Faith of the Marginalized

OUTLINE:

Main Point: Jesus's Authority instills faith for all God's Children.

Step 1: Faith to Pursue Jesus (Leper’s Faith) v1-4

Step 2: Faith to Submit to Jesus (Centurion’s Acknowledgement of Authority) v5-13

Step 3: Faith to Serve Jesus (Peter’s Mom’s Service) v14-17

Beyond the Walls (Grace and Growth)

Weekly Reading:

Day 1 — Faith to Pursue

Leviticus 13:45–46; Matthew 8:1–3

Questions:

1. Where do you feel spiritually “unclean” and in need of Christ’s cleansing?

2. What steps of honesty or repentance might help you approach Jesus like the leper did?

3. How can you practice humility and dependence before the Lord this week?

Day 2 — Faith to Submit

Isaiah 53:4–6; Matthew 8:5–10

Questions:

1. Where do you struggle to submit to Christ’s authority?

2. How does the picture of the suffering Servant shape your trust in Jesus?

3. What does “just say the word" trust look like for you today?

Day 3 — Faith to Serve

1 Kings 5:5; Matthew 8:14–15

Questions:

1. What quiet act of service has the Lord placed in front of you right now?

2. How has Christ strengthened or restored you in ways that should now move outward into service?

3. What long-term act of obedience can you begin or continue this week?

Day 4 — Faith to Trust

Matthew 8:10–12

Questions:

1. Where have you placed limits on what God can do in your life?

2. What would it look like to trust Jesus with the same simplicity as the centurion?

3. How does this passage reshape the way you view people far from faith?

Day 5 — Faith to Receive

Matthew 8:16–17

Questions:

1. What burden or weakness do you need to place into Christ’s hands today?

2. How does Jesus carrying your griefs shape your approach to prayer?

3. Where do you need to slow down and receive rather than strive and fix? How does His warning lead you not to despair, but to a deeper trust and steadiness in Him?