Discussion Guide: Table Talk - The Scoundrel’s Table
Welcome to Table Talk!
Food has a unique way of bringing down our walls. Throughout the Gospels, some of the most profound moments of grace, healing, and connection didn't happen in synagogues or on mountain tops—they happened around a dinner table.
This guide is designed to be used alongside our Table Talk sermon series. Whether you’re sitting down with your family over dinner, sharing coffee with a friend, or connecting with a small group or roommate, these pages are meant to help you take Sunday’s message off the stage and into your everyday life.
How to Use This Guide:
Keep it casual: There is no "right" way to do this. You don't need to answer every question or read every word.
Make it fit your table: Use this over a full meal, a quick snack, or a cup of coffee.
Keep it conversational: Focus on open reflection rather than finding the "perfect" answer.
Grab a seat, pass the food, and let's pull up a chair to the table together!
Table Talk: The Scoundrel’s Table
1. Set the Table (The Icebreaker)
What to do: Get the conversation flowing with a lighthearted question.
The Question: If you could host a dinner party and invite three people from history, culture, or your own life who have completely different backgrounds, who would sit at your table?
2. Take a Bite (The Story)
What to do: Set the scene and read the verses together.
The Scene: Tax collectors in ancient times were considered corrupt traitors who cheated their own people for money. Yet, when Jesus walked past Levi (Matthew) at his tax booth, He simply said, "Follow me." Levi threw a large feast at his house to celebrate, inviting a room full of fellow tax collectors and outcasts. When religious leaders complained about the crowd, Jesus made His mission crystal clear.
Read Together: Luke 5:27-32
3. Chew on It (The Discussion)
What to do: Choose the questions that best fit your conversation.
Question 1: Levi dropped everything and immediately threw a celebratory meal for Jesus. What do you think made Jesus' invitation so compelling to someone who was used to being rejected by others?
Question 2: The Pharisees were annoyed that Jesus was eating with "tax collectors and sinners." Why is sharing a meal with someone such a powerful statement of friendship and acceptance?
Question 3: Jesus says, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick." How does viewing Jesus as a spiritual physician change the way we approach our own mistakes and the mistakes of others?
4. Pass the Plate (The Action Step)
What to do: Turn the conversation into a concrete action for the week ahead.
The Challenge: Levi used his table to introduce his friends to Jesus. This week, expand your own circle by making room for someone who might feel on the outside.
Idea: Invite a new neighbor or coworker to join you for lunch, sit with someone sitting alone at school or church, or reach out to someone you haven't talked to in a while to catch up.
5. Clear the Table (The Prayer)
What to do: Close your time together intentionally.
Pray together:"Jesus, thank You that You came to call sinners and not the self-righteous. Thank You that Your table has room for everyone, no matter our past or our mistakes. Give us the courage to step outside our comfort zones and share Your warmth and hospitality with others this week. Amen."