WeChat ESL Class on July 23, 2016

A. High Lights of your week
B. Breaking News in the world
C. Short Story: Passover - A Jewish Holiday of Remembering
Passover is a Jewish holiday that remembers and celebrates their liberation from ancient Egyptian slavery as described in the Old Testament of the Bible. It is traditionally celebrated in the spring and lasts about a week.

According to the story in the Bible, God punished ancient Egypt with 10 plagues. The last plague killed Egyptian first-born males. Jewish people were told to mark their doors with lamb's blood so that God would know to pass over these houses and not kill any first born males inside. This is where the name of the holiday, Passover, comes from. After this last plague the Egyptian king, known as the Pharaoh, agreed to release the ancient Jews from bondage. The Bible story also says that the Jewish people left their homes in such a rush after they were freed that they didn't have time to wait for the bread to rise. This is why at the commemorative Passover meal, Jewish people eat matzo, bread without yeast, also known as unleavened bread. The matzo and other foods are eaten at a special meal called a seder.

There are very specific rituals that happen at the Seder meal. These rituals are all in a book called the Haggadah. Inside the Haggadah is also the story of the Jewish exodus from Egypt. During the seder meal parts of the Haggadah are read aloud. The first part of the meal is a blessing over wine. The second part of the meal is the washing of hands. The third part of the meal is when someone dips some sort of vegetable in salt water and then eats the vegetable. The vegetable symbolizes the humble origins of the Jewish people. The water symbolizes their tears. The fourth part of the meal is when three pieces of matzo are broken.

D. Commonly-used American Slangs
ace
He's an ace reporter.

Meaningvery good

action

Do you know where the action is in this town?
Meaningexcitement

airhead

My sister's boyfriend is a real airhead.
Meaningstupid person

all wet

Your ideas about politics are all wet.
Meaningcompletely wrong

all-nighter

I almost fell asleep during the test after an all-nighter.
Meaningafter studying all night.

ammo

The gun was useless after the killer ran out of ammo.
Meaningammunition

antifreeze

I really need some antifreeze in me on cold days like this.
Meaningliquor

armpit

This town is really an armpit.
Meaningundesirable place

awesome

What an awesome sunset.

Meaninggreat

E. Bible Lesson: Scripture: Matthew 15:21-28

The Faith of a Canaanite Woman

²¹ And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. ²² And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” ²³ But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” ²⁴ He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” ²⁵ But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” ²⁶ And he answered, “It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.” ²⁷ She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table.” ²⁸ Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly

Observations:

1. Where were Tyre and Sidon?
2. How did this Canaanite woman find out about Jesus?
3. What did the woman call Jesus?
4. What did that tell about her faith?
5. What was wrong with the woman's daughter?
6. Why do you think Jesus said this to the woman?
7. How did the woman respond?
8. How did the woman answer Jesus?
9. What did Jesus say to her?
10. What did Jesus do?

Applications:

1. These verses sound as if we can get whatever we want in prayer. What do these verses really mean?
2. Will God answer every prayer?
3. What can we learn from the example of the Canaanite woman that will help us get answers to our prayers?