Podcasts about syrophoenician

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Today's shout-out goes to Ted Tulibaski from Perham, MN. Ted, your partnership with us through Project23 is helping open ears and loosen tongues with the truth of the gospel. This one's for you. Our text today is Mark 7:24-30: And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden. But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 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.” But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs.” And he said to her, “For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.— Mark 7:24-30 Jesus enters Gentile territory—Tyre and Sidon—away from the Jewish crowds. He tries to lay low. But one woman finds him. A woman with no status in Jewish society. She was a Gentile. A Syrophoenician. An outsider by birth. According to every religious and social system—she didn't belong. She had no reason to approach a Jewish rabbi. No social footing. No spiritual leverage. But she had a desperate need—and a bold faith. And Jesus seems to test that faith with a hard statement: “It's not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs (Gentiles).” But instead of recoiling, she leans in. “Yes, Lord. But even the dogs (Gentiles) eat the crumbs under the table.” It's not a demand. It's a confession. She knows she doesn't deserve anything—but she still believes Jesus has more than enough to meet her needs. And that humility moves Jesus. Her faith—not her status—is what leads to healing. This is a challenge for all of us—especially in a culture obsessed with status, labels, platforms, and recognition. Jesus isn't impressed by credentials. He's not persuaded by accomplishments. He doesn't bend to social influence. He's moved by our faith—humble, honest, surrendered faith. So don't let your status—high or low—define your approach to God. Come like this woman. Come as you are. Come boldly, and believe that even the crumbs from Jesus are enough to change everything. #FaithOverStatus, #JesusRespondsToFaith, #SurrenderedFaith ASK THIS: Do I rely on status more than faith when approaching God? Where do I feel like an outsider spiritually or socially? How does this story challenge my pride? What “crumb” from Jesus am I afraid to ask for today? DO THIS: Come to Jesus today without pretense. Drop your credentials, your insecurities, and your excuses. Just come in faith. PRAY THIS: Jesus, I lay aside everything I think makes me worthy. I come in faith, believing You're more than enough for my deepest need. Amen. PLAY THIS: “Run to the Father” – Cody Carnes.

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. Today's shout-out goes to Aaron Knox from Cartersville, GA. Aaron, your partnership with us through Project23 is helping take the Word across cultural lines and into hearts that need hope. This one's for you. Our text today is Mark 7:24-30: And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden. But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 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.” But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs.” And he said to her, “For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.— Mark 7:24-30 This encounter feels uncomfortable—at least at first. Jesus is in Gentile territory, far from Jewish crowds. And a Syrophoenician woman interrupts his rest. Her daughter is possessed. She's desperate. And Jesus' initial response sounds harsh: “It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.” Dogs being a derogatory word for "Gentiles." But this isn't rejection. It's a test. Jesus often used parables and tension to expose faith—and this woman steps into that tension. Her reply is both humble and bold: “Even the dogs (the Gentiles) eat the crumbs.” She doesn't deny her unworthiness. She just believes Jesus has enough power for people like her. And that's the moment everything shifts. Jesus heals her daughter from a distance. No touch. No spectacle. Just a word. This moment isn't about geography—it's about grace. It's not about heritage—it's about heart. This woman broke every cultural rule to get to Jesus. She didn't belong by lineage, but she belonged by faith. Sometimes, we feel like outsiders, too. Too broken. Too far gone. Not spiritual enough. But Jesus responds to desperate faith, not spiritual credentials. So, what barriers have you let stand between you and Jesus? Pride? Past shame? A sense that you're not worthy? This woman didn't let cultural boundaries, religious expectations, or social discomfort hold her back. And Jesus didn't just heal her daughter—he honored her faith. Don't let that thing, or anything, keep you from falling at Jesus' feet. Jesus, I know I don't deserve anything—but even your crumbs are enough for me. Give me the boldness to bring you my full need. Amen. #DesperateFaith, #JesusCrossesLines, #EvenTheCrumbs ASK THIS: What has stopped me from pursuing Jesus with desperate faith? Do I believe Jesus has enough power for my need? Where have I let shame, culture, or fear keep me distant from him? What would it look like to throw myself at Jesus' feet today? DO THIS: Push through the discomfort and pray boldly for what you need. Don't let man-made lines keep you from Jesus. PRAY THIS: Jesus, I know I don't deserve anything—but even your crumbs are enough for me. Give me the boldness to bring you my full need. Amen. PLAY THIS: “Come to the Altar” – Elevation Worship.

To become a follower of Jesus, visit: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/MeetJesus (NOT a Morning Mindset resource) ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ ⇒Check out all of Carey's books - for adults and kids, fiction and nonfiction : https://CareyGreen.com/books ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ TODAY'S SCRIPTURE:   ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ FINANCIALLY SUPPORT THE MORNING MINDSET: (not tax-deductible) -- Become a monthly partner: https://mm-gfk-partners.supercast.com/ -- Support a daily episode: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/daily-sponsor/ -- Give one-time: https://give.cornerstone.cc/careygreen -- Venmo: @CareyNGreen ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ FOREIGN LANGUAGE VERSIONS OF THIS PODCAST: SPANISH version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Spanish HINDI version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Hindi CHINESE version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Chinese  ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ CONTACT: Carey@careygreen.com  ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ THEME MUSIC: “King’s Trailer” – Creative Commons 0 | Provided by https://freepd.com/ ***All NON-ENGLISH versions of the Morning Mindset are translated using A.I. Dubbing and Translation tools from DubFormer.ai ***All NON-ENGLISH text content (descriptions and titles) are translated using the A.I. functionality of Google Translate. To become a follower of Jesus, visit: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/MeetJesus (NOT a Morning Mindset resource) ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ ⇒Check out all of Carey's books - for adults and kids, fiction and nonfiction : https://CareyGreen.com/books ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Mark 7:24–30 - [24] And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 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. (ESV) ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ FINANCIALLY SUPPORT THE MORNING MINDSET: (not tax-deductible) -- Become a monthly partner: https://mm-gfk-partners.supercast.com/ -- Support a daily episode: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/daily-sponsor/ -- Give one-time: https://give.cornerstone.cc/careygreen -- Venmo: @CareyNGreen ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ FOREIGN LANGUAGE VERSIONS OF THIS PODCAST: SPANISH version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Spanish HINDI version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Hindi CHINESE version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Chinese  ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ CONTACT: Carey@careygreen.com  ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ THEME MUSIC: “King’s Trailer” – Creative Commons 0 | Provided by https://freepd.com/ ***All NON-ENGLISH versions of the Morning Mindset are translated using A.I. Dubbing and Translation tools from DubFormer.ai ***All NON-ENGLISH text content (descriptions and titles) are translated using the A.I. functionality of Google Translate.

Thursday May 22, 2025 Main idea: Christ will make any sinner seeking Him into a child who sits at the Father's table and that relationship will overcome all problems. for full notes: https://www.cgtruth.org/index.php?proc=msg&sf=vw&tid=3155

Christ is again followed by a large hungry crowd, this time consisting of primarily gentiles. After showing compassion on the gentile Syrophoenician woman (7:24–30) and the healing of the gentile man (vv. 31–37), not Jesus shows that He is the compassionate shepherd who feeds (spiritually and physically) those who would come to Him from any nation (8:1–9). This faithful reception is not mirrored by the religious leaders in Israel who instead of receiving His teaching ask for signs to prove His identity (vv. 10–13). Jesus refuses to allow them to “put the Lord to the test” and refuses with emotive compassion. The question left to the reader is: Will I scrutinize and put the Lord to the test, or will I receive His word with humility?

Daily Voice Devotional with Niyi AdekunleSunday 18th May How Faith Comes 7How does faith come? How do we move through different levels of faith in our walk with God? Mark. 4:40 (MKJV) And He said to them, Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?Matt. 14:31 GWT, Immediately, Jesus reached out, caught hold of him, and said, "You have so little faith! Why did you doubt?" Matt. 15:28 MKJV Then Jesus answered and said to her, O woman, great is your faith! So be it to you even as you wish. And her daughter was healed from that very hour.Peter had stepped out of the boat and was walking on water toward Jesus. At that moment, he was operating in faith. But as soon as he looked at the wind and waves, his physical circumstances he began to sink. Jesus saved him and pointed out his little faith. The lesson here is - when we take our eyes off God's word and focus on circumstances, doubt creeps in, and faith weakens.When we give attention to physical evidence over God's Word, it weakens faith. The Syrophoenician woman in Matthew 15, on the other hand was commended for having great faith. Why? When Jesus told her He wasn't sent to her and gave all the reasons He couldn't heal her daughter, she did not back down. The circumstances didn't discouragement her faith and she got what she wanted from Jesus.• No faith: Disregards God's Word.• Little faith: Believing but considers physical evidence, so there's doubt.• Great faith: Disregards every physical or contrary evidence as it hold on to God's Word.Abraham demonstrated great faith by not considering his or Sarah's old age but believing God's promise fully. Great faith is staying locked into God's Word alone.My prayer for you is that, as you go through this series, your faith will grow continually as you trust God's Word above all else in Jesus' Name.God bless you, enjoy your day!

Whatsapp/Call: +91 9902606453 Email: info@febaonline.org 

Most people want to relate to Jesus on their own terms, but a “fake Jesus” that we create to meet our needs can't really change or challenge us. If you want a Jesus that can actually transform you, you have to search for the real Jesus. In the earliest gospel account in existence, a writer named Mark introduces us to “The Real Jesus.”  #MoRealJesus  

I think we all would agree that mothers hold a special place in most of our hearts. They give birth to us, they nurture us, and they guide us as we grow, mature, and move throughout life. And one of the things that many mothers are known for is showing us the power of prayer. Prayer is how we access the supernatural for help in the natural. It is a timeless rhythm that harmonizes our lives and connects us to our Heavenly Father. In Scripture, we see powerful mothers like Elizabeth, the Syrophoenician woman, and Hannah—whose story reminds us of the importance of prayer and the tremendous impact a praying mother can have on a child's future. Today, we look at Hannah's story to discover what it teaches us about prayer.

