Good morning.  Today, we are celebrating Mother’s Day.  So if you are here this morning, and you are mother, we thank you for all that you have done in the lives of your children, and we celebrate you today.

This morning we are going to begin a new series, and this series will last until Father’s Day.  So, we begin on Mother’s Day, and end on Father’s Day.  Each of the sermons will be focused in some way on the family.  How many of you know who this guy is?

Well, for those of you who don’t know who he is, his name is Ty Pennington, and he is the host of a TV show called Extreme Makeover, Home Edition.  In that show, they go in and work on homes and take a home that is in pretty bad shape, or it is just too crammed for the people that are living there, and then when they are finished, they have a finished product that is amazing.

Well as we progress over the next several weeks, we are going to be in a series titles, Extreme Home Makeover.  Each week, we will deal with the family and we will take a look at things that need to change, or the way that God has intended the family to function.  And as we begin today, we are looking at Mother’s Who Love.

Before we move on, allow me to open our time with a word of prayer.  Let’s Pray!

Well, on this day that we honor mothers, it’s good for us to think about how much you really do.  Being a mother is not a walk in the park.

In fact, by the time a child reaches 18, a mother has had to handle some extra 18,000 hours of child-generated work.  In fact, women who never have children enjoy the equivalent of an extra 3 months a year in free time.

A Junior High science teacher lectured on the properties of magnets for an entire class.  The next day he gave his students a quiz.  The first question read like this: “My name begins with an “M,” has six letters, and I pick things up.  What am I?”  Half the kids in the class wrote, “Mother.”

That reminds me of the father who was trying to explain the concept of marriage to his 4 year old daughter.  He got out their wedding album, thinking visual images would help, and explained the entire wedding service to her.  When he was finished, he asked if she had any questions.  She pointed to a picture of the wedding party and asked, “Daddy, is that when mommy came to work for us?”

My dad and I were talking this week about how influential mothers are.  While we were talking I remembered hearing this quote: “If daddy ain’t happy, who cares?  If momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy!”  He laughed and said, “That’s true in our house.”  And I think it’s probably true in a lot of homes as well.

Ralph Waldo Emerson has said, “Men are what their mothers make them,” so moms, you do have a lot of influence on everyone.  But, in all seriousness, as we open up the pages of the Bible, there are some great portraits of motherhood in Scripture.
I love the picture of the mother of Moses who cared so much for her son that she broke the law in order to teach him the faith of his people.

We see the sacrificial love of the mother who appeared before King Solomon and told him that she was willing to have her son taken away by another woman rather than see any harm come to him.

Or, what about the mother of James and John who loved her boys so much that she wanted them to sit by the Lord’s side in the Heavenly Kingdom.

And, the mother of King Lemuel, who gave some advice to her son about godly living and how to pick a good wife, in Proverbs chapter 31.  In fact, a lot of times you will see sermons that are based around Proverbs chapter 31 on Mother’s Day.  But I have already done that, so it is time for a new Mother’s Day scripture to focus on.

Now, I am aware that Mother’s Day is a difficult time for some of you.  Maybe you want to be a mother but you can’t be for some reason.  Perhaps some of you have not had the best mother in the world.  Some of you have had a mother who has already past away.  Some of you mothers have lost a child to death.  Some of you mothers feel the pain of a wayward child this morning.  And for some of you, you are flying solo as you work hard to nurture your child’s faith.

No matter what situation you find yourself in, today is a day of celebration.  If you have kids, lead them in the way of the Lord, if you don’t have children, make sure that you are setting an example for others in the same way you would if they were your own kids.

To set the background of today’s text, let me tell you a little story.  It is about a grandmother, a mother, and a boy.

I’d like to introduce you to a young woman named Eunice.  She was raised in a religious home and was greatly impacted by her mother Lois.  She loved to learn the stories from the Bible when she was young and enjoyed going to services where she could learn about God.  As she approached her teenage years, she was still focused on spiritual matters but she became attracted to a young man who was not into religion at all.  Against the best wishes of her godly mother, the teaching of her faith, and the tug of her conscience, she married the man.  Don’t get me wrong ­ he was a nice guy but thought spiritual matters were for weak people.

After a couple years of marriage, Eunice and her husband had a baby boy who they named Timothy.  In the meantime, Eunice’s dad had died so they asked her mother Lois to come and live with them.  Little Timmy was a delight to everyone.  Both his mother and grandmother spent hours with him, teaching him the stories of the Old Testament, praying with him and for him, and training him in the things of God.  While they didn’t have any Veggie Tale videos or Vacation Bible School programs nearby, they created a spiritual environment where tiny Tim could flourish.
Then, one day, a preacher named Paul came to their town of Lystra and spoke about a man named Jesus.  Both Lois and Eunice listened intently.  They saw in Jesus the fulfillment of all the promises in the Old Testament and placed their trust in Him and were converted.  These new believers in turn focused on teaching Timothy all about who Jesus was.  We know from reading the book of Acts that Paul himself took a personal interest in Tim the teenager and, partnering with his mother and grandmother, led him to a saving faith as well.

