• Sermon Notes

    Sunday, July 12, 2026

  • At Your Table

    2 Samuel 9:1-13

  • 9 David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” 2 Now there was a servant of Saul’s household named Ziba. They summoned him to appear before David, and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” “At your service,” he replied. 3 The king asked, “Is there no one still alive from the house of Saul to whom I can show God’s kindness?” Ziba answered the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is lame in both feet.” 4 “Where is he?” the king asked. Ziba answered, “He is at the house of Makir son of Ammiel in Lo Debar.” 5 So King David had him brought from Lo Debar, from the house of Makir son of Ammiel. 6 When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor. David said, “Mephibosheth!” “At your service,” he replied. 7 “Don’t be afraid,” David said to him, “for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.” 8 Mephibosheth bowed down and said, “What is your servant, that you should notice a dead dog like me?” 9 Then the king summoned Ziba, Saul’s steward, and said to him, “I have given your master’s grandson everything that belonged to Saul and his family. 10 You and your sons and your servants are to farm the land for him and bring in the crops, so that your master’s grandson may be provided for. And Mephibosheth, grandson of your master, will always eat at my table.” (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.) 11 Then Ziba said to the king, “Your servant will do whatever my lord the king commands his servant to do.” So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table like one of the king’s sons. 12 Mephibosheth had a young son named Mika, and all the members of Ziba’s household were servants of Mephibosheth. 13 And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table; he was lame in both feet. 
    2 Samuel 9:1-13

     

  • Because King Jesus has brought us from “Lo-Debar” to His table, we are to intentionally seek out those far from the table and bring them close in His name.

    We have a King who       His covenant (vv. 1–3)

    We have a God who broken people in barren places (vv. 4–6)

    “Do not fear… I will surely show you       .” (vv. 7–8)

    Grace is always       to someone who has lived in Lo-Debar long enough.

       from the Lord that which only He can give.

    Our King calls us from       to His table (vv. 9–13)

    Ways to respond:
    - We must live       the table, not toward it.
    - We must for our “Mephibosheths.”

    Questions to ask:
    - Who is in “Lo-Debar” in your world?
    - What would covenant kindness look like?
    - Where do you need to hear “Do not be afraid”?

    Remember:
    -You are Mephibosheth—carried by the grace of Jesus, seated at the King’s table.
    -There is someone in your world still in Lo-Debar, waiting for our King Jesus’ kindness to come find them. He has sent you as His chosen ambassador to meet them there.

    Questions to consider:

    1. When you look at your own story, where have you felt most like Mephibosheth in Lo-Debar—far away, ashamed, or expecting judgment rather than kindness—and what might it look like this week to respond to Jesus’ words, “Do not be afraid,” in that specific area?      
    2. In what ways are you still living toward the King’s table (trying to earn God’s approval) instead of from the table (resting in what Jesus has already secured), and what is one practical shift you could make in your prayer life, schedule, or self-talk to live more from grace?      
    3. Thinking about your actual relationships (church, work, neighborhood, family), who comes to mind as being in “Lo-Debar” on the edges of your life—someone overlooked, avoided, or carrying quiet shame—and what is one specific invitation or act of kindness you could offer them this week?      
    4. What fears or obstacles hold you back from moving toward people who are “far from your table” (fear of awkwardness, being overwhelmed, rejection, not knowing what to say), and how could you bring one of those fears honestly to Jesus and still take a small step of obedience toward someone this week?      


       

    You Belong Here! Nobody is meant to stand alone in life.

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