Title: Mother Appreciation
Theme: Enjoying God's Gift To Children
Topic: A Compilation of Short Truths - That Warms the Heart
Introduction: Today, let us just do something appreciative, something truthful and intriguing to the heart in regard to the value of a mother.
Proposition: I would propose to you that motherhood is one of the most influential, powerful truths in the universe. I remember when I was getting some training at the Norton Correctional Facility, the instructor gave us a powerful truth, "You will often hear of an inmate speak well of his mother, he says very little about his father." When all is said and done, when we stand in eternity. If your a Christian, it is very likely, it was the prayer of your mother that touched the heart of God, that moved Him to grant favor in your life.
Listen as I read 2 Timothy 1:5, “I have been 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.” Pray!!!!
Interrogative Sentence: Just what are some written truths that can be read or spoken that show the powerful influences of a mother? There are many: Quotes, Poems, Testimonies, and Stories. All proving that a mother's influence touches and guides the lives of everyone they come in contact with.
Listen carefully and ponder on how your mother, grandmother, or someone in your life took time to mother you, had a positive influence in your life.
Transitional Sentence: Today we are just appreciating one of God's greatest gift to us all, mothers. Let us begin with quotes. (Quotes provide by a staff writer from SermonCentral)
• A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts. ¯ Washington Irving
• Behind all your stories is always your mother's story, because hers is where yours begin. ¯ Mitch Albom
• No man is poor who has a Godly mother. ¯ Abraham Lincoln
• My mother was the most beautiful woman I ever saw. All I am I owe to my mother. I attribute my success in life to the moral, intellectual and physical education I received from her. ¯ George Washington
• (A mother) can be glorious or terrible, benevolent or filled with wrath, but she commands love either way. I am convinced that this is the greatest power in the universe. ¯ N.K. Jemisin
• No language can express the power, and beauty, and heroism, and majesty of a mother's love. It shrinks not where man cowers, and grows stronger where man faints... — Edwin Hubbell Chapin
• If you have a mom, there is nowhere you are likely to go where a prayer has not already been. — Robert Brault)
• If evolution really works, how come mothers only have two hands? — Milton Berle
Transitional Sentence: The quotes remind us of the pleasant truths of motherhood. The Bible gives us this truth, "For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God." (1 Corinthians 11:12) All things belong to God, especially our mothers. How we treat them is a reflection of our appreciation of God's gift to us. (John Chrysostom. (1889). Homilies of St. John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople, on the First Epistle of St. Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians. In P. Schaff (Ed.), H. K. Cornish, J. Medley, & T. B. Chambers (Trans.), Saint Chrysostom: Homilies on the Epistles of Paul to the Corinthians (Vol. 12, p. 153). New York: Christian Literature Company.)
"A university student who had filled his wall with indecent pictures received an unexpected visit from his mother. She never said a word about them or gave any indication she had noticed them. But before she left, she hung a picture of Jesus Christ in the middle of the other pictures. When she had revisited him again, the only picture hanging on the wall was Christ's." (AMG Bible Illustrations. (2000). Chattanooga: AMG Publishers.) When a mother is making the way for a child to go to college, she has every right to place whatever she wants in his or hers college dorm room.
"A little girl's definition of 'mother.' 'A mother is a person who takes care of her kids and get their meals and if she is not there when you get home from school, you wouldn't know how to get your meals and you wouldn't feel like eating anyhow.'" (AMG Bible Illustrations. (2000). Chattanooga: AMG Publishers.)
"A little boy who was told by his mother that is was God who makes people good. The little of boy replied, 'Yes, I know it is God, but mothers help a lot.'" (AMG Bible Illustrations. (2000). Chattanooga: AMG Publishers.)
The book of Exodus gives a powerful truth in the Ten Commandments, "Honor ...your mother..." (Exodus 20:12)
Transitional Sentence: Mothers are a gift from God and it only does us well to honor them. There are powerful true stories about the value of mothers. The Bible says, "A wife of noble character who can find. She is worth more far more than rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. ...She gets up while it is still dark, she provides for her family... She sets about her work vigorously... she sees that her work is profitable... she opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy. ...She is clothed with strength and dignity. She speaks with wisdom and faithful instruction comes from her tongue. Her children arise and call her blessed. ...Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise..." (inserts from Proverbs 31:10-31)
"Fear and total trust in the Lord is the first step toward obtaining inner beauty. Ruth Graham once took a poll. She asked several bachelor friends, 'What do you prefer in a wife [and mother]? Scenery [looks] or atmosphere.' Without exception, they all said '[looks]'. Then she asked her married friends the same question. Without exception they said, '[looks] would be nice, but atmosphere is essential.'" (Gigi Graham Tchividjian in Homemade, Oct. 1987; Galaxie Software. (2002). 10,000 Sermon Illustrations. Biblical Studies Press.)
