Wide Open, Week 4: Mother’s Day
Luke 1:39-45 (NIV)
At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”
Discussion Questions
The sermon opened with two women in impossible circumstances finding each other at just the right moment. When have you experienced that kind of timing in your own life — a person who showed up exactly when you needed them? What did that mean to you?
Perry's grandmother left her life in Mississippi without knowing how long she'd be gone, simply because family needed her. Who in your life has made that kind of sacrifice for you — and have you ever told them what it meant?
Ashlea described the comfort of being with someone who has walked a similar road — someone who can speak into your season from experience. Who fills that role in your life right now, and who might you fill that role for?
The sermon asked what it would look like if people from different generations in the church started genuinely speaking into each other's lives. What would have to change — in you, in your relationships, in the church — for that to actually happen?
Perry's grandmother modeled her faith through the way she showed up, not just the things she said. Who has shaped your values or faith more through their actions than their words — and how has that stayed with you?
Ashlea described attending a retreat where she traced back the people and moments God used to shape her into who she is today. If you did that same exercise right now, who would show up on your list that you might have forgotten about?
Perry quoted 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 — "hard pressed but not crushed, perplexed but not in despair." Has there been a season in your life that felt like that verse? What kept you from crossing the line from pressed to crushed?
The message closed with an invitation — if you're going through something hard, you don't have to go through it alone. Is there something you've been carrying privately that you've been hesitant to let others walk alongside you in? What makes it hard to ask for that kind of support?
God used Elizabeth to confirm and strengthen Mary's calling at a moment when Mary could have doubted everything. Who in your life speaks that kind of truth into you — reminding you of who God says you are when you've lost sight of it?
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