^{To automatically fill in the blanks, click the blue check next to the fill-in field.}

The Jesus many don’t want to talk about:

^{Matthew 15:21-28, 8:5-13, Luke 18:1-8}

Mercy is what .

What does this mean for me?

^{Matthew 15:21-28, Micah 6:8, Romans 11:11-24, Ephesians 2:11-22}

Great faith will:

Still God before it receives .

Persist in and when it faces or .

Put its trust in God’s , not the .

Never confuse God’s with God’s .

WARM UP

1. The disciples were slow to understand Jesus’ mission and needed a lot of re-teaching. When is a time you tried something new that took a long time to learn? Maybe a subject in school, a hobby, or a new job? Did you stick with it or move on?

   
   

2. For many of us, this weekend’s passage is one of the most difficult and confusing in the Bible. Was there any part that you found challenging or encouraging? Did it change how you view Jesus, faith, or the people He chose to serve?

   
   

KNOW IT

1. Read Luke 18:1–8. Reflecting on the Canaanite woman in Matthew 15 and the persistent widow in Luke 18, how do these women challenge and deepen our understanding of persistent prayer? What do their boldness and refusal to give up teach us about faith when God seems silent or distant?

   
   

2. As we heard this weekend, Jesus explicitly calls someone’s faith “great” only twice: the Roman centurion in Matthew 8, and the Canaanite woman in Matthew 15. Both belonged to groups in conflict with Israel and were looked down on in their society. What does it say about Jesus that He chose to recognize, heal, and honor the most reviled and rejected among them?

   
   

SHARE IT

1. The Pharisees were baffled and offended by Jesus’ care for outsiders and His disregard for the traditions of man (Matthew 9:10-13, 12:1-2, 12:9-14, 12:38-39, 15:1-3). Have you ever been surprised or even unsettled by God’s grace toward someone you didn’t think deserved it? Since we are commanded to love our enemies (Matthew 5:44), how would it feel to pray for God to bless and heal those who frustrate or upset you?

   
   

2. Jesus went 50 miles out of His way to show the true reach of His redemptive love by healing the Canaanite woman’s daughter. Share 2-3 ways God has gone out of His way for you.

   
   

LIVE IT

1. Think about something you’ve prayed for that never received an answer, or that got an answer you didn’t want. In other words, a time when you felt like you were getting the silent treatment from Jesus. In light of this study, how can you surrender that situation or feeling to God this week?

   
   

2. This week, your Life Group will take communion. The bread represented Jesus’ body and the wine His blood (1 Corinthians 11:23-26). The Canaanite woman came for crumbs, yet Jesus gave her (and us) the fullness of Himself. As you take communion, remember: He offers not crumbs, but all of Himself.

   
   

COMMUNION

Jesus wants us to remember what He has done for us and that He is here to walk through life with us. That’s why He told the disciples at the Last Supper to keep coming together and taking Communion. Communion is about remembering all that Jesus accomplished through His death and resurrection. It’s through His sacrifice that we receive His grace and mercy.

This week, your Life Group will wrap up by doing what the disciples did - taking Communion together. To get ready for this, read the following verses and think about Jesus’ commitment and work in your life. Jot down a few thoughts on how each verse impacts you.

^{Romans 5:7-8}

^{John 15:12-17}

^{1 Corinthians 11:23-27}