May 22, 2019, | Pastor Nathan Elms Matthew 15:21 • It is easy to pretend that we are Spiritual, but not be. • Being Spiritual is not something that we can switch on, but is something that we must invest in throughout the day with the Lord. • We must be spiritually naked and vulnerable before the Lord. This is what it means to be authentic and transparent. • At the beginning of being authentic is when the Lord will take your hand. • We can't fake God out. There is no pretending with God because He truly knows us. We can only ask him. • It is not about God serving us, we serve God. The woman in the text may have wanted to present herself as a Jew, even though she wasn't. • The Lord knows everything about us and trying to posture and fake our way to a miracle, will not work with the Lord. • The shortest path to God is the path of surrender and spiritual authenticity. • Worship celebrates Who God is and is not about what God has done or can do. The Lord is still looking for worshipers. • Faith moves God. Faith is the ability to understand Who God is and who we are in Him. We should not allow status to hinder our faith. • We cannot manipulate God. The Lord represents the ultimate good in our lives and we should approach him that way. • How do we grow in faith? We exercise our faith. Faith responds to activity. 1. We should immerse ourselves in the Word of God; which will show us God's nature and heart. If we have a problem, quote Scripture to it. 2. Pursue Divine presence and fellowship with prayer. Commit to that relationship. 3. Make a place for communing with the Lord.