The Wandering Journey: Mary's Song of Hope

Devotional

Day 1: Saying Yes in the Middle of Uncertainty

Mary’s “yes” was offered in the face of real costs—misunderstanding, shame, and a future she couldn’t fully see. Yet she trusted the God who chooses out of love, not merit, and her surrender opened a doorway for joy to enter the world. Your uncertainties don’t disqualify you; they can become the very place where trust grows. Ask the Holy Spirit to steady your heart and give you courage to respond with a quiet, honest “yes.” Joy often meets us on the other side of obedience, even when the path feels uphill [28:42]

Luke 1:46–49: My whole being lifts up the Lord; my spirit celebrates God my Rescuer, because He noticed my humble place. From now on, people will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and His name is holy.

Reflection: Where do you sense God inviting you to say a simple, concrete “yes” this week, despite the fear of what others might think?

Day 2: Loved Before We Got It Together

God’s love for you is not a reward for performance; it is the starting point. Even when you resisted Him, Christ moved toward you in mercy, bearing the cross and rising again to bring you into His life. You don’t have to clean yourself up to be welcomed—you are welcomed so you can be made new. Let that grace quiet your striving and awaken hope today. Receive the love that came looking for you before you knew to ask [30:45]

Romans 5:6–8: When we were helpless and opposed to God, Christ died for us. It’s rare to find someone who would die even for a good person, but God proves His love this way: while we were still sinners, Christ gave His life for us.

Reflection: What is one area where you feel least “deserving” of God’s love, and what would receiving His grace there practically look like this week?

Day 3: The Kingdom Near the Margins of Life

Jesus shows what God’s kingdom looks like by moving toward the overlooked—lifting the poor, honoring the outcast, and restoring the weary. He removes barriers we create and invites us to embody His compassion in places others avoid. You are sent not only with words but with presence, attention, and practical care. Ask for eyes to see those on the edges and a heart ready to respond. Small acts of love become signposts of a much larger hope [32:59]

Luke 4:18–19: The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me to announce good news to the poor, to proclaim freedom to those bound, sight to the blind, release to the oppressed, and to declare that God’s favor is here.

Reflection: Who is one person on the margins of your daily life you can dignify this week through a specific act of presence or help?

Day 4: Baptism: Buried and Raised with Jesus

Baptism is not empty ritual; it is a vivid confession of union with Jesus. Going under the water pictures His death and burial; being lifted up declares His resurrection life now at work in you. The water symbolizes the cleansing He provides and the new path He opens. It is both public and spiritual, a step of obedience and a gift of grace. Let your heart remember—or anticipate—the joy of being washed and raised with Him [34:38]

Romans 6:3–4: All who were baptized into Christ were joined with Him in His death; we were buried with Him so that, just as He was raised to life, we too can walk in a new kind of life.

Reflection: If you have been baptized, what fresh step of living your “new life” could you take this week? If not, what would be a meaningful next step to explore baptism?

Day 5: Joyful Mission: Word and Action Together

Generosity is worship, not pressure; it flows from knowing everything we have belongs to God. We share the good news with our lips and confirm it with our lives, lifting the poor, supporting the hurting, and standing with the grieving. As we give—time, skills, resources—we join Jesus’ mission to make disciples and embody His compassion. Decide in your heart with joy and clarity, trusting God to multiply what you offer. Your open hands become a channel of hope for others [36:00]

2 Corinthians 8:7: Since you abound in faith, speech, knowledge, earnestness, and love, make sure you also abound in this grace of giving.

Reflection: Prayerfully choose one tangible way—financial, practical, or relational—to participate in Jesus’ mission this week, and who specifically will benefit from it?

Sermon Summary

I’m still moved every time we sing about Jesus dying and rising—because that’s not the end of the story; it’s the beginning of ours. I shared a memory from childhood: a long hike to camp on a Vancouver Island beach. Ten-year-old me wanted the destination without the climb. My dad kept painting the joy on the other side—the sound of waves at our tent, starfish at low tide—and it gave me the fuel to keep going. Advent is like that. We need reminders that the journey is worth the destination.

Mary’s song in Luke 1 rises from that kind of trust. A young, betrothed girl in a culture where pregnancy outside marriage meant shame, she still said yes to God. She recognized that God’s choice of her wasn’t because of merit but because of His love. That’s our story too: while we were still sinners, Christ loved us, came to us, and for us.

