Rise & Tell: Mother’s Day

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Welcome

Did you guys know that in the United States — Mother’s Day historically has the lowest crime rate of any other day of the year? I think this tells us one of two things — either a lot of moms are committing crimes and they’re taking a day off — or a bunch of crooks are momma’s boys and they’re taking the day to celebrate their momma instead.

Basically — Mother’s Day saves lives — and so regardless of the reason — I’m just glad y’all are here.

All I’m saying is — the nicer the gift you get today, the better the alibi, right?

Acknowledgement

Seriously though — before we jump into the message today — I want to acknowledge that Mother’s Day brings with it a wide range of emotions.

For a lot of folks, today is a day of celebration. You’re surrounded by your kids — you’re feeling loved and appreciated. Maybe some of you got breakfast in bed — and hopefully it was edible.

Maybe some of y’all got handwritten cards with scribbles on it… which — by the way — is cute if you’re like four… but if you’re closer to 40… Target’s open today and you should probably go by there after church to get Mom a real card.

For some of you it’s just a great day to get to spend with your family.

But for others — today might be tender… or even painful.

Some of you here might be grieving:

You’ve maybe lost a child.

Or you’ve longed to become a mother but you’ve faced infertility.

Maybe you’re carrying the pain of a miscarriage — or even a failed adoption.

Maybe you were raised without a Mother’s love… and so this day is a reminder of something you didn’t have.

Or maybe you’re even estranged from your children… or your mom, and that gap feels especially wide today.

Others of you have stepped into the role of motherhood in this really beautiful and selfless ways.

You’re a step mom.

Or a foster mom.

Maybe you’re a grandmother raising your grandkids.

Or somebody who acts as a spiritual mother.

Maybe you’re somebody who’s chosen to love a child that wasn’t born to you… but became yours in heart and in home.

To every woman in this room who has nurtured — and sacrificed… prayed — and loved — you are seen. You are valued — and your role in your home — and in your family — and in the Kingdom of God matters more than you know, and we are so thankful for you.

And I’d actually like to pray right now for everyone in this room — for all of those wide range of emotions that are felt on Mother’s Day.

Pray

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Today’s message is called Rise & Tell — and this message is for all of you. Whether you’re celebrating or grieving — this is a day to honor the mothers — to challenge you — and to remind you that your faithfulness is shaping generations.

And whether you’re someone in this room today who is a mother — or if you have a mother — it’s my prayer this speaks to the heart of you.

Turn in your Bibles this morning to the 78th Psalm. If you’re new or newer to your Bible — the Book of Psalms is in about the middle of your Bible. Psalm 78 is a teaching Psalm — essentially a sermon in the form of a song — written to remind Isreal of their spiritual history — their repeated forgetfulness — and God’s faithfulness through it all.

As you’re turning there — what I want you to see from this text is that we as believers — not just mothers — but all of us — have a responsibility to not only talk about our faith — but to live it out in front of the next generation.

As we take a look at the Word of God together, we’re going to see that we’re called to Rise — to Tell — and to Endure.

Psalm 78:5–8 CSB

5 He established a testimony in Jacob and set up a law in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to teach to their children 6 so that a future generation— children yet to be born—might know. They were to rise and tell their children 7 so that they might put their confidence in God and not forget God’s works, but keep his commands. 8 Then they would not be like their ancestors, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not loyal and whose spirit was not faithful to God.

You’ve probably heard the phrase “If mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy,” right? And it might sound like a joke — but let’s be honest. There’s some deep truth in that. A mother’s influence runs deep. It shapes homes — and it forms hearts — and it leaves a legacy that lasts far beyond this life.

And Psalm 78 isn’t your typical Mother’s Day passage. It’s not warm and fuzzy. It doesn’t feature this heroic Biblical mom like Hannah or Mary. But instead — it’s a call — a charge — for parents to rise up the next generation to follow God. It’s a reminder and a challenge that we have a responsibility to Rise and Tell.

There are three ways we can do that.

First, mothers — and all of us who model this life — are called to have a faith worth following. We’re called to:

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1. Rise with Devotion

Psalm 78 begins by reminding us that God established a testimony. Look again at verse 5:

Psalm 78:5 CSB

5 He established a testimony in Jacob and set up a law in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to teach to their children

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He gave His people something to hold onto. Then He gave them a command. Not a suggestion — a command to teach their children. This is a sacred assignment from the Lord Himself. God has always intended that growing faith begins in the home.

