April 15, 2024 • 11 mins
In this episode of The Heartbeat of Faith Podcast, we delve into the story of an unsung hero of Christmas: Mary, the mother of Jesus. Mary's journey was filled with unexpected twists and profound burdens, yet she embraced her divine calling with remarkable bravery. As we reflect on her path, we are reminded of the challenges that come with God's blessings and how, like Mary, we too may be asked to carry significant burdens. Join Dr. Andrew Farley, as we explore Mary's incredible faith and courage, and consider how her story calls us to be good stewards of the gifts and responsibilities placed upon us.
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This Christmas season, as we celebrate the birth of Jesus, let us also celebrate the unsung heroes like Mary, who, in their unwavering faith and bravery, made the miraculous possible. They remind us that blessing often comes with burdens, and it's our duty to carry them with grace and commitment. We invite you to join us on The Heartbeat of Faith podcast as we explore the profound stories of faith, courage, and redemption that continue to inspire us.
Download the Pray.com app today to experience the vivid revelation of God's divine presence through cinematic storytelling, guided by the influence of the Holy Spirit.
For more encouragement in God's grace visit AndrewFarley.org.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Let us pray. As each has received a gift, employ
it in serving one another as good managers of the
grace of God in its various forms. First Peter, Chapter four,
Verse ten. Heavenly Father, I come to you with an
open heart, asking for your guidance and wisdom to be
(00:24):
a faithful steward of the blessings you have bestowed upon me.
I am deeply grateful for all that you have given me,
and thankful for your grace. Inspire me to use whatever
resources I have been blessed with in a way that
is honorable and pleasing to you. Grant me the courage
to take risks when they are worth taking, discernment to
(00:46):
know what risks should be taken, and humility when mistakes
are made. Keep my mind focused on you so that
my actions will reflect the truth of your love that
has been poured out in my heart. In Jesus' name,
I pray, Amen, thank you for praying with me today.
(01:10):
Now discover the profound intricacies of the heartbeat of faith
with Doctor Andrew Farley.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
The quiet bravery it took for her to accept this
mission should never go unheralded. Her calling was a great
gift and a significant burden. Mary carried the son of
God in her womb, but she also watched him hang
on a cross.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
Simeon gave the child back to his mother and held
both Mary and Joseph in his arms. Simeon held Mary's
shoulders and looked her in the eyes. His joyful face
turned into mourning as he looked at her. This child
is destined to make many fall and rise. He will
expose the depths of every person's heart. Many will be
(02:07):
after him, and a sword will cut straight through your
very soul.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Because of it, We've been invited to carry a great
blessing too, through the presence of Christ within. Mary's story
invites us to ask the question do we realize the
magnitude of the gift God has given us today in
the person of Jesus living in us Hi. I'm doctor
(02:35):
Andrew Farley, and welcome to another Christmas episode of the
Heartbeat of Faith podcast. Let's consider all those who trusted
God in the Bible. Some fought entire armies and others
led slaves to freedom. We applaud them for their faithfulness,
but a few of them often go unrecognized. Today we
(02:59):
highlight Mary. Mary's story is brief but beautiful. This young
virgin from an unremarkable town was chosen to be a
part of a majestic mission for God.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
Mary was a young woman filled with hope for the future.
She was engaged to a man named Joseph, a local carpenter,
descendant of David and a well respected man of God.
Mary drew the water from the well, humming a sweet
tune in the morning sun. She carried the water back
to the goats, wiped her hands, and entered into her home.
(03:37):
As she entered her home, she saw the angel Gabriel
sitting near her window. Mary gasped and fell back towards
the wall. Gabriel smiled. Greetings, oh, favored woman of God,
he said warmly. Mary was speechless. The angel's presence disturbed her,
and she darted her eyes towards the door to run.
(03:58):
Do not be afraid, Gabriel exclaimed, you have found favor
with God. Mary's heart was beating fast. She was only
a girl and could not imagine what use God would
have of her. Gabriel bent down closely to her. You
will conceive a son. His name will be Jesus. He
will be the promised son of David. The Messiah, the
(04:18):
son of the Living God, the King, to bring peace
upon all the nations. Mary's eyes began to water as
the angel spoke, his kingdom will reign forever at his name.
