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Generous hospitality means being kind and welcoming to everyone we meet. Our generous hospitality can be a doorway Jesus uses to connect with others.
Hospitality is big business today. A vast empire of chefs, bakers, designers, builders, decorators, redecorators, rehabbers, and party planners are ready with whatever advice, service, or products you need.
When people hear “hospitality” they usually think about inviting people over for a meal or event like a birthday party, graduation party, Super Bowl party, movie marathon, or something like that. Those kinds of things do require hospitality. But we’re talking about something different, something bigger.
We’re talking about inviting someone into your life, and the willingness to be invited into someone else’s life.
Generous hospitality includes a lot of things — how we interact with people, view people, welcome people, listen to people, converse with people, and more. It’s not just about throwing or hosting a party. It’s about offering generous and sincere kindness, friendship, and welcome to all people.
Generous hospitality can happen anytime, anywhere by simply showing up and being fully present, fully engaged, and fully available to be used by God in the life of another person by sharing myself, my time, my friendship, my abilities, and my resources.
Hospitality flows from a solid understanding (head) of Jesus’ example that shapes our attitudes (heart) and influences our actions (hands). In other words, hospitality flows out of the whole person as we abide in Christ and become more like him.
Listen to some thoughts from BibleProject about God as a generous host.
Begin with a conversation starter, then use some of these warm-up questions.
Use one or more of these passages to see what scripture says about generous hospitality. You can also engage with the passage by copying out part of it, rewriting it as a prayer, rephrasing it as its opposite, summarizing it with a single word or phrase, making a list or chart of similar and dissimilar things, or turning it into something visual like a doodle, design, or flowchart.
Read Luke 19:1-10 (Jesus and Zacchaeus), Luke 8:40-56 (Jesus, Jairus, and the bleeding woman), or Mark 10:13-16 (Jesus with little children).
Read Acts 10:1-17 (Peter and Cornelius).
Read Luke 10:38-42 (Jesus at Martha and Mary's house).
Read Luke 14:7-14 (parable about the wedding feast) or Luke 10:25-28 (loving neighbor as self).
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. (1 Peter 4:8-9, NIV)
When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the LORD your God. (Leviticus 19:33-34, NIV)
If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. (Romans 12:7-10)
When God's people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality. (Roman 12:13)
Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters. Don't forget to show hospitality to stranger, for some who have done this have entertained angles without realizing it! (Hebrews 13:2)
Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay. (1 Peter 4:9)
Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007, 2103 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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