What does a desperate mother's encounter with Jesus teach us about approaching God when we're overwhelmed? This powerful message explores the remarkable story of the Syrophoenician woman—the only person in scripture who seemingly "won" a debate with Jesus.On Mother's Day, we examine this unnamed mother who crossed every cultural and religious barrier to seek help for her demon-possessed daughter. Despite Jesus initially seeming to rebuff her with silence and a challenging parable about children and dogs at the table, she persisted with extraordinary faith. Her response—"Yes Lord, but even the dogs under the table feed on the children's crumbs"—reveals profound theological understanding and unwavering trust.From her example, we discover three crucial principles for when life's burdens become too heavy: First, approach Jesus with genuine humility, acknowledging our unworthiness. Second, pray persistently without giving up, even when heaven seems silent. Third, fully trust Jesus enough to leave our burdens with him completely. This mother didn't just have a good argument—she demonstrated unwavering faith that impressed Jesus himself.Whether you're a mother carrying concerns for your children or anyone feeling crushed by life's overwhelming circumstances, this message offers hope. Jesus invites all who are weary and heavy-laden to come to Him. Unlike his temporary retreat to Tyre, Jesus never takes vacations from our needs. Right now, He intercedes in heaven for you, with inexhaustible resources of grace and mercy for everyone who approaches in faith.What burden feels too heavy for you today? Bring it to Jesus, not because of who you are, but because of who He is—mighty to save and generous beyond measure.Video available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-5u5KBgs8k

Pastor Michael Brunzo brought the message The Syrophoenician Woman on this Sunday morning to the congregation at Faith Fellowship Church. Be blessed as you listen.

Today's Scripture passages are Numbers 32 - Numbers 33:28 | Mark 7:1-30.Read by Christina Edmondson.Get in The Word with Truth's Table is a production of InterVarsity Press. For 75 years, IVP has published and created thoughtful Christian books for the university, church, and the world. Our Bible reading plan is adapted from Bible Study Together, and the Bible version is the New English Translation, used by permission.SPECIAL OFFER | As a listener of this podcast, use the code IVPOD25 for 25% off any IVP resource mentioned in this episode at ivpress.com.Additional Credits:Song production: Seaux ChillSong lyrics written by: Seaux Chill, Ekemini Uwan, and Christina EdmondsonPodcast art: Kate LillardPhotography: Shelly EveBible consultant: JM SmithSound engineering: Podastery StudiosCreative producers: Ekemini Uwan and Christina EdmondsonAssistant producer: Christine Pelliccio MeloExecutive producer: Helen LeeDisclaimer: The comments, views, and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the host and/or the guests featured on the podcast and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of InterVarsity Press or InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.

”You're Getting Set Up” Week 5 of Just Jesus  “Jesus left that place and went into the region of Tyre. He didn't want anyone to know that he had entered a house, but he couldn't hide. In fact, a woman whose young daughter was possessed by an unclean spirit heard about him right away. She came and fell at his feet. The woman was Greek, Syrophoenician by birth. She begged Jesus to throw the demon out of her daughter. He responded, “The children have to be fed first. It isn't right to take the children's bread and toss it to the dogs.” But she answered, “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs.” “Good answer!” he said. “Go on home. The demon has already left your daughter.” When she returned to her house, she found the child lying on the bed and the demon gone.” ‭‭Mark‬ ‭7‬:‭24‬-‭30‬ ‭CEB‬‬ God is setting you up in the very things that are tearing you apart. 

A homily by Rebecca Wyse on March 30 2025

What truly makes us unclean before God? Is it what we eat, drink, watch, or listen to? Or is there something deeper at work? In this eye-opening exploration in Mark chapter 7, we uncover Jesus' revolutionary teaching about what actually defiles a person."From within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts..." With these words, Jesus locates the true source of our sin problem. Our challenge isn't managing external temptations but addressing our internal desires. This teaching cuts straight through both legalism (setting up rules to prevent sin) and license (letting ourselves sin freely). The solution isn't more rules or fewer rules—it's transformed hearts.What might change in our lives if we stopped focusing on external behaviors and instead sought heart transformation? How would our relationships, churches, and communities look different if we approached Jesus with the persistent humility of the Syrophoenician woman? Listen now and discover the liberating truth that what we need isn't more rules but new hearts.Support the showThank you for listening!! Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners. You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the Bible Please prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

In this podcast episode, we dive deep into Mark 7:24-30, exploring the challenging story of Jesus and the Syrophoenician woman. This passage has often confused and even offended readers, but when understood in its proper context, it reveals a beautiful picture of Jesus' ministry to outcasts and foreigners.

Pastor Jack R. passionately unpacks the significance of biblical numbers, highlighting the connections between Jairus' daughter, the woman with the issue of blood, and the number 12. He also explores how the feeding of the multitudes and the faith of the Syrophoenician woman reveal Jesus' plan to unite Jews and Gentiles in God's kingdom.

A female reverend at an episcopal church says that Jesus is cringe! She says that Jesus calling the SyroPhoenician woman a dog was a really bad look. What is she talking about? What does the Scripture REALLY say?? We are about to get into all of that!Link to original video: https://youtu.be/RxNFdfwo_zE?si=Acwm7Vq0OLuRrNQ3Check out my second channel for deep Bible study: https://www.youtube.com/@EveryWord_WD Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WiseDiscipleGet my 5 Day Bible Reading Plan here: https://www.patreon.com/collection/565289?view=expandedGet your Wise Disciple merch here: https://bit.ly/wisediscipleWant a BETTER way to communicate your Christian faith? Check out my website: www.wisedisciple.orgOR Book me as a speaker at your next event: https://wisedisciple.org/reserveCheck out my full series on debate reactions: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqS-yZRrvBFEzHQrJH5GOTb9-NWUBOO_f

Today God has heard Adam's cry and “crowned” creation with Eve. Woman is the being that holds the greatest dignity in creation. In the gospel, Jesus is conquered by the trusting confidence the Syrophoenician woman places in Him.

Message from Matt Sweetman on February 16, 2025

Gospel Mark 7:24-30 Jesus went to the district of Tyre. He entered a house and wanted no one to know about it, but he could not escape notice. Soon a woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him. She came and fell at his feet. The woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth, and she begged him to drive the demon out of her daughter. He said to her, "Let the children be fed first. For it is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs." She replied and said to him, "Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children's scraps." Then he said to her, "For saying this, you may go. The demon has gone out of your daughter." When the woman went home, she found the child lying in bed and the demon gone. Reflection This story underscores the confusion, and in a way, the anger of the Pharisees and scribes, because everything was only for the Jews. And here we see Jesus open and receptive to someone who was not a part of the community. And so he makes a clear statement that his major role is to save the Jewish people. But at the same time, this story foreshadows the fact that ultimately he will say to every man, to every woman, he longs for their healing. He longs for their transformation. There is nothing in Jesus that limits his ability to heal and to save those who come to him. Closing Prayer Father, we sometimes always focus on the inner circle we have, the friends that we have. We feel an obligation to be with them, but we sometimes don't show the same love for the stranger, the outcast. Help us to do better. Help us to see in every man and every woman the goodness that you've created there. Help us to always be ready to offer the gifts of your Kingdom to anyone and everyone we meet. And we ask this in Jesus' name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jesus went to the district of Tyre.He entered a house and wanted no one to know about it,but he could not escape notice.Soon a woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him.She came and fell at his feet.The woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth,and she begged him to drive the demon out of her daughter.He said to her, "Let the children be fed first.For it is not right to take the food of the childrenand throw it to the dogs."She replied and said to him,"Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children's scraps."Then he said to her, "For saying this, you may go.The demon has gone out of your daughter."When the woman went home, she found the child lying in bedand the demon gone.

Thursday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary TimeMk 7:24-30She came and fell at his feet.The woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth,and she begged him to drive the demon out of her daughter.He said to her, "Let the children be fed first.For it is not right to take the food of the childrenand throw it to the dogs."She replied and said to him,"Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children's scraps."

Read OnlineSoon a woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him. She came and fell at his feet. The woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth, and she begged him to drive the demon out of her daughter. Mark 7:25–26A parent's love is powerful. And the woman in this story clearly loves her daughter. It is that love that drives this mother to seek out Jesus in the hope that He will free her daughter from the demon who possessed her. Interestingly, this woman was not of the Jewish faith. She was a Gentile, a foreigner, but her faith was very real and very deep.When Jesus first encountered this woman, she begged Him to free her daughter from the demon. Jesus' response was at first surprising. He said to her, “Let the children be fed first. For it is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs.” In other words, Jesus was saying that His mission was first to the people of Israel, the chosen people of the Jewish faith. They were the “children” of whom Jesus was speaking, and the Gentiles, such as this woman, were the ones referred to as “the dogs.” Jesus spoke this way to this woman not out of rudeness but because He could see her deep faith, and He wanted to give her an opportunity to manifest that faith for all to see. And so she did.The woman responded to Jesus, “Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children's scraps.” Her words were not only exceptionally humble but were also based on deep faith and a deep love for her daughter. As a result, Jesus responds with generosity and immediately frees her daughter from the demon.In our own lives, it's easy to fall into the trap of thinking we deserve the mercy of God. We can think that we have a right to God's grace. And even though Jesus deeply desires to pour forth His grace and mercy in superabundance on our lives, it is essential that we fully understand our unworthiness before Him. The disposition of this woman's heart sets for us a perfect example of how we must come to our Lord. Reflect, today, upon the beautiful example of this woman of deep faith. Prayerfully read her words over and over. Try to understand her humility, her hope, and her love for her daughter. As you do, pray that you will be able to imitate her goodness so as to share in the blessings she and her daughter received. My merciful Lord, I trust in Your perfect love for me and for all peoples. I pray especially for those who carry heavy burdens and for those whose lives are deeply intertwined with evil. Please set them free, dear Lord, and welcome them into Your family so that they become true children of Your Father. May I have the humility and faith I need to help bring forth this abundance of grace for others. Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.Image via Web Gallery of Art

