Strong Women Strong World | Mary | Part 6 | Senior Pastor Keith Stewart

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Strong Women Strong World
Mary | Part 6
Senior Pastor Keith Stewart
August 3, 2025

Mary is the fourth-most mentioned New Testament character after Jesus, Peter, and Paul. Yet in the average Protestant church, she is typically ignored. Rarely will you hear a message devoted just to telling Mary’s story. Or if you do, it sounds more like a sappy Hallmark commercial than the portrait we actually see of her in Scripture. It’s time we get to know this prophetic, powerful woman who consistently points us to Jesus.

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Discussion Questions 

1. What perceptions did you have of Mary before hearing today’s message? If you have a church background, what sort of teaching did you have from pastors or other leaders in your church? If you have no church background, what was your understanding of Mary?
 
2. The level of poverty in first century Palestine was severe – affecting the vast majority of those who lived there. It’s something that the holy family (Mary, Joseph and Jesus) experienced daily both personally and socially. People were hungry for hope in the midst of economic despair. Mary’s song prophesies a new reality. In what ways has the church throughout the ages addressed the problems of poverty? If you don’t know the answer to this question, use it as your homework assignment.
 
3. In this message, Pastor Keith addressed Mary’s calling, her prophecy, how she prophecies, her Scriptural knowledge, and the things she predicted about her Son. Have you ever thought of Mary as a prophet? What stood out to you most about this? Why do you think so many churches downplay Mary’s role as a prophet? 
 
4. When it comes to the telling of the Christmas story, Pastor Keith laid the blame at the feet of the Church that has often watered down the radical and revolutionary message of Mary. Why is the church often the ones most guilty of telling a truncated, sanitized, overly simplified Christmas story? Luke’s gospel is the most common Scripture read as it relates to Christmas, but the part about the Magnificat is almost always left out. Why is that?
 
5. There are definite and intentional parallels between the story of Eden and the story of Golgotha. Take some time to review this part of the message. List the parallels you remember. Why does this matter? How does it reflect the amazing unity of Scripture?