How to Have Great Faith – Matthew 15:21-28 – 12/15/24 (Week 44)

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Sermon Series: We are currently going through a sermon series in the Gospel of Matthew. Today, we’re talking about an example of great faith. 

The Faith of a Canaanite Woman

21 And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” 23 But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” 24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.”26 And he answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” 27 She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” 28 Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.

Have you ever admired a characteristic about someone you knew, and wondered how that person gained that characteristic about themselves? In this part of God’s Word, we see a woman who Jesus says has a good characteristic about herself… that she has great faith! By taking a look at her in this story, we too can learn how we can have great faith:

Realizing that your faith will be tested commit to:

James 1:2-4, 1 Pet. 1:7, 4:12, Ps. 66:10, Prov. 17:3

  1. Acknowledging your need for God’s mercy

Matt. 15:22-23, Ps. 51:1-6, Rom. 3:23, 6:23

  1. Ruminating on God’s character

Matt. 15:21, 24-27, 1 Pet. 2:9, 2 Pet. 3:9, Heb. 4:16, Lam. 3:22-23

  1. Being persistent 

Matt. 15:22-28, Luke 18:1-8, 1 Thess. 5:17-18, Eph. 6:18, James 5:16

Reflecting on God’s Word

Getting Started

  • Take some time to read over Matthew 15:21-28 and pray. 
  • Have you ever read or heard about this before? What stood out to you as we were talking about it? 
  • What surprised you as we talked about it?
  • As we talked about this part of God’s Word, and the example that the Canaanite woman gives us about having great faith, what stands out to you the most?  

 

Diving In 

  1. During this story, it can almost seem as though Jesus is blowing off the Canaanite woman. Why do you think Jesus doesn’t respond to her at first, and when He does, He doesn’t give the response that we typically see Him give to people that come to Him out of faith? How does James 1:2-4 help us to answer this question? 

 

2.  Read Matt. 15:22. The woman acknowledged her need for God’s mercy. How would acknowledging your own need for God’s mercy help you in your faith? 

 

3.   Read Matthew 15:27. Why did the woman respond this way? She must have known about Jesus’ character, and His desire to see all people come into a saving relationship with Him. How would reminding yourself of this truth help your faith?

 

4.   If you were in the position of the woman in this story, would you have been as persistent as she was? Read Luke 18:1-8. What does the parable of the persistent widow have in common with this story from Matthew 15:21-28? What do you need to go to God with in this same persistent manner? 

 

Applying the Scripture

What are your biggest takeaways from this passage of God’s Word? 

  • What practical step(s) do you need to implement in your life to apply what God has taught you in this passage of Scripture? 
  • How would applying this affect your life and your relationship with the Lord? 
  • Who can you ask to keep you accountable to applying this to your life?



Small Group Guide:

Open with prayer.

Go around and give everyone a chance to share about how the past week has been. What’s one highlight? What’s one lowlight?

If your small group has talked about it before, feel free to use this time to hold people accountable to what they’ve asked to be held accountable for previously, and go through the “missional” part of this discussion guide.


Prayer Time:

Pray for each other in your small group to be faithful take the step(s) that you shared above. Pray for each other and the interactions that they have with those who don’t know Jesus. Pray that God would soften the people’s hearts to what He has for them. Pray that God would give everyone opportunities to share the Gospel.

Staying Missional:

Share spiritual/missional conversations you’ve had where you live, work, and play:

Who did you have a conversation with that took a spiritual/missional turn this week?
What questions did you ask to discover where God is at work in their life, even if they are not aware?
How were you able to share your story of life change or how you have experienced Jesus?
How can you be intentional this week with people where you live, work, and play to have spiritual/missional conversations if the opportunity arises?
Who in your life do you think could be discipleable or open to spiritual/missional conversations?

What’s next?

Discuss the next step for your small group. When will we gather again and what purpose will it fulfill?