From the responsorial psalm: "Behold, thus is the man blessed who fears the LORD. The LORD bless you from Zion: may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life. Blessed are those who fear the Lord."A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (Mark 7:31-37,today's readings)The woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth, and she begged him to drive the demon out of her daughter. He said to her, "Let the children be fed first. For it is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs." She replied and said to him, "Lord, even the dogs under the table eat the children's scraps." Then he said to her, "For saying this, you may go. The demon has gone out of your daughter."Wherever he goes, Jesus cannot escape notice, even among the Gentiles. People come to him from all sides, as the woman in today's Gospel does for the sake of her daughter. In responding to the woman, Jesus refers to the claim of the Jews that they first receive his ministry as God's chosen ones. But for the mother who sees the suffering of her daughter, that claim does nothing to hold her back. Jesus gives her the opportunity to demonstrate the depth of her faith expressed in desperate need. Similarly, in the first reading from Genesis, we see the dignity of Adam and Eve standing before God in complete reliance on him, both naked yet feeling no shame. Jesus invites us to come to him with the same dignity, in complete recognition of all he can do for us in his mercy as our Lord and creator.God, just as the woman approached Jesus, aware of her otherness but in great need, I ask for the grace to do the same. In willing to do anything to restore her daughter's health, the mother had heard of Jesus and simply fell at his feet on meeting him. Help me today put to work the exemplary persistent faith of the woman and her holy fear and reverence as she knelt before you. At creation, "The man and his wife were both naked, yet they felt no shame." In humility and childlike trust, let me remember to come to you throughout the day, to come with persistence, and to plead that your will—which is love—be done for me and others. Blessed are those who fear the Lord!Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Episode NotesFor Daily Prayers and more become a Member on PatreonVisit our Website for more www.commonprayerdaily.com  Opening Words:I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.Isaiah 49:6b Confession:Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God. Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen. Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen. The InvitatoryLord, open our lips.And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Alleluia. Psalm 95:1-7The Lord has shown forth his glory: Come let us adore him.Come, let us sing to the Lord; *let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving *and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.For the Lord is a great God, *and a great King above all gods.In his hand are the caverns of the earth, *and the heights of the hills are his also.The sea is his, for he made it, *and his hands have molded the dry land.Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, *and kneel before the Lord our Maker.For he is our God,and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. *Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice!The Lord has shown forth his glory: Come let us adore him. The PsalterPsalm 56Have mercy on me, O God,for my enemies are hounding me; *all day long they assault and oppress me.They hound me all the day long; *truly there are many who fight against me, O Most High.Whenever I am afraid, *I will put my trust in you.In God, whose word I praise,in God I trust and will not be afraid, *for what can flesh do to me?All day long they damage my cause; *their only thought is to do me evil.They band together; they lie in wait; *they spy upon my footsteps;because they seek my life.Shall they escape despite their wickedness? *O God, in your anger, cast down the peoples.You have noted my lamentation;put my tears into your bottle; *are they not recorded in your book?Whenever I call upon you, my enemies will be put to flight; *this I know, for God is on my side.In God the Lord, whose word I praise,in God I trust and will not be afraid, *for what can mortals do to me?I am bound by the vow I made to you, O God; *I will present to you thank-offerings;For you have rescued my soul from death and my feet from stumbling, *that I may walk before God in the light of the living. Psalm 57Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful,for I have taken refuge in you; *in the shadow of your wings will I take refugeuntil this time of trouble has gone by.I will call upon the Most High God, *the God who maintains my cause.He will send from heaven and save me;he will confound those who trample upon me; *God will send forth his love and his faithfulness.I lie in the midst of lions that devour the people; *their teeth are spears and arrows,their tongue a sharp sword.They have laid a net for my feet,and I am bowed low; *they have dug a pit before me,but have fallen into it themselves.Exalt yourself above the heavens, O God, *and your glory over all the earth.My heart is firmly fixed, O God, my heart is fixed; *I will sing and make melody.Wake up, my spirit;awake, lute and harp; *I myself will waken the dawn.I will confess you among the peoples, O Lord; *I will sing praise to you among the nations.For your loving-kindness is greater than the heavens, *and your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.Exalt yourself above the heavens, O God, *and your glory over all the earth. Psalm 58Do you indeed decree righteousness, you rulers? *do you judge the peoples with equity?No; you devise evil in your hearts, *and your hands deal out violence in the land.The wicked are perverse from the womb; *liars go astray from their birth.They are as venomous as a serpent, *they are like the deaf adder which stops its ears,Which does not heed the voice of the charmer, *no matter how skillful his charming.O God, break their teeth in their mouths; *pull the fangs of the young lions, O Lord.Let them vanish like water that runs off; *let them wither like trodden grass.Let them be like the snail that melts away, *like a stillborn child that never sees the sun.Before they bear fruit, let them be cut down like a brier; *like thorns and thistles let them be swept away.The righteous will be glad when they see the vengeance; *they will bathe their feet in the blood of the wicked.And they will say,“Surely, there is a reward for the righteous; *surely, there is a God who rules in the earth.” Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. LessonsIsa. 51:17-23Rouse yourself, rouse yourself! Stand up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk at the hand of the Lord the cup of his wrath, who have drunk to the dregs the bowl of staggering. There is no one to guide her among all the children she has borne; there is no one to take her by the hand among all the children she has brought up. These two things have befallen you-- who will grieve with you?-- devastation and destruction, famine and sword-- who will comfort you? Your children have fainted, they lie at the head of every street like an antelope in a net; they are full of the wrath of the Lord, the rebuke of your God. Therefore hear this, you who are wounded, who are drunk, but not with wine: Thus says your Sovereign, the Lord, your God who pleads the cause of his people: See, I have taken from your hand the cup of staggering; you shall drink no more from the bowl of my wrath. And I will put it into the hand of your tormentors, who have said to you, "Bow down, that we may walk on you" and you have made your back like the ground and like the street for them to walk on.The Word of the Lord.Thanks Be To God. Te Deum laudamusYou are God: we praise you; You are the Lord: we acclaim you; You are the eternal Father: All creation worships you. To you all angels, all the powers of heaven, Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise:Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,heaven and earth are full of your glory. The glorious company of apostles praise you. The noble fellowship of prophets praise you. The white-robed army of martyrs praise you. Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you;Father, of majesty unbounded, your true and only Son, worthy of all worship, and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.You, Christ, are the king of glory, the eternal Son of the Father. When you became man to set us free you did not shun the Virgin's womb. You overcame the sting of deathand opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers. You are seated at God's right hand in glory. We believe that you will come and be our judge.Come then, Lord, and help your people, bought with the price of your own blood, and bring us with your saintsto glory everlasting. Gal. 4:1-11My point is this: heirs, as long as they are minors, are no better than slaves, though they are the owners of all the property; but they remain under guardians and trustees until the date set by the father. So with us; while we were minors, we were enslaved to the elemental spirits of the world. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God. Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to beings that by nature are not gods. Now, however, that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and beggarly elemental spirits? How can you want to be enslaved to them again? You are observing special days, and months, and seasons, and years. I am afraid that my work for you may have been wasted.The Word of the Lord.Thanks Be To God. Mark 7:24-37From there he set out and went away to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Yet he could not escape notice, but a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him, and she came and bowed down at his feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician origin. She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. He said to her, "Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs." But she answered him, "Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." Then he said to her, "For saying that, you may go-- the demon has left your daughter." So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone. Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened." And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. They were astounded beyond measure, saying, "He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak."The Word of the Lord.Thanks Be To God. Benedictus Dominus DeusBlessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; * he has come to his people and set them free.He has raised up for us a mighty savior, * born of the house of his servant David.Through his holy prophets he promised of old, that he would save us from our enemies, * from the hands of all who hate us. He promised to show mercy to our fathers * and to remember his holy covenant. This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, * to set us free from the hands of our enemies, Free to worship him without fear, * holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, * for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, To give his people knowledge of salvation * by the forgiveness of their sins.In the tender compassion of our God * the dawn from on high shall break upon us, To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, * and to guide our feet into the way of peace.Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. The Apostles CreedI believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. The PrayersThe Lord be with you.And also with you.Let us pray.Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen. Suffrages BV. Save your people, Lord, and bless your inheritance;R. Govern and uphold them, now and always.V. Day by day we bless you;R. We praise your name for ever.V. Lord, keep us from all sin today;R. Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.V. Lord, show us your love and mercy;R. For we put our trust in you.V. In you, Lord, is our hope;R. And we shall never hope in vain. The CollectsCollect of the DayAlmighty and everlasting God, you govern all things both in heaven and on earth: Mercifully hear the supplications of your people, and in our time grant us your peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Daily Collects:A Collect for PeaceO God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries, through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.A Collect for GraceO Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, you have brought us safely to the beginning of this day: Defend us by your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin nor run into any danger; and that, guided by your Spirit, we may do what is righteous in your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Take a moment of silence at this time to reflect and pray for others. Collect of Saint BasilO Christ God, Who art worshipped and glorified at every place and time; Who art long-suffering, most merciful and compassionate; Who lovest the righteous and art merciful to sinners; Who callest all to salvation with the promise of good things to come: receive, Lord, the prayers we now offer, and direct our lives in the way of Thy commandments. Sanctify our souls, cleanse our bodies, correct our thoughts, purify our minds and deliver us from all affliction, evil and illness. Surround us with Thy holy angels, that guarded and instructed by their forces, we may reach unity of faith and the understanding of Thine unapproachable glory: for blessed art Thou unto ages of ages. Amen. A Prayer of St. John ChrysostomAlmighty God, you have given us grace at this time, with one accord to make our common supplications to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will grant their requests: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen. DismissalLet us bless the LordThanks be to God!The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen

In this powerful message, we're invited to explore the nature of faith that is both tried and triumphant. The story of the Syrophoenician woman in Mark 7 serves as our guide, revealing profound truths about tenacious belief. We learn that faith is not a spiritual game, a magic formula, or a blind leap, but rather a confident trust in Jesus Christ. As we journey through life, our faith will be tested, much like this woman's was. But her persistence teaches us the importance of remaining steadfast, even when faced with apparent rejection. The message challenges us to cultivate a faith that refuses to give up, believing that anything Jesus offers is better than what the world can provide. As we navigate our own spiritual battles, we're reminded that Jesus has power over darkness and that our tenacious faith can lead to triumphant outcomes, whether in this life or the next. This lesson encourages us to persevere in our faith journey, knowing that God honors those who trust Him wholeheartedly.

