Catch up on how things have been over the past week (over drinks and snacks if possible), taking time to let any new members introduce themselves. Then ask group members to:
This term, we’re exploring some of the meals Jesus shared. Not only will this help us get to know Jesus better, we’ll see how the way he shared meals can teach us a lot as we experience student life today.
Ask for a volunteer to read Luke 9:10-17 to the group, praying a short prayer that, however much they’ve come to know Jesus, they’d know him better as a result of your time together.
Download this video to watch offline.
Read Isaiah 25:6-8.
This passage would have been well-known to those in the crowd. It pictures the time when God’s kingdom will come in its fullness.
Some sceptics suggest that this account of the feeding of the five thousand is simply about the principle of sharing. They suggest that, having seen Jesus’ willingness to share, the crowd were moved to share their food with each other. Those with extra food shared what they had with those who had nothing – such that there were twelve basketfuls of food left over.
The big problem with this interpretation is that there’s not a shred of evidence for it! It’s far better to read Luke’s account at face value: that Jesus is able to create and provide food for his people (just like God in the Old Testament), and that he has come to bring in the kingdom of God (pictured in places like Isaiah 25:6-8).
Feeding the hungry is both an act of compassion and a demonstration of the presence of God’s kingdom.
Today’s episode repeatedly shows Jesus’ ability to provide what people could not do themselves. The disciples failed to realise that Jesus is able to provide abundantly.
Spend some time praying in response to your conversation.
God has given us physical bodies which have needs for things like food, water, sleep and exercise. Sadly, in a world broken by sin, our relationship with these things is distorted. Whilst the focus of this series isn’t a theology of food, it’s good to be aware that life in a broken world involves wrestling with complex issues around food, meals and the body.
All of us have a complicated relationship with food, but some in your Impact Group will feel this struggle more acutely. Some will go through times of eating too much or too little, perhaps during a difficult season of life. Some are physically sick when exposed to certain foods (such as gluten intolerance, suffered by those with coeliac disease). Others may struggle with a mental illness that presents itself as an eating disorder. Try to be mindful of these issues throughout this series, and especially during this session.
If you or others in your group could do with some help in any of these areas, contact your GP and a trusted friend at church. For eating disorder support, the BEAT website is a great source of information for both those suffering and those walking alongside.
Jesus’ provision for us is abundant. In dying for us he brought us into relationship with God, who promises to care for us as his children. He has given his Holy Spirit who gives us joy and who transforms us. And he has given the future promise of a restored new creation – a physical world made new.
Following Jesus means turning our backs on living for ourselves. But as we do that, we find that he offers full life now, and fuller life forever.
Thank You – Thank everyone for coming, and ask someone to thank God for your time together in prayer.
Ask – Ask those who are new to reading the Bible if they’d like to explore Uncover, a set of sessions in Mark’s Gospel, allowing them to investigate one of the earliest accounts of Jesus’ life alongside one of you.
Church and CU – What does the CU have planned ahead? And what help would group members value in finding a local church?
Others – Who else could you invite to join your CU Impact Group next week? These friends don’t need to be followers of Jesus and may really appreciate being invited.
See You Soon – Tell the group where and when you’ll meet next week, and arrange who will bring snacks. (You might like to alternate healthy and less healthy weeks!). See if anyone would be up for sharing a meal or just hanging out in the meantime!
Can we set cookies? We use necessary cookies to make our site work. We’d also like to set analytics cookies that help us make improvements by measuring how you use the site. More about cookies.
By clicking the Accept button below you are giving your consent for us to set cookies.