The Strength to Carry
Faith for the Life You Didn't Choose: An Advent Study on Mary
Published September 2026
What do you do when life takes a turn you never planned? The Strength We Carry: Faith for the Life We Didn't Choose by Abingdon Women author, Lisa Toney, is a four-week women's Bible study that draws on the timeless story of Mary to help women discover deep, lasting faith amid uncertainty, loss of control, and unexpected circumstances.
Rooted in Luke 1–2 and Matthew 1–2, this Advent Bible study for women follows Mary and Elizabeth through one of the most extraordinary seasons in Scripture. Mary did not choose the path placed before her, yet she met it with courage, humility, and unwavering trust in God. Her story speaks directly to women navigating seasons they did not plan and did not ask for.
Each week, participants move through Scripture, personal reflection, and guided prayer to examine four defining experiences of Mary's journey: the angel's announcement, the gift of faithful community with Elizabeth, the weight of responsibility, and the long obedience of everyday faithfulness. Together, these sessions reveal how God forms strength within us not by removing difficulty, but by walking with us through it.
This study is ideal for women's small groups and individual study. It is particularly well-suited for women who are:
- Navigating the life circumstances they did not choose
- Longing for authentic faith that holds up under pressure
- Searching for a meaningful Advent Bible study
- Seeking community and connection through shared Scripture study
The strength we carry does not come from controlling our circumstances. It comes from trusting the faithful God who walks with us through every season. Through Mary's story, women are invited to release the need for control and embrace the quiet, enduring strength that God provides.
Each book includes everything you need for a meaningful study experience, along with a redemption code to stream all video sessions. The participant workbook conveniently includes leader helps in the back. Internet connection required for streaming. Code is non-transferable, may not be sold separately, and is subject to expiration.
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About the Author
Lisa Toney
Lisa Toney loves to speak and write about ways to build easy, intentional, and powerful faith habits to live for Jesus. As a professor of spiritual formation at Hope International University, diving into “why this is helpful for one’s life” is right up her alley. For over twenty years as a full-time pastor, she’s listened, learned, taught, and served side-by-side with the church. Her company, Faith Habits, provides classes, coaching, and media to encourage engagement with God. She has a degree in communications from Taylor University and an MDiv from Fuller Theological Seminary. Lisa speaks at events nationwide such as Women of Faith and the Aspire Women’s Events. She is the author of Thrive: Live Like You Matter, The Scripture Challenge, The Wholehearted Psalms Devotion series, and Perfectly Flawed: God Transforms Our Weaknesses into Strengths.
Lisa lives in Southern California with her husband, four kids, a puppy, a gecko, and five chickens. She loves to take groups to the Bible lands (Israel, Greece, Italy, Turkey, and other destinations) with InspireTravelGroup.org and walk where the unstoppable, incomparable, life-changing movement of Jesus began.