Greg talks about how to understand what Jesus says to the Syrophoenician woman in Mark 7, answers a question about when to shake the dust off your feet when it comes to sharing the gospel with family, and responds to a request for clarity on the second coming of Christ.   Topics: Commentary: Jesus feeds the dogs. (00:00) Is it ever appropriate to shake the dust off your feet when it comes to sharing the gospel with family? (25:00) Can you help me clarify my understanding of the second coming of Christ? (35:00) Mentioned on the Show:  Reality Student Apologetics Conference – February 21–22 in Dallas, TX; March 21–22, in Philadelphia, PA; April 25–26 in Dayton, OH The Rap on the Rapture by Greg Koukl The Blessed Hope: A Biblical Study of the Second Advent and the Rapture by George Eldon Ladd The Church and the Tribulation: A Biblical Examination of Posttribulationism by Robert Gundry

Fierce, witty, and unapologetically bold—the Syrophoenician woman didn't submit or resign to passivity. She was persistent and courageous in challenging the status quo, refusing to take "no" as an answer, and in so doing she partnered with God in creating a more just world. Join us this Sunday as we explore her powerful story, and discover how her example (among others) invites us to challenge our assumptions, reimagining our own role in partnering with God in our journeys of transformation and the pursuit of justice and healing of our world.

Why does Jesus seemingly reject (at first) this Gentile woman's request for healing simply because she is a Gentile? Why does Jesus call her a "dog"? After wrestling with these problems, Zack spends the bulk of the sermon discussing this Syrophoenician woman's audacious faith. Like Abraham and King Hezekiah before her, this woman argues with God. Believing that God is greater than even He lets on or will do even what He claims He will not is laudable "audacious faith" for which we should strive. The sermons ends with two applications.

In part 2 of 2 reflecting on the story of the Syrophoenician woman in Mark 7:24-30, Zack turns from (audacious) human faith to (audacious) divine love. In light of repeated woes to the rich and blessings for the poor, does God love the rich? What about those who gain their riches from oppression? Zack examines the biblical and historical background of Tyre, the biographies of John Newton and Saint Patrick, and Scripture more broadly to answer with a resounding and scandalous Yes.

Don't Take NO For An Answer The power of prayer get's results! God kind of results! When you ask, don't stop when you don't see the answer right away. Keep on pursuing His presence and trust in Him. Sometimes you stop asking just a bit too soon. When we stand in perseverance for our loved ones salvation, we must be patience. The Syrophoenician women had a daughter with an unclean spirit, keep asking Jesus to deliver her. She did not give up. She received her miracle! Mark 7:25 The answers always comes. We trust Him for the answer. Yet, stand in faith and keep praying for your loved ones! For more information visit us at: www.houseofglorychurch.org or www.cathycoppola.org Check our previous video: Are You Allowing Fear To Control You? https://youtu.be/lvsUYZKvzJ8?si=y1jPcXaHT9DcwClM Date of service 12/12/24

Don't Take NO For An Answer The power of prayer get's results! God kind of results! When you ask, don't stop when you don't see the answer right away. Keep on pursuing His presence and trust in Him. Sometimes you stop asking just a bit too soon. When we stand in perseverance for our loved ones salvation, we must be patience. The Syrophoenician women had a daughter with an unclean spirit, keep asking Jesus to deliver her. She did not give up. She received her miracle! Mark 7:25 The answers always comes. We trust Him for the answer. Yet, stand in faith and keep praying for your loved ones! For more information visit us at: www.houseofglorychurch.org or www.cathycoppola.org Check our previous video: Are You Allowing Fear To Control You? https://youtu.be/lvsUYZKvzJ8?si=y1jPcXaHT9DcwClM Date of service 12/12/24

