“Shaping Your Children”

On this mothers day / I was reflecting on things my mother taught me / I realized my mothers was very influential in my life …

My mother taught me RELIGION: "You better pray that will come of the carpet."

My mother taught me LOGIC: "Because I said so, that’s why."

My mother taught me CONTORTIONISM: "Just look at the dirt on the back of your shirt!"

My mother taught me an awful lot about STAMINA: "You’ll sit there until ALL that food is gone."

A woman columnist for the Los Angeles Times wrote about the influence her mother had on her. She said her mamma taught her several rules for being a perfect lady:

1. Mind your manners and always write "thank you" notes. 2. Brush your hair. 3. Appearance matters. 4. Never marry a man in order to change him. 5. Stand up straight and clean your fingernails. 6. Speak up. 7. If you ask for something, you may get it. 8. If you don’t ask, you may not get it. 10. Keep your mouth shut and your legs crossed. 11. Don’t ever do anything you wouldn’t want me to do.

Mothers have an powerful influence on their children / This is reflected in the amount of attention Mothers get that Fathers don’t / Did you realize that there are more cards sent on Mother’s Day than Father’s Day

There are more phone calls made on Mother’s Day to moms than there are on Father’s Day to dads

One man was heard complaining about this fact / noting that he literally poured himself into son’s life / He taught him how to play baseball / football / basketball / took him hunting / fishing / taught him how to drive / And then when the boy went off to college and played ball for the college team… the Network TV cameras focused on his son and guess what he said: “Hi Mom!”

Thank God for mothers / Mothers come in all forms today / Biological mothers - easy to love your own kids / but even more so, mothers raising anothers children / single mothers / ALL mothers / even if your kids are older / there‘s a job for you as a Mother

2 Tim 2:1-7 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, in keeping with the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus, 2 To Timothy, my dear son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 3 I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. 4 Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. 5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.

6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.

I. Moms have a powerful influence on the lives of their children

A. Bible tells several stories about women / give us deep insights into what moms are capable / even willing to do for children

1. Rebekah (mother of Jacob) manipulated her husband to make sure Jacob rec’d blessing / not Esau

a. Remember she helped him dress up like Esau / Stole birthright

2. Moses mother – Jochebed / Hid Moses as long as she could / so he would not be killed / then placed him in an basket/ little ark

a. Placed that near where Pharaoh’s daughter bathed

1. Then she arranged to become his teacher / guardian / even in Pharaoh’s court

3. Story of 2 women fighting over a child in front of king Solomon

a. Both said it was theirs / Solomon insisted it be cut in two / each half given to a woman

1. Fake mom was delighted / but the real one was willing to give up her child over having him killed

4. NT / Mother of James / John / approached Jesus attempting to influence Him

a. They tried to have their sons occupy the chief seats in the Kingdom of God

5. Again and again / mothers are shown as driven to protect / promote their children

a. They are shown wanting MORE for their kids / more than just survive! / SUCCEED!

B. In fact / women have often been the driving force in the success of their sons and daughters

1. I believe that this is because God has placed / within women / the powerful desire to protect / promote their children / help make them do well in life

a. There are Mothers here who have sacrificed just about everything to make sure that their children succeed

1. In school / sports / finding a good career / make sure they marry right kind of person

2. Mothers have the ability to shape / mold / children’s character / future!

C. Paul recognized this / when speaking to Timothy

1. 5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.

a. In other words / Timothy was the kind of man he was / because of the kind of mother / grandmother he had

1. Their faith / love for God / shaped Timothy into being a powerful worker for God

b. Ladies! You have an amazing potential / to affect lives of children / grandchildren

In 1995, Dave Thomas, the founder of Wendy’s wrote in his book "Well Done!" “When I was 11 years old, my adoptive grandmother took me to Michigan’s Gull Lake to be baptized by immersion. I really felt that I was accepted by God when I was baptized. But what I remember most about my baptism was that MY Grandma Minnie MADE IT HAPPEN. For her, Christianity meant more than doctrine you talked about on Sundays.... It meant teaching her grandson about faith.”

D. A Godly mother can MAKE IT HAPPEN for their children

1. This will only take place / IF / they make God the central focus of their lives / make Him priority

a. Then making their main focus / shaping the lives of their kids

I read a story a while ago about a mother and son who stopped their car on a busy highway / They watched as a mother duck led her ducklings safely across to the other side of the road / The story went on: it said that “as the mother duck confidently continued up the street / she approached a gutter that led down to a sewer / The mother duck / seeing no problem with the gutter / walked right over its grated cover with her large / webbed feet / She failed to realize her little ones feet were much smaller / The babies faithfully followed their mother / one-by-one they fell in-between the cracks of the sewer grate / Plop … plop … plop! / The mother and boys / heart sank as they watched the mother duck boldly lead on thinking her babies were safely following in stride.”

