Opening Prayer & Welcome (5 minutes)

Welcome your group and open in prayer. Ask God to help everyone be honest about where they’re at and open to what He wants to speak to them tonight.

Icebreaker (10 minutes)

Question: What’s one meal or dinner experience that stands out in your memory as particularly meaningful? What made it special?

Leader Note: This helps ease into the theme of sharing meals and tables being significant moments of connection and belonging.

Watch or Discuss the Sermon Summary (5 minutes)

Briefly summarize the main points:

• He remembers you – Like David remembered his covenant with Jonathan, God remembers you by name
• He restores you – From shame to honor, from Lo-debar (isolation/barrenness) to the King’s table
• He frees you to belong – Not just legal pardon, but invitation to permanent family belonging
• The call to make room at the table for others living in their own “Lo-debar”

Discussion Questions

Question 1: Understanding Lo-debar (10 minutes)

What does “Lo-debar” represent in this message, and can you identify any “Lo-debar” places or seasons in your own life?

Context from the sermon: Lo-debar literally means “no pasture” or “no word”—a barren, unproductive, remote place. Mephibosheth lived there for 20-30 years in obscurity. He had lost his household, his status, his identity, his land, his wealth, and his social standing. He was powerless, dependent, dishonored, no longer protected, living in another man’s home because he couldn’t provide for himself. The sermon emphasized that Lo-debar represents those seasons of isolation, devastation, where we feel forgotten, identified only by our brokenness rather than our name.

Leader Tips:

• Give people time to think before answering
• Be vulnerable and share your own “Lo-debar” experience first if the group seems hesitant
• Affirm that we all have seasons or areas of life that feel barren or forgotten
• Don’t rush to fix or theologize—just listen and validate

Question 2: Being Called by Name vs. Called by Brokenness (12 minutes)

The sermon pointed out that Ziba identified Mephibosheth by his disability (“he is crippled in both feet”) rather than by name, but David immediately greeted him by name. What labels or identities (either self-imposed or given by others) have defined you instead of your true name and identity in Christ?

Context from the sermon: When David summoned Mephibosheth, the first thing he did was call him by name—not “the crippled one,” not “the threat to my throne,” but “Mephibosheth.” The sermon emphasized that David calls out the person before addressing the need. God doesn’t define us by our failures, disabilities, past mistakes, or the labels others have placed on us. The preacher shared examples of false labels: “I am a divorcee,” “I’m a cancer patient,” “I’m an addict,” “I’m a failure,” “I’m not smart,” “I’m too much.” Mephibosheth’s name ironically meant “shame” or “disgrace,” but David spoke it as a greeting of honor, undoing the very meaning of his name.

Leader Tips:

• This question requires vulnerability, so create safety by going first or having a co-leader share
• Some common labels people carry: divorced, addict, failure, victim, sick, unqualified, too much, not enough, broken
• Point people toward their true identity: beloved, chosen, child of God, remembered, honored
• Ask follow-up: “How would your life change if you truly believed God calls you by name, not by your brokenness?”

Question 3: The Response to Restoration (12 minutes)

Mephibosheth’s response was “Who is your servant, that you should show such kindness to a dead dog like me?” Yet Ziba’s response was “Yes, my lord the king; I am your servant, and I will do all that you have commanded.” Which response resonates more with how you typically respond to God’s kindness—disbelief or obedient service?

Context from the sermon: The sermon highlighted that Mephibosheth saw himself as worthless, with nothing to offer (“a dead dog”). But the sermon also emphasized Ziba’s response: “Yes, my lord the King, I am your servant, and I will do all that you have commanded.” The preacher said our response to being rescued from Lo-debar shouldn’t be out of obligation but out of joy and honor: “It is my joy to honor him. It is my joy to live a life not bound in sin…Whatever the King says, it is my joy, it is my honor. I will do whatever you ask of me should be our response.” The sermon challenged complacency in the church and called for believers to live as sons and daughters who joyfully serve, not beggars who can’t believe they’re invited.

Leader Tips:

• Many believers struggle with receiving God’s kindness (impostor syndrome, unworthiness)
• Others may struggle with responding obediently (taking grace for granted)
• Ask: “What would joyful, grateful obedience look like in your life right now?”
• Connect this to practical areas: serving, giving, small group participation, Bible reading, etc.
• Emphasize that the response comes FROM gratitude, not FOR acceptance

Question 4: Remaining Faithful vs. Occasional Belief (12 minutes)

In John 8:31-36, Jesus says “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings.” What’s the difference between believing in Jesus and remaining faithful to Him? What does “remaining” practically look like in your daily life?

Context from the sermon: The sermon emphasized that Jesus was speaking “to the people who believed in him” but then said true discipleship is marked by remaining faithful. The preacher said: “Many will profess that they’re my disciple or that they believe in me…But is the fruit of their lives, is there fruit of evidence that they are following after me, that they are remaining in me?” To remain means “to dwell, to endure, to stand, to tarry, to be held…Not a one time act, but continual, continual remaining.” The sermon listed practical examples: showing up to church when you don’t feel like it, being in community, worshiping when you don’t feel like it, being in a small group even when you’re introverted and don’t like people, because “we’re not meant to live in isolation and Lo-debar.”