Israel knew the ache of waiting—centuries under foreign power, longing for deliverance. Many expected a political rescuer, but Jesus revealed a deeper rescue: He brought the kingdom to the margins, to the outcast and the poor, to the ones who thought they were beyond reach. He healed, taught, touched those no one touched, and then laid down His life. That was God’s plan from the start, and He went through with it—rising so we could rise.

I told my own story: saying yes to Jesus, then stepping into baptism as a sign of death and resurrection. Baptism isn’t just a ceremony; it’s a spiritual moment that embodies the gospel. Under the water—buried with Christ. Up from the water—raised with Him. Washed—made new. We celebrated that again today.

Some of us need joy to fuel the next stretch of the hike. If you’re weary or searching, there’s more than what you’ve known—hope, peace, and a Savior who meets you on the trail. Say yes to Him. We’ll walk with you, pray with you, and help you take your next step.

Finally, I love how our church lives the gospel in word and deed—through generosity, care for the vulnerable, and spaces like Blue Christmas for those who grieve. May the Lord bless and keep you, lift His face upon you, and give you peace.

Key Takeaways

1. Let joy fuel the journey. Real hope is not denial; it is seeing the destination clearly enough to keep walking when the trail bites back. Advent gives us a vision of joy that outlasts delays, detours, and doubts. Like my dad naming the beauty ahead, Scripture names the goodness on the other side of obedience and waiting. Joy is not a shortcut; it’s the strength to take the next step. [28:42]
2. Say yes when it costs. Mary’s yes held real risk—misunderstanding, shame, possible loss. Faith doesn’t ignore consequence; it counts the cost and still entrusts the future to God. Often the obedience that seems to narrow our options opens us to God’s larger story. Courage is not fearlessness; it’s fidelity to God inside fear. [30:45]
3. God’s love precedes your performance. Mary knew she was chosen in her lowliness, not for her résumé. The gospel insists that love comes first—before we clean up, measure up, or catch up. When grace precedes effort, effort is transformed from striving to response. We serve, not to be loved, but because we already are. [32:59]
4. The kingdom moves to the margins. Jesus locates God’s reign among the poor, the widows, and the outcast; He doesn’t flatter power, He redefines it. That reorientation confronts our comfort and summons us to proximity—where compassion becomes concrete. If we want to find Jesus at work, we look where other people look away. Love becomes credible when it crosses boundaries. [36:00]
5. Baptism is embodied gospel truth. We go under the water because Christ went into the grave; we rise because He rose. Baptism is public and spiritual—a line in the sand and a gift of grace. It anchors our feelings to God’s finished work and enfolds us into a people shaped by resurrection hope. What we enact becomes who we become. [38:52]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[28:42] - The hike-to-beach analogy
[30:45] - Mary’s Magnificat and courage
[32:59] - Chosen by love, not merit
[34:38] - Israel’s long ache under empire
[36:00] - Kingdom life at the margins
[37:23] - My story and baptism’s meaning
[38:52] - Joy for the journey
[40:23] - Invitation to say yes to Jesus
[41:36] - Prayer with new believers
[47:32] - Celebrating baptisms together
[57:04] - Generosity and 2 Corinthians 8:7
[59:13] - Why we give and our mission
[60:55] - Prayer for the offering
[62:57] - Announcements and benediction

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
- Luke 1:46-55

Observation questions

In Luke 1:46-49, what words show Mary’s heart posture toward God? What does she call God, and how does she describe herself?
In Luke 1:52-53, list the reversals Mary sings about. Who is brought down, who is lifted up, who is filled, and who is sent away?
In the hike-to-the-beach story, what specific details were named that helped a tired kid keep walking? ([28:42])
What real risks did Mary face by saying yes to God in her situation? Name as many as you can. ([30:45])

Interpretation questions

Mary rejoices because God “has been mindful of the humble state” of His servant (Luke 1:48). What does this teach about how God sees people who feel small or overlooked? How might that reshape how someone sees their own story?
Saying yes to God can include misunderstanding and loss. Why would a person still say yes when it costs—what does that reveal about trust and what they believe God is like? ([30:45])
Mary’s song highlights God lifting the humble and filling the hungry (Luke 1:52-53). How does that connect with Jesus spending time with outcasts, the poor, and widows? What does this say about where God’s kingdom shows up today? ([36:00])
Baptism pictures death, burial, and resurrection. Why might God give a physical sign like this to anchor faith? What does that do for someone when feelings rise and fall? ([37:23])

