DEEPER Questions

Go through these questions in your LifeGroup or on your own to Dig Deeper into
Sunday's message

1. Are you more of a cat person or a dog person? Why? What's your favorite thing about cats or dogs? 

2. Rodney opened the message by talking about how Israel and the Jewish people were never meant to be the end of God's saving purpose, but the means of God's saving purpose. How do we see this play out in Scripture overall and in the story of the woman? Why do you think the Pharisees and religious people of Jesus's day didn't always seem to like this idea of spreading the Gospel to the Gentiles they thought of as less-than or dogs? Do you think this kind of attitude (in the church and outside it) is still present in our culture today? 

3. The woman begged Jesus to heal her daughter and get the demon out of her. Have you ever begged someone for something? Have you ever begged God? What was this experience like for you? 

4. One of the qualities that stands out about this woman's desperate faith is her humility. She knew she was a "dog" (a Gentile) and she didn't defend herself or make excuses about that. What does a humble faith look like to you? Is there someone, or a few people, in your life that demonstrate this kind of humble, desperate faith well? 

5. The Canaanite woman's past didn't have to define her future, and she didn't let it. If you're comfortable, share some experiences from your past that could have defined your future. How did you go from letting these circumstances or experiences define you, to letting Jesus and your desperate faith in him define you? 

DIG INTO Scripture

Read and meditate on Sunday's Scripture to find deeper meaning and connection to God

Mark 7:24-30

The Syrophoenician Woman's Faith

24 And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon.[a] And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden. 25 But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet. 26 Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 And he said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.” 28 But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs.” 29 And he said to her, “For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” 30 And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.

LEAVE THE BUILDING 

Take what you learned on Sunday and apply it to your life 

• Do you have a faith that's hungry? What does a hungry, desperate faith look like to you? This week, make an effort to feed your hunger through Scripture, time with Jesus, and community with other believers. 
• Desperate faith is rewarded, but not always by things Jesus can do for us. How can you focus on your heavenly reward instead of simple earthly rewards for your faithfulness this week? How can that eternal perspective change your mindset today? 
• We're still called dogs today, but luckily Jesus is a dog-lover! How does this knowledge of Jesus's love and affection for you, even at your worst, change your thoughts about who you are? 

PICK UP A BOOK

Looking for another way to Dig Deeper into the Mark sermon series?
Read more about being a disciple of Jesus in Jeff Vanderstelt's awesome book, Saturate!

PURCHASE SATURATE

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