Mothers Day 2021

I fully realize that talking about parenting steps on toes. My toes hurt from years of having them stepped on - God’s Word will do the stepping

Psalm 113:9 NASB95

He makes the barren woman abide in the house As a joyful mother of children. Praise the Lord!

The joy in motherhood may take years to realize; done properly, it’s there.

KEY: Raising the Next Generation of Disciples

This is why God gives you children - to raise them for Him, to give back to Him

Stewards of the gift of children

The Indicatives

God loves you

Created you, gave you second birth

1 John 4:10 NASB95

In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

The Lord Nurtures You

Daily nourishment - providing your needs

God nourishes by hearing prayer

God nourishes any time we open His Word and listen to Him

The Lord Teaches You

2 Timothy 3:16 NASB95

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;

Job 6:24 NASB95

“Teach me, and I will be silent; And show me how I have erred.

Takes humility to be taught

Takes a desire to want to be taught to be taught - a teachable spirit

The Lord Disciplines You

Corrects, admonishes

Proverbs 3:12 NASB95

For whom the Lord loves He reproves, Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights.

Hebrews 12:6 NASB95

For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, And He scourges every son whom He receives.”

The Lord Prepares You to Serve

2 Timothy 3:17 NASB95

so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

Colossians 3:23 NASB95

Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men,

The Imperatives

Love the Lord - the Greatest Commandment

Matthew 22:36–40 NASB95

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ “This is the great and foremost commandment. “The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ “On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

Love your children

Titus 2:4 NASB95

so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children,

Loving your children is NOT giving them what they WANT;

It’s providing them what they NEED

Walls, boundaries, expectations, consequences

Encouragement, support, praise

Parents who love the Lord, and show they do

Parents who love each other, and show they do

Love is selfless, you give completely of yourself

But…the world does not revolve around your children

Married? Your spouse comes in second, after God. The marriage relationship is the primary, permanent relationship - that’s God’s design

Christ is at the center - ALWAYS - Christ, then spouse, then children, in that order

Nurture your children

1 Thessalonians 2:7 NASB95

But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children.

Of course we feed them, clothe them, care for them

Model the Godly life for them, surround them in an environment where they can succeed, for the Lord

When they fail, and they will, you are the safe place for them to land

And you be right there with strong support, re-directing them to the Lord

A nurturing environment is a safe environment

Feed them - spiritually. Constantly provide nourishment from God’s Word, by praying together, making “God talk” central in your day

POINT: Realize that many children spend their days immersed in an environment that is not spiritually nourishing

Assume you have good Biblical morals and principles - count the hours they spend surrounded by the opposite - what does their nourishment look like?

Teach your children

Proverbs 1:8 NASB95

Hear, my son, your father’s instruction And do not forsake your mother’s teaching;

Proverbs 6:20 NASB95

My son, observe the commandment of your father And do not forsake the teaching of your mother;

2 Timothy 1:5 NASB95

For I am mindful of the sincere faith within you, which first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am sure that it is in you as well.

30 minutes Sunday, if we have Awana, add another 30-60 minutes

What else are your children learning of the Lord? When? Who’s teaching them?

Moms, they need you to teach them (Dads, too, we’ll get there)

Teach them ALL the Bible - and not “Bible stories” - the accounts in the Bible are facts

To teach, you need to learn

This is NOT the job of the church or the school, this is to be at home

It’s very hard work - thankless at times, most of the time

Being a mother is your job - not to be your children’s friend, but their mother

Grandparents, please come along side your children as they raise theirs

Some moms try, and get to the point - they don’t care. Their kids wear them out. It’s hard to get them to listen, and besides, why does it really matter if they don’t. They’re cute, right?

Discipline your children

Proverbs 29:15 NASB95

The rod and reproof give wisdom, But a child who gets his own way brings shame to his mother.

Proverbs 13:24 NASB95

He who withholds his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him diligently.

Proverbs 23:13–14 NASB95

Do not hold back discipline from the child, Although you strike him with the rod, he will not die. You shall strike him with the rod And rescue his soul from Sheol.

This is not an option - God implores you to correct and discipline your children

When corrected, children often cry, and when they cry, please let them

When corrected, children often throw a fit, and when they do, don’t back down

And grandparents, please let parents deal with it (Story of a grandfather and child sitting on step crying - “I got in trouble and Mommy told me to sit here.” “OK, then...”)

CLOSE

God gives the indicatives to show what He’s done

God gives the imperatives, for you to shoe you understand, accept, agree; they allow for your response to what He’s done for you

Every indicative (Love, Nurture, Teach, Discipline) is His love for you

Every imperative is for your growth, closer to Him

Every imperative is encouraging - even the discipline - yes, you should be encouraged when you properly discipline your child

And you can only discipline when you have loved, nurtured, and taught.

And God is pleased when this occurs.

Prepare your children to serve

Your children are not yours

Psalm 127:3 NASB95

Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward.

We take children, having them, for granted. It was not so easy, and not such a sure thing in this day

It’s not enough to hope to raise them to not be in trouble

Purposefully train them up to serve God

Pray for the Lord to get hold of your children’s hearts - and show them how to humbly follow Him

God gave you these children for YOU to raise for HIM

And when you return those children to Him (when he/she becomes an adult), what will you have done to prepare him/her for service?