North Main Street Church of God
Children and Dogs
1201 North Main Street Ext. Butler, PA 16001 10/15/2023
Locations & Times
North Main Street Church of God
1201 N Main St Ext, Butler, PA 16001, USA
Sunday 10:30 AM
Sunday Morning
Join us on Sunday Mornings online where you can Check-in/Connect, Give, and Watch along with us.
https://northmaincog.org/online/Know Christ intimately,
Grow in Christ continually, and
Go for Christ daily
Check-in Here
Thanks for joining us! If it's your first time here we'd love to connect with you! Fill out the form below. <br> For our regular attenders, please check in with your name and email, if you need to update information
https://northmaincog.org/online-connection-form/Joining us online?
Thank you for joining us today! Please check in here:
https://northmaincog.org/online-connection-form/
Newcomers to North Main
If you are a newcomer, we’re so glad you’ve joined us! If you’re here in person, make sure to stop by the Welcome Center where we have a gift bag for you with some information about us and some delicious homemade chocolate chip COOKIES. <br> For those online please visit the website below and make sure to click the COMMUNICATION CARD button and fill that out so we can send you a free gift!
https://northmaincog.org/onlineChurch Mobile App
Did you know North Main has a church mobile app? Access videos anytime from your device and never miss a sermon. Securely and easily give your tithes, offerings, and donations. Instantly register for upcoming events, and stay in the know of what's happening. Contact Us at any time with a simple message. Find others in the North Main directory. To download go to:
https://northmaincog.org/app/Bible Reading Plan
Join us in 2023 as we read through the Bible in a year and highlight evidence of “KINDNESS” throughout our daily Scripture readings. Reading Guides and GREEN highlighters, the color that represents KINDNESS, are available at the Welcome Center. You can also access the resources digitally on NORTHMAINCOG.ORG/BIBLE
https://northmaincog.org/bible/
Events
For more information about events at North Main such as our upcoming softball games, women’s hikes, classes, and groups, please make sure to stop by the Welcome Center or visit our website at
https://northmaincog.org/eventsUganda Missions Trip Info Meeting
North Main is “GO”ing on a missions trip to Uganda in August of 2024! If you missed the last meeting, we’d love for you to join us for this informational meeting immediately following the Sunday morning service on October 29th. Please let us know you’re coming by signing up on the form at the Welcome Center. <br> or email info@northmaincog.org
https://northmaincog.org/event/22191358-2023-10-29-uganda-2024-mission-trip-meeting/Give
We thank you for your faithful gifts. You can give online and, of course, on Sundays by using the secure drop boxes located outside the doors of the Sanctuary. THANK YOU FOR YOUR FAITHFULNESS.
https://northmaincog.org/give/
(Matthew 15:21-28; Mark 7:24-30)
Yearly Theme: “Kindness is… Astounding”
Series Title: “Kindness 24/7”
October 15th, 2023
Martin Luther King, Jr. once said “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
Today we come to a miracle of Jesus in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark that is important to understand but difficult to comprehend. Not only is there a need for healing and deliverance made known to Jesus, but His response seems uncharacteristic of His very nature. What we will learn through this passage is more than meets the eye; what we will learn through this miracle is the very heart of GOD. Let’s take a look:
Though difficult to comprehend through our cultural lens, there are some important things to understand about the specific dynamics within this particular passage of Scripture. But before we get to the specifics let’s consider the main takeaway this morning…
Key Point: “When kindness is tested, kindness always prevails.”
So what’s really going on in this passage? Was Jesus being mean here or is there something more to the story than meets the eye? Well, let’s consider the following:
Matthew 15:21-22 (NLT), 21 Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Gentile woman who lived there came to him, pleading, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! For my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely.”
Matthew 15:23-26 (NLT), 23 But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word. Then his disciples urged him to send her away. “Tell her to go away,” they said. “She is bothering us with all her begging.”
24 Then Jesus said to the woman, “I was sent only to help God’s lost sheep—the people of Israel.”
25 But she came and worshiped him, pleading again, “Lord, help me!”
26 Jesus responded, “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs.”
Matthew 15:27-28 (NLT), 27 She replied, “That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their masters’ table.”
28 “Dear woman,” Jesus said to her, “your faith is great. Your request is granted.” And her daughter was instantly healed.
It’s been said that “Strength and courage aren’t always measured in medals and victories. They are measured in the struggles they overcome. The strongest people aren’t always the people who win, they are the people who don’t give up when they lose.”
When faced with desperate circumstances and uncertainty, and there’s nowhere else to turn for help, don’t be surprised when you turn to GOD and find silence and testing. It’s during times of silence and testing that most people give up and walk away, but this Gentile woman pushed through and was met with praise for her faith and healing for her daughter.
If you're in a boat off-shore, coming into the beach, sometimes you'll be on the crest of the wave and sometimes you'll be in the trough. You can't always be on the crest, but that doesn't mean you're not heading for the shore. Just remember that life is full of ups and downs, but there is a Savior who traversed the brutalities of the cross to bring us salvation and hope from our desperately hopeless circumstances.
Key Point: “When kindness is tested, kindness always prevails.”
• Who are the children?
• Who are the dogs?
• What is the bread?
• What’s significant about the word ‘first’?
What do you understand this woman to be saying in verse 28 in response to Jesus? What’s your reaction to it? Does this passage startle you at all? Are you troubled by Jesus’ words here? Why or why not?
How is this woman a model of persistent, humble faith? This woman is very assertive in her interaction with Jesus, yet she’s not asserting any sense of personal rights or entitlement. What about is she instead assertive? Why was she satisfied with mere crumbs? What can we learn from her attitude?
How can boldness and humility both be demonstrated at the same time in our prayers? Why do you think this woman is the only one so far in Mark’s Gospel who seems to really understand the mission of Jesus? How did she come to that understanding? How does anyone ultimately come to that understanding?
Are you tempted to think that any of the following guarantee you a place at God’s table or that any of the following exclude you from God’s table – race, ethnicity, gender, social class, religious background, or moral background? Why or why not?
Past Sermons
To view past sermons, please visit our website below.
https://northmaincog.org/media-resources/sermons/Contact Us
If you would like to update your information or have a prayer request, please fill out the link below.
https://northmaincog.org/media-resources/contact-us/North Main Street Church of God
1201 North Main Street Ext.Butler, PA 16001 (724) 285-4214 info@northmaincog.org
http://www.northmaincog.org/Give
We thank you for your faithful gifts. You can give online at NORTHMAINCOG.ORG/GIVE, text "give" to (724) 313-2211, and, of course, on Sundays by using the secure drop boxes located outside the doors of the Sanctuary. THANK YOU FOR YOUR FAITHFULNESS.
https://www.northmaincog.org/giveMonday - Thursday
9:00am - 4:00pm