What does the word "hospitality" bring to mind for you? Church ladies with a robust collection of cute salt and pepper shakers? People who love to save casserole recipes? Having people over to your house and cooking them something really impressive? Or maybe you think of hotels and restaurants—the "hospitality industry"? 

If any of that is what the word "hospitality" conjures up in your mind, Jesus wants to change that.

In this series, we'll explore the high calling of Christian hospitality—a calling that God places right alongside some big ones like Love, Joy, and Hope. It will stretch us…and sometimes scare us. But Jesus wants us to courageously welcome others with our resources—to make our tables Brave Tables. 

As we begin the Brave Table series, Justin shares two reasons we're bad at hospitality, two reasons hospitality matters so deeply, and what hospitality really is. 

1/12/20 Speaker: Justin Gerhardt

Text: Romans 12:9-13

Hospitality lies at the center of every Christian’s calling, and (like all good things), it will certainly cost something. In this message, Justin shares 4 things hospitality will require of us.

1/19/20 Speaker: Justin Gerhardt

Text: Romans 12:9-13

So how brave is your table? In this message, we’ll be challenged by three of the most difficult, most beautiful commands in Scripture. Three commands that change everything about how we use our tables—and who we welcome to them.

1/26/20 Speaker: Justin Gerhardt

Text: Mark 12:28-31; Leviticus 19:33-34; Luke 6:27-35

So much hinges on whether or not we insiders devote ourselves to loving outsiders…but once we get serious about doing that on purpose, how do we do it? What does it look like? In this message, we'll explore 4 practical guidelines that should shape our hospitality toward people who are far from God.

2/2/20 Speaker: Justin Gerhardt

Text: Mark 10:28-30

Here's a helpful question: should Christians' posture of hospitality toward outsiders extend to the Sunday worship gathering? Isn't that a time for insiders only? If not, why not? 

In this message, we'll explore those questions and more as we look to a passage of Scripture that teaches us what "Sunday best" really looks like. 

2/16/20 Speaker: Justin Gerhardt

Text:  1 Corinthians 14:22-25

“Stories have to be told or they die, and when they die, we can't remember who we are or why we're here.” -Sue Monk Kidd

In this final part of the series, Justin shares 5 stories to lead us in a mediation on the application of Scripture's teaching on hospitality. These stories are offered as lit candles, reminding us of who we are and why we’re here, and marking the way home--the place of love and generosity and kindness and courage to which Jesus is calling us.

2/23/20 Speaker: Justin Gerhardt

Text: 1 Peter 4:9-10