Every knee shall bow, and every broken heart made whole.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
Let's take a moment to put ourselves in Mary's shoes.
She's engaged to be married, and hope for the future
comes with that engagement. She probably imagined her marriage with
Joseph and the life they would build together going a
certain way. But God interrupted Mary's dreams and gave her
(04:59):
something even better.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
Simeon gave the child back to his mother and held
both Mary and Joseph in his arms. Simeon held Mary's
shoulders and looked her in the eyes. His joyful face
turned into mourning as he looked at her. This child
is destined to make many fall and rise. He will
expose the depths of every person's heart. Many will be
(05:24):
after him, and a sword will cut straight through your
very soul.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Because of it, Mary's mission would come with a great
deal of difficulty. Many would look at her and assume
she was unfaithful to Joseph, and there was no guarantee
at the time that Joseph would even accept her. On
top of that, there was the weight of raising God's son.
(05:49):
That's pressure none of us would ask for. But with
quiet and unwavering faith, Mary accepted God's plan for her.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
Mary wiped her eyes and looked up at the angel.
How could this be? I am a virgin and I
am not yet married to Joseph. Gabriel gave a warm
grin to the girl. The same holy spirit that hovered
over the waters of the earth will come upon you.
The power of the most High God will be with you.
The baby will be born holy and will be the
(06:24):
son of God himself. Gabriel stood to his feet and
began to exit. He turned to Mary and said, much
has been set in motion, o favorite one. Even your
cousin Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age. You
may go and see her for yourself. The word of
God will never fail. And with those words, the angel disappeared.
(06:46):
Mary's heart felt as though it was about to beat
right out of her chest. She whispered a prayer to
the Lord, I am your servant. Then she sang to
him and went to go visit her cousin Elizabeth.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
The quiet faith it took for her to accept this
mission should never go unnoticed. Her calling was a great
gift and a significant burden. Mary carried the son of
God in her womb, but she also watched him hang
on a cross.
Speaker 3 (07:20):
Jesus then looked down toward his mother, who was sobbing inconsolably. Jesus,
in one of his final acts, turned to John, one
of his most beloved disciples, and said, son, behold your mother,
and he charged John to look after his mother. Darkness
had now enveloped the skies completely, as if preparing for
(07:42):
what was about to occur. Nine hours had passed on
the cross, and Jesus looked up to heaven. Helloi, Helloi,
lemma sabatani, he cried, which means, my God, my God,
why have you forsaken me? For in that moment, the
eternal bond between the father and the son was severed,
(08:04):
and the sins of all mankind were thrust onto Jesus
as a tsunami does to the shore.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
Mary was willing to journey down the path of difficulty
because she knew it glorified God. She knew the blessing
came with a burden. We've been invited to carry a
great blessing too, through the presence of Christ within. Mary's
story invites us to ask the question, do we realize
(08:33):
the magnitude of the gift that's been given to us
today in the person of Jesus living in us. Let
us not forget the incredible treasure we have in these
earthen vessels. As the apostle Paul wrote, we have this
treasure in jars of clay to show us that this
(08:55):
all surpassing power is from God and not from us.
It's a reminder that the power and glory we carry
within us is not of our own making, but a
gift from God himself, and what a gift it is.
We're not left to navigate this life on our own.
(09:15):
We've been united with Christ in a vine branch's intimacy.
As Jesus himself said, abide in me, and I also
abide in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself.
It must abide in the vine. Neither can you bear
fruit unless you abide in me. We're connected to the
(09:39):
true vine, Jesus Christ living in us, and we draw
life and sustenance from him. And we're not just connected
to Christ, we're one spirit with him. Paul wrote, whoever
is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.