Justified By Faith (Audio) David Eells 12/11/24 Saints, I know you know this but it is often forgotten because the devil fights against it with all he has. Listen carefully to (Rom 4:2-8)  2  For if Abraham was justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not toward God.  3  For what saith the scripture? And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness.  4  Now to him that worketh, the reward is not reckoned as of grace, but as of debt.  5  But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is reckoned for righteousness.  6  Even as David also pronounceth blessing upon the man, unto whom God reckoneth righteousness apart from works,  7  saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, And whose sins are covered.  8  Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not reckon sin. Do you believe in the midst of your failures that Jesus took away your sins and nailed them to the cross and you have them no more? Then you are accounted righteous before you are manifestly delivered from them. (Rom.1:16) For I am not ashamed of the gospel (the “Good News”): for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth.... The Good News is a powerful revelation and when we exercise faith in it, God imparts His power to us, to save us in all things. We know “salvation” in the New Testament is the Greek noun soteria and the verb of that is sozo. It has a wonderful meaning in scripture of deliverance, salvation, preservation, healing and provision. God has already provided our every need, according to Scripture. (Php.4:19) And my God shall supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. I remember when we once asked a local man, who was Greek, what soteria meant to him and he said, “It means, all of my needs supplied, like a little baby.” I've never forgotten that and as I researched the Scriptures, I found out that's exactly what it means – “all of our needs supplied” and it's to the believers. The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes. (Rom.1:16) For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. (17) For therein is revealed a righteousness.... This is because we are “counted righteous” by our faith. People who walk by faith are the ones who are justified because “counted righteous” means “justified.” (Rom.1:17) For therein is revealed a righteousness of God from faith unto faith: as it is written, But the righteous shall live from faith. The literal translation there is “from faith” and not “by faith.” God puts a high premium on people who believe and act upon His Word. (Jas.2:17) Even so faith, if it have not works, is dead in itself. (18) Yea, a man will say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith apart from [thy] works, and I by my works will show thee [my] faith. People who act on what the Word says will see results. They will receive power from God. (Heb.10:38) But my righteous one shall live from faith: And if he shrink back (Through unbelief), my soul hath no pleasure in him. (39) But we are not of them that shrink back unto perdition.... “Perdition” is “destruction” and everyone who shrinks back from the walk of faith is being destroyed. They're under the curse; they're subject to all the things that faith delivers us from. (Heb.10:39) But we are not of them that shrink back unto perdition; but of them that have faith unto the saving of the soul. When you first receive salvation, it's not your soul that gets saved; it's your spirit that is saved and as you continue to walk after the Spirit, you bear fruit in your soul. Walking by faith brings us the manifestation of God's salvation in our soul, which is our mind, will, and emotions. And having our mind, will and emotions in tune with Jesus Christ is what this salvation is all about. (Heb.11:1) Now faith is assurance of [things] hoped for, a conviction of things not seen. Some translations say, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for while the evidence is not seen.” The power of God to save you in every circumstance and every situation, which is the Gospel, comes because of faith. It comes when you believe that you have already received these things, which you do not yet see. I want to prove to you and encourage you that you don't have to talk God into anything. He has already made provision for you. It's a free gift that He puts into your hand. He gave it to you 2000 years ago and He will not take it back. You can give it up by not walking by faith, but He won't take it back. Our faith stands in as the “substance” of the thing that we need and the thing that we need in every circumstance is salvation in all its forms. (Heb.11:2) For therein the elders had witness borne to them. (3) By faith we understand that the worlds have been framed by the word of God, so that what is seen hath not been made out of things which appear. Science has proved this is quantum faith. The smallest unseen particles become what we want because we believe before we see as Jesus said, Mar 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye received (Numeric) them, and ye shall have them..   The Word of God has framed the world by the faith of God. God Himself creates through faith and, if we are going to be a son of God, we have to do the same thing. Our words will bring forth the creating power of God through us into every situation and every circumstance. But we need to give God the “substance” of the thing hoped for and that's our faith (Heb.11:6) ... without faith it is impossible to be well-pleasing [unto him]; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that seek after him. Jesus also said, (Mat.9:29) ... According to your faith be it done unto you, and (Mat.8:13) ... As thou hast believed, [so] be it done unto thee. He constantly made faith the requirement. We, like God, learn to (Rom.4:17) ... calleth the things that are not, as though they were, and our faith has the power to create all of our needs. (Eph.2:8) For by grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, [it is] the gift of God; (9) not of works, that no man should glory. We know that grace is unmerited and unearned. It's a free gift, so you can't work for it. It can only come by faith. This is past tense, it says, “have you been saved” because salvation was accomplished at the cross. And it also includes your soul, your body and your circumstances, so that all your needs are met, completely. (Eph.2:9) Not of works, that no man should glory. (10) For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works (And that's the works of the Lord, not the works of the flesh.), which God afore prepared that we should walk in them. Again in (Eph.2:8) For by grace have ye been saved… Remember that this word “saved” used in other places in the Bible, has already been done and it's only going to manifest through faith. “By grace have ye been saved.” God wants us to believe the promises in order for us to have the manifestation of that salvation in our life. There are also “catch-all” verses, such as Mark 11:24. When you receive this revelation and start acting upon it, you have a miraculous life. It is basically saying that salvation covers everything you need. Salvation has already been done and all of it has been provided, as Jesus said. (Mar.11:24) Therefore I say unto you, All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye received (Numeric pattern. Even the Received Text has this as a Greek note.) them.... Note that you are supposed to believe you have received it in the physical realm. Because Ephesians 2:8 says, “by grace have ye been saved,” and “saved” covers everything that we need, through faith. We have a complete agreement here. So “all things whatsoever” have been provided because He tells you, no matter what it is, believe you received. And He tells you that because it was all provided at the cross, turn around and look behind you. This is what faith is. (Rom.4:16) For this cause [it is] of faith, that [it may be] according to grace... (17) [even] God who ... calleth the things that are not, as though they were. It's past tense. It has already been done. Everything about salvation has been completed. If you're waiting for God to do it, you have no faith, or you're not exercising faith and you're not claiming the promise. That's why many people are not growing up in the Lord. If you really believed that you have received it all back there at the cross, what do you think you would say? What do you think you would do? What do you think your imagination would be like? This is a really good exercise. Practice meditating on what you would say and do if you have already received a healing, a deliverance, a provision, a protection, or so on. In other words, practice believing that it's already yours! Faith without works is dead it says in (Jas.2:26) For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead. Many people say, “I believe I received,” but everything else about them is totally backward to what they would be doing if they really believed. Their imagination is only imagining the things of this world, which is the curse and everything negative, and yet they are trying to believe they have received. But a whole part of their being is warring with them because we are kind of a schizophrenic being. We're flesh and we're spirit. However, because we are born-again, we have the power to cast down these vain imaginations. (2Co.10:5) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. We cast down these vain imaginations, we begin to speak in agreement with the fact that we have received, we act as if we have received, we imagine we have received. We have been made in the image of our Father and our imagination is very powerful when mixed with our faith to do miracles. Believing you have received should take over your whole being from your mouth to your eyes to your feet. Everything that you do should be in agreement with the fact that you have already received. Now if you need a healing for instance, we have this scripture (1Pe.2:24) Who his own self bare (past tense) our sins in his body upon the tree, that we, having died unto sins, might live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed (past tense). So, we believe we were already healed at the cross. (Col.1:12) Giving thanks unto the Father, who made us meet (or “able”).... We can thank the Father that He made us able through His gift of faith that He has given to us. (2Th.3:2) ... For all have not faith, but He has given to each one of us, that is, to God's elect, the measure of faith. (Rom.12:3) … God hath dealt to each man a measure of faith. So He made us able. (Col.1:12) Giving thanks unto the Father, who made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. “The saints in light” means the saints who walk in light. We are able to partake of everything that the saints who walk in light are capable of partaking in. (Col.1:13) Who delivered (it's past tense again) us out of the power of darkness.... He has already delivered us, it's already been accomplished. When the devil tells you he has you in bondage, just remember you were already delivered so don't buy the lie. Accept the Good News that sets free and is the power of God to save you. If you do not agree with the Good News, God cannot bring it to pass. People live under the curse all their life, but the Lord delivered us. You're not under the power of the devil. The devil has deceived many people into believing that he has legal power over them, but he doesn't have any power because Jesus told us in (Mat.28:18) All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth. (19) Go ye therefore.... So He sent out His disciples to exercise that same authority over the devil's kingdom. (Col.1:13) Who delivered (past tense) us out of the power of darkness, and translated (past tense) us into the kingdom of the Son of his love; (14) in whom we have our redemption, the forgiveness of our sins. We already have our redemption. “Redemption” is the Greek word apolutrosis and it means “a release on payment of a ransom.” A ransom is paid when a person is being held captive because of sin and the ransom sets them free. The price has already been paid by our Lord Jesus Christ for us to be set free from bondage to the devil, set free from bondage to the flesh, and set free from bondage to the curse. You can't earn your redemption. Our redemption, our release from bondage, and the forgiveness of our sins have already been accomplished at the cross. Praise be to God! Now, something even greater that we should know about is in (2Co.5:16) Wherefore we henceforth know no man after the flesh: even though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now we know [him so] no more. And why is that? It's because “after the flesh” is like walking by sight. Now, instead, we know people by faith; we know ourselves by faith; we know the people for whom we have prayed by faith. (2Co.5:17) Wherefore if any man is in Christ, [he is] a new creature: the old things are passed away.... They are gone; everything that we have known ourselves as, in the flesh, is gone. All that we have known about ourselves in the flesh is over. We know no man after the flesh anymore. (2Co.5:17) Wherefore if any man is in Christ, [he is] a new creature: the old things are passed away; behold, they are become new. (18) But all things are of God, who reconciled us to himself.... So everything has become new because of what Jesus did at the cross. That was when He provided everything new for us. He provided our life, our deliverance, our healing, our provision, our protection, and on and on. We should see ourselves in the light of what the Bible says about us, which is that all things are new. Going on in (2Co.5:18) But all things are of God, who reconciled us.... Now “reconciled” there is the Greek word katallasso and it means Jesus made an exchange at the cross. He took all of our curse and gave us all of His blessings. He took all of our lack and gave us all of His provision. (Php.4:19) My God shall supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. He has already given us all of our needs because He made an exchange at the cross. And what He took from us is everything we don't want and that we can't enter the Kingdom of Heaven with. Everything has already been accomplished! (2Co.5:19) ... That God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not reckoning unto them their trespasses, and having committed unto us the word of reconciliation. The Lord is not reckoning to us, not attributing our trespasses to us, and He has given us the opportunity to share with other people that God has reconciled them, too. When we give them this Good News of reconciliation and when they become believers in what God has already accomplished, then they can start having miracles, also! That's our ministry that the Lord has called us to. Here's another awesome revelation: (Gal.2:20) I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ liveth in me: and that [life] which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, [the faith] which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me. You don't have to worry about your “old man” anymore. But think more like this: You have already been crucified. The old you doesn't live anymore. (Rom.6:11) Reckon ye also yourselves to be dead unto sin, but alive unto God in Christ Jesus. This is because it was accomplished at the cross. If you exercise faith in that, the Lord will bring your crucifixion to pass. If you try to do it yourself, you'll be trying to pick yourself up by your bootstraps and you will constantly fail. You will fall short of the glory of God. “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ liveth in me ...” Since you're dead and He lives, the reconciliation, the exchange, was accomplished at the cross. You were crucified and Christ is now given to you as the gift of God. Christ is manifesting in you and you are entering into the rest, by resting from your own works through your faith in the promises. (Heb.4:3) For we who have believed do enter into that rest.... You are entering into that rest; God is giving you the promise. The Land of Rest was also called the Promised Land because that's where all the promises are fulfilled. So we've been crucified with Christ and we don't live anymore. He lives in us and we're justified by faith in this promise. (Gal.2:16) Yet knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we believed on Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ.... “Justified” means “accounted righteous.” When you believe these promises that are contrary to your senses, contrary to your eyes, contrary to the things around you, that is when God says you're righteous. …that we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by works of the law: because by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. And in (Gal.3:6) Even as Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned unto him for righteousness. Abraham was justified because he believed God and he was reckoned righteous. So when we believe the Good News, we are reckoned righteous and we receive these benefits because we are righteous. It's the unearned favor of God. (Gal.3:11) Now that no man is justified by the law before God, is evident: for, The righteous shall live by (literally, “from”) faith.... Our life is going to proceed from the gift of faith which God has given to us. But we need to remember how to exercise our faith because this is very important. (Gal.3:12) And the law is not of faith; but, He that doeth them shall live in them. In other words, if you're going to try to obtain righteousness by your own works, by doing the works of the Law, then have at it, but God is not going to be in it. Remember in (Gal.3:13) Christ redeemed us .... “Redeemed” is again past tense. It's the Greek word exagorazo and it means “to buy out” or “to purchase a slave with a mind to set him free.” We were slaves of the curse, of the devil, of the flesh and slaves of our circumstances, but the Lord redeemed us. He set us free from that. Do you really believe it? Well, if you do, you're accounted righteous. And if you believe, then that's the power of God unto salvation and God will bring it to pass for you. (Gal.3:13) Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us; for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: (14) that upon the Gentiles might come the blessing of Abraham in Christ Jesus; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. Glory be to God! I especially like, (Rom.3:4) ... Let God be found true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy words, And mightest prevail when thou comest into judgment. We know that the judgment of this world is the curse and we want to prevail every time we come under the judgment of a curse, no matter what the cause. Whether it comes as a trial to build our faith, whether it comes as a chastening for sin, or whatever, we want to prevail when we come under the curse. And God says that there's only one way to prevail: we have to “Let God be found true, but every man a liar.” God is birthing sons of God, the spiritual, born-again man on the inside who is being created in the likeness of Jesus Christ. This is the man who speaks the words and believes the thoughts of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the righteous man before God. It's very important that we are justified in our words. Without being accounted righteous, we are not able to partake of the benefits of the Kingdom. Jesus said, (Mat.12:37) For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. If we claim to be Christians but we let that old man speak, he can bring us into an awful lot of judgment and wrath because we are not justified. We have to be careful that we are agreeing with God's Word and trusting in what He says so that we can be justified in our words. When our words agree with God's Words and we confess our faith in every situation, then we're coming into the renewed mind of Jesus Christ, and we are being transformed by that renewed mind. We are coming into His image and we're prevailing when we come into judgment. (Rom.5:1) Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; (2) through whom also we have had our access by faith into this grace (unmerited favor) wherein we stand.... Now that's very clear. Our words of faith and actions of faith give us access to the grace and favor of God. We stand in the favor, benefits and blessings all because our faith gives us access. (Rom.5:2) Through whom also we have had our access by faith into this grace wherein we stand; and let us rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (3) And not only so, but let us also rejoice in our tribulations: knowing that tribulation worketh stedfastness.... The word here for “stedfastness” is also translated as “patience.” Many times we don't want to wait and trust in God or we don't want to endure the struggle or the pain in order to see the manifestation. This is an “instant gratification” society. We want to believe and then see something happen immediately. But if we stand in faith, we have access to His grace, His grace enables us to stand and we eventually receive the thing we are believing for. (Rom.5:3) And not only so, but let us also rejoice in our tribulations: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; (4) and patience, approvedness.... The word “approvedness” is a word for “character.” This is the character of the Lord Jesus Christ, and we are called to come into His Image. (Rom.8:29) For whom he foreknew, he also foreordained [to be] conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. If we want His character, we have to walk patiently in our faith. Don't give up! Many people do and it's sad that this is such a major problem among Christians. They don't keep the Word of God before their eyes and the Word of God in their thoughts; they do not pray to God for mercy to write this Word upon their hearts. They are just useless in their faith. We're called to be warriors for the Lord Jesus Christ and warriors for our brethren around us who need the benefits of God's Kingdom. In order to do that, we have to be like Jesus and His disciples were and that is a warrior through faith. We have to be someone who walks justified before God because we speak faith in agreement with the Word of God. (Rom.5:4) And patience, approvedness; and approvedness, hope: (5) and hope putteth not to shame; because the love of God hath been shed abroad in our hearts through the Holy Spirit which was given unto us. How do we know we have the love of God in our hearts? According to this, those who are patient in their faith have hope and that hope does not put them to shame. Some people think that “the love of God hath been shed abroad in our hearts” means “the love that God has for people,” but also I think it's talking about “the love that we have for God.” A person who wants to please God walks by faith because we know (Heb.11:6) without faith it is impossible to be well-pleasing [unto him]. So the people who want to please God are the people who love God. These are the people who are struggling to be patient in their faith. They are justified because it is important to them to endure the trial of their faith. We have proof about the meaning of “the love of God” in verse 5 because it's also found here: (Jas.1:12) Blessed is the man that endureth temptation....  This is spoken of in Deuteronomy 28, where the one who is blessed is the one who “hearkens unto” the voice of the Lord, the one who hears and acts upon the voice of the Lord. The people of faith hear His voice and they act upon it, they speak in agreement with it and their feet prove it. (Jas.1:12) Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he hath been approved (There's that “approvedness” again; we endure temptation in order to be approved of the Lord.), he shall receive the crown of life, which [the Lord] promised to them that love him. Notice that the people who endure temptation are the people who love Him and want to be well-pleasing to Him. They want to be called “righteous” because they walk by faith and faith is submitting humbly to the Word of God, agreeing with the Word of God, speaking the Word of God. These are learning to walk as sons of God in the Kingdom of God. And we read in (Jas.1:2) Count it all joy, my brethren, when ye fall into manifold temptations (or “trials”); (3) knowing that the proving of your faith worketh patience. (4) And let patience (which is so well-pleasing to God) have [its] perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking in nothing. The person who patiently endures the trial of their faith lacks nothing. Most people will not endure to the end. They endure to somewhere down the trial and then they decide that God's not quite right about this, that He really hasn't answered their prayers. They decide that they can't believe that they have received because their eyes tell them the truth and that God's Word has not told them the truth. They're proving themselves to be unbelievers. They have an “evil heart of unbelief” (Hebrews 3:12) which we all must war against. The person who is patient in their faith will be perfect in their entirety, lacking nothing, so you see how important it is to endure the trial of our faith. (Jas.1:5) But if any of you lacketh wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to all liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. (6) But let him ask in faith, nothing doubting: for he that doubteth is like the surge of the sea driven by the wind and tossed. (7) For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord; (8) a doubleminded man, unstable in all his ways. You can feel the Lord's feelings about people who are double-minded, those who cannot ask without doubting. Now we all have thoughts that come through our mind that are of doubt, although those are not necessarily our thoughts, but if we give into them and act upon them, then we have doubted. (Heb.10:36) For ye have need of patience, that, having done the will of God, ye may receive the promise. Everyone starts out asking God and believing, but they don't all endure in their patience to receive the promise. The people who have learned patience are people who have lived miracles. They see answers from God and they awe everybody with their faith. It's not necessarily that their faith is any stronger, but it's that they don't give in to doubts or unbelief. They cast these imaginations down when they come into their mind. They're well-pleasing to God and accounted righteous because they are patient in their faith and they will receive the reward. (Heb.6:11) And we desire that each one of you may show the same diligence unto the fulness of hope (The word “hope” here means “firm expectation.”) even to the end: (12) that ye be not sluggish, but imitators of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Obviously, if God speaks so much about this, it must be what is dear to His heart because it is His joy to see His people receive the benefits of the Kingdom. I've had many trials of my faith that I can share with others and I know that the Lord brought me through these things so that I, myself, would learn patience and faith. Some of these were enduring trials that took a while and a lot of wrestling to receive answers. They were a warfare of casting down reasonings, imaginations, dreams and revelations, and these things that are contrary to God's promises. Now, something else that we need to do consistently is, (Jas.5:16) Confess therefore your sins one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed.... Now we know that Jesus said, (Mar.11:24) All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye received them, and ye shall have them, and that's exactly right, but we also know that if our sins are against us, then we're not going to be bold toward God. (1Jn.3:21) Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, we have boldness toward God; (22) and whatsoever we ask we receive of him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight. Confession is a way to get rid of your unbelief because your conscience is right with God. It's not that God wouldn't heal you. In the Scriptures Jesus healed every single one of those Jews who came to Him because it was a benefit; Jesus called it “the children's bread” in Matthew 15:26. In cases where He wasn't sure if the people had faith, He tried to draw faith out of them, such as with the Syrophoenician woman and with the centurion. Jesus said things to make them speak words of faith because He knew that this person had to agree with Him. In His own hometown, (Mat.13:58) ... He did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief, so we know that Jesus didn't heal because of people's unbelief. Confessing our sins is very important. It's humbling before God and it's necessary in order to get rid of double-mindedness, which is caused by a conscience that's not right before God. We don't know how much we suffer in our faith because of our conscience. (Psa.32:1) Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered. (2) Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no guile. (3) When I kept silence, my bones wasted away (I believe they knew back then that a person's blood which, according to Leviticus 17:11, is “the life of the flesh,” is created in your bones.) Through my groaning all the day long. (Psa.32:4) For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me (Notice it was God Who sent the curse in order to motivate man to repentance, as it says in Deuteronomy 28.): My moisture was changed [as] with the drought of summer. (Psa.32:5) I acknowledged my sin unto thee, And mine iniquity did I not hide: I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; And thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. (6) For this let every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found (That is, before it's too late. Confessing your sin quickly will keep you out of a lot of the curse.): Surely when the great waters overflow they shall not reach unto him. The waters, which represent the curse of the world, will not reach unto this person because he has confessed his sin and so he is accounted righteous and entitled to the benefits of the Kingdom. (1Jn.1:7) But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (8) If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (9) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Here is a person who has confessed his sin and is entitled to the benefits of the Kingdom. Now we can partake of the benefits of God because we have faith. The devil tries to sidetrack us from that faith because we are justified by our faith. He is always accusing us of something, but if our heart condemn us not, we have boldness toward God; (1Jn.3:21). The Lord knows that you have to have faith to overcome. He does not want you to waste any time with condemnation when it's not necessary. He doesn't want you to condemn yourself because you cannot have condemnation and faith at the same time, and faith (1Jn.5:4) Is the victory that hath overcome the world. Condemnation does come because of willful disobedience, but not for ignorance or for failure. Through the commandments of God in the New Testament, we come to a revelation of what sin is and now we start being held accountable for it. It says in (Jas.4:17) To him therefore that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. The Bible says in, (Heb.10:26) For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more a sacrifice for sins, (27) but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a fierceness of fire which shall devour the adversaries. So a person does not have a blood covering for wilful sin and judgement comes.

