Mary's Magnificat: An Advent Series Part 1

 By: Rebekah Hargraves

Photo Courtesy of: Sam 

"And Mary said,  'My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior."

~Luke 1:46-47

As I was recently bringing our series on the fruits of the Spirit to a close, I began to prayerfully consider what we should study together next. I've been enjoying going week by week through an extended passage of Scripture (and I hope you have, too!), and I knew I wanted to continue doing so. With this in mind, along with also knowing that the season of Advent would be upon us very soon (where is 2026 flying off to??), I begin to consider what we could study together as this year comes to a close. 

My mind quickly turned to a favorite passage of mine from the Christmas story, and I am excited to announce that, over the next 6 weeks, we will be journeying together through Mary's song of praise (historically known as "Mary's Magnificat") found in Luke 1:46-55.  Because we will be taking our annual Christmas break beginning shortly before the end of Advent, I thought it best for us to begin our study now, before Advent even officially kicks off on November 29, so that we can get through the entire passage before Christmas arrives. I pray this series will be a blessing to you!

When we read the beginning of Mary's song of praise, we have just been told that she has gone to visit her pregnant cousin, Elizabeth. At pregnant Mary's arrival, baby John in Elizabeth's womb leaps in the presence of Christ. Elizabeth proclaims to Mary, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

It is at that moment that Mary then responds with these words:  "And Mary said,  'My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior."

The words that begin Mary's famous "Magnificat" (so named because of Mary's words about magnifying the Lord) are not words uttered randomly, while on her own, out in a field somewhere. They are actually words proclaimed in Elizabeth's presence and directed to her in response to what she has just said to Mary. I love that picture! When was the last time we were with a dear friend or family member and praise just erupted forth from us and resulted in a deeply impactful percolation of worship and thanksgiving? It's something to think about!

Something else that I want to point out about our passage today is that the emphasis is on magnifying the Lord and rejoicing in Him as Savior. This is deeply impactful when you remember the fact that Mary was a poor, very young, unmarried teenage girl growing up in Israel, a girl who has just been told that she has been made pregnant by the power of the Spirit of God.  

In her time and culture, she knew that she was at risk of being stoned as a result of what would be supposed indiscretions on her part.  She would be ostracized, marginalized, rejected, judged, made fun of, falsely accused, and perhaps even killed.

And yet. 

It is in the midst of all that that Mary then says she magnifies and rejoices in the Lord. 

Do not let that slip past you. Allow that realization to sink in. 

Mary had what we so often lack: a big-picture, eternal perspective.  Too often, the last thing we want is to suffer, to be misjudged, to be rejected, or to go through a hard time. And this is precisely because we fail to see the impact that such seasons can have on us. We forget the truth of Romans 8:28 that the Lord works everything together for our good. We fail to remember that the present sufferings are not to even be compared to the glories awaiting us for eternity. Put simply, we lack vision.

Mary knew that, though uncomfortable and grievous, the rejection and other challenges she would face as a result of her unplanned (by human standards! ;)  ) pregnancy were not worth complaining about or despairing over, because it was those very challenges that would result in the literal salvation of the world. It's mind-boggling to think about! And though our sufferings in this life will not result in the birth of the Savior, they could very well result in someone being saved. Our witness, our example, our joy in suffering, our boldness in sharing truth and living it out no matter what kind of response it will garner by the world, all of these things can lead to people being saved as a result. 

And that makes everything we endure on this side of heaven worth it, amen?

Reflection Questions:

1) What stands out to you about the opening words of Mary's Magnificat? 

2) Is there a way in which you are suffering right now or have in the past? How has (or how could) the Lord turn that suffering around for good and use it in your life and in someone else's?

3) How can you apply what we have learned today to your Advent season this year?

How Do You See Yourself?

 By: Joanne Viola

 

How do you see yourself? It’s an important question, and one I raised to myself while recently reading 
1 Peter 2:9-10.

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, 
a people for God’s own possession, 
so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him 
who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 
for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; 
you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”  
(NASB)

Chosen.
Royal.
Holy.
His possession.

That is how Peter describes us because, in Christ, that is who we are. If I am honest, I think I forget this quite often. I see others through that lens, but myself, not so much.

God’s people had His commandments but they could not keep them. And neither can we.

