12 Women of the Bible - Week 6

Week 6 – The Syrophoenician Woman

Happy Week 6, OBSers! Can you believe we are almost done with our study? This is the last of the women we will be studying for this part of our study.

One of the ladies in our God's Girls group suggested it and it sounds like it would be fun to try! To have Bible Study Live - Live on Thursday! It sounds like fun, right?! We can meet at Starbucks or McDonald's, somewhere there's FREE Wi-Fi with our laptops and tablets so those who can't make it or don't live local can still participate in the discussion. Let me know if you’re interested and we can decide on a location.

Okay, here is the last of our Weekly Lowdown’s. Print this, post it to your fridge or tuck it in your study book. This is your SUGGESTED guide for the week to help you keep up in the Bible study!

What We’re Reading This Week... The Syrophoenician Woman in the guide - pages 145 - 153.

This week’s memory verse: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed…great is Your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22a-23b (NIV)

Here’s what’s happening in our study this week…

Observe — What are your thoughts when you read this statement by Naomi Zacharias, "It is one thing to believe someone can do something. It is an entirely different thing to believe with confidence that they will!?"

Bible — Take a moment and read Lamentations 3:22-23

In your notebook or journal write out your answers to these questions:

1.   What are some ways God has shown His mercy, compassion and faithfulness in your life?

2.   1 Corinthians 13:8 states that love will last forever. What are your thoughts toward God and His love for you?

3.   No matter what we’re going through, God is always there. Write pray of praise and thanksgiving, for how good God has been to you.

4.   What can we do as Christ-Followers to spread the Love of Jesus?

Stretch —  Fill in the blank: This week, I’m going to spread the love of Jesus by doing or saying the following _______. #12Women-CCMV, #12Women, #OBS

Everyone who leaves a comment on the blog today will be entered to win a copy of the book “Sacred Roots: Why the Church Still Matters” by Jon Tyson!

Hashtags

#12Women-CCMV, #12Women, #OBS – When you post on social media about the study, use these hashtags! If you want to see what other OBSers are saying, search these tags to connect!

Daily Blog Posts, Bible Study & Discussion

● Monday, Wednesday and Friday – New study email/blog posts, so check your email or head to the Facebook page to join in the conversation!

● Wednesday – Video teaching from StudyGateway, I hope you and your family have been enjoying this special feature of our Online Bible Study.

Thursday, 2/25

● Bible Study LIVE! 8 p.m. ET ~ One hour of live fun and great conversation! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/692185037534989/

Syrophoenician Woman: Approaching God with Persistence and Boldness. We will learn how to keep our faith over long periods of unanswered prayer and gain confidence in Jesus.

Her Character:  Though a Gentile, she addressed Jesus as “Lord, Son of David.” Her great faith resulted in her daughter’s deliverance.

Key Scriptures:  Matthew 15”21-28; Mark 7:24-30

The Syrophoenician Woman’s Life and Times

The New Testament teems with stories of people possess by demons. Demons are fallen angels, emissaries of Satan, sent to earth to oppress human beings and lead them astray. Under Satan’s control, their only goal is to further his purposes. They have supernatural powers here on earth; supernatural intelligence – they know and try to hide the truth (1 John 4:1-3) and they recognize Jesus as God’s Son (Mart 5:7); and supernatural strength – a man possessed by demons could break away even when chained. (Luke 8:29)

Though supernatural in their strength, demons are not more powerful than God or His Son. Whenever demons came face to face with Christ or his disciples in the New Testament, they trembles and did his bidding.

What the New Testament describes as demon-possessed people we would today depict as having an illness of some sort, physical or mental. How much distinction can be made between the two is uncertain. After Jesus cast a demon out of one man, he was described as “sitting there, dressed and in his right mind” (Mark 5:15). The man’s demon-possession could easily have been extreme mental illness. At times, demon-possession caused muteness or blindness or convulsions (Matthew 9:32; 12:22; Mark 9:20). We can only speculate whether today we would view these illnesses as purely physical.

It is interesting to note that demons are mentioned only twice in the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 32:17; Psalm 106:37), yet over seventy times in the New Testament – all but a few of those in the Gospels. Perhaps Jesus ministry to the sick exposed demonic activity as never before. Or perhaps Satan focused an extraordinary amount of his strength and power over the land of Israel while Jesus walked and healed there.

Our Life and Times

When Jesus left this earth, He sent the Holy Spirit to indwell His people. The life of Christ within us, as believers, is our defense against the forces of evil. We may suffer from physical, emotional, or mental illnesses that seem like demons within us, and God often uses the power of medical treatment to heal us of those illnesses – but let’s not discount the power we possess within ourselves as children of God. That power forms a hedge of protection around and within us as we maintain a close relationship with God the Father, Christ His Son, and the Holy Spirit, our strength and comfort.