Mary was young, poor, insignificant
In order to live an extraordinary life I must:
Guard my heart
…but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. LUKE 2:19 NLT
Guard your heart above all else for it determines the course of your life. PROVERBS 4:23 NLT
Live by the extraordinary power of the Holy Spirit
The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. LUKE 1:35 NLT
And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. 1 CORINTHIANS 2:4 NLT
The Holy Spirit works through us:
When we are willing to humbly serve
Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant.” LUKE 1:38 NLT
For he took notice of his lowly servant girl… LUKE 1:48 NLT
And all of you, dress yourselves in humility as you relate to one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. 1 PETER 5:5-6 NLT
When we walk in faith
Mary asked the angel, “But how can this happen? I am a virgin.” LUKE 1:34 NLT
May everything you have said about me come true.” LUKE 1:38B
And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. HEBREWS 11:6 NLT
When we recognize God’s power
Mary responded, “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! For the Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me. LUKE 1:46-47, 49 NLT
The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus. ACTS 4:13 NLT