It is all by the grace and mercy of our Lord that we are chosen, royal, holy, and God’s possession. We have been called out of the darkness to live in the light, through the Light of world, and His Word.

“We have nothing to bring to the table …”

 (from Grace in the Wilderness by The Daily Grace Co., page 56)

So very true and yet, He calls us to His table!

What a privilege and an honor we have been given.

The study suggested reading Isaiah 43:20-21. May I suggest you read these verses in several different versions as it is eye opening.

“... I provided water in the desert, rivers through the sunbaked earth, 
Drinking water for the people I chose, the people I made especially for myself, 
a people custom-made to praise me.” 
(MSG) 

We are a custom- made people who are to praise God. Each one of us! Let that sink it today. May nothing keep you from coming to His table.

 

Reflection: 

How do you see yourself? Do you remember to see yourself through the lens of Scripture? What is hindering you from coming to God’s table?

 

Image by chach brand from Pixabay

 

 

Identity: Priscilla

 by: Carrie Hammye

After this Paul[a] left Athens and went to Corinth. 2 And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them, 3 and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade.
Acts 18:1-3 

I married a pastor in training when I was 19 years old. Ever since then, I have been identified as the "Pastor's Wife" or "Tim's wife," and now, "Chap's wife." After becoming a mom, I found myself identified as Abby's mom or Glori's mom. Sometimes I've been called, "teacher" or "miss." Rarely have I just been plain old Carrie.

In the passage above we meet Priscilla, as an accompaniment to her husband. Both of them were tentmakers by trade who met Paul after fleeing Rome at the command of Claudius. They allowed this fiery preacher to join their work and their lives.

Isn't it interesting that she worked at a trade? Most women of this day were kept sequestered from the public eye. But here she is, doing what must be done.

I see a woman like my own friends, in the offhand comment that Paul "stayed with them and worked" (Acts 1:3). What I hear in that small phrase is - got home from work and scrounged through the pantry to figure out how on earth she could make a decent meal with the one pound of meat she had ready for dinner. I interpret that to mean she was stripping the sheets off the beds and cramming them into the wash on her short break for a noon meal. Yep, she was just like you and me. She worked, she served, and then she taught.

Because, yes, she was more than a tentmaker and a homemaker, she was a Kingdom Builder. This tough, hardworking woman and her husband went on to host and instruct Apollos, another powerful preacher, and explained the way of God more accurately (Acts 18:24-28). Can you see her versatility? Her stamina? Her quiet hard work? 

This is you. You are that woman who works, cleans, hosts, and teaches. You are a strong and powerful woman. You are defined by who God says you are, and not by the voices that remind you of what you are NOT. I pray you will remember that you walk with Jesus, you are his own, and your identity is sunk deep in the anchor of his love for you.     

1. What have you done this week to build the Kingdom of God through your home?  

Celebrate it and thank God!

2. What have you done this week to build the Kingdom of God through your work?

Celebrate it and thank God!

3. What have you done to share your knowledge of God' work by teaching and mentoring others?

Celebrate it and thank God!

 

Failure Isn't Always Final

John Mark: Failure Isn’t Always Final

People God Used — Week 5

Have you ever looked back on a season of your life and wished you could rewrite it?

Maybe you walked away from something you should have stayed committed to. Maybe you made a decision out of fear, disappointment, or immaturity. Maybe you let someone down, missed an opportunity, or discovered that you weren't as prepared as you thought you were.

Sometimes the hardest part of failure isn't what happened. It's what we begin to believe about ourselves because of it.

We move from I failed to I'm a failure.

We move from I wasn't ready then to I'll never be ready.

And before long, a single chapter begins to define the entire story.

But the Bible introduces us to a man whose life reminds us that failure doesn't have to be final.

His name was John Mark.

When Someone Walks Away

John Mark was part of the early church and had the opportunity to serve alongside Paul and Barnabas on a missionary journey. Acts 13:5 tells us that he served as their helper.

It was an opportunity to learn, grow, and participate in the work of spreading the gospel.

But something happened along the way.

Acts 13:13 tells us that John Mark left Paul and Barnabas at Perga and returned to Jerusalem.

Scripture doesn't explain exactly why he left. We can speculate about the pressures he faced, but we don't know all the circumstances surrounding his decision. What we do know is that he didn't continue with the team.

