Twice a year our small group leaders at our local church come together to enjoy each other's company, eat good food, and be further equipped to shepherd people God has entrusted to us through our small group.

This week, we had our first 'get together' of the year and a sweet couple in our church spoke about the spiritual significance of hospitality. I wanted to share with you some of my takeaways from their teaching.

• Webster's Dictionary 1828 definition of hospitality demonstrates that hospitality was a distinctly Christian activity:

HOSPITAL'ITY, noun [Latin hospitalitas.] The act or practice of receiving and entertaining strangers or guests without reward, or with kind and generous liberality.

A bishop--must be given to hospitality 1 Timothy 3:2.

Hospitality I have found as universal as the face of man.

• Hospitality is not a spiritual gift that some have and some do not have. Every Christian should cultivate hospitality: Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. (1 Peter 4:9 NKJV)

• We serve a kind generous God who rescued us in Christ Jesus, how can we not reflect His kindness and generosity toward others?

• Hospitality should not be done out of obligation, but out of love.

• Hospitality is a tangible way to care for people and open up opportunities to speak with them about Jesus. In other words, it can open up evangelistic opportunities.

• The practice of hospitality allows us to develop deep, life-long friendships.

• Hospitality is not about serving people like a waiter at a restaurant. It is about being with people (Luke 10).

• Hospitality should be grounded in our allegiance to Jesus and our identity as ambassadors of Christ.