Message from Pastor Lisa Moore on November 17, 2024

Pastor Jeff discusses Jesus' ministry in Gentile regions as highlighted in Mark 7, emphasizing the persistent faith of a Syrophoenician woman who begs Jesus to heal her daughter. He reflects on the attitude of Jesus towards people, noting how compassion drives him to heal individuals, encouraging listeners to see others through Jesus' perspective. Pastor Jeff urges us to take opportunities to love and serve those around them, just as Jesus did, and to be persistent in prayer. Ultimately, he calls for a commitment to loving not only friends and church members but also the wider community, embodying the compassion of Christ.

Find the accompanying PowerPoint Here. The Syro-Phoenician Woman, by Donnie V. Rader. 10/27/2024 Sunday AM Sermon.

Love Anyway…Don't Be A Jerk, with Rev. Dr. Steven Koski. Series: A Braver Way A Spacious Christianity, First Presbyterian Church of Bend, Oregon. Scripture: Mark 7.24-30.Join us this Sunday to hear a thought-provoking message on loving others, even those we disagree with. Whether online or in-person, come with an open mind and heart as we explore what it means to love alike, not just think alike. All are welcome!About the Series, A Braver Way: Finding Calm, Wisdom and Courage in these Anxious DaysJoin us each Sunday, 10AM at bendfp.org, or 11AM KTVZ-CW Channel 612/12 in Bend.  Subscribe/Follow, and click the bell for alerts.At First Presbyterian, you will meet people at many different places theologically and spiritually. And we love it that way. We want to be a place where our diversity brings us together and where conversation takes us all deeper in our understanding of God.We call this kind of faith “Spacious Christianity.” We don't ask anyone to sign creeds or statements of belief. The life of faith is about a way of being in the world and a faith that shows itself in love.Thank you for your support of the mission of the First Presbyterian Church of Bend. Visit https://bendfp.org/giving/ for more information.Keywords:love despite differences, Christian faith test, finding God, open mind, open heart, Syrophoenician woman, Jesus's transformation, cultural conditioning, broader mission, open to learning, be opened, political sign, neighbor reconciliation, don't be a jerk, love one another, presbyterian, church, online worship, bend, oregonFeaturing:Rev. Dr. Steven Koski, Brave of Heart, GuestsSupport the show

Sunday, September 29, 2024 | Fresh Future: a series of Fresh Expressors for the Future Church | Week 6: "Draw the Circle Wider" | Rev. Kameron Wilds wraps up this sermon series with a message on Mark 7:24-30 that demonstrates how the story of the Syrophoenician woman shows the humanity of Jesus, and urges us to keep making our tables bigger while drawing the circles of our inclusivity wider.

Uncover the power of faith and determination through the inspiring story of the Syrophoenician woman who sought Jesus' help for her daughter. We'll explore how her persistence and humility impressed Jesus, leading to a miraculous healing. By examining both Mark's and Matthew's accounts, we'll reveal the deeper insights and differences that each perspective provides, illustrating the power of true faith.Discover how the testimony of this woman is connected to the prayer of King Solomon during the dedication of the Temple. Solomon's vision of inclusivity and humility showcases a God who cannot be confined to earthly structures, emphasizing the eternal reach of His divine presence. We'll reflect on Solomon's prayer for both Israelites and Gentiles, highlighting the universal nature of God's love and how His ear is open to all who will approach Him with godly reverence, fear, and humility.Delve into theological insights regarding the nature of Jesus Christ, exploring scriptures like Colossians 2:9 and 2 Corinthians 5:19. Understand how the fullness of the Godhead in Jesus plays a crucial role for both insiders and outsiders. We'll also emphasize the importance of a heart aligned with God's ways in prayer, referencing Solomon's wisdom. By aligning our ways with God's, we can seek divine guidance and experience the transformative power of prayer that recognizes the only true God."Message Our Father's Heart a Question or Response"Support the showThank you so much for listening and sharing with others! We would very much appreciate you continuing to FOLLOW, SUBSCRIBE, and LIKE us through any of the following platforms:Substack: htt​ps://ourfathersheart.substack.com/Website: ourfathersheart.orgPodcast: https://ourfathersheart.buzzsprout.com/shareTwitter: https://twitter.com/@ofathersheart Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ofathersheartYouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ourfathersheartMay God bless you and make you prosperous in Him as you listen and obey His voice!

Dive into the heart of the Christian tradition with us on "Coffee to Go." This week, we're in Mark's Gospel, witnessing Jesus' encounters with a Syrophoenician woman and a deaf man. Join hosts Karin Peter and Blake Smith as they unpack the complexity of Jesus' actions, the coexistence of our best intentions and flaws, and the assertiveness of faith.

