Having a Mary Spirit by Joanna Weaver
Week 9: Chapter 8 — The Surrendered Heart
Read Chapter 8 of Having a Mary Spirit. Key passages: Romans 12:1; Luke 1:38; James 4:7–10.
Previewing Week 9 of Having a Mary Spirit
Read 3 of 7 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 15-week guide when you’re ready.
At the heart of transformation is a single, recurring act—surrender—and this week Weaver unpacks what it truly costs and what it truly gives back.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Weaver uses Mary of Nazareth's response to the angel in Luke 1:38—"I am the Lord's servant. May your word to me be fulfilled"—as the defining portrait of a surrendered heart. What strikes you most about Mary's response? What did she know and not know in that moment when she said yes?
2.Romans 12:1 calls us to offer our bodies as "a living sacrifice." The author notes that a living sacrifice keeps crawling off the altar. Have you experienced this—a surrender that didn't stick? What brought you back to the altar?
3.Weaver argues that true surrender is not passive resignation but active trust—a confident release of control based on faith in the character of God. What is the difference between surrender and giving up? How does your view of God's goodness determine which one you are actually doing?
a.Is there an area of your life where you have given up rather than truly surrendered? What would it look like to turn giving-up into genuine surrender?
b.What would you need to believe about God's character in order to surrender that specific thing?