Application questions

Joy fuels the journey. Where do you feel “stuck on the trail” right now? What picture of the destination—God’s goodness ahead—would help you take your next step this week? Share one small step you will take. ([28:42])
Say yes when it costs. Is there a costly yes in front of you—an act of obedience or courage you’ve been delaying? What fears come with it, and what would trusting God look like in that exact place? ([30:45])
God’s love precedes performance. Where do you catch yourself trying to earn love—from God or others? What would it look like to practice serving this week as a response to being loved already, not to get loved? ([32:59])
The kingdom moves to the margins. Who in your actual week (a neighbor, coworker, classmate, newcomer, widow, single parent, someone in need) could you move toward with presence and help? What concrete act of compassion will you do and when? ([36:00])
Baptism is embodied gospel truth. If you haven’t been baptized, what’s holding you back? If you have, how could you “live wet” this week—naming out loud where you’re dying to sin and rising to new life in a specific habit or relationship? ([38:52])
Take your next step with Jesus. If you’re exploring faith, what is one step you can take in the next 24 hours—pray, talk with a trusted friend, ask for prayer, read Luke 1, or visit the prayer room? Who will you tell? ([40:23])
Make love concrete through generosity. What is one way you can give—time, attention, money, advocacy—to support good news for the poor, widows, and those on the margins this week? Be specific about the amount, the action, and the date. ([57:04])

Sermon Clips

See Mary was there And she realized That God had chose her Not because of Anything she did Not because of Anything she said But God chose her Because of his Great love It's the same With us See God loves us Not because ofWhat we do Or don't do What we say Or don't say But he loves us Because he loves us Because we are His children [00:33:11] (28 seconds) #ChosenByLove

And so When the angel Visited her To tell her That she had the Choice to bear Jesus To bear the Messiah Within her womb There were some Consequences she had To ponder and think about Because back thenAlmost 2,000 years ago It would have been A big deal To be pregnant Outside of being married So she would have To face that shame She would have to Face the shame That Joseph Her fiance Would face She had to think About all of that And her response Was yesYes [00:31:45] (36 seconds) #MarySaidYes

Isn't life like that sometimes We need those things To remind us That the journey Is worth the destination That the journey Is worth the destination And this Christmas season This Advent Our series has been called The Wandering Journey As we've been going together Through the different scriptures That lead up to Christmas Day To the birth of Jesus Christ To the birth of our Savior Our Messiah [00:30:45] (31 seconds) #WanderingJourneyAdvent

And we pulled into the parking lot And I got out And I was so excited But I was like Whoa, whoa, wait a minute dad I don't see a beach anywhere In fact I don't even hear the ocean You said we're camping on the beach We can hear the waves It's going to be great What's going on?He's like Well remember We have to hike To our camping spot I was like Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa Wait a minuteI don't remember this part I'm sure he told us But I don't remember this part What I ordered Is not what I received in the mail [00:29:18] (31 seconds) #UnexpectedHike

The story If you look Throughout the Old Testament The Israelites Continually Found themselvesBeing captured By some other empire Being subjugatedNot being their own People I myself Here I grew up in Canada I have no idea What that is like But I know This is a very Diverse congregation A very diverse crowd And I know Many of you Yourselves Have experienced this Or perhaps only A generation Or two Away from it Not being your own Person Being subjugated By some other Empire And other group Of people [00:34:31] (43 seconds) #StoriesOfExile

And along the way He would point out The different plants And the animals that we saw And all of those things Motivated us Gave us that fuel To continue on To what felt like A hundred miles I'll be honest I'm pretty sure It was like a kilometer It was not even Like But ten year old me Was like This is taking forever [00:30:23] (23 seconds) #NatureFuelsTheJourney

Elizabeth Who is also pregnant With who we now know Later as John the Baptist Who would prepare The way for Jesus You see John the Baptist Within her womb Leapt for joy Was filled with the Spirit And Mary then Sang or spoke We don't know for sure This song [00:32:31] (20 seconds) #JohnLeaptForJoy

We'reWe're just Five or six I don't I don't know I don't know If I saw One hand Or two Hands But five Or six People Raised their Hands this Morning I think That's something To celebrate Come onIt is the Greatest Decision you Could ever Make Ever To say Yes to Jesus [00:42:41] (22 seconds) #HandsRaisedForJesus

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The Wandering Journey: Mary's Song of Hope

Devotional

Day 1: Saying Yes in the Middle of Uncertainty

Day 2: Loved Before We Got It Together

Day 3: The Kingdom Near the Margins of Life

Day 4: Baptism: Buried and Raised with Jesus

Day 5: Joyful Mission: Word and Action Together

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

The Wandering Journey: Mary's Song of Hope

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