This is a profound te the truth that should fill
(10:00):
us with awe and gratitude. The Spirit of God, the
very presence of Jesus himself, dwells within us. Yes, we
are temples of the Holy Spirit, and through his indwelling
we have access to the fullness of God's love, grace
and power. Christmas was possible because a few people said
(10:24):
yes to the goodness of God, and Mary was one
of them. May we live each day in the reality
of this incredible blessing that we possess, shining the light
of Christ to a world in need. Thank you for
listening to the Heartbeat of Faith podcast. If you enjoyed
(10:45):
today's episode, please leave us a review and let us
know how this series has impacted your life. Remember to
download the Prey dot com app and for more encouragement
in God's Grace is it Andrew Farley dot org. That's
Andrew Farley dot O r G.
Let us pray. As each has received a gift, employ
it in serving one another as good managers of the
grace of God in its various forms. First Peter, Chapter four,
Verse ten. Heavenly Father, I come to you with an
open heart, asking for your guidance and wisdom to be
(00:24):
a faithful steward of the blessings you have bestowed upon me.
I am deeply grateful for all that you have given me,
and thankful for your grace. Inspire me to use whatever
resources I have been blessed with in a way that
is honorable and pleasing to you. Grant me the courage
to take risks when they are worth taking, discernment to
(00:46):
know what risks should be taken, and humility when mistakes
are made. Keep my mind focused on you so that
my actions will reflect the truth of your love that
has been poured out in my heart. In Jesus' name,
I pray, Amen, thank you for praying with me today.
(01:10):
Now discover the profound intricacies of the heartbeat of faith
with Doctor Andrew Farley.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
The quiet bravery it took for her to accept this
mission should never go unheralded. Her calling was a great
gift and a significant burden. Mary carried the son of
God in her womb, but she also watched him hang
on a cross.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
Simeon gave the child back to his mother and held
both Mary and Joseph in his arms. Simeon held Mary's
shoulders and looked her in the eyes. His joyful face
turned into mourning as he looked at her. This child
is destined to make many fall and rise. He will
expose the depths of every person's heart. Many will be
(02:07):
after him, and a sword will cut straight through your
very soul.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Because of it, We've been invited to carry a great
blessing too, through the presence of Christ within. Mary's story
invites us to ask the question do we realize the
magnitude of the gift God has given us today in
the person of Jesus living in us Hi. I'm doctor
(02:35):
Andrew Farley, and welcome to another Christmas episode of the
Heartbeat of Faith podcast. Let's consider all those who trusted
God in the Bible. Some fought entire armies and others
led slaves to freedom. We applaud them for their faithfulness,
but a few of them often go unrecognized. Today we
(02:59):
highlight Mary. Mary's story is brief but beautiful. This young
virgin from an unremarkable town was chosen to be a
part of a majestic mission for God.
Speaker 3 (03:17):
Mary was a young woman filled with hope for the future.
She was engaged to a man named Joseph, a local carpenter,
descendant of David and a well respected man of God.
Mary drew the water from the well, humming a sweet
tune in the morning sun. She carried the water back
to the goats, wiped her hands, and entered into her home.
(03:37):
As she entered her home, she saw the angel Gabriel
sitting near her window. Mary gasped and fell back towards
the wall. Gabriel smiled. Greetings, oh, favored woman of God,
he said warmly. Mary was speechless. The angel's presence disturbed her,
and she darted her eyes towards the door to run.
(03:58):
Do not be afraid, Gabriel exclaimed, you have found favor
with God. Mary's heart was beating fast. She was only
a girl and could not imagine what use God would
have of her. Gabriel bent down closely to her. You
will conceive a son. His name will be Jesus. He
will be the promised son of David. The Messiah, the
(04:18):
son of the Living God, the King, to bring peace
upon all the nations. Mary's eyes began to water as
the angel spoke, his kingdom will reign forever at his name.
Every knee shall bow, and every broken heart made whole.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
Let's take a moment to put ourselves in Mary's shoes.
She's engaged to be married, and hope for the future
comes with that engagement. She probably imagined her marriage with
Joseph and the life they would build together going a
certain way. But God interrupted Mary's dreams and gave her
(04:59):
something even better.
