September 13 Small Group Guide
There Is Room for You Luke 14:15–24; Romans 15:7
Big Idea: God’s kingdom is not a private table for impressive people; it is an open invitation for people who know they need grace.
Opening: Describe a time when someone made you feel genuinely welcome. When entering an unfamiliar place, what helps you feel as though you belong? Why do people sometimes assume they must change before they can come to Jesus?
Read Luke 14:15–24 and Romans 15:7.
As you listen, notice:
Who prepared the banquet?
How did the invited guests respond?
Who eventually received an invitation?
What do these passages reveal about the heart of God?
1. The Invitation Begins with God
“Come, for everything is now ready.” Luke 14:17
Grace is God moving toward us before we know how to move toward Him. The host prepared the banquet before the guests responded. In the same way, the gospel begins with what God has done—not with what we must prove. Jesus does not say, “Make yourself worthy, and then come.” He says, “Come, for everything is ready.” A reservation does not prepare the meal; it simply receives what the host has already provided.
Discuss
1. What does the prepared banquet teach us about God’s grace?
2. Why are we tempted to believe we must earn God’s acceptance?
3. What is the difference between receiving grace and trying to qualify for it?
4. How would your relationship with God change if you truly believed there was already a place for you?
Personal Reflection Where are you still trying to prove yourself to God?
Take the Step Stop treating grace like an application you must qualify for. Honestly receive what Jesus has already provided.
2. Our Excuses Can Hide Our Hesitation
“But they all alike began to make excuses.” Luke 14:18
The invited guests were not openly hostile toward the host. They were simply too occupied to respond. Property, work, and relationships are not necessarily bad things, but even good things can become barriers when they keep us from God. Busyness can sound responsible while still keeping Jesus at a safe distance. An unopened invitation can remain on the counter while the celebration happens without us. The real question is not whether we have been invited. The question is whether we will come.
Discuss
1. What excuses did the invited guests make?
2. Why can good things become spiritual distractions?
3. What excuses do people commonly use to keep Jesus at a distance?
4. How can we recognize the difference between a legitimate responsibility and an excuse?
5. Is there something currently competing with God for your attention?
Personal Reflection
Complete this statement: “The excuse that most often keeps me from responding to God is __________.”
Take the Step
Identify one honest step you can take this week to move beyond that excuse.
3. A Full Table Reflects the Heart of the Host
“Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.” Luke 14:21
The host sends his servants into unexpected places because he wants the house full. His actions reveal a heart that notices and welcomes people others might overlook. The church should reflect that same heart. Hospitality is more than being friendly when someone arrives. It means intentionally making room in our schedules, conversations, groups, and relationships. At a crowded family meal, love often looks like squeezing closer and adding another chair. When grace gives us a seat, we become people who pull out a chair for someone else.
Discuss
1. What do the host’s actions reveal about God?
2. Who might feel overlooked or unwelcome in a church setting?
3. What is the difference between being friendly and practicing genuine hospitality?
4. What might prevent a small group from making room for new people?
5. How can our group become a place where people feel known, valued, and welcomed?
Personal Reflection
Who in your life may wonder whether there is a place for them?
Take the Step Offer that person a personal, pressure-free invitation this week. It might be an invitation to church, your small group, coffee, or a meal.
Living Out Romans 15:7
“Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” Romans 15:7 Paul connects our welcome of others to Christ’s welcome of us. We do not accept others because they have earned a place. We accept them because Jesus first accepted us.
Discuss
1. What does it mean to accept someone “just as Christ accepted you”?
2. How can we welcome people without pretending that truth and transformation do not matter?
3. In what practical ways does accepting others bring praise to God?
4. What would change in our church if every person practiced this kind of welcome?
Group Challenge This week, practice the ministry of making room:
Receive: Thank Jesus for making room for you.
Notice: Pay attention to someone who may feel overlooked.
Invite: Extend one sincere, pressure-free invitation.
Welcome: Make space for that person in your conversation, schedule, or group.
Pray: Ask God to help Wagoner First reflect the welcoming heart of Jesus.
Closing Thought
The good news is not merely that there is room inside a church building. There is room in the heart of God. The chair is not reserved for a more polished version of you. Jesus welcomes the weary, the uncertain, the overlooked, and those who have been away for a long time.
You do not have to earn a place at His table. He has already made room.
Closing Prayer
Jesus, thank You for welcoming us before we had anything to offer. Forgive us for the excuses that keep us at a distance and for the times we have failed to make room for others. Help us receive Your grace honestly and extend that same grace generously. Open our eyes to people who feel overlooked, uncertain, or alone. Make our group and our church a place where people can encounter Your welcome, experience Your love, and discover that there is room for them. Amen.