Chester advances a fresh take on the seemingly innocuous act of eating, tracing the purpose of meals—and the food served at them—back to the gospel. While some might argue that meals are perhaps not as comprehensive as Chester details here, he does make a very convincing argument for his stance. If nothing else, reading this book lends to careful thought about everything from family dinners to pot-luck lunches to the Lord’s Supper. Highly recommended.

Jesus is called “a glutton and drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.” This is why eating and drinking were so important in the mission of Jesus: they were a sign of His friendship with tax collectors and sinners. His “excess” of food and “excess” of grace are linked. In the ministry of Jesus, meals were enacted grace, community, and mission. [14]

Let’s marvel at just how gracious God is. In Jesus God is doing something so new and so gracious that it takes us by surprise. Indeed, it’s so gracious it scandalizes us. God is indiscriminate. He chooses all the wrong sorts of people. He invites everyone to His great party. He invites the best and the worst, the highest and the lowest. He invites you. [32]

Hospitality involves welcoming, creating space, listening, paying attention, and providing. Meals slow things down. Some of us don’t like that. We like to get things done. But meals force you to be people oriented instead of task oriented. Sharing a meal is not the only way to build relationships, but it is number one on the list. [47]

Not only did God give us food, He also ordained cooking. Cooking is a central expression of the cultural mandate. God gave this world to us to care for and cultivate. But He also gave it to us to explore and develop. It was God’s intention that we take the raw material of His world and use it to create science, culture, agriculture, music, technology, and poetry—all to His glory. Every time you bake a cake, you’re fulfilling that creation mandate. Every cake is a reminder of our freedom to create and be creative in the image of the Creator. Every time you place a meal on the table with quiet satisfaction, you’re sharing the joy of the Creator at the creation of the world when He declared everything good. [69]

An encounter with Christ is a call to action, to involvement, to participation. You can’t remain a passive observer. [137]

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Starting at the beginning, Chester follows God’s story through the Scripture, revealing how He has been determined to fulfill His promises. All of these promises find their ultimate fulfillment in Christ, and Chester demonstrates this clearly as he highlights key moments in Scripture that point to God’s ongoing work. Chester’s writing flows easily and encourages the reader to continue. More importantly, his teaching is solidly grounded in Scripture itself. The result is easy to highly recommend.

On the first Easter Day the risen Christ expounds the Scriptures. He shows that all the Old Testament points to Him: His death, His resurrection and His proclamation to the nations. It is not just that there are a few messianic prophecies dotted around. The whole Bible is about Jesus, from beginning to end. [7]

As we read the stories of conflict and tension within the families of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, we are not simply reading a family saga. We are searching for the promised deliverer. We are tracing the hand of God as He fulfills His saving purposes. [26]

This story is our story. The story of Abraham, Moses, David and Jesus is our story. This story should provide our worldview, our values and our hope. We should consciously make this story our own. It should shape who we are even more than our family origins or national histories. We have roots that stretch back to the promise of Abraham and we have a future hope that stretches into eternity. [42]

As God’s faithful one, Jesus creates a new people who know God. The New Testament portrays Jesus as both God with us and God’s faithful people. He represents both sides of the covenant. He is truly God and He is the truly faithful people of God. As a result He brings both parties together. [65]

We do not invite people to make Jesus their King—we tell people that Jesus is the King and He will rule all of us forever. We do not invite people to meet Jesus—we tell people that they will meet Jesus as their conquering King. We do not ask people to live better lives and make the world a better place—we command people to repent and submit to the coming King. [133]

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Most Christians struggle with an ongoing desire to change. The problem, Chester reveals, is that we have other desires which can be stronger at times. Genuine change doesn’t come from methods or rules but from Christ, who puts His Spirit in the hearts of believers to strengthen their God-honoring desires. Chester has written a book that offers an oft-needed message of helplessness in ourselves and the hopefulness we can find only in Christ. Highly, highly recommended.

We can never change enough to impress God. And here’s the reason: trying to impress God, others, or ourselves puts us at the center of our change project. It makes change all about my looking good. It is done for my glory. And that’s pretty much the definition of sin. [25]

On the cross Jesus cried out, ‘It is finished.’ Imagine yourself answering back, ‘Not quite. I need to finish the job. I still need to win God’s blessing.’ Think how ridiculous and insulting to God this is. [39]

The real me is the person who is revealed when the sinful desires of my heart are exposed by trying circumstances and annoying people. The real me is revealed when I’m too tired to keep up the pretense. [68]

It’s not usually the thing we want that is the problem, but that we want it more than God. To want to be married or successful or healthy, for example, is to desire a good thing. But if my singleness or failure or illness makes me bitter, then my desire has grown too big, bigger than my desire for God. As a result, I cannot be content with God’s sovereignty over my life. [104]

There is hope for a change. That hope is not in counselors or methods or rules. That hope is a great and gracious Savior who has broken the power of sin and placed His life-giving Spirit in our hearts. He calls us to look beyond the lies of sin to the glory of God. He calls us to believe by faith that God is bigger and better than anything sin offers. He calls us to turn in repentance from the idolatrous desires of our hearts that enslave and corrode to find true and lasting and satisfying joy in God. [177] 

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