"Becoming A Mother Of Great Faith!"

I want to begin this morning by wishing each and every Mother a Happy Mother?s Day! Without mothers?we would not be here today!

We thank you for your hours of hard work and dedication?to the family, home, and the many other things that your time is consumed with?

I hope that you all have received something wonderful from your kids saying ?thank you? for all that you do; and for being a wonderful mother that you are?

Homemade cards?

Fun and heart-felt crafts?

And many kind words?

Kids are truly a hoot aren?t they? With all that they might say about mom, and to their moms?

Here are a few things that were written by my son?s class about their moms?

-Read a few excerpts?

Here is a list of some cute things that kids have written to their moms?

-Angie, 8 years old, wrote: "Dear Mother, I?m going to make dinner for you on

Mother?s Day. It?s going to be a surprise. P.S. I hope you like pizza & popcorn."

-Robert wrote: "I got you a turtle for Mother?s Day. I hope you like the turtle better than the snake I got you last year."

-Eileen wrote: "Dear Mother, I wish Mother?s Day wasn?t always on Sunday. It

would be better if it were on Monday so we wouldn?t have to go to school."

-Little Diane wrote: "I hope you like the flowers I got you for Mother?s Day. I picked them myself when Mr. Smith wasn?t looking."

-And how about this one from Carol? "Dear Mother, Here are two aspirins. Have a happy Mother?s Day!"

Moms?there is no doubt?that there are challenges and difficulties in raising children today?so as a courtesy, we have also provided trial size aspirins for each of you too?! Just a joke?

BUT?

I do want to encourage you and give you something to leave here with?by way of enrichment?that would help you with your responsibility of being a mother, and doing the motherhood thing?

As we begin today, I want to look at a moment in the life of a certain woman in the Bible?

-A woman who is little known in the Bible?

-A woman who little is known about?

However, what we do know of this woman is very important?

-She is known as a woman who was of great faith?

-A woman who dared to come into the presence of Jesus and ask for something that she had no real right to ask for from Jesus?

-A woman who had received and answer to her prayer?

A woman whose story is told in?

Stand & Read - Matthew 15:21-28

?And Jesus went away from there, and withdrew into the district of Tyre and Sidon. [22] And behold, a Canaanite woman came out from that region, and began to cry out, saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed." [23] But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came to Him and kept asking Him, saying, "Send her away, for she is shouting out after us." [24] But He answered and said, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." [25] But she came and began to bow down before Him, saying, "Lord, help me!" [26] And He answered and said, "It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs." [27] But she said, "Yes, Lord; but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table." [28] Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, your faith is great; be it done for you as you wish." And her daughter was healed at once.?

This morning?I want to share with you for the next few moments?

Hints, as to how you can begin, or carry on, the process of?

?Becoming A Mother Of Great Faith?

Prayer?

As we enter the story of this Syro-Phonecian woman today?we see her in a condition that many mothers today are in?

We see her doing something that I would hope many other mothers would do in like fashion?following her example, in times of great need?

She is consumed with the condition of her little daughter who is actually?demon-possessed!!!

Now, I know that you moms can identify with this mother?

If there is anyone who is IN TOUCH with what is going on within the family and home?it is mom!

-Dads know when the TV isn?t working?and when the grill?s propane tank is empty?

-BUT MOM?she knows what is happening with the kids?and within their lives?even when they don?t say anything!

ILLUSTRATION:

Like how a mother can tell the need of a baby with only hearing the cry of a baby?

This is what makes moms so special?

And they care so very much?so much so, that they are not able to brush the issue off?even after some time some time has past?