Mark 2: 13-17 He went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. ¹⁴ And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.

¹⁵ And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. ¹⁶ And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” ¹⁷ And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

The Point:  

Jesus LOVES SINNERS.

What is sin? Loving life with ZERO REFERENCE TO GOD.

Jesus Shows Love By:

1. CALLING sinners.
2. EATING WITH sinners.
3. SAVING sinners.

My Response:

 GO ALL IN.

 

Host a Matthew Party

What is a Matthew Party?

A get together (or party) with the purpose of getting to know those around you, and in love, introducing them to Jesus. The invitation list should consist of both people that are still far from God, as well as a few Christ followers.

What is the goal of a Matthew Party?

The goal of a Matthew Party is to fill the meeting place (typically a home) with guests who will have the opportunity to mingle with members of a Connect Group and/or the Grace Family. By meeting new people, and discovering that we are “normal,” the guest becomes comfortable and may choose to attend one of the regular Connect Groups and /or Sunday Worship gatherings to check it out.

What are some Matthew Party Ideas?

A picnic / BBQ

Game Night (indoor or outdoor)

Pool Party

Pizza Party

Party around a sporting event on TV

Ideas are only limited by your creativity

What happens at a Matthew Party?

There is no standard format for a Matthew Party. Some simply host a big dinner, do some group singing, and introduce the guests to the concept of their group. Others create a theme party. One Matthew Party the theme was A Midsummer’s Night Dream. The party featured a fondue fest on an expansive deck at someone’s home. Twinkle lights were strung across the deck and in the evergreen trees as if fairies were looking on. Another small group hosted a mystery by purchasing one of the mystery party game kits.. The goal is for everyone to have a great time and to get comfortable with the participants of your group.

There is only one rule to a Matthew Party:

There must be a hand-off to the next event. A hand-off is a flyer, invitation, postcard, brochure—something in writing that invites the guests to a Connect Group and / or Sunday Worship gathering