WELCOME
"For the love of God is broader than the measure of our mind;
and the heart of the Eternal is most wonderfully kind."
- There's a Wideness in God's Mercy, Frederick William Faber

Maybe it's a message that simply says, “Come on over.” Or maybe it’s the friend who slides over to make room at the table. It could be the neighbor who holds open a door when your hands are full. Those little gestures can carry big meaning - because each one says, “You are welcome here.”

Hospitality is one of the simplest expressions of God's grace. It's also, often, one of the most powerful. We know that Jesus didn’t just teach about a welcoming love in abstract terms. He practiced it in the ways He drew people into a community of care. Through Scripture, we see that welcoming others is one of the ways God draws us deeper into relationship, service, and grace.

This November, we’ll take a closer look at what it means to extend that kind of faithful welcome. Through scripture, we’ll see the welcoming way God meets people on the road, at the door, at the well, or anywhere on their journey - and how we are called to do the same.

11/2 Extend the Invitation Luke 24:13-32
11/9 Open the Door Genesis 18:1-8
11/16 A Sense of Belonging Acts 16:11-15
11/23 Removing Barriers John 4:4-15; 25-30

Each week will help us rediscover how God’s welcome transforms both the one who offers it - and the one who receives it. In a world that can feel increasingly divided or closed off, this may be one of the clearest reflections of Jesus we can offer - to open our hearts, lives, and church in His name.

You are invited to join us each week for worship as we practice a Gospel-shaped hospitality together, and discover again how Christ's welcome is big enough for everyone.

Yours in Christ,
Pastor Grant

CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION
Please feel free to use these notes for personal devotion and reflection, as well as spiritual conversation with your small group and family.

SERMON NOTES
I. In Abraham’s time, an “open tent” was a cultural obligation and a personal pleasure.
II. Even roving shepherds had a constant expectation of entertaining guests.
III. We invite, welcome, serve, and help connect our guests as a loving response to God’s grace.

FOR DISCUSSION AND REFLECTION
- Describe a time when you experienced remarkably good hospitality. What made it so good?
- In the bedouin culture of Abraham's time, traveling tribes of shepherds would often battle over the privilege of hosting a guest who passed through their camp. Why do you think welcoming a guest was viewed as such an honor?
- What do you think it meant for someone like Abraham to be constantly prepared and expecting to extend excellent hospitality to guests? What would that look like for our homes? What might it look like for our church?
- What is the potential danger of a church that exists only to serve and meet the needs of its existing members? What helps church members to keep an outward focus on serving guests and neighbors?
- How do you think expectations of church hospitality are different now than they were 20 years ago? What expectations might remain the same?
- What is one thing you can do to make certain the doors of St. John's are graciously open to guests and visitors? What might you need to sacrifice to take that step?
- What is God saying to you through today's scripture?