Hospitality is something foreign to our society today.

Even in our churches we see less and less of what true hospitality is all about.

We live in a world where our calendars are busy filled with church events, family events, and ministry.

When you hear the word “Hospitality” you think of the perfect meal or that perfect recipe you found online.

Hospitality to some is having extra linens and fresh towels in the powder room.

Hospitality can mean inviting over your “Christian” loved ones for extravagant meals, or potlucks.

The thought of hosting the perfect hospitable home can sound stressful and demanding.

It can stir up un-wanting thoughts of not being able to measure up to a “magazine perfect” home.

“Entertaining seeks to impress. Hospitality seeks to bless.” – Jen Wilkin

God wants you to serve with a humble heart and a humble home.

“Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a fatted calf with hatred.” – Psalms 15:17

God doesn’t want you to impress.

He wants you to be humble so that He can be lifted high.

You don’t need the perfect centerpiece, you need Him that is perfect to be in the center and focal point of your home.

Don’t just open up your home, open up your heart.

Have you ever wondered what hospitality would look like if Jesus would have invited us over to His home?

What Would the Lord’s Table Look Like?

Who did Jesus welcome with open arms?

What does true hospitality look like?

Is Hospitality that important?

Would you invite Jesus to your home?

You might think your home is not perfect for guests, or strangers.

But your Father who loves you dearly has already given you what you need to welcome people with open arms.  

Hospitality is rarely convenient—welcome the unexpected.

Hospitality doesn’t stop at your front door.

It goes beyond serving someone at home.

It’s knowing how to serve others no matter where you are.

Hospitality is having a servant’s heart.

It seeks beyond the surface. It seeks to see what the heart needs.

Hospitality is not just about the table, it’s about the people gathered around it.

It’s about the Gospel and showing the love of Jesus Christ.

When Jesus gathered His disciples for the “Last Supper,” He invited them to remember Him. 

He invited them to remember who He was, what He had done, and what He was about to do.

He welcomes you to His table to a life of Holy communion.

“This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” Luke 22:19

Give Thank’s This Thanksgiving With A Hospitable Heart

As brothers and sisters in Christ, it is our responsibility and privilege to invite people to the Lord’s table.

And what better time to do this than at Thanksgiving.

As you gather with family and friends, remember to be thankful for all God has blessed you with.

And grateful for all the people He’s placed around the dinner table with you.

But don’t just invite people to the table, invite them to Jesus.

Hospitality is an attitude rather than an action. 

If all you have is a pot of soup, then serve it with love and gratitude.

Jesus spent most of His days with the people we tend to avoid.

“When you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you…” Luke 12:13-14a

Is there a family or special person in mind that would be blessed to be welcomed and loved on?

Sometimes we tend to be uncomfortable serving people that are not in our social circle.

But Jesus wants us to love them all.

Why not invite someone to this year’s Thanksgiving meal that has never been to your home?

Welcome them. Be hospitable to them. And love on them.

Be a reflection of who your Father truly is.

Jesus gives us a promise that we will be blessed for blessing others.

Welcome that blessing into your home as you welcome in your brothers and sisters.

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us here at Calvary Chapel South Bay!

“Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever. Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for mankind, for He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.” – Psalm 107:1, 8-9