REALLIFE STUDY GROUP

"Eat Up!"

 

ICEBREAKER:  What were meal times like at your house growing up?

 

INTRODUCTION: I am about to state the obvious, but it always amazes me at the wisdom and might of our God. He was a genius in the way that he created us to enjoy food. Eating and mealtimes are so central to everything in life. Jesus did his first miracle at a wedding banquet!

 

In America we make excuses to eat! Some people eat to live, but in general, we live to eat! We eat at just about every holiday. We love to eat. It is a multi multi billion dollar industry.

 

So many miracles took place around food. You can hardly mention a person in the Bible without food in the story. Everything from fruit to vegetables to meat to bread is referenced in the Bible. So eat up and grow up!

 

There are many statistics that prove the importance of regularly and daily eating together as a family. Children who eat together daily with their families: develop better vocabularies, are much less prone to suicide and promiscuity, get better grades, and are less prone to using alcohol and drugs. 

 

CONFESSION:  I was called to bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit of God.

I was called to drink the milk of the Word but also to grow up and eat strong meat. As Jesus said, "my meat is to do the will of my Father."

Jesus also said, "I am the Bread that came down from Heaven!" Even Canaan the Promised Land that God reserved for Abraham and his seed was named after food. It was called the land flowing with milk and honey! I am all about consuming the Words of Christ! I don't have to be starved for attention. I will always have the ear of my Father God. Just knowing that Jesus fed the five thousand reminds me that He will take care of me!

 

DEFINITION:  Eat Up: means to devour Gods Word and to assimilate it so that it not only becomes a part of who you are but actually determines who you are becoming!

 

OUTLINE:  The Principles of Breaking Bread

1.   The Bread is broken like His body was for us

2.   The Wine was spilled out into the Cup like His Blood that flowed from His side for us.

3.   The Bread and the Wine are ingested like the Word of God must be digested and assimilated.

4.   The Bread brings sustenance, making the empty stomach full just like Christ fills up our emptiness with His fullness

5.   The Bread and the Wine gives us energy just like the Word of God inspires and motivates us

 

TEXT:  Matthew 22; Luke 14

 

STUDY GROUP QUESTIONS:

1.   Why do you think God has centered so much of life around food?

2.   Name a story in the Bible that references food.

3.   Why do you think Jesus chose to do his first miracle at a wedding banquet?

4.   Why do think a man was thrown out of the wedding reception for not wearing the appropriate clothing?

5.   How are we doing in America at inviting people in the world to church? Why is it so hard for us?

6.   What do you think the Marriage supper of the Lamb will be like?

7.   What spiritual vegetable or fruit of the spirit do you need most? What junk food have we been gorging ourselves on?

 

PRAISE REPORTS & PRAYER REQUESTS:

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

 

ACTION POINT: This week I will say grace at every meal. I will feed someone that is hungry.