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 God’s 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.