Anatomy of the Kingdom: The Gut

“The heart is what guides us, and the stomach is what sustains us.” 

 

• Matthew 4:4; Daniel 1: 8-9; 11-21; Psalm 81:10; Psalm 107:9; Philippians 3:18-21; Philippians 4:8

• The analogy of the stomach/gut points to the things we choose to consume. What we consume does something to us. It either sustains us or destroys us. 
• What do these passages tell us about consumption? 
• What do they tell us about what the Creator intended for us to consume? What do they tell us about what the Creator did NOT intend for us to consume?

 

World

• What does the culture tell us to consume, and why?
• How does this differ from what the Creator intended for us to consume?
• Is “too much of a good thing” a problem? Why or why not?
  • What are the things that the world tells us that we can “never have enough of”? 
• Is “too little of a good thing” a problem? Why or why not?
  • What are the things that God says we can’t live without? 

 

Us

• What are the things that you are regularly consuming (physical and spiritual)? Are you happy with your consuming habits? 
• Are there any “new foods” that you need to introduce to your gut? Are there any “old foods” that you need to fast from? 
• What consuming habits are killing you slowly? What consuming habits are sustaining you and bringing you life? 
• How can you lean on the Lord and others to help you regulate your consuming habits?

 

God wants to trade out our measly diet to one of abundance. But the switch will cost us something, the switch will be uncomfortable. As with any healing process, it requires that we use our ears to hear the Great Physician and a willing heart to live out His healing instructions. The Lord invites us to partake in a meal that will nourish our souls: we are given a chair at the feast of heaven. All are welcome.