We see here that parents — mothers included — are the primary disciplers of the next generation. It’s not the church’s job alone. It’s not Kids Table — or the Middle School ministry — or the High School ministry’s job. As awesome as Bambi — and Matt and Sherri — and Johnny and Kristi are — they get your kids for an hour or two per week at most, right?

It’s not the job of a Christian school or a camp counselor — or a pastor on a platform. Those things can supplement and support — but they were never meant to replace what God intended to happen in the family.

God calls mothers to Rise with Devotion — not just raise moral kids, but to raise faithful ones. Not just to manage behavior — but to model belief. Devotion means a deep, personal walk with God that overflows into everyday life.

A couple years ago I was at a conference in Indianapolis — and during a break several of us were outside. And some of the guys, who are way more holy than I am, would approach random people walking in Downtown Indianapolis and ask them about their faith, and if they knew Jesus. And one particular guy — when he was asked this question, was like, “Yeah, my grandmother went to the Methodist church down the road when she was alive”.

And I was thinking “Yeah buddy it doesn’t work that way… you don’t get into Heaven on the family plan.” In other words — faith is personal. Nobody else can believe for you.

See, faith isn’t inherited automatically. It’s passed on intentionally.

Here’s the deal — our kids won’t love God just because we go to church. They won’t follow Christ just because we have a Bible in the house that never gets opened. And they won’t understand forgiveness just because we mention it. They will follow what they see — and what they sense in our lives.

That’s why devotion matters.

That doesn’t mean we’re called to be perfect.

Mothers in the room — hear me — perfection is not the standard. But all of us are called to be present. Spiritual devotion isn’t measured by your energy level or how many Bible studies you lead. It’s measured by your willingness to seek the Lord — to speak of Him — and to model His love — even when nobody else sees it.

Let me say it as plainly as I can: The atmosphere we create now becomes the framework our kids carry into adulthood. That means your presence — your prayers — your patience — and your praise — they leave a mark. Even if your kid seems uninterested today — even if they’ve walked away — what you’ve planted, God can use to take root at the right time.

You don’t need to be perfect to pass on your faith. But you do need to be present and purposeful. You need to be walking closely with Jesus, even in the messiness of motherhood.

We Rise with Devotion because the next generation is watching, amen?

So what does that actually look like?

It looks like relying on God’s Word for prayer and wisdom.

It means taking every opportunity — a scraped knee — a difficult day at school — a hard situation with family — as an opportunity to point them toward the love and forgiveness Jesus offers.

It looks like worshipping in the living room while holding a toddler who won’t sit still — and trust me — I’m living that life right now — I know how hard it is.

It means admitting when you’re wrong and pointing your kids to grace — not guilt.

It looks like saying, “I don’t know, but let’s ask God together.”

This is the power of devotion. Our kids learn more from our habits than our lectures. They’re watching much more than they’re listening. I have a toddler and two teenagers — trust me. And what they see in our private life will matter a whole lot more than what they hear in our public words.

Faith isn’t taught at once — it’s taught through a thousand little moments. Mothers and mother figures in the room — you’re not just caregivers. You’re torch-bearers of truth and grace. Your home is a sanctuary. Your example is a sermon. And your life is a legacy.

What if the only Jesus our kids ever really see is the One they watch us follow? The little things they see us do today might be the reason they come to Christ a decade from now.

So rise with devotion — not because it’s easy — but because it’s eternal.

Second, mothers are called to live a life that shows the way. It’s a life where you:

2. Tell with Consistency

Look again at verse 6:

Psalm 78:6 CSB

6 so that a future generation— children yet to be born—might know. They were to rise and tell their children

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Notice it doesn’t say here just tell them once. It doesn’t say to sit them down when they’re maybe ten years old and then consider the job done. No — we’re to tell them with consistency. It’s creating a way of life.

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This kind of telling is repetitive — it’s rhythmic — it’s intentional. The Hebrew culture — who this Psalm was originally written about and for — was a culture of oral tradition. Faith was passed down by storytelling — these consistent reminders — by repeating God’s faithfulness until it became part of a child’s identity.

Our kids don’t need a theology professor. They need a mother who walks with Jesus consistently and invites them along for the journey.