Mark 7:24-37   Jesus set out and went away to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Yet he could not escape notice, but a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him, and she came and bowed down at his feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician origin. She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. He said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs.” But she answered him, “Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs.” Then he said to her, “For saying that, you may go—the demon has left your daughter.” So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone. Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. They were astounded beyond measure, saying, “He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”

Enjoy this podcast? Your support on Patreon helps us in so many ways... Patreon: patreon.com/commonprayerdaily_________________________________________________________________OpeningBlessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.And blessed be his kingdom, now and for ever. Amen.Come, let us worship God our King.Come, let us worship Christ, our King and our God.Come, let us worship Christ among us, our King and our God.Holy God,holy and mighty,holy immortal one,have mercy upon us. (3x)Glory be to the + Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,now and always and forever and ever. Amen. From Psalm 51Open my lips, O Lord, *and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.Create in me a clean heart, O God, *and renew a right spirit within me.Cast me not away from your presence *and take not your holy Spirit from me.Give me the joy of your saving help again *and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit.Glory be to the + Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,now and always and forever and ever. Amen. A PsalmPsalm 77Voce mea ad DominumI will cry aloud to God; I will cry aloud, and he will hear me.In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord; my hands were stretched out by night and did not tire; I refused to be comforted.I think of God, I am restless, I ponder, and my spirit faints.You will not let my eyelids close; I am troubled and I cannot speak.I consider the days of old; I remember the years long past;I commune with my heart in the night; I ponder and search my mind.Will the Lord cast me off for ever? will he no more show his favor?Has his loving-kindness come to an end for ever? has his promise failed for evermore?Has God forgotten to be gracious? has he, in his anger, withheld his compassion?And I said, "My grief is this: the right hand of the Most High has lost its power."I will remember the works of the Lord, and call to mind your wonders of old time.I will meditate on all your acts and ponder your mighty deeds.Your way, O God, is holy; who is so great a god as our God?You are the God who works wonders and have declared your power among the peoples.By your strength you have redeemed your people, the children of Jacob and Joseph.The waters saw you, O God; the waters saw you and trembled; the very depths were shaken.The clouds poured out water; the skies thundered; your arrows flashed to and fro;The sound of your thunder was in the whirlwind; your lightnings lit up the world; the earth trembled and shook.Your way was in the sea, and your paths in the great waters, yet your footsteps were not seen.You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron. Glory be to the + Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,now and always and forever and ever. Amen. The ReadingsEphesians 1:1–9Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus:Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in ChristThe Word of the LordThanks Be to God Mark 7:24–30And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden. But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet. Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 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.” But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs.” And he said to her, “For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.The Word of the LordThanks Be to GodThe Apostles' CreedI believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth;I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. ExamenIn God's presence, think through the day ahead:the work you will do, the people you will encounter, the dangers or uncertainties you face, the possibilities for joy and acts of kindness, any particular resolutions you need to renew, consider what might draw you from the love of God and neighbor, the opportunities you will have to know and serve God and to grow in virtue, remember those closest to you and all for whom you have agreed to pray, ask God's blessings, guidance, and strength in all that lies before you. Gather up these thoughts and reflections in the wordsOur Savior taught us to say: The Lord's PrayerOur Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. The Collects of the DayLord of all power and might, the author and giver of all good things: Graft in our hearts the love of your Name; increase in us true religion; nourish us with all goodness; and bring forth in us the fruit of good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen. Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day: Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Closing PrayersA Prayer of St. ChrysostomAlmighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplication to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will be in the midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen. Glory be to the + Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,now and always and forever and ever. Amen.Lord, have mercy! (3x)God, be gracious to us and bless us and shine Your countenance upon us and have mercy on us.This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!The Father+ is my hope; the Son, my refuge; the Holy Spirit, my protection: All-Holy Trinity, glory to You!Amen!

Jesus goes deeper into the land of the Gentiles and encounters a woman who begs Jesus to cast out a demon possessing her daughter. He gives a curious answer: it wouldn't be fair for Him to heal her. But as you'll hear Dr. Chris Croghan teach, faith is what you put your trust in. This woman trusted that a crumb from Jesus could do anything because she had heard about Jesus' mercy. If faith comes by hearing, how does Jesus deliver to a deaf man? When you're feeling the full weight of the law bearing down on you, you'll experience Jesus proclaim: open your ears, get up, the resurrection is here.CONFIRMATION Does your church have a confirmation class? Luther House of Study is excited to present a comprehensive online confirmation curriculum. The curriculum includes interactive digital lessons and supplemental teacher guides featuring custom videos, quizzes, drag and drop tasks, discussion questions, scripture passages, and prayers about the Apostles' Creed, the 10 Commandments, the Lord's Prayer, and the Sacraments. Visit lutherhouseofstudy.org/confirmation to dive into the curriculum and share it with your church or your pastor. COURSES Do you like what you learn in the conversations on Scripture First? Luther House of Study has numerous interactive courses available for free on subjects ranging from the Lutheran Catechism to core Christian beliefs. Visit lutherhouseofstudy.org to see their available courses, create an account to track your progress, and dive deeper into your learning. GOSPEL - Mark 7:24-37 24 From there he set out and went away to the region of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know he was there. Yet he could not escape notice, 25 but a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately heard about him, and she came and bowed down at his feet. 26 Now the woman was a Gentile, of Syrophoenician origin. She begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 He said to her, "Let the children be fed first, for it is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs." 28 But she answered him, "Sir, even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs." 29 Then he said to her, "For saying that, you may go -- the demon has left your daughter." 30 So she went home, found the child lying on the bed, and the demon gone. 31 Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went by way of Sidon towards the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. 32 They brought to him a deaf man who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged him to lay his hand on him. 33 He took him aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue. 34 Then looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened." 35 And immediately his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. 36 Then Jesus ordered them to tell no one; but the more he ordered them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. 37 They were astounded beyond measure, saying, "He has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak."Support the Show.Interested in sponsoring an episode of Scripture First?Email Sarah at sarah@lhos.org or visit our donation page: lutherhouseofstudy.org/donate

This intriguing story of the Syrophoenician woman in Matthew 15:21-31 raises many questions for us, not least how incongruent Jesus' words and behaviour seem, in contrast to what we know and love about His character and personality. Like Jesus did with the woman, this story invites us to probe deeper into its not so obvious meaning. What is Jesus up to in this rather atypical behaviour? There are actually some precious lessons here on the nature of God revealed in Christ, the wideness of God's grace to the whole world and the type of faith that Jesus encourages us to have and responds to. This message is available at https://www.preachtheword.com now in MP3 audio format...

In this episode of Radical Radiance, Rebecca George sits down with Sharon Jaynes to discuss her latest book, Mama Moments with God. Sharon, an accomplished author with 26 books under her belt, shares her insights and wisdom gathered over years of ministry and motherhood. The conversation offers valuable encouragement to moms navigating the joys and challenges of parenting. Sharon Jaynes is an international speaker and the bestselling author of twenty-six books including Praying for Your Child from Head to Toe. Formerly the vice president of Proverbs 31 Ministries and cohost of their radio program, Sharon loves engaging with readers on her blog and weekly devotions at www.sharonjaynes.com. Rebecca and Sharon chat about: Sharon's extensive work and background, including her role at Proverbs 31 Ministries and her new book, Mama Moments with God. Sharon talks about her motivation for writing a book specifically for moms, addressing the emotional and spiritual nourishment mothers need. How the publishing landscape has drastically changed over her 29-year career, including the rise of social media and self-promotion. Biblical stories illustrating Jesus's compassion and care for mothers, highlighting His interactions with the widow at Nain and the Syrophoenician woman. Practical advice for mothers feeling disappointed or inadequate, stressing that struggles and bad choices are part of growth. How parents are not responsible for their children's decisions and the importance of allowing kids to learn from their struggles. The necessity of mothers taking time for personal devotion and spiritual refreshment to gain perspective on their daily challenges. Links: ⁠⁠⁠Order Do the Thing⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Join the Book Insiders Club⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠FREE 90-Second “Why are you stuck?” Quiz⁠⁠⁠ Sponsors: The Radical Radiance podcast is brought to you this month by Christian Standard Bible. Headed back to school? Treat your students to the most important book they'll read all year! The Christian Standard Bible has options for every student—and parents too! Start the school year off right with a new Bible. With a Bible for every age and stage, they have you covered: For ages 4-8, there's the Easy for Me Bible. For ages 6-12, the Explorer Bible for Kids. For ages 8-12, Defend Your Faith. For ages 12-17, the Essential Teen Study Bible. And for ages 13-22, the Student Study Bible. And for parents and adults, they have many more! Browse their full back-to-school gift guide ⁠HERE⁠ and get your whole family in the Word this school year! ⁠⁠⁠⁠Shop Crunchi Beauty⁠⁠