Later, Paul and Timothy partner together in ministry as the gospel continues to spread throughout the area.  Many years later, while Paul is in prison, awaiting his execution, he writes 2 letters to young Timothy.  These letters contain some teaching about how Timothy should behave as a church leader and are also filled with some reminiscing on Paul’s part.  As Paul writes these letters, that we know as I and II Timothy, he reflects on the mothers who made an impact in Tim’s life.

With that as background, I’m going to draw from 3 different passages of Scripture, 2 of which are found in Paul’s second letter to Timothy, to show how a mother, and a grandmother, can make a significant spiritual impact on her children.

First, Is To Instill A Respect For Scripture:

The first way a mother can do this is by instilling within her children a respect for God’s word.

In II Timothy 3:12, Paul reminds Timothy that everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.  Then in verse 14, Paul urges Timothy to hang tough when the tough times come.  He says, “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it.”  Timothy didn’t just fill his head with truth but he actually internalized it and then he lived it out.  I think Timothy did this because he saw it modeled in his mother, in his grandmother, and in Paul himself.

II Timothy 3:15 shows us what this truth was.  It says, “And how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.”  In the manner of a devout Israelite, grandmother Lois and mother Eunice taught the Holy Scriptures to Timothy from the very beginning.  The word “infancy” in some passages refers to a newborn baby or a toddler.  Lois and Eunice teamed up to provide high-powered Bible Study for young Timothy ­ even before he could crawl!  They read to him, they talked about Samson and Samuel, David and Ruth, Abraham and Noah.  They did everything they could to provide Timothy with the opportunity to learn all he could about the Bible.
In essence, they lived out the commands of Deuteronomy 6:4-7 which says, “1”

These 2 mothers had God’s Word in their hearts.  Because they had internalized the truth into their own lives, they could impress it upon young Timothy by talking about it throughout the day, and by showing Tim how the Scriptures should impact every area of his life.
Mothers, it is never too early to start teaching the Bible to your children, and it’s never too late to start if you haven’t already.  There is nothing that can replace your role in your child’s life.  God wants to use you to instill within your children a respect for the Bible.

Thankfully, you do not have to do this all by yourself.  We have a few people that do a great job with Sunday School classes, Jr. Church, and even a Vacation Bible School Program during the Summer.  These programs are all designed to assist you in helping your children learn the Word of God.  I love what another minister had t say about their youth program.  He said, “My job is to supplement what parents are doing in the home.”  And I believe that that is true.  Their main learning opportunities, including by example, are going to be done in the home around you parents.

4 scholars were arguing over Bible translations.  One said he preferred the King James Version because of its beauty and eloquent old English.  Another said he liked the New American Standard Version for its literalism and how it moves the reader from passage to passage with confident feelings of accuracy from the original text.  The third scholar was sold on the New Living Translation for its use of contemporary phrases and idioms that capture the meaning of difficult ideas.  After being quiet for a moment, the fourth scholar admitted: “I have personally preferred my mother’s translation.”  When the other scholars started laughing, he said, “Yes, she translated the Scriptures.  My mom translated each page of the Bible into life.  It is the most convincing translation I have ever seen.”

S, mothers, and father’s alike, what kind of Bible is your child reading when her or she observes your life?  Are you looking for ways to instill a respect for the Word of God into the lives of your children?  Remember, you make a significant spiritual impact on your children.

Secondly, Is To Instill An Authentic Faith:
The second way to make an impact in the lives of your children is by instilling within them an authentic faith.  We see this in II Timothy 1:5 when it says, “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.”

Even though Lois and Eunice were believers, Timothy needed to come to a point in which he put his faith in Christ as well.  Faith is not hereditary, it is something that has to be learned.  At the same time, when parents model genuine faith, an environment is set up whereby children will be motivated to want that same kind of faith.

The word, “sincere” related to faith means that it was “un-hypocritical.”  It was real, without any deception or false pretense.  Faith had come and taken up residence in his mother’s heart and in his grandmother’s heart, and was now alive in his own life.  These 2 mothers were completely sold out to Christ.  They were drop-dead serious about their faith.  They were fully devoted and completely committed to what it was that God wanted to do in their lives.  And Timothy knew it.  No one knows better than a child whether a parent’s faith is genuine.
Notice the chain here, Lois to Eunice to Timothy.  Again, we don’t read of a grandfather or a father anywhere in this equation.  That’s not to say that a father is not important, because he is.  What I’m saying is this: a mother can make a significant spiritual impact on her children with or without the help of a father.

Moms, if you want to instill authentic faith in your children then you better take your own faith seriously.  If you’re just going through the motions spiritually your kids will eventually see it, and tragically, may do the same thing when they get older.  As you demonstrate your faith consistently by reading the Bible, praying, attending worship, bringing your kids to programs that help them grow spiritually, by participating in the life and mission of the church, and by teaching the importance of all these things to your kids, you will send a strong message to your children.

I heard recently about a pastor who had a long conversation with someone about becoming a member of his church.  When he was done the young man said that he was ready to join.  The pastor was curious so he asked him, “What did I say that convinced you to join the church?”  The man answered, “It was nothing I ever heard you say.  It was the way my mother lived.”

