If you missed Sunday Nov 20th’s message, “Outsider No More” you can listen to it here.
Read the story, “The Faith of a Gentile Woman” in Mark 7:24-30 together.
- What stood out to you as you read the story together?
- The woman in this story would have been considered an societal outcast. Why? Who might be some similar examples of “outcasts” in our society today?
- Despite being an outcast, this woman still pursued Jesus and begged him to deliver her daughter. How can our needs make us desperate for Jesus? How have you seen this in your own life?
- Jesus initially refused to help this woman (V27). Why do you think this is?
- Talk about a time in your life where you prayed for something and God didn’t answer your prayer. What did you learn about God from this situation?
- Jeff talked about how God honour persistence in prayer. Is there something you’ve stopped praying about because you felt God wasn’t answering? How is God inviting you to be persistent in your prayer life?
- The main point of this story is how Jesus included and ministered to an outsider (A Canaanite, Gentile woman). What does this reveal to us about the heart of God?
- “In Christ, there is room for EVERYBODY at the table of God’s grace.” What are some things that keep people from coming to this table?
- As followers of Christ, our job is to make space for outsiders at the table of God’s grace. Who are some of the outsiders in our culture that God may be calling us to reach?
- Read Ephesians 2:14-17. How does the Gospel make us inclusive?
- Who in your life, this week, can you include and show the inclusive love of Christ to? How are you going to that?
