Insignificant Significance

INSIGNIFICANT SIGNIFICANCE

JUDGES 13: 1-25

MOTHER’S DAY 2004 MAY 9

INTRODUCTION: Mothers are central to the success of the American family. Their love, dedication, and wisdom touch countless lives every day in every community throughout our land. And their love and guidance of children help to develop healthy and spiritually sound families.

President John Quincy Adams once said, “All that I am my mother made me.” President Abraham Lincoln believed, “All that I am or hope to be I owe to my angel mother. I remember my mother’s prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life.” These statements are just as true for the millions of Americans who credit their mothers for helping to successfully shape their lives.

George W. Bush Contributed by: Donnie Martin

FROM MY MOTHER

From my mother I learned the value of prayer, how to have dreams and believe I could make them come true.

Ronald Reagan, 40th president of the United States.

SOURCE: Celebrating Mothers, A book of Appreciation. Edited by Glorya Hale and Carol Kelly-Gangi. MetroBooks, 2002. pg 80. Contributed by: SermonCentral PRO

THESIS SENTENCE: Today is Mother’s Day. In the eyes of the world this day is a secular holiday. This would be opposed to a sacred day, or a day that brings a focus upon our God. BUT, we know better. Mother’s Day is a Sacred Day. Mothers are a unique gift from God. A mother can be the most significant person in our lives. I truly believe that a mother is to be the most significant person in our lives. We all know the difference our mothers have made in our lives, even as these American Presidents past and present knew and know. Today we come to celebrate God’s Gift of Mothers. We want to hear from God and be encouraged. We want to hear again from God’s word, even as Tony read us the story of the birth of Samson. We want to hear what God has to say about His gift to us and what HE would want us to learn in this day.

THESIS SENTENCE: MOTHERS ARE OF UTMOST SIGNIFICANCE IS GOD PERFECT PLAN!

I. SIGNIFICANCE IS A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE VV. 1-3

A. PERSPECTIVE IS NOT INSIGNIFICANCE/ NO NAME

B. PERSPECTIVE IS NOT ABOUT THE CONDITION/ NO CHILD

C. PERSPECTIVE IS PROMISE

ILLUSTRATION: A four-year-old and a six-year-old presented their mom with a houseplant.

They had used their own money to buy it and she was thrilled.

The older of them said with a sad face, "There was a bouquet at the flower shop that we wanted to give you. It was real pretty but it was too expensive. It had a ribbon on it that said ‘Rest In Peace,’ and we thought it would be just perfect since you are always asking for a little peace so that you can rest. Contributed by: A. Todd Coget

A teacher gave her class of second graders a lesson on the magnet and what it does. The next day in a written test, she included this question: “My full name has six letters. The first one is M, and I pick up things. What am I?” When the grades were all in the teacher was astounded to find that almost fifty percent had written in, mother. Contributed by: Preston Duvall

TRUTH: THE SIGNIFICANCE OF MOTHERHOOD IS ALL ABOUT PERSPECTIVE.

II. SIGNIFICANCE IS A MATTER OF BEHAVIOR VV. 4-5

A. BEHAVIOR IS ADMONISHED/ COMMANDED

B. BEHAVIOR IS PERSONAL/ IT BEGINS WITH US

C. BEHAVIOR IS TRANSITIONAL/ IT MATTERS TO OTHERS

ILLUSTRATION: Little children can come up with some very interesting ideas. Listen to what some children wrote to their mothers for Mother’s Day.

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!" Contributed by: MELVIN NEWLAND

LOVE THEM

Kate Samperi wrote, “Before becoming a mother I had a hundred theories on how to bring up children. Now I have seven children and only one theory: love them, especially when they least deserve to be loved.”

Kate Samperi, author SOURCE: Celebrating Mothers: A Book of Appreciation. Edited by Glorya Hale and Carol Kelly-Gangi. MetroBooks, 2002. pg 17.