As I think about the kind of faith that was passed from a mother to a mother to a son, I’m convinced that a mother like this has to be more interested in having her children know the Bible than in anything else.  You see, godly and spiritual mothers are more interested in:

Her children’s souls than in their bodies or in their clothes.
Her children’s eternal life than their success in this life.
Her children’s relationship with Jesus than their popularity in the world.
Her children’s standing before God than their social status.
Her children’s spirituality than their intellectual, musical, or athletic accomplishments.

While it isn’t in the text, a mother who passes along a faith that is authentic is without a doubt a praying woman.  Any home in which faith is passed on from generation to generation has to be a home of prayer.  One cannot imagine Lois not praying for Eunice or Eunice not praying for Timothy.  We read in Acts 12:12 that the mother of John Mark opened her home for a prayer meeting while Peter was imprisoned.  In Acts 1:14, Mary, the mother of Jesus “joined together constantly in prayer” with the disciples.  That’s the hallmark of a godly mother.

Timothy’s family environment was fertile to his faith development.  Both his mother and his grandmother held their faith deeply and shared it freely with him.  How fertile is the environment in your family for the reproduction and the nurturing of an authentic faith in the lives of your children and grandchildren?  Mothers, and fathers alike, are you passing along a legacy of authentic faith to your kids?

And Finally, Is To Instill A Desire To Minister:

The third and final way to impact your children is to instill within them a desire to minister.  After Paul preached in Lystra, and Timothy was converted, he returned a short while later.  Let’s pick up the story in Acts 16:1-3.  In that passage it says, “2”

I see 3 qualities in Timothy that were no doubt passed down from his mother, and his grandmother.

First of all, he was a strong believer.  He is referred to as a disciple.  Luke, the author of Acts, could have referred to him as a believer or a Christian, but he chose to call him a disciple instead.  A disciple is a learner and a follower.  A disciple was one who was serious about Christ, not just one who was going through the motions.  As we’ve already established, his mother modeled this type of authentic, no holds-barred kind of faith.

Second, he had a good reputation.  The believers in the area spoke well of him.  People knew him as a man of integrity and as a man of the Word.  He was rock solid.  Again, this had a lot to do with his mother and grandmother.

And third, he was available.  Paul wanted to take him along on the journey.  As you continue to read the Book of Acts, you’ll see that Timothy was eager to minister.  He knew it meant leaving home and he knew it meant facing hardship.  You see, there is no way this kind of commitment to ministry develops if it has not been encouraged at home first.

When Paul stopped in Lystra for this second time, he enlisted Timothy to be his special assistant to replace John Mark.  Paul refers to Timothy as his “beloved son” in I Corinthians 4:17 and in I Timothy 1:2, he calls him his “own son in the faith.”  In Philippians 2:20, Paul can’t think of anyone like Timothy when he writes, “I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare.”  Paul thought very highly of Timothy and couldn’t wait to unleash him for ministry.

Mothers, and father, understand that part of your job is to instill a respect for the Bible, another responsibility is to instill an authentic faith.  But these 2 elements are only preliminary for the most important job you have.  And that is to instill within your children a desire to minister.  Our kids are to learn the Bible and grow in their faith so that they can become difference-makers in their world.  So they can share their faith with others.  So they can minister in the church and in their school.  So they can serve those who are hurting.  So they can identify their spiritual gifts and use them on a regular basis.

Susannah Wesley, mother of 17, 2 of which were John and Charles Wesley, spent one hour each day praying for her children.  In addition, she took each child aside for a full hour each week to discuss spiritual matters.  No wonder her children were used by God to bring blessings to all of England and much of America.  She first modeled Christ in her own life, and as a result it influenced the lives of her children as well.

Now, let’s see if I can bring all this together.  Mothers and fathers alike, you make a significant spiritual impact in your family.  And you can do that by instilling:
-A Respect For Scripture
-An Authentic Faith
-And A Desire For Ministry

I want to close this morning by reading a poem entitled, “My Mother.”
My Mother
Your love, I know—I’ve seen your tears;
You’ve given to me my life.
You’ve walked through hours and days and years
Of heartache, toil and strife.

To see that I could have the best
That you could give to me,
You gave up needs and often rest—
You viewed eternity.

To do His will my highest call
And by your special care
I stood and walked and did not fall,
You held me up in prayer.

Though strands of gray may brush your hair,
And miles divide our way,
I know that by your quiet prayer
You’ve helped me day by day.

You’ve shown me how to give, to share
To put my own needs last.
You’ve helped me see and be aware
That life is so soon past.

To spite your love I would not dare,
For there’s not another
Who spreads her gentle love and care
Like you—My Loving Mother.

I want to applaud you mothers who take the task seriously of making a spiritual impact in the lives of your children.  As Proverbs 31:28 says, “Her children arise and call her blessed…”  We all call you blessed today, and we thank you for pouring your lives into your children’s lives.  Proverbs 31:30 goes on to say that, “a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.”  And today, we praise God for those mothers who worship and adore the Lord and who pass this legacy on to their children.

So today we say, “Thank You, & Happy Mother’s Day!”

Let’s Pray!