Imagine your kids ask you, “What are the three most important things in life?” What would you answer? If I was to tell my kids what were the three most important things in life, I would not naturally say what the Bible says. I would talk about Jesus, education, and friends. The Bible does talk about those things. However, the Bible says the three most important things are faith, hope, and love (1 Cor. 13:13). The Bible clearly tells us that. Love is the greatest, but hope is on the podium too.

We are looking at “Practices of Hope” partially because advent is a season of hope and partially because hope isn’t easy for many of us right now. Therefore, to set our mind on hope will be our focus for the remainder of the year. We will be looking at the practices of hope of those whose life is intertwined with Jesus’ birth. This week, we look at Mary.

As you prepare for our weekly gathering, please read Luke 1:26-45 asking yourself these questions…

• What do we learn about God?
• Was Mary saved just like everyone else? In other words, how did Mary find favor with God?
• What confirmation did the angel give Mary that what he was saying was true?
• Why did Mary surrender to the Lord’s will?
• How did Elizabeth know that Mary was expecting?

See you Sunday!