According to Barna Research — they’re a group who does all kinds of research and studies about church and faith — six out of ten Christians say they came to faith because of somebody in their household. And among those people — 68 percent of them point to their mom. That means most Christians in this room were likely influenced by a mother or a mother figure who didn’t just tell the story of Jesus — but who lived out the story of Jesus — consistently.

And let’s be real — consistency is one of the hardest things to maintain in parenting, right? Sometimes it feels like you just don’t have it in you. Like, yes, I know I said no chips in the car but I don’t have the energy to argue with you about it now — but so help me if you get crumbs back there…

But this passage tells us: we rise and we tell.

Not just once. Not just when it’s convenient. Not just when they’re paying attention.

We tell the story of who God is — again and again and again — because one day, it will take root. One day it’ll click. One day it’ll come back to them when they need it most. This is a calling to spiritual repetition.

Think about it like this: we repeat what matters.

We remind the kids to brush their teeth every day. Not because we think they’ll forget it — but because it’s that important — and let’s be honest. They’re lazy and sometimes if they’ll skip it if we don’t make them, right?

We say “I love you,” often — because we want them to hear it even if they already know it.

We tell them how to be safe — how to be kind — how to say thank you — because repetition builds consistency.

So why would it be any different with the Gospel?

Telling with consistency means that faith isn’t just something they see on Sunday. It’s something they hear in the car — they feel at the dinner table — and witness in conversations.

So what’s that consistency look like?

Praying with your kids even when it feels awkward.

Reading Scripture with them — even when they’re squirming.

Speaking about God’s provision when money is tight.

Talking about forgiveness when somebody hurts your family.

And letting them see you worship when your heart is broken.

You don’t have to put on a performance. Your children don’t need you to pretend like you’re always strong. In fact — what might strengthen their faith most — is watching you lean on God when you’re weak.

And let me say this clearly: it’s not too late to start.

I recognize there are some of you here who feel like you’ve failed. Maybe you weren’t walking with God when your kids were young. Maybe you weren’t around — or maybe you were but you realize you caused them more harm than you helped. You didn’t model what you should have — and you’ve got regrets.

But listen to me: it’s not too late.

Tell them now.

Speak of God’s grace now.

Apologize if you need to.

Be honest about the changes God has made in you.

It doesn’t matter if they’re six or they’re 60 — it’s never too late to be faithful.

Telling the story with consistency creates a gospel soundtrack in your child’s soul. They may drift — they may do something stupid — but the melody will stay with them. Deuteronomy 6:6-7 puts it like this:

Deuteronomy 6:6–7 CSB

6 These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. 7 Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

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That’s the picture. The Gospel isn’t a presentation — it’s a conversation. It’s an on-going, life-long, open-ended story you keep telling.

And when we do that — we create a hope that stays. The third thing this passage shows us, is that we are to

3. Model with Endurance

Verses 7 and 8 of our passage today gives us the why. Why rise? Why tell? Take a look:

Psalm 78:7–8 CSB

7 so that they might put their confidence in God and not forget God’s works, but keep his commands. 8 Then they would not be like their ancestors, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not loyal and whose spirit was not faithful to God.

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Faithfulness builds a pathway for our kids to walk toward obedience. Church, our spiritual endurance becomes their spiritual foundation. This isn’t about control. It’s not about beating them into submission. But we can model the kind of faith that points to a Creator who wants a relationship with our kids. It shows them their identity. It shows them the reason they were created! It shows them the promise we see in Psalm 139:

Psalm 139:13 CSB

13 For it was you who created my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

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Look — parenting is hard. And although I am obviously not a mother, it’s not difficult to see the weight of what my wife carries every day: motherhood is exhausting. But endurance reminds us that spiritual motherhood isn’t just about surviving — it’s about shaping. It’s about modeling a life of trust in God.

Endurance means that when life gets hard — and it will — we don’t quit.

It means we still speak truth even when the kids push boundaries.

We still pray when they roll their eyes — even when you want to backhand them.

We still serve when we feel tired.

We still believe when the world around us says it’s hopeless.

You know, I think of a woman named Susanna Wesley. In the 16- and 1700’s — she raised ten children. She never preached a sermon — she never led a ministry — she never held a microphone. But her kitchen table was her church — and her daily life was her act of worship.

And her kids — they saw a mom who prayed — a mom who taught Scripture — a mom who endured — and they went on to lead a revival that would change the world.

