The Mother's Way

Mothers understand...

Mothers understand...

Mothers understand the importance of making disciples. Most mothers anyway.

They understand that you don't receive points just for giving birth. The painful process of giving birth is just the beginning of a long, long series of events for which they will receive either honor or shame.

Everything matters. Raising children is more than feeding them and keeping them safe. Unlike pets and livestock, we pass on more than just provision to children. We pass on our very selves.

People grow into those who raise them. We become our parents and our children become us, unless something breaks the cycle.

You can learn a lot about people by watching their children. Take Peter for example. We know very little about his family. But I have a suspicion that his mother may have been more spiritually minded, passionate, and perhaps impulsive, then his much more practical business minded father. Why do I say this? Because when Jesus came to town Peter jumped out of the boat and followed him for the rest of his life, as did his brother Andrew. When Jesus came to town, Peter's dad stayed in the boat. Those boys had to learn that from somewhere. And we know that it wasn't just a dislike of fishing spurred them on to follow Jesus. John tells us that there were a few days after the death of Jesus that the boys try to get back into the fishing business. That passionate, risk-taking, and sometimes impulsive behavior was probably not something that Peter's mom taught him on purpose… But it may have been One of the most important things that led him to become one of the first disciples of Jesus.

The Way, the Truth, and the Life

John 14:1–14 NRSV

1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And you know the way to the place where I am going.”5 Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” 8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. 12 Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.

The Foundation of faith lived by example in Jesus.

He showed them first

He invited them to join with Him in the work

He prepared them to continue on when He was gone.

He told them why He was leaving and handing it over to them - so they could grow into the people God had created them to be.

The Way - What we do

1 Peter 2:1–10 NRSV

1 Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, and all guile, insincerity, envy, and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. 4 Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and 5 like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in scripture: “See, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” 7 To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the very head of the corner,” 8 and “A stone that makes them stumble, and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

1 Peter 2:1–3 NRSV

1 Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, and all guile, insincerity, envy, and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

1 Peter 2:1-10

Peter tells us that it does no good to talk bad about others in effort to keep your children from following them. We have to do the hard work of raising children and showing them the right way ourselves.

Moms are supposed have favorites (Leaders)

Demonstrating good boundaries

God - I cannot make you follow God, but you cannot keep me from following God. You can't expect your children to follow God if you won't yourself.

spouse - for better or worse, for richer or poor, what God has joined together, there's nothing you can say or do you to come between me and my spouse because that is what love is. Remodeled this for our children so that they never have to fear that something will come between our love for them. One of the best gifts you can give your children is the example of a healthy marriage.

children (sometimes your children are adopted) - if we are doing our job right as Christians, not all of our children, not all of our disciples, will be biologically related to us. By adopting others into our family and treating them with the love and respect we give our own children, we demonstrate in real life how we are part of God's bigger family and how we pass on those healthy and holy values God gave to us and lovingly help one another become the people God created us to be.

The Truth - Where we live

1 Peter 2:4–8 NRSV

4 Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and 5 like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in scripture: “See, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” 7 To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the very head of the corner,” 8 and “A stone that makes them stumble, and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

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If you live out your faith, keeping those favorites, and demonstrating what it means to be part of God's family, your children will:

Watch you follow Jesus

Begin to follow Jesus with you

And eventually start following Jesus on their own

The goal is that they will become part of something bigger than themselves and bigger than just our small family.

God has a place for them and a calling on their life, and we will either help them find it or stand in their way.

But we want to protect them from bad influences. So what is the difference? How do we know?

Controlling the uncontrollable (Environments)

We take the initiative to create a God-honoring environment ourselves, and invite our children to be part of it.

We don’t just tell them where to go and who to trust, we set up and example and let them begin to compare for themselves.

But we are not always perfect. Sometimes we need help ourselves raising our own kids.

When do we let other people raise our kids?

one of the best things Mom did for me was let me go: Church, Army, College, Seminary out of state, marriage...

The Life - Why we live this way

1 Peter 2:9–10 NRSV

9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

:9-

When is it okay to start talking about why we live this way?

It is never too early.

Passover meal questions for the children. God gave the job of asking the questions to the children.

The children had the job of asking why, so the parents would remember why they did what they did.

Teaching children to be parents

The Challenges

You

The Challenges

Summarize above challenges

Boundaries

Asking and receiving help from our own children and others

Discussing the Why

Our Children Matter

Not just for the future. They make a difference in the world today.

Not just for the future. They make a difference in the world today.

Mothers understand that. Fathers should too. Every step of the Way matters.

Together, as a Church family, in the Body of Christ, and with the power and guidance of God Himself, we will make the greatest difference in the world by raising up the children God sends us, to follow Him faithfully.