And his decision had consequences.

Later, when Paul and Barnabas prepared for another missionary journey, Barnabas wanted to take John Mark along. Paul disagreed because John Mark had previously deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued in the work.

The disagreement became so sharp that Paul and Barnabas separated. Barnabas took John Mark with him, while Paul continued with Silas (Acts 15:36–40).

Imagine being John Mark.

He had been given an opportunity, and he had walked away. Now, when another opportunity came, his previous decision was part of the reason a respected leader didn't want him on the team.

His failure wasn't imaginary. It wasn't something he could simply pretend had never happened.

But it wasn't the end of his story, either.

Grace Doesn't Erase the Past—It Opens a Way Forward

One of the most important things we can learn from John Mark is that grace and accountability belong together.

Sometimes we talk about grace as though it means consequences should disappear. We want forgiveness to mean that everything immediately returns to the way it was before.

But that isn't always how life works.

Trust may need to be rebuilt. Relationships may require time and honest conversations. Some opportunities may not return. And genuine growth often requires us to acknowledge what went wrong and take responsibility for our part in it.

Grace doesn't require us to deny our failures.

It gives us a way forward after them.

John Mark's departure remained part of the biblical record. Paul remembered what had happened. Yet neither fact meant John Mark was permanently disqualified from serving God.

That's an important distinction.

A failure can reveal something that needs to change without determining everything you can become.

Perhaps you have a chapter like that in your own life.

Maybe you made a poor decision when you were younger. Maybe you stepped away from a responsibility because you felt overwhelmed. Maybe you damaged a relationship or disappointed someone who believed in you.

You cannot change what happened. But you can decide what you will do next.

You can repent where repentance is needed. You can apologize. You can learn. You can accept appropriate consequences and begin rebuilding trust through consistent, faithful choices.

You don't have to pretend the past never happened, and you don't have to spend the rest of your life believing it defines you.

The Value of Someone Who Believes You Can Grow

When Paul and Barnabas disagreed about John Mark, Barnabas was willing to take him along.

We don't know every detail of Barnabas's reasoning, but his decision gave John Mark another opportunity to serve.

That matters.

Sometimes God uses another person to help us see that our story isn't over. Someone recognizes that our immaturity can be addressed, our character can grow, and our previous failure doesn't have to be the final word.

Barnabas didn't have to pretend John Mark had never left the mission. He simply chose to continue working with him.

We need people like that.

We need wise, godly people who will tell us the truth when we need correction but who won't reduce our entire identity to our worst decisions.

People who will encourage us to grow rather than leave us trapped in shame.

And we need to become those people for others.

That doesn't mean ignoring warning signs or automatically restoring someone to a position of responsibility. Forgiveness and trust are not identical, and restoration must be approached with wisdom. Sometimes boundaries are necessary. Sometimes a person needs more preparation before taking on a particular role again.

But we should be careful about deciding that someone cannot change simply because we have seen them fail.

God often works through people who are willing to walk alongside others through the slow, sometimes uncomfortable process of growth.

A Different Ending Than We Might Expect

The most remarkable part of John Mark's story appears years later.

In Colossians 4:10, Paul refers to Mark in his instructions to the church. In Philemon 1:24, Mark is listed among Paul's fellow workers.

Then, near the end of Paul's life, he writes to Timothy with a personal request.

Second Timothy 4:11 says:

“Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.” (KJV)

Read that again.

He is profitable to me for the ministry.

The man Paul had once been unwilling to take on a missionary journey was now someone he specifically wanted by his side.

We aren't told precisely how their relationship changed or what conversations took place between them. We shouldn't pretend to know the details. But we can see that Paul's later assessment of Mark was markedly different from his earlier concern.

John Mark had continued serving, and Paul now recognized his value as a ministry coworker.

What a powerful reminder that people can grow.

The person who disappointed you may not always be the person they are today. The person you were five years ago doesn't have to be the person you are five years from now.

That doesn't mean every relationship will be restored or every opportunity will return. It doesn't mean we can demand that others immediately trust us again.

It means we should never underestimate what God can do through a life that remains surrendered to Him.

You don't have to spend your life defending who you used to be. You can devote your life to becoming who God is calling you to be.

