Mother’s Day 2025

INTRO: 15 minutes

1.Happy Mothers Day, moms & mom's to be. We have wonderful mom’s here that have dedicated their lives to God and are raising their children to know , love, and serve Him.

2.Mom’s have it rough. 24/7 it is not easy being everyone’s go to person and yet this is exactly what God called mom’s to. Diaper bag, backpack, giant tote, The keeper and all knowing being of everything your family owns/loses; shoes, books, phones,

3.Let’s watch a video and then we will dive into our mothers day message

1. The Bible highlights motherly virtues such as compassion, comfort, and deep emotional connection with children. Bio, Adoptive, Single, Friend

Some prominent biblical mothers include

1.Eve, the mother of all mankind; 

2.Hannah, mother of Samuel; dedicated her son to the Lord

3.Jochebed, mother of Moses; put Moses in a basket and let another women raise him to save him

4.Elizabeth, mother of John the Baptist; an older mom who

5.Mary, mother of Jesus. saw her son sacrificed for our sins

What do all these moms have in common with us? They all had eternal significance, they did their part, made a difference for God and God’s people.

YET.… Some were Scared, bewildered, determined, trusting.

However, it's important to note that while motherhood is a high calling, there is another calling that is even higher and of the most importance.

My Mom’s Story: Today I want to honor a mother who was completely challenged by motherhood.

Background: Abandoned by her mother at 18 months, Rejected by her father as a bastard child (not his), Raised in an orphanage, Married my dad at 21 yrs of age, lived a life of neglect and abuse by him (physical & emotional) & his family (very prejudiced), they considered her and her children foreigners because she was from England, Divorced & left with 3 small children to raise, no help from anyone in a land that was not hers.

She became a alcoholic after my father left. She was a mean drunk hateful . She would apologize and buy us something or take us to the park to make up for the rant and chaos, which she sometimes didn’t even remember.

My mom was fearful, uncomfortable, insecure, untrusting, and naive about people and we encountered some bad people.

She could be cold, standoffish, sarcastic, and was often unengaged in what her children were up to. She was also exhausted a lot of the time and she was always lonely. As a result I learned well to keep my emotional distance from my mom, which I did well into my 50’s

John 1:46 "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?". (Jesus)

Nathanael's question is more than a little sarcastic. He assumes that Nazareth couldn't produce much of worth, let alone the Promised One.

Reputation NAZARETH

Not known as a prominent or important place, and some even saw it as a "no good" town. 

The village was uncelebrated and off the beaten path, lacking major landmarks or significant features. 

Despite its humble nature, Nazareth remained an important part of Jesus's life and ministry, and he often returned to it. 

Calling someone a "Nazarene" would have been like referring to them as a "bumpkin," or even a "hillbilly."

We would be called white trash.

John 1:46 “Come and see,” said Philip.

2.My Story:

Jer 1:5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

Our relationship was always difficult, From a very young age I felt like the adult in the room. I desperately wanted my mom’s attention, approval, and her validation. I WANTED TO BE LOVED. I mostly felt alone, shy, uncertain and as a child often wished I was a bird so I could fly away from the chaos.

I accepted Christ as my Savior in 1973 watching a Billy Graham crusade on TV. When Rev Graham ask this question; DO you want to be loved?

YES I wanted to be loved and I accepted the call for salvation. Something was different. I just didn’t realize what!

I did not feel like God knew me

I did not feel set apart for anything or anything good

I did not believe I was called to anything; especially anything for God.

Between the age of 16 and about 30 yrs of age I did nothing to learn about God. I lived my life based on what I learned from my mom and my own best understanding ...it was a mess.

Divorced, alone, and raising a son by myself.

The story wasn’t over

God used a neighbor to help me get into church where I sat in the back row and cried, sobbing knowing I had been disobedient and running from God. I eventually went to the alter repented and rededicated my life to God.

It was that day that I made a very important decision! That changed the course of my family and began the development of eternal significance.

3. God’ Good!

Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

1. What she taught me:

a. Survival - I watched my mom overcome tremendous heartache, addiction, emotional & physical abuse.

b. Work ethics - She suffered with alcoholism and still worked 2-3 jobs

c. Perseverance in the face of adversity - She borrowed money, food, and what ever she needed for her children. She walked her 3 little children to the bar to get money from my dad.

2. What she showed me:

a. Self sacrifice - She would go without food so we could eat

b. Courage in the face of the giant - she often took blows from my father to protect us

c. Resourcefulness - She sewed our cloths, she juggled working with

3. What Good God worked in all this

The very important decision: To whole heartly seek after God. Come to church, Ask for advice from Godly people, Go for prayer, take every class the church offered, learn all I could (Ex:Tongues scared me), Asking God to help my unbelief.

When I got serious about serving God I prayed to God almost daily that He would help me love my mom like He loved her. I made a promise to God that I would tell my mom I loved her even when she she dismissed it by saying “Whatever”. I kept the promise and I kept saying I love you.

I became a better mom because God changed me and eventually He changed my mom.

Even though she didn’t do motherhood perfect or even good, neither did David,

was self sacrifice, staying strong in the face of challenge, even though she herself became an alcoholic she went to work very day, she taught me to be strong, & although she didn’t lead me in righteousness in the sense of taking us to church, teaching us about God

taught me to be discerning because of the chaos around us,

My mom did pray, she did ask God for help, and she prayed that her children would survive and thrive

Paul’s intent is to encourage believers in light of their weaknesses and the troubles that surround them. Their confidence that all things will work together for good is grounded in the fact that God has called them “according to his [not their] purpose.”

The higher calling Devotion to God is key. Trust God’s process

Make some important decisions regarding your walk with God and how you choose to inspire and teach your children to do the same. You can with the Holy Spirit (God in you) be the testimony your children need to know God is real, so are struggles, challenges, and uncertainties.

Your role as a God fearing serving women is vital in your children’s seeing the victory for God’s kingdom here in the battlefield.

Alter call for rededicating or accepting Christ

All along the journey I kept seeking God and as I looked for God I learned to trust His process.

It’s worth every tired day, every dirty sock, all that running around, every mess you clean up and every argument you mediate. The days are long the years are short.

Summary: In Romans 8:28–30, Paul reassures believers that God works all things for good, especially for those He has called according to His purpose. This passage highlights the significant journey from being called to glorification, reflecting the transformative love of God. Mothers play a pivotal role in reflecting God’s nurturing spirit, and just as God calls and redeems, mothers are called to shape lives for His glory. Trust in God’s purpose, even amid challenges, leads to sharing in His ultimate glory.