Taste and See: God’s Goodness, Food and Community

Devotional

Day 1: Crumbs and Open Mouths

A crawling infant grabs a dusty Cheeto under the couch, shoving it into their mouth before parents intervene. Tiny hands test the world through taste. Psalm 63 compares soul-satisfaction to rich feasts, linking physical hunger to spiritual longing. God designed our cravings as signposts toward Himself. [42:27]

Jesus fed thousands with bread and fish, then declared Himself the true Bread of Life. Our growling stomachs whisper of deeper needs: connection, purpose, the presence of God. Even bitter experiences become invitations to taste His goodness.

When you feel hunger this week, pause. Let your body’s signal remind you to feed your soul. What “spiritual crumbs” have you settled for instead of seeking Christ’s feast?

“Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!”
(Psalm 34:8, ESV)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to awaken your hunger for His presence as urgently as your body craves meals.
Challenge: At one meal today, silently thank God for both the food and His deeper nourishment.

Day 2: Three-Hour Breakfasts

Tom, Chuck, and Bill sat for hours at cruise ship tables, talking long after plates were cleared. Laughter and tears seasoned their reunion. Shared meals had sustained their brotherhood through decades of ministry. Jesus modeled this, eating with tax collectors and grilling fish for grieving disciples. [52:20]

Food alone can’t satisfy, but Christ-centered fellowship transforms ordinary meals into holy ground. The early church broke bread with “glad and sincere hearts” (Acts 2:46). Cheetos crumble, but relationships rooted in God outlast storms.

Who needs your presence more than your productivity this week? Invite someone to share a meal—even a granola bar on a park bench. When did last week’s busyness starve your soul of true connection?

“Jesus said to them, ‘Come and have breakfast.’ Now none of the disciples dared ask him, ‘Who are you?’ They knew it was the Lord.”
(John 21:12, ESV)

Prayer: Thank God for one person who’s been “seasoning” in your spiritual journey.
Challenge: Text a friend or family member to schedule a 30-minute coffee or walk this week.

Day 3: Unprom Casseroles

Teens in suits and gowns passed appetizers at the “Unprom,” laughing over fancy finger foods. The youth didn’t grasp how fried macaroni bites nurtured community, but their joy revealed the truth. Like Kentucky potlucks and ancient Agape Feasts, shared meals knit hearts. [45:55]

God uses food to break down barriers. Jesus ate with Pharisees and prostitutes, making tables bridges to grace. Casseroles and communion wafers alike become love’s language when offered in His name.

Bring cookies to a neighbor or invite a coworker to lunch. Don’t overthink the menu—focus on presence. Whose loneliness might God call you to nourish today?

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”
(Acts 2:42, ESV)

Prayer: Confess times you’ve prioritized convenience over community. Ask for eyes to see others’ hunger.
Challenge: Donate one non-perishable item to a food pantry, praying for the recipient’s body and soul.

Day 4: Broiled Fish on the Shore

Smoke curled from the beach fire as Jesus cooked fish for seven hungry disciples. He didn’t lecture their failure—He fed them. The resurrected Lord stood ankle-deep in lakewater, serving breakfast to those who’d abandoned Him. [38:56]

Christ meets our physical needs to reveal spiritual truths. Full stomachs let tired hearts hear, “Feed my sheep.” Every meal we’re given is a chance to receive—or become—His mercy with skin on.

Notice someone’s practical need today: a meal, a ride, a helping hand. Meet it without fanfare. How might serving a tangible need open a door for His love?

“When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread.”
(John 21:9, ESV)

Prayer: Ask Jesus to help you recognize His presence in both giver and receiver today.
Challenge: Buy a grocery gift card ($5-10) to keep in your wallet for spontaneous giving.

Day 5: Empty Calories, Eternal Hunger

Crunchy, salty, bright orange—Cheetos satisfy taste buds but leave bodies malnourished. The psalmist warns against filling our souls with spiritual junk food: numbing routines, shallow distractions, self-made righteousness. [35:04]

Jesus told the crowd, “Don’t labor for food that perishes” (John 6:27). Yet we gorge on achievements, screens, and busyness instead of sitting at His feet. God’s Word is manna—daily, sufficient, life-giving.

Replace one “snack” of empty busyness today with 5 minutes of Scripture or silence. What craving have you mislabeled as physical that’s actually spiritual hunger?

“My soul is satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth praises you with joyful lips.”
(Psalm 63:5, ESV)

Prayer: Confess one “empty calorie” habit. Ask God to redirect your hunger toward Him.
Challenge: Write Psalm 34:8 on a sticky note and place it on your pantry or fridge.

Sermon Summary

We gather around food as a plain sign of God at work in our lives. We admit that hunger and taste belong to our design and that God uses those cravings to point toward a deeper appetite for the divine. We name how biblical meals from Jacob and Esau to the Lord's Supper show food as a vehicle for grace, restoration, and belonging. We confess that the good gift of food often distorts into gluttony, hoarding, or unhealthy disorders when we try to satisfy soul hunger with stomach crumbs. We notice how simple acts like family dinners, potlucks, and long lunches with friends form the texture that teaches us we belong, that we matter, and that God’s goodness gets tasted in community. We recognize practical moments when the gift becomes a trap: tasty things that offer no lasting nourishment and gatherings where we take without ever giving. We decide to keep food in its proper place by letting it point us to God and to one another, not by letting it become an idol. We commit to cultivating table practices that train our longing toward the true feast of God: meals that slow us down, make space for honest speech, and season our character through faithful friendships. We resolve to show up both hungry and generous so that our gatherings become the place where God’s goodness becomes visible, tangible, and formative for daily life.