See two of those kids were John and Charles Wesley — two of the most influential evangelists in the United States and ultimately the world.

Charles wrote a lot of the hymns that if you grew up in church — you probably grew up singing. And John is known as the father of what we now call the Methodist church.

All because one mother knew it was her calling to Rise and Tell — to show her kids the way of Jesus.

You don’t need a platform to leave a legacy. You need endurance.

Maybe your kids are too young to see this right now. Or maybe they’re too stubborn to admit it. Maybe they don’t even recognize what you’ve done yet.

But God sees.

He sees the late-night tears.

He sees the weary prayers.

And He sees the quiet sacrifices.

So keep modeling the hope of the Gospel. Because your endurance is preaching a sermon your children will never forget.

But here’s what makes all of this possible — because let’s be honest — without it — this message would just be a crushing weight of all the ways you’re not measuring up:

We can only rise — and we can only tell — and we can only model with endurance — because of what Christ has already done.

Our hope as mothers — as fathers — as followers of Jesus — it doesn’t come from how well we perform — or how consistent we are — or how great our family looks on social media. Our hope comes from the One who never fails.

This passage today — it tells us that we are to help the next generation to set their hope in God.But let’s be clear — that doesn’t happen through behavior modification. It doesn’t happen by being a “better person”. It happens through the Gospel.

You can raise a respectful child who still doesn’t know Jesus. You can raise a hard-working, moral kid who still walks into eternity without Christ. The goal here isn’t to raise “good people” — the goal is to raise redeemed souls. And that means our kids need to know the same Gospel that we need every day.

Call to Repentance

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Maybe you’re here today and you’re recognizing that you’re far from God — or that you don’t have a relationship with Him. Maybe you’re just here today because it’s Mother’s Day and your momma told you the thing she wanted most was for you to come to church with her and now you’re feeling really awkward because it feels like I’m talking to you.

… I am.

Here’s the truth of what your momma wants you to hear: We are all born into sin. Every one of us. Not just stubborn kids or teenagers who act like little punks. But all of us.

We are those people described in Verse 8 of our passage today:

Psalm 78:8 — “… a generation whose heart was not loyal and whose spirit was not faithful to God.”

But God — in His mercy — didn’t leave us there.

He sent His Son — Jesus Christ — to live the life we couldn’t live — to die the death we deserved — and to rise again with victory over sin — and death — and shame. And now — anybody who places their faith in Him — a child — a parent… single — or married… young — or old — they’re made new. Set free. Adopted into the family of God.

That is the story worth Rising to Tell. That’s the hope we model with endurance. And if you’re here today and you’ve never surrendered your life to Jesus — not just known about Him, but trusted Him — then everything we’ve said today about parenting — and legacy — and faithfulness… starts right here.

You can’t pass down a hope you don’t have. You can’t Rise and Tell unless you’ve first received what God has done for you.

So the invitation today isn’t just for moms to do more or try harder. The invitation is for everyone to come to Jesus. To lay your sin — and your shame — and your self-reliance at the foot of the Cross — and receive grace, and mercy, and new life in Christ.

Closing Challenge

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If you’re a mother here today who’s exhausted and trying to be everything to everyone — Jesus says, Come to Me and I will give you rest.

If you’re a parent carrying guild and regret — Jesus says, There is no condemnation for those in Me.

If you’re somebody’s child — it doesn’t matter if you’re 12-years-old or 75-years-old — Jesus says Let the children come to Me — for the Kingdom belongs to such as these.

We come to know Christ through the power of the Gospel — and then follow His call to “Rise and Tell”:

We rise with devotion — loving Jesus in front of your kids every day.

We tell with consistency — weaving the Gospel into everyday moments of life.

And we model with endurance — staying faithful — even when it’s hard.

To every mom — and every mom-at-heart — every spiritual mother — and every women who pours herself out for somebody else: you are doing holy work.

And if I may encourage you with what I think is one of the greatest promises for mothers found in Scripture: Proverbs 31:28

Proverbs 31:28–29 ESV

28 Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: 29 “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.”

This is the promise of a virtuous woman. It’s the promise of a mother — who maybe doesn’t always feel like it — but who is shaping eternity.

So rise — and tell. Because one day, somebody else will rise and say, “I’m here because she showed me the way.”

Let’s worship.