesus for the first time not in a formal service, but over a meal with someone who loved Him.
Michael Frost, in his book Surprise the World, challenges believers to eat with at least three people each week who are not part of their immediate family, with at least one of them being someone outside their church. That may sound small, but it opens the door for something eternal. When you invite someone to your table, you invite them into your life. And when you share your life, you create space for Jesus to be seen in the most ordinary moments.
Jesus Himself modeled this. He ate with sinners, tax collectors, and religious leaders. He broke bread with friends and strangers alike. He used meals not just to feed people but to show them the heart of God. If the Son of God saw value in eating with people as a means of ministry, why would we think it is any less important for us?
The truth is, the table can be a mission field. Every bite can break down barriers. Every conversation can plant a seed. As Frost puts it, “Conversion flowered from communion.” Maybe your next step is not another program, but an open seat at your table. Invite, eat, listen, share, and watch how God can use something as ordinary as a meal to do something extraordinary.
Eating is one of the most common things we do. It is so essential that if we stop, we die. Everyone you know eats. They may not like the same music you do, watch the same sports you enjoy, or live the same lifestyle you live, but every single person you know shares this one thing: they eat. That reality makes the dinner table one of the most powerful tools we have for the gospel.
In the early church, meals were more than just a way to fill stomachs. They were moments of connection, places where strangers became friends, and friends became family. It was often around a table that lives were changed. We see this in Acts 2 when believers shared meals together, and their fellowship became a powerful witness to the world. In fact, many people encountered Jesus for the first time not in a formal service, but over a meal with someone who loved Him.
Michael Frost, in his book Surprise the World, challenges believers to eat with at least three people each week who are not part of their immediate family, with at least one of them being someone outside their church. That may sound small, but it opens the door for something eternal. When you invite someone to your table, you invite them into your life. And when you share your life, you create space for Jesus to be seen in the most ordinary moments.
Jesus Himself modeled this. He ate with sinners, tax collectors, and religious leaders. He broke bread with friends and strangers alike. He used meals not just to feed people but to show them the heart of God. If the Son of God saw value in eating with people as a means of ministry, why would we think it is any less important for us?
The truth is, the table can be a mission field. Every bite can break down barriers. Every conversation can plant a seed. As Frost puts it, “Conversion flowered from communion.” Maybe your next step is not another program, but an open seat at your table. Invite, eat, listen, share, and watch how God can use something as ordinary as a meal to do something extraordinary.
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