Key Verse: Matthew 15

Ice Breaker:

Tell us about a time you were spontaneous, took a leap of faith, or tried something new.

During the times of Jesus, there were people with great faith and champions of faith, and you would have thought that they would have come from the nation of Israel because that’s the nation chosen by God.  But on the contrary, the champions of faith are from the outsiders, the Gentiles the word the Bible uses for all the non-Jews.

Jesus said that the centurion was a man with great faith. In fact, the Bible says He marveled at his faith. He was a champion of faith.

Then there Is the woman from Canaan, a region outside of Israel. So, Jesus would say this, of this lady “O woman, great is your faith.”

 Q. In your walk of faith, or before getting saved, have you ever had a moment where you felt that you didn’t belong, you were not worthy of what God has in store for you, felt you were not good enough to come to church, be called Christian, or even pray to Him?

1.  RELENTLESS Faith GIVES Christ JOY

Mark 7:24

It is important to flag what The Gospel of Mark tells us. The reason why Jesus escaped there was because He went for some respite time.

Through The Lord’s SILENCE, Our FAITH Is Being TESTED

In Matthew 15:22, he tells us that this lady is a Canaanite and is from the region of Tyre and Sidon. She’s not a Jew by birth, she is a Gentile.

So she came out because she was asking Jesus, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.”

Matthew 15:23 Jesus doesn’t reply to the woman and to add salt to injury, the disciples are trying to get rid of her as well.

RELENTLESS Faith Requires DESPERATE Need.

Q. How do you process that when we come to God in prayer, supplication, or even begging about a situation, and we don’t hear anything, we don’t get the answer we were hoping for from the only One that can change our circumstance? How have you shown your persistence?

2. RELENTLESS Faith BREAKS Barriers

Matthew: 15-24

Do you have faith that tunnels through mountains when you cannot move them, trusting that God will provide a solution to your problems? The trouble is that we often get sidetracked and stop pursuing God’s mercy. The burdens of this life skew our vision and choke our breath, so we end up choosing the path of least resistance.

Q. If the Lord Jesus returns today, in what condition will He find your faith?”

Matthew 15:26-7 Sometimes God doesn’t answer us the way we expect it to be. But by and large, God wants us to persist in prayer, to persist in faith, to be determined to hang on to Him, and not give up.

Don’t give up when you recognize that Jesus is able, that Jesus is merciful. Just Like this woman did.

She knows who she is coming to, she knows who she is bowing before,

and she will not let go.

3. RELENTLESS Faith is ROOTED IN God’s GRACE

Matthew 15:28

Jesus is drawing out her faith; Jesus is manifesting the deep wells from within. Jesus is letting everyone see this woman’s amazing faith.

Psalm 34:17-18

The Syrophoenician Woman was a lady of great faith because Jesus, in this encounter with her, drew that out and showed us the strength and value of her faith.

Jesus The King takes what is nothing, worthless, despised, and dead, and works it into something precious, holy, and living.
This kind of faith is a saving faith—for you, for me, and for all.

Q. Discuss the importance of perseverance in the life of a believer. Share some of the ways that helped you during the times when trusting Jesus was hard. If you could, how would you do it differently?