Matthew 15: 29 - 39

Pastor Brian McGuffin

Introduction

What are some of your experiences/memories of Mother's Day when you were growing up?

For moms: What does Mother's Day mean to you? Why? 

                        If you had one prayer on Mother's Day, what would it be?

For dads: What does Mother's Day mean to you? Why?

                        How has being a father made you aware of all that your mother/wife has done to provide for you and/or your family?

Scripture

Matthew 15: 29 - 39  ESV

Jesus Heals Many

29 Jesus went on from there and walked beside the Sea of Galilee. And he went up on the mountain and sat down there. 30 And great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them, 31 so that the crowd wondered, when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled healthy, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they glorified the God of Israel.

Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand

32 Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.” 33 And the disciples said to him, “Where are we to get enough bread in such a desolate place to feed so great a crowd?” 34 And Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven, and a few small fish.” 35 And directing the crowd to sit down on the ground, 36 he took the seven loaves and the fish, and having given thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 37 And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces left over. 38 Those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. 39 And after sending away the crowds, he got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan.

Discussion Questions

1. What stood out for you as being the most important action Jesus took?

2. a) In what ways did Jesus show compassion for the people?

    b) In what ways can we show compassion: 

            for our family

            for strangers

            for ourselves

3. a) When a difficult situation comes up in your family, what tends to be your first reaction? Then what do you tend to do? How quickly would you go to Jesus/pray for help? 

    b) Think of a difficult situation you faced in the past. How did it go? When did you pray about it?  Did God help? If so, in what way?

4. When have you received help when you were in a difficult situation? How did you react to that help?   Did you sense God's help in any way?

5. a) How have you helped others? Do you do that often? Do you think you help enough? 

    b) Make a list of things you could do that would be helpful to others.  Does that take much extra time?  Would it work into your schedule very much?

6. In what specific ways can we prepare our children/grandchildren to stand on their own and help others?

7. Share with the group the ways you have leaned on the Lord in the past when you felt you had not done enough to serve Him/show compassion.