Leader Tips:

• Help distinguish between “praying a prayer once” vs. daily surrender and obedience
• Remaining includes: consistent prayer, Bible reading, corporate worship, small group, serving
• Be honest that remaining is hard and requires intentionality
• Share what “remaining” looks like for you personally
• Acknowledge that remaining looks different in different seasons but the heart posture is consistent

Question 5: Making Room at the Table (15 minutes)

The sermon ended with this challenge: “Who do you know right now in your life that is currently living in Lo-debar?” and “How can you, as a citizen of heaven, be the one that extends an invitation to them?” Who came to mind for you, and what’s one specific way you could reach out to them this week?

Context from the sermon: The preacher emphasized that making room at the table matters because “the King is coming, and the King is coming soon…This is not about you. This is not about I. This is about the fact that we have a King that is returning and this is eternal. This is about forever. This is about people’s lives on the line who are living in desolate, broken, dark places and we get to bring the hope and the good news of Jesus Christ to them.” The sermon gave examples of people already making room: those recovering from surgery caring for others in surgery, people leading small groups in their own grief, families with difficult pasts still serving, those showing up in special needs ministry despite being hit and spit on, those serving coffee despite medical struggles, foster parents at Stephen Dehanis. The call was to identify ONE person living in isolation and extend an invitation.

Leader Tips:

• Have people actually name someone out loud (this creates accountability)
• Help people think of practical, specific actions: invite to coffee, text them this week, invite to church/small group, offer to help with a need
• Don’t let this be theoretical—press for commitment to one action this week
• Consider having the group text each other mid-week about whether they followed through
• Remind them: “Someone did it for you. When will you do it for them?”
• Possible people in Lo-debar: recently divorced, lost a spouse, new to thearea, struggling with addiction, isolated elderly neighbor, prodigal child, single parent overwhelmed, someone who just lost a job, teenager struggling with mental health, etc.
• End this question by having each person commit to ONE specific action they’ll take this week

Reflection on the Israel Story (Optional – 8 minutes)

The pastor shared about being in Israel during the start of a war and experiencing Shabbat dinner with a rabbi’s family who knew the father was being called to the front lines. She also shared about women at her table who refused to engage with her because she didn’t know who they were. How does the contrast between these two experiences illustrate what it means to truly make room at the table vs. excluding people based on status?

Context from the sermon: The preacher described sitting at a Shabbat dinner in Israel as war was breaking out. She witnessed a rabbi honoring his wife with Proverbs 31, blessing each of his children, knowing he would be sent to the front lines the next morning. Meanwhile, at the same table, a group of “itinerant pastors” refused to engage with her because she didn’t know who they were—they were offended that she had no idea of their status and made it clear she was “of no value to us.” The preacher said: “I was sitting in the front lines of a war zone. It was not Hamas that was my enemy. It was not Iran that was my enemy…I battle against this is spirit, okay? This is not flesh and blood.” In that moment, God spoke Psalm 23:5-6 to her: “I have prepared a table for you in the presence of enemies…I anoint your head with oil. I make your cup overflow.”

Leader Tips:

• This illustrates two very different approaches to “the table”
• The rabbi’s family: honoring, blessing, making sacred space even in crisis
• The women: gatekeeping, exclusion based on status, withholding value
• Ask: “Which table are we creating in our lives?”
• Connect to how God prepares a table for us even in the presence of enemies and makes our cup overflow
• Emphasize that we battle spiritual forces, not people, and we’re called to extend honor even when others withhold it from us

The Grow Card Question (5 minutes)

Take a moment of silent reflection and write down your answer to this week’s Grow Card question:

“Who do you know right now in your life that is currently living in ‘Lo-debar’ (isolation, obscurity, hurt, pain, suffering)? How can you, as a citizen of heaven, extend an invitation to them to experience God’s table?”

Leader Tips:

• Give people actual silence to write/think (resist the urge to fill the quiet)
• You might play soft worship music in the background
• After 2-3 minutes, invite anyone who feels comfortable to share what they wrote
• This reinforces the practical application and creates accountability

Personal Reflection & Ministry Time (10 minutes)

Invite the Holy Spirit to minister:

“Based on tonight’s discussion, I want to give space for two things:

First: Is there anyone here who needs to receive God’s invitation to the table tonight? Maybe you’ve been living in your own Lo-debar—identified by your brokenness, feeling worthless like ‘a dead dog,’ believing you have nothing to offer. God is calling you by name tonight and saying, ‘Come, have a seat at my table.’ If that’s you, I want to pray for you.”

Second: Is there anyone who needs to be set free from habitual sin that has you enslaved? Jesus said if the Son sets you free, you are truly free. Maybe tonight is your night to experience that freedom. If that’s you, we want to pray for you too.”

Leader Tips:

• Create a safe, non-pressured environment
• You might have people raise hands, come forward, or simply pray where they are
• Have co-leaders or mature group members ready to pray with individuals
• For freedom from habitual sin, consider having a follow-up conversation about accountability
• Remind people that Mephibosheth was still crippled but his status changed—God invites us in our brokenness, not after we’re fixed

Closing Prayer (3 minutes)

Pray over your group, incorporating these themes:

• Thank God for remembering us, calling us by name, and inviting us to His table
• Ask God to heal areas where people have been identified by their brokenness rather than their identity in Christ
• Pray for freedom from any habitual sins or patterns that have kept people enslaved
• Ask for courage and compassion to reach out to those living in “Lo-debar” this week
• Pray for joyful, grateful obedience—that we would respond like Ziba: “Yes, my Lord, I will do all you have commanded”
• Thank God that the King is coming soon and we get to be part of bringing others to the table