Speaker 3 (05:03):
Simeon gave the child back to his mother and held
both Mary and Joseph in his arms. Simeon held Mary's
shoulders and looked her in the eyes. His joyful face
turned into mourning as he looked at her. This child
is destined to make many fall and rise. He will
expose the depths of every person's heart. Many will be
(05:24):
after him, and a sword will cut straight through your
very soul.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Because of it, Mary's mission would come with a great
deal of difficulty. Many would look at her and assume
she was unfaithful to Joseph, and there was no guarantee
at the time that Joseph would even accept her. On
top of that, there was the weight of raising God's son.
(05:49):
That's pressure none of us would ask for. But with
quiet and unwavering faith, Mary accepted God's plan for her.
Speaker 3 (06:03):
Mary wiped her eyes and looked up at the angel.
How could this be? I am a virgin and I
am not yet married to Joseph. Gabriel gave a warm
grin to the girl. The same holy spirit that hovered
over the waters of the earth will come upon you.
The power of the most High God will be with you.
The baby will be born holy and will be the
(06:24):
son of God himself. Gabriel stood to his feet and
began to exit. He turned to Mary and said, much
has been set in motion, o favorite one. Even your
cousin Elizabeth has become pregnant in her old age. You
may go and see her for yourself. The word of
God will never fail. And with those words, the angel disappeared.
(06:46):
Mary's heart felt as though it was about to beat
right out of her chest. She whispered a prayer to
the Lord, I am your servant. Then she sang to
him and went to go visit her cousin Elizabeth.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
The quiet faith it took for her to accept this
mission should never go unnoticed. Her calling was a great
gift and a significant burden. Mary carried the son of
God in her womb, but she also watched him hang
on a cross.
Speaker 3 (07:20):
Jesus then looked down toward his mother, who was sobbing inconsolably. Jesus,
in one of his final acts, turned to John, one
of his most beloved disciples, and said, son, behold your mother,
and he charged John to look after his mother. Darkness
had now enveloped the skies completely, as if preparing for
(07:42):
what was about to occur. Nine hours had passed on
the cross, and Jesus looked up to heaven. Helloi, Helloi,
lemma sabatani, he cried, which means, my God, my God,
why have you forsaken me? For in that moment, the
eternal bond between the father and the son was severed,
(08:04):
and the sins of all mankind were thrust onto Jesus
as a tsunami does to the shore.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
Mary was willing to journey down the path of difficulty
because she knew it glorified God. She knew the blessing
came with a burden. We've been invited to carry a
great blessing too, through the presence of Christ within. Mary's
story invites us to ask the question, do we realize
(08:33):
the magnitude of the gift that's been given to us
today in the person of Jesus living in us. Let
us not forget the incredible treasure we have in these
earthen vessels. As the apostle Paul wrote, we have this
treasure in jars of clay to show us that this
(08:55):
all surpassing power is from God and not from us.
It's a reminder that the power and glory we carry
within us is not of our own making, but a
gift from God himself, and what a gift it is.
We're not left to navigate this life on our own.
(09:15):
We've been united with Christ in a vine branch's intimacy.
As Jesus himself said, abide in me, and I also
abide in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself.
It must abide in the vine. Neither can you bear
fruit unless you abide in me. We're connected to the
(09:39):
true vine, Jesus Christ living in us, and we draw
life and sustenance from him. And we're not just connected
to Christ, we're one spirit with him. Paul wrote, whoever
is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit.
This is a profound te the truth that should fill
(10:00):
us with awe and gratitude. The Spirit of God, the
very presence of Jesus himself, dwells within us. Yes, we
are temples of the Holy Spirit, and through his indwelling
we have access to the fullness of God's love, grace
and power. Christmas was possible because a few people said
(10:24):
yes to the goodness of God, and Mary was one
of them. May we live each day in the reality
of this incredible blessing that we possess, shining the light
of Christ to a world in need. Thank you for
listening to the Heartbeat of Faith podcast. If you enjoyed
(10:45):
today's episode, please leave us a review and let us
know how this series has impacted your life. Remember to
download the Prey dot com app and for more encouragement
in God's Grace is it Andrew Farley dot org. That's
Andrew Farley dot O r G.
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