Stewarding Grace with Free Steak
How a Barn Opens Doors for Christ
I was sitting by this barn one day, looking out over the lake, when a man in a Navy veteran ball cap said something that really stuck with me.
When asked how long he owned the property, he said:
“I don’t own any of it. I’m just the steward.”
He’s the patriarch of the family that opens this little patch of paradise in Molino, Florida, to hundreds of men every month for a free steak dinner and a gospel message. It’s simply called The Men’s Barn Meeting.
Thousands have come to Christ at these gatherings over the last two decades.
His words drove me to consider what biblical stewardship looks like. I see it in 1 Peter 4:8–10:
“Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.” — 1 Peter 4:8
The word Peter uses for earnestly carries the idea of stretching to the limit—like a runner straining for the finish or a rope pulled taut under pressure.
Honestly, it seems like a stretch every month watching volunteers somehow feed all the men who show up at the barn. But month after month, they do it.
This kind of earnestness is seen when the early church prayed fervently for Peter while he was imprisoned (Acts 12:5).
It also describes Jesus praying so passionately in the Garden of Gethsemane that His sweat was like drops of blood (Luke 22:44).
This is agape love—the sacrificial love of Christ.
The same love poured out for us is meant to be poured out through us. We love because He first loved us (1 John 4:19).
This love is the foundation of The Men’s Barn Meeting. These men earnestly stretch their financial resources and their time every month for the purpose of sharing God's love.
“Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.” — 1 Peter 4:9
“Christianity is the religion of the open hand, the open heart, and the open door.” — William Barclay
One way to demonstrate God’s love is through simple service and hospitality toward others.
I may never have a beautiful barn to open to others, but I can open my heart and serve.
Because if service is beneath me, leadership will always be beyond me.
“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” — 1 Peter 4:10
Grace is God’s free gift of salvation to all who have faith (Ephesians 2:8).
But grace is so much more. It is the multifaceted, varied expression of God’s favor and power.
It is manifold grace—like a manifold in an engine. When air flow is restricted, things start to sputter.
We are supposed to be conduits, not cul-de-sacs, of God’s amazing grace.
Believers are given gifts by the Holy Spirit to ensure that there is abundant grace for every good work (2 Corinthians 9:8).
Those good works absolutely include serving thousands of free meals where the main dish isn't really steak.
It's the Bread of Life.
The next Men’s Barn Meeting is this Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
The Suffer Up Podcast is available with a new episode each Monday on all platforms.