That transformation rarely happens overnight. It happens as we keep showing up, accept correction, learn from our mistakes, and choose faithfulness again and again.

Sometimes the most important work God does in us happens after we discover what we still need to learn.

Your Failure Is Not the Final Chapter

It's easy to read John Mark's story and focus on the dramatic ending: Paul eventually wanted him back.

But I think there's something even more important here.

John Mark's story continued through the years between his departure and Paul's final request.

We don't know everything that happened during those years. We don't know every challenge he faced or every lesson he learned. But we do know that his story did not stop at his failure.

And neither does yours have to stop there.

Perhaps you are still carrying regret over something that happened long ago. Maybe you've quietly disqualified yourself from serving because you don't believe you're worthy of another opportunity. Maybe you have allowed embarrassment or shame to keep you from taking a step of faith.

Let John Mark's story challenge you.

Don't excuse your failures, but don't worship them, either. Don't make them smaller than they were, but don't make them bigger than God's ability to keep working in you.

Take responsibility for what belongs to you. Learn what you need to learn. Make things right wherever you can. Then ask God to help you take the next faithful step.

You may need to begin again in a different place. You may need to serve quietly for a season. You may need to rebuild trust one decision at a time.

Be faithful there.

Your next chapter doesn't have to look like your last one.

And if you know someone who has stumbled, consider how you can offer both truth and grace. You may not be able to give that person every opportunity they want, but you can encourage genuine growth and refuse to assume that failure is the end of their story.

God is still at work in imperfect people.

He always has been.

Questions for Reflection

1. Where have I allowed a past failure to become part of my identity rather than a lesson I've learned?

2. Is there something I need to acknowledge, apologize for, or make right before I can move forward?

3. What is one practical step I can take this week to grow in faithfulness?

4. Who in my life might need the kind of encouragement and opportunity that Barnabas offered John Mark?

A Final Thought

John Mark's story reminds us that God can continue working through a person after a season of failure. His past was real, but it wasn't the end of his usefulness in God's kingdom.

You cannot rewrite yesterday. You cannot force others to see you differently. And you cannot guarantee that every lost opportunity will return.

But you can surrender today to God.

You can keep growing. You can keep learning. You can keep taking the next faithful step.

Your failure may be part of your story, but by the grace of God, it doesn't have to be the final chapter.

 

ACTS Prayer Model: Supplication

By: Jenifer Metzger

We are on a four week study on the ACTS Prayer Model.

Week One: HERE.
Week Two: HERE.
Week Three: HERE.

Today is our final day in the four week study on the ACTS Prayer Model. We conclude with supplication. Supplication is, unfortunately, the one that too often we jump right into, skipping adoration, confession, and thanksgiving. Supplication means to present our requests to God.

Don’t worry about anything,

but in everything, through prayer

and petition with thanksgiving,

present your requests to God.

Philippians 4:6 CSB

God wants us to bring needs to Him. He wants us to bring our needs and the needs of others and lay them at His feet, trusting Him to take care of everything. God knows what we need; He even knows what we want. Yet, He wants us to voice it to Him. To call out our requests. He desires to meet our needs and sometimes even our wants. But we have to bring them before Him.

If you then, who are evil,

know how to give good gifts

to your children, how much more

will your Father in heaven give

good things to those who ask Him.

Matthew 7:11 CSB

Supplication isn't just about asking God for material things, it's also about asking God to help us in our walk with Him. Asking Him to guide us down His path, to help us be compassionate, to help us witness, to help us treat others with kindness. It's asking God to keep us from temptation and sin. It's asking for His help to be a better Christian.

The ACTS Prayer Model is a wonderful tool to help us live out an intentional and structured prayer life and it helps us to keep our focus while praying. The next time you pray, remember:

A - Adoration, worship and praise God

C - Confession, confess your sins

T - Thanksgiving, give thanks for all God has done and who He is

S - Supplication, present your needs and the needs of others to God

For a free printable of the ACTS Prayer Model, click HERE.

Discussion:

1. Sometimes people have hard time asking for needs for themselves. Is this a struggle for you? How can you be intentional with praying for your needs?
2. While supplication is very important, it shouldn't be the first part of our prayer. Are you careful to spend time in adoration, confession, and thanksgiving first?
3. Was the ACTS Prayer Model new to you before this series? What are your thoughts now?