Key Takeaways

1. Food points toward spiritual hunger Our cravings act like signposts pointing beyond themselves to a deeper longing for God. When we track what we really want at the table, we often uncover soul needs that require prayer, confession, and worship. Learning to read physical hunger as a prompt to seek spiritual satisfaction changes how we fast, feast, and pray. [40:23]
2. Shared meals shape our belonging Eating together we do more than exchange calories. Meals form memory, loyalty, and mutual responsibility; they teach us by practice how to welcome, forgive, and sustain one another. Regular shared plates cultivate a small school of grace where character gets formed more than doctrine alone could form it. [46:40]
3. Cravings can become spiritual snares God-given appetites can twist into compulsions that numb sorrow and avoid altar work. The path from pleasure to enslaving appetite happens slowly, and honesty about this drift opens the way to repentance and repair. Naming the distortion allows us to reclaim gifts without allowing them to control us. [36:13]
4. We must taste God together Tasting God requires intentional practice, not passive attendance at ritual meals. When we come to the table prepared to give and receive, the community becomes seasoning that refines faith and affection. The discipline of mutual care at table trains our souls toward the feast that truly satisfies. [53:32]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[26:04] - Mother’s Day and family emergency
[28:17] - Psalm reading and prayer
[30:10] - Food survey and humor
[33:19] - Cheetos example and cravings
[36:13] - How cravings become distortions
[37:40] - Food across Scripture
[40:23] - Cravings reveal soul hunger
[45:14] - Meals building community
[48:15] - BMW Group friendship story
[53:08] - Called to season one another
[55:56] - Closing and benediction

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
- Psalm 34:8-9 (ESV): "Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack!"
- Psalm 63:5 (ESV): "My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips."
- Psalm 42:1-2 (ESV): "As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?"

Observation questions

What examples of biblical meals (e.g., Jacob and Esau, the Lord’s Supper) show food as a tool for grace or restoration? [38:00]
How does the story of the BMW Group illustrate the role of shared meals in deepening relationships? [52:35]
According to Psalm 34:8, what action does the psalmist connect to recognizing God’s goodness?

Interpretation questions

Why might physical hunger and cravings be designed to point us toward a deeper spiritual longing? How does this connect to Psalm 42:1-2?
The sermon mentions that shared meals "form memory, loyalty, and mutual responsibility." How do practices like potlucks or family dinners create a "school of grace" for character formation? [46:40]
How can something good, like food, become a "spiritual snare" (e.g., gluttony, hoarding)? What makes this shift subtle or hard to notice? [36:13]

Application questions

When you feel a craving for food, how could you use that moment as a prompt to reflect on your soul’s hunger for God? What practical step could you take to redirect that craving?
Think of a recent shared meal (family dinner, church potluck, etc.). How did that experience foster belonging or mutual care? What intentional practice could deepen this in future gatherings? [47:38]
Are there areas where food has become a "trap" for you (e.g., stress eating, overindulgence)? What altar work (prayer, confession, repentance) might help reclaim this gift without letting it control you? [36:13]
The BMW Group’s meals involved "seasoning one another" through honest conversation. Who in your life could you intentionally share a meal with to cultivate this kind of spiritually formative friendship? [53:32]
Psalm 34:8 invites us to "taste and see" God’s goodness. What daily habit could help you actively "taste" God’s presence rather than passively consume spiritual experiences?

Sermon Clips

Now it's about at this time that some of you are asking the question, so what? What's the big deal? God gave us the the sense of taste. So it's pastor Bill, is that all you got for us this morning? Well, no. There's one more thing. One more thing I wanna talk about, but but let's be honest. Many of us don't think about the hunger of our tummy being a ripple effect of the hunger of our soul. So there's one more piece to equation. Our craving for food that is meant to lead us into a hunger for God is demonstrated by our craving for community. [00:43:47] (70 seconds) #TasteForGodAndCommunity

Jesus brought scorn upon himself because he he would be eating a meal with the tax collectors and sinners. He also talked about having a banquet and inviting the the outcast, those who weren't invited anywhere to come to this great banquet. The feeding of the 5,000 reinforced the idea that food for the body is important to God. And after Jesus was resurrected, we have the story of him fixing breakfast on the shore of the sea and inviting his disciples to come and eat this meal with him. And then finally, the first gathering of followers after Jesus ascended and the Holy Spirit descended is recorded as they came together and they shared a meal. [00:38:18] (52 seconds) #JesusInvitesToTable

God uses the picture of physical food to to point us toward spiritual hunger. And our cravings for food are a hint. They're a hint of God's interest for us to crave soul feast. Our food cravings are a taste of God's goodness. And those words of the Psalmist that we read this or I read this morning, oh, taste and see that the Lord is good. Happy are those who take refuge in him. [00:40:45] (48 seconds) #CraveTheSoulFeast

And my grandparents had had a farm there. My mom was the the fifth of six kids. And so when we traveled back to Oil Springs, Kentucky for Christmas or some other occasion, the the meal table was the center focus, and it was loaded. We'd have ham and chicken and roast beef and mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes and boiled potatoes, and green beans, and lima beans, and peas, and cornbread, and dinner rolls, and broccoli cheese casserole. In Kentucky, you gotta have casseroles. Broccoli cheese casserole, and squash casserole, and stuffing. And I tell you, nobody went away hungry from that table. But more than that, nobody went away not knowing that they were part of the family. [00:46:20] (60 seconds) #TableOfBelonging

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