"In 1951, 24-year-old Lillian Kats wanted to add to their weekly income for her family. Pregnant with her first son, she took $2,000.00 of a wedding gift to start a home business 'Personalizing handbags, belts, etc.' She work hard, and with in weeks she was standing in her kitchen counting $16,000.00. Her home business prospered, the Lillian Vernon Corporation grew to annual sales of $137 million and had up to 1,000 employees." (Living Beyond the Daily Grind, Vol. 2 Swindoll, p. 472; Galaxie Software. (2002). 10,000 Sermon Illustrations. Biblical Studies Press.)
Transitional Sentence: Story after story proves the value of a mother, the Bible gives us this instruction, "Listen, ...do not forsake your mother's teaching." (Proverbs 1:8) "The law of your mother - unwritten, but indelibly stamped upon your mind! It's the law of love, of kindness, of selflessness, of giving." (AMG Bible Illustrations. (2000). Chattanooga: AMG Publishers.)
This exhortation in Proverbs deals with issues that are just as prevalent today as it was in ancient Israel. If obeyed, blessings will follow in regard to right choices in life. Temptations to follow the wrong crowd is real and strong. Mothers have a intuition - they know, there is just a bad feel in the air, when they see their kids with the wrong crowd, being drawn to the wrong things in life. (Garrett, D. A. (1993). Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of songs (Vol. 14, p. 69). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.) When children walk with the wrong crowd, they will eventually do the wrong things. Children who listen to their mother's teachings, do not play with temptation. "Birds don't take bait when they can plainly see the trap, [children who obey the teachings of their mother] are smarter than birds." (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Skillful (pp. 23–25). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
Transitional Sentence: Children would do well to listen and apply the teaching of their mother, especially if she was a Godly mother. The Bible tells of a Godly mother that had great wisdom in times of national crisis. Exodus 2:1-10 we read of a people of God in slavery. The crisis was having children in a nation were it was decreed that all Israelite baby boys were to be killed at the moment of birth. Moses mother had the wisdom to hide him when he was first born. When Moses was to old to hide, his mother made a basket, placed in the Nile. She trusted God to do what was best. The child is seen, rescued by Pharaoh's daughter. When all was said and done, Moses was returned to his mother to be raised by her, not only raised, but was paid by Pharaoh's daughter to raise him.
A Godly mother, trusting, seeking God's hand and able to except His will, will see the Lord do great things with her children in do time. She is a mother who has the same trust found in Psalm 63:7-8, "Because You are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. I will cling to You; Your right hand upholds me."
Like Moses' mother, when circumstances are out of their control, when their children lives and souls are in great danger, Godly mothers have wisdom to cast their children out on the open the waters of life and let God take over.
In Closing: There are so many truths reflected in all of life that prove the invaluable influence of a mother. Mothers are a gift to us from God. All of us have heard story after story about the value of a good mother, especially a Godly mother. It will be well for our children and grand-children to obey the teachings of their mother, because God grants wisdom to Christian mothers who are surrendered to His perfect will.
A History of Mother’s Day (America)
It was in 1872 that Julia Ward Howe (author of The Battle Hymn of the Republic) suggested the idea of Mother’s Day in the United States.
The cause was taken up by Anna Jarvis, daughter of a Methodist pastor. Jarvis felt the scars of the Civil War could be healed by mothers—and by honoring mothers. She died in 1905 before her dream of establishing a holiday could be fulfilled. But her daughter, also named Anna Jarvis, took up the crusade.
Anna had been deeply influenced by her mother, and she often recalled hearing her mother say that she hoped someone would one day establish a memorial for all mothers, living and dead.
Anna had been particularly touched at age twelve while listening to her mother teach a Sunday school class on the subject 'Mothers in the Bible.' Mrs. Jarvis closed the lesson with a prayer to this effect: I hope and pray that someone, sometime, will found a memorial mother’s day...'
Anna never forgot that moment, and at their mother’s graveside service, Anna’s brother Claude heard her say '… by the grace of God, you shall have that Mother’s Day.'
Anna thus began a campaign to establish a national Mother’s Day. She and her supporters began to write a constant stream of letters to ministers, businessmen, politicians and newspaper editors. She spent a fortune trying to attract attention to her idea, and took every opportunity to give speeches, send telegrams, or write articles promoting her cause.
On the second anniversary of her mother’s death, May 12, 1907, Anna led a small tribute to her mother at Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church in Gafton, West Virginia. She donated five hundred white carnations, her mother’s favorite flower, to be worn by everyone in attendance. On this first Mother’s Day service, the pastor used the text, 'Woman, behold thy son; Son, behold thy mother.' (John 19:26) That same day a special service was held at the Wannamaker Auditorium in Philadelphia, which could seat no more than a third of the fifteen thousand people who showed up." (Morgan, R. J. (2000). Nelson’s complete book of stories, illustrations, and quotes (electronic ed., pp. 578–579). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
