Hospitality Talk - Need help

[DarinS]

Anybody GIVE or Receive a talk on hospitality recently?

—any great ideas or illustrations?

 

Anybody have any good experiences - their own or to someone else?

 

Need some inspiration …working up the hospitality Outline and

need some motivation to work on it…..

 

Thanks to all in advance 

[computerwiz]

Can't go wrong with an outline from a CO's talk (at least my notes from it )

 

Title: I Have Called You Friends

 

Theme: John 15:15 - 15 I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master does. But I have called you friends, because I have made known to you all the things I have heard from my Father.

• This is Jesus parting counsel. Why did Jesus call them friends? It was because of what they experienced together.

• Jesus had good friends because he was a good friend

• Jesus was a good communicator. He shared his thoughts. 

• Congregations thrive when there are strong friendships.

• Genuine friendship is a positive influence.

• In theocratic activities 

  • 2 Corinthians 6:13 - 13 So in response—I speak as to my children—you too open your hearts wide.

  • How does our friendship strengthen when we work with a variety of publishers?

  • When we greet someone in the Hall, why not try to have 1 or 2 meaningful conversations. If someone goes sit by themselves, why not go sit by them and have a meaningful conversation. 

  • Ask yourself before you go talk to them: Do you appreciate their loyalty? Appreciate a part they gave?

  • Family worship - Have you included others in your family worship? 

• Hospitality and recreation

  • Allows us to build friendship. 

  • With what is approaching we need to strengthen our friendship now!

  • Can we have hospitality even when the speaker doesn't stay? (km 10/12 pp. 5-6, paragraph 2)

  • WT August 2019, page 18. Hospitality also enables us to speak with unbelieving mates.

  • Extend hospitality to those who have been inactive or who recently have returned.

    • Think about the prodigal son.

 

That's all that applies to your situation.  The outline continues, but it's more about communicating with one another.  Hope that gets you a good start!

 

[Mike047]

Those are some great points, Jeremy. I would perhaps add:

 

Rom 12:13 - Paul here uses the term to encourage Christians to do more than show hospitality when called on to do so. Rather, he urges them to be proactive in giving hospitality, and to do so regularly. The Greek word for “hospitality,” (philoxenia) literally means “love of (fondness for) strangers.” This would indicate that hospitality should be extended beyond one’s family and circle of close friends.

 

3John 8 - reminds us of the Christian obligation to show this quality. The Greek word here for "obligation" (Ophelio). One reference says: "Ought; used thus of a necessity imposed either by law and duty, or by reason, or by the times, or by the nature of the matter under consideration".  Another reference says: "It is often shown as a result of having received something previously of value", and we would perhaps add that the quality of Agape love shown across the brotherhood, is a fine start. However, many of the 'strangers' are those who may not initially be  in the congregation but, as a result of our genuine hospitality, are open to learn spiritual things.  

[RayAnthony]

Although not directly linked to hospitality, this account in John chapter 6 has a nice application towards generosity and a volunteering spirit:

John 6:5-6

Quote

(John 6:5, 6) . . .When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, he said to Philip: “Where will we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 However, he was saying this to test him, for he knew what he was about to do.

John 6:9

Quote

(John 6:9) . . .“Here is a little boy who has five barley loaves and two small fish. But what are these among so many?”

 

John 6:11

Quote

(John 6:11) . . .Jesus took the bread, and after giving thanks, he distributed it to those who were sitting there; he did likewise with the small fish, and they had as much as they wanted.

 

Notice the following:
 

• The little boy saw that there was a need to provide food. Although he knew that what he had could not feed the entire crowd, his generous spirit and willingness to help motivated him to offer what little that he had.
• Jesus used the provisions that the young boy had to accomplish a great miracle that fed the crowd of five thousand. Also, when John 6:11 said that "they had as much as they wanted", this likely included the same young boy that gave what he had to Jesus. His generous spirit caused him to be rewarded with enough food to fill him with as much as he wanted.
• In John 6:5, 6, Jesus tested the spiritual progress of his disciples. By asking this question, he got their attention and gave them an opportunity to express their faith in what he could do. (w10 10/15 p. 4 par. 9 “Who Has Come to Know the Mind of Jehovah?”). When we are granted opportunities to show hospitality, it may be that Jesus is also testing our spiritual progress. Will we trust that Jehovah and Jesus will make sure that we will have "as much as we wanted", so long as we put others first? Or will we give in to fear and a human viewpoint and think that what we have could not possibly fit our own needs, much less provide hospitality to others?
• Remember that in a crowd of five thousand people, some of whom most likely had more material resources than a young boy, it was the five loaves and the two fish of the young boy that Jesus miraculously used to feed the crowd. We should never think that what we have is too insignificant to give to Jehovah.

 

[Tortuga]

7 minutes ago, RayAnthony said:

(John 6:9) . . .“Here is a little boy who has five barley loaves and two small fish. But what are these among so many?”

What a great idea, I never thought of why the little boy was with the apostles and his willingness to share.

[DancesWithWife]

28 minutes ago, Tortuga said:

I never thought of why the little boy was with the apostles and his willingness to share.

The account does say there was a great crowd there to hear Jesus speak, so that would include children with their families. What motivated the little boy to share? The account doesn't say, as it was Andrew who brought the child to Jesus.  Children are very observant. He could have heard Jesus asking Phillip where they could get food to feed the crowd. This makes me think of the little ones who offer change from their piggy banks. They hear from the platform there is a need and respond. This situation was no different. 

[RayAnthony]

It is always interesting to see how Jehovah guides the faithful and discreet slave to include extra spiritual lessons in small details in our articles, like this. The artwork for this chapter in the Greatest Man and Lessons You Can Learn From the Bible books serves as a good visual aid to explain this:





Source: The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived, chapter 52





Source: https://www.jw.org/en/library/books/bible-stories-lessons/12/jesus-feeds-thousands/

Edited April 12 by RayAnthony

[Mike047]

Great artwork. Thanks for putting this up.