There is certainly a stereotype that natural healers of all sorts, including naturopathic doctors, acupuncturists, homeopaths, massage therapists, and etc are all a bit on the “woo-woo” side. When I first started practicing, friends would ask me (jokingly—mostly) whether they'd have to part a beaded curtain to get into my office, or whether they'd find it adorned with crystals. My husband still calls me a hippie, because I like yoga, and prefer to go barefoot whenever possible. I'm also a strong Christian, though, and many of my patients choose my practice because they want the non-pharmaceutical, “heal the root cause” focus, without all the New Age or Eastern religious stuff thrown in. But why are natural healing and alternative spiritual ideas so often entwined, anyway? The Vital Force, Electromagnetism, and Energy Medicine I think the reason these things go together has to do with the concept of the vital force—this nebulous concept of the thing that keeps an organism alive, maintains homeostasis, and heals when a disturbance occurs. Because this idea is so nebulous (or at least it has been historically), it's often conflated with spirituality and the metaphysical. Most of my colleagues in naturopathic school were spiritual in some way or another; I'd say perhaps a third to half were Christian, and the rest identified with some other organized religion, or they had their own hodgepodge collection of spiritual beliefs. Everyone attributed the vital force to their own spiritual ideas, though—indeed, you couldn't really be a naturopath and not believe in the vital force. It's kind of fundamental to the whole philosophy (https://www.drlaurendeville.com/why-you-are-susceptible-to-illness/). I'm now starting to believe, though, that the vital force isn't spiritual at all; it's actually electromagnetism (more on this here: https://www.drlaurendeville.com/electromagnetism-vital-force/). I rather suspect the soul is the source of that power, but in much the same way that a piano player plays the keys, and music results. Our souls are the players, our bodies are the keys, and the music is the voltage that then enervates the body. This may seem like semantics—we've only removed the spiritual by one extra step—but to me, this changes how I think about energy medicine tremendously. For instance: acupuncture meridians turn out to be fascia, made of collagen and hydrated with crystalline water, acting as semiconductors of electrons on a tissue-based ‘wiring' system (more on this here: https://www.drlaurendeville.com/electromagnetism-vital-force/). Homeopathy turns out to borrow from the near-infinite structural possibilities of liquid crystalline water (https://www.drlaurendeville.com/the-fourth-phase-of-water/), imprinting a structural memory upon it in the form of a fractal (https://www.drlaurendeville.com/homeopathy-but-isnt-there-nothing-in-it/). Since frequencies can be converted into fractals and vice versa (they're called cymatic images, https://ask.audio/articles/how-sound-affects-you-cymatics-an-emerging-science), it's not too far-fetched to say that homeopathy contains the imprint of the frequency of the original substance. That frequency can affect the frequency of our own cells via resonance—the same phenomenon that occurs when you strum a guitar string, and the same key on a different guitar will begin to vibrate, without ever being touched. On a piano, when you play a low C, the C notes at higher and lower octaves will resonate as well—but the other notes won't, because the frequency is wrong. This is why, with homeopathy, you have to get the remedy (the frequency) correct, or nothing will happen: only the right frequency will cause your cells to resonate in harmony, and come into appropriate alignment. (By contrast, this is at least part of the reason why synthetic electromagnetic frequencies (https://www.drlaurendeville.com/emf-how-do-you-know-if-its-too-high/) can be so damaging: they can disrupt the delicate frequencies of our own cells, thus interfering with their function). Even auras turn out to have an entirely physical basis. Anyone who has ever been to Sedona has probably seen the Kirlian photography studios that offer to photograph your aura. It's based on the corona discharge phenomenon, in which the photographic film is connected to a high energy power source, creating an electric field. When a person (or any other grounded object) touches it, those excited electrons have a direct route back to the ground, through that object. As they fall, they have to get rid of their extra energy, and they do so via light emission—essentially, this is the same idea as in Einstein's photoelectric effect. According to Dr Richard Gerber in Vibrational Medicine (https://www.drlaurendeville.com/vibrational-medicine-richard-gerber/), Kirlian photography can offer useful diagnostic information—but only if the frequency used to excite the photographic film resonates with the body's natural frequencies. Otherwise, it's pretty, but useless. Many energy medicine approaches say they work “on the quantum level”, which can be a non-explanation that just sounds impressive—but I do wonder if quantum physics isn't just the interface between the spirit realm and physical reality. Quantum physics includes concepts like entanglement, or “spooky action at a distance,” as Einstein called it—which certainly sounds like it could apply to Jesus speaking a word of healing over the Centurion's servant (Luke 7:1-10), or the Syro-Phoenician woman's daughter (Mark 7:24-30), or the handkerchiefs and aprons imbued with Paul's healing energy (Acts 19:11-12). It also encompasses concepts like scalar energy, the underlying energy in the universe that holds all things together (which sounds a lot like Hebrews 1:3). Where Things Go Sideways I'd venture to speculate that for all forms of energy medicine, there are two possibilities—either they don't work at all except by placebo (https://www.drlaurendeville.com/placeboeffect/) (which is possible, if they haven't been rigorously tracked—30% recovery I'd imagine would be more than enough to inspire passionate proselytes), or else they do work, if recovery is higher than that. If they do work, then they must do so via some scientific mechanism that God created (as He is the giver of all good gifts, James 1:17, and health and healing are good gifts, Deuteronomy 28), whether or not we know what that mechanism is yet. Science fiction novelist Arthur C. Clarke once wrote, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” Since technology is the harnessing of scientific principles to do work, and since magic (if believed in at all) is nearly always attributed to spiritual sources, then any medical techniques we cannot explain will likely be attributed to spiritual sources, by default. As C.S. Lewis famously observed in Mere Christianity, though, Satan cannot create anything new. All he can do is twist or pervert something God meant for good (a good gift in the wrong timing, in the wrong amount, with the wrong motive, attributed to the wrong power, etc), thus deceiving people into following him, instead of God. Any non-falsifiable explanation for a real, physical phenomenon will always contain at least the possibility of deception, and I can't imagine Satan not exploiting that (John 8:44). For thousands of years, acupuncture (or chakras, or fill in the blank on your favorite ancient energy medicine) weren't explainable in any scientific way, but they seemed to work, so people kept doing them… and then of course, they tried to come up with explanations for why they worked. Since people at that time didn't know the scientific explanation, though, their explanations were, invariably, spiritual. Even today, energy medicine practitioners who wish to study their craft usually also study the ancient esoteric religious texts with which they are intwined. And isn't it only natural for people to think, well, they were right about the healing principles… what if they're right about the rest? At that point, people don't know what to believe, or what truth is (John 18:37-38). Once you get into the realm of metaphysics, anything goes, because you can't prove any of it anyway… Isn't this the same question, more or less, as how we can determine which religion (if any) is correct, when it pertains to an invisible world? That too seems non-falsifiable, which is why many people will argue that one religion is as good as another. C.S. Lewis's is the best philosophical argument I've heard on this, also from Mere Christianity: that our own souls and consciences point toward an external morality we did not create, and that, alone, verifies a spiritual world, and the existence of a God who created that moral code. Our experience of attempting to keep the moral code and failing to do so should thus help narrow down the religion we need (one of grace—and there's only one of those). Then on top of that, there is apologetic (physical) evidence (https://www.drlaurendeville.com/anthropic-fine-tuning/) to corroborate the truth of the Biblical scriptures, the testimonies of skeptics and atheists who set out to disprove the Bible, only to become converts in the end (https://kimolsen.net/2014/05/13/men-who-were-converted-trying-to-disprove-the-bible-way-of-life-literature/), and the miracles that are supposed to follow those who believe (Mark 16:17-18)—evidence of the invisible invading the visible. Most religious assertions cannot be tested, and must be accepted on faith only—and while Christianity also requires faith, it first appeals to reason. We were never expected to believe anything arbitrarily. Discerning the Truth So, to the one who diligently seeks truth, concrete insights rule out all religions but one as a foundation. How then does that foundation help us to discern between truth and deception? Our protection against deception is knowing God's word, because it is truth (John 17:17, Psa 25:5, Psa 91:4, Psa 96:13, 100:5, 117:2, 119:142, 151, 160; 138:2, Prov 3:3). The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth, and He will guide us into truth (John 14:17, 15:26, 16:13, 1 John 5:6). But He can only bring to our remembrance the scriptures we know (John 14:26)… and remember that when Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, he did so by either misquoting scripture, or by quoting it out of context (Matthew 4:1-11). So our job is to renew our minds with scripture (Romans 12:2) to the point where we'll recognize a counterfeit when we're presented with it (1 John 4:1). The bottom line, as I see it, is that when it comes to energy medicine principles intertwined with other religious teachings that lead us away from God's truth, we must exercise discernment. Know the truth, so that some impressive and seemingly inexplicable phenomenon doesn't lead you to question what you do know. At the same time, though, let's not “throw the baby out with the bathwater.” Every good and perfect gift comes from God (James 1:17), and “greater is He that is in me than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4). Let's not give Satan more credit than he deserves. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Read Online“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty deeds done in your midst had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would long ago have repented in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you.” Matthew 11:21–22Chorazin and Bethsaida were Jewish towns that Jesus visited frequently to preach and to perform many “mighty deeds.” They were located just north of His city of residence, Capernaum. Tyre and Sidon were pagan coastal cities northeast of Chorazin and Bethsaida, in modern-day Lebanon, and were towns known for their immoral living. Though Jesus did not spend much time in those cities, He did visit them at times. During Jesus' first recorded visit there, recall His encounter with the Syrophoenician woman who begged Him to heal her daughter (Matthew 15:21–28). The Gospel passage quoted above took place prior to Jesus making that journey.Why was Jesus so harsh toward the towns He spent so much of His time in. Why did He rebuke Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum? To answer this, it's important to remember that Jesus spent most of His time preaching to the “lost sheep of the house of Israel.” In other words, His primary mission during His public ministry was to share the Gospel with those who were descendants of Abraham and had been entrusted with the Law of Moses, the teachings of the prophets and the liturgical rites. For that reason, Jesus not only preached with perfection to these people, He also did miracle after miracle. And though there were many who did believe in Him and became His disciples, there were many others who were indifferent or who flatly refused to believe in Him.Today, Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum could be seen as symbols of those Catholics who were born and raised in the faith and were given good formation by their parents and others. Many parents whose children have gone astray from the faith wonder what they did wrong. But the truth is that even Jesus Himself was rejected, despite His perfect preaching, perfect charity and undeniable miracles. And the same happens today. There are many who, despite being raised within the holy faith given to us by Christ Himself, reject that faith and turn a blind eye to the Gospel and the Church.Jesus' rebuke of those towns should echo today in the minds of those who, despite being given so much in regard to a good upbringing, have rejected God. Of course, that rejection is not always absolute and total. More often, it is a rejection in degrees. First, the rejection comes in the form of missing Mass. Then moral compromises. Then a lack of faith. And eventually confusion, doubt and a complete loss of faith sets in.If you are one who has started down the road of becoming more and more lukewarm in your faith, then the rebuke of these towns by Jesus should be understood to also be directed at you in love. “Every one to whom much is given, of him will much be required…” (Luke 28:48). Therefore, to those who have been taught the faith well, much is expected. And when we fail to live up to that which is demanded of us by God out of love, a holy rebuke is exactly what we need. Reflect, today, upon whether the rebuke Jesus issues toward these towns is also issued toward you. Have you been blessed with a good formation in the faith? If so, have you done all you can to help nourish that faith and grow in your love of God? Or have you allowed your faith to dim, to become lukewarm and to begin to wither and die? If you have been given much, have been raised in the faith and have been privileged with good examples in your life, then know God expects much of you. Answer that high calling that is given to you and respond to God with all your heart. My passionate Jesus, You poured out Your heart and soul through Your preaching to the people of Israel. Although many accepted You, many others rejected You. I thank You for the privilege I have been given to hear Your holy Word preached to me. Help me to respond to You with all my heart so that I will be counted among those who listen and believe. Jesus, I trust in You.  Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2024 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.Featured image above: Day of Judgement via flickr

“If you lift up a prism, depending on how you slightly turn it, the light will hit different facets, refracting and coming out in different ways. That's how I like to approach the scriptures,” explains Cynthia, “Turning them just ever so slightly to see what different meanings there could be.” In Episode 188, she turns her personal prism on the story of Jesus and the Syrophoenician woman, exploring some interpretations of the unique dialog between them. It's a short story touching on big themes including vulnerability, growth, faith, persistence, and inclusiveness. Then Susan joins and together they dive a little deeper into Cynthia's insights and discuss a few possible takeaways.