2. I believe it’s possible for a mother to strive / strain / struggle to lead her child to safety / other side of life’s road

a. Ultimately fail to accomplish the most important goal

1. It’s possible for her to make sure her son/ daughter are successful in:

a. School / Sports / career / Even marriage

b. And still / fail to give their sons / daughters the most important direction they can have in life

2. Mark 8:36 What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and then lose his soul

a. What shall it profit a mother / if he son graduates college / becomes CEO / loses their souls?

3. Point / It’s possible to love your child so much / you want them to have THE BEST THAT THIS WORLD can offer…

a. That you fail to make sure they have the best God can offer

1. True tragedy /would be to have a bookcase full of trophies / diplomas / certificates of achievement

a. But to have hearts practically empty of God / faith

II. Timothy’s Mother

A. You see / He didn’t have that problem/ he had a godly mother / who had priorities straight

1. He had a mother / grandmother who handed down a SINCERE FAITH

a. They gave him something precious in God’s sight

1. As a result / he had an inheritance that would last for eternity

b. An inheritance that would still be his / long after all of this world’s awards / honors have turned to dust

Read of a church in Kansas / there are prints of two baby feet set in the cement of the sidewalk… with the toes pointing toward the Church / It’s said that 25 years ago / when the sidewalk was being laid / a mother asked for permission to stand her baby boy on the wet cement / The tracks are still seen plainly today / That Mother had wanted her little boy to start off right!

2. We should all strive to be that kind of parent

a. And of course / we know / it goes way deeper than just placing their feet in wet cement

1. But it was that attitude that drove Timothy’s mother / to lead him to a sincere faith

B. Question: How did that do that?

1. How did Lois / Eunice hand down their faith to Timothy?

a. I am not sure how they did it / but I know how my mom did it

1. She read to me / didn’t just sit me in front of a tv / phone / she read to me / stories of the Bible

a. Matter a fact / just bought same Jesus books for our own daughter / soon to be mother / so she can teach their child

2. She prayed for me (most powerful weapons a mother has)

a. Each day / your children wake up / with a target on their back / go into a sick society

Ephesians 6:12 ESV

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

Let that sink in / war being waged for your child

b. There is an enemy / prowling around like a lion / waiting to devour them / their purpose / future / eternity

They CAN resist / but need power to do so / HOW

James 5:6 The prayers of righteous mama accomplish much!

When you pray for them / you are literally fighting for them

Pray for them to be quick to repentance

Pray for their salvation

Pray for them to be faithful to God / heart of a steward / use gifts to glorify God

Pray for them to have love for WOG

A child of learns to love WOG / will become an adult who is faithful to God

Pray for godly character

2. Your prayers for your children shape not just their earthly future / but their eternity

a. It’s important to pray for your children intentionally and to have a prayer strategy for your kids

b. On top of your normal day to day prayer for their health, well being, and joy.

3. She got me involved me in ministry ( I get you can’t force anyone to do anything....)

a. She was involved in teaching Sunday School / got me involved in teaching SS

b. At one time there was a choir / got me involved in choir

4. She modeled her faith for me

a. I always knew of her faith in Christ / her love for the church / I watched my mother tithe / give / even when broke

1. And yes / my dad is a godly man too…. But… today is about Mothers

5. I believe that a mother who makes this a priority in their lives…

a. Can do more to place their sincere faith into the hearts of their children than we might ever know

1. I believe this potential is why mothers have a treasured place in the hearts of their children

There is a story about 4 preachers discussing the merits of various translations of the Bible. One liked the King James Version best because of its simple, beautiful English. Another liked the New American Version best because it was closer to the original Hebrew and Greek. Still another liked a contemporary version because of its up-to-date vocabulary. The fourth minister was silent for a moment, then said, "I like my mother’s translation best." Surprised, the other three men said they didn’t know his mother had translated the Bible. "Yes," he replied. "She translated it into life, and it was the most convincing translation I’ve ever seen."

C. Closing

Abraham Lincoln was one of the greatest presidents our country has ever known. And he himself believed that his mother’s faith had a strong role in developing the kind of man he became. Even tho’ his mother died when he was young, he always remembered how he’d seen God in her life, how he’d heard her read to him stories from the Bible, and how he listened to her as she taught him how to live a godly life When she died, these were her parting words: "I am going away from you, Abraham, and I shall not return. I know you will be a good boy... I want you to live as I have taught you, to love your Heavenly Father and keep His commandments."

1. Til his death / Lincoln remembered those words

a. And he remembered that he solemnly promised to do just that!

1. What are you shaping your children to be?

I want to invite all mothers up / single mothers / empty nest mothers / expecting mothers / mothers of blended families / all mothers

A mothers influence never fades / Hi Mom!

God help me to realize / my days are numbered / to understand / we have limited time / to influence our children / teach us to take advantage / of time we do have / to focus on what’s really important / to make each moment count / Lord make my words count Give me words to speak / not only to bring correction / to build up our children / but also to teach about you /

Help us to show them / teach them / how to have / a gentle humble spirit / give me stability / so my children can cling to me / as I cling to You / Help me to guide my children / to see their identity is in Christ / above all / help me to love them / as you have loved me! Help me to be the mother / they need me to be!