This month our series is entitled: Who Are They?
We are looking at the lives of 4 women who were all mothers. The stories of these women and of all the Bible characters are given to us as examples so we can learn valuable lessons from their lives about God and humanity. All of these lessons can then be applied to our own lives.

In today's world, we hear the word "influencer" in all forms of social media and the news. An influencer is said to be someone with a large and loyal following using platforms like YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter (or X). Influencers use their prestige, position, and assumed expertise to promote their opinions and the brands for some group and are almost always paid to do so.

In today's message, we are looking at a woman, a mother, and someone who would qualify under the original definition of the word "influencer."
Someone who inspires, affects, and changes the beliefs and behavior of others.
A Christian influencer is someone who impacts the lives of others for the glory of God, and for no other reason or cause.

What person has really influenced your Christian life?

Our final character in the series is named Mary.
Which Mary?
There are 7 of them recorded in the New Testament as it was a popular female name in the 1st century.
In Acts 12 we are introduced to a women, a mother, and an influencer...one of the Mary's of the Bible.

Background:
- The year is 44 B.C.
- There has been tremendous growth, expansion, persecution of the church since it started 12-14 years prior.
- King Herod Agrippa is ruling Judea. He is trying to woo the Jewish religious leaders over to his leadership by persecuting the Christian church. Acts 12:1-4
In verse 5 we read that Peter was in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.
In verses 6-11 we read of God's intervention in response to those prayers.

In verse 12 we learn about the 4th woman in our series, Mary.

Here are some observations we can make about Mary:
1. Mary's home was the location of the church.
2. Mary may have been a widow.
3. Mary was a prominent supporter of the early church.
4.Mary's son John (Hebrew name) is also known as Mark (Roman/Gentile name).
5. Mary is related to the Christian leader named Barnabas (Colossians 4:10)
6. Mary had a strong faith as she identified with Jesus in the face of strong opposition.
7. Mary passed her faith on to her son and was willing to entrust him to God's service. We see her pointing him toward the Lord, giving him a desire to be mentored by godly men, and instilling within him a passion for the lost and for the church.

Here are some observations we can make about Mark:
1. Mark was a traveling companion of Barnabas and Saul, and later just with Barnabas.
2. Mark is the author of the 4th gospel that bears his name
3. Mark became a church planter and a bishop of the church in Alexandria, Egypt where he was martyred for his faith.

We shouldn't breeze over the lives of people who are recorded in Scripture. We should think carefully about why God has chosen to record their name and contributions to the Christian faith.
1 Corinthians 10:11a [NASB]
Philippians 3:17 [NLT]

From Mary, we can all learn lessons that should be applied to our lives:

First - The necessity of opening our HEARTS.

Have you come to the point where you recognize that you are a sinner and separated from God?
If you have trusted the Lord, are you faithfully serving Him in spite of the circumstances and persecution that comes your way?

Second - The necessity of opening our HOMES.

During the months of June and July you are challenged to not just Walk Across the Room but to Open the Door and get to know those who make up the church family of Grace.

This will develop the passion and skills to then launch us into the lives of those who don't know Jesus later this year.

Third - The necessity of opening our HANDS.

Mary understood that she was a steward. God had entrusted her with a certain amount of wealth, time, possessions, children, talents, and skills. She invested these into God's work to honor Him and help others.