One at a Time: The Jesus Way to Change the WorldExemplo

One Meal at a Time

Every Sunday evening, 19 kids pile into Nathan and Meagan’s basement with hot dogs or mac-n-cheese while the parents gather upstairs over a simple potluck. While they eat together, they knock down relational walls. They laugh. They listen. They grow. And each week, a simple meal transitions into a time to really explore the Scriptures together, to challenge and encourage one another, and to walk corporately toward God’s grace and purpose in their lives. 

The group began as a collection of individual families with a common goal. Now, they’re deeply invested in one another’s lives. They’re a community standing together as they pursue Christ and serve Him faithfully. There is mess, chaos, frustration, and vulnerability around the table, but there’s also encouragement, accountability, joy, and endless grace as they discover who God is and what it looks like to follow Him. 

Just as Jesus connected with Zacchaeus over a meal—sharing food to break down barriers and have honest conversations about real life—Nathan and Meagan are learning with their group the power of honest and unguarded time together. As they walk through the joys and struggles of life together, God is equipping them with the strength, wisdom, and gifts to serve one another. And it all happens one meal at a time.

Discussion Application

1. Have you experienced the power of a shared meal to break down barriers? Why do you think this might be true?

2. Why do you think Jesus had meals with so many people, rather than just teaching in public? What do you imagine Jesus and Zacchaeus talked about while they ate?

3. How could you use your home as a way to share the grace of the Gospel with people around you? What obstacles stand in the way?