Our Sunday morning Mother's Day message, "Three Godly Attributes Every Mother Should Have," was brought by our senior pastor, Dr. Larry Crawford.
The scripture readings were taken from Luke, Ezekiel, and John. We stood for the reading of God's word, from Luke 1:39-56.
Dr. Crawford began by saying, "The babe leaped in her womb, but wouldn't it have been a terrible thing for Elizabeth to have gone out and had an abortion? The babe leaped in her womb when he heard the voice of the mother of God. John knew! Even though it is legal, it is still murder. God will make sure that America pays for every single life taken in this manner, under our nation's authority. But also, God's people, who have sat by idly, and elected leaders who don't have the guts enough to stand up for these innocents, yes, God's people will answer for that. God will not judge the ungodly before He has judged the godly. There has to be a standard set. Judge the godly by a standard, and then make everyone meet that standard. Therefore the judgment, as it says in I Peter, will begin in the house of God. But mark this down, the time is upon us when the political voice is going to say, you preachers don't you talk about abortion, or homosexuality, or even politics. So plan on hearing much more about it from this preacher, because they told me I can't."
"Catholics maintain that Mary lived without sin, yet Verse 47, that we just read, refutes that. 'Rejoiced in God my Saviour.' Some one who is sinless does not need a Savior. So she certainly can't be any kind of a door to anyone's salvation."
Dr. Crawford then opened in prayer.
"Mother's Day is the third most celebrated holiday in America. So thank you Mothers for all you are and all that you do. We cannot thank you enough. And if your personal Mother's Day is bittersweet, and I am very serious about this, do anything and everything, up to and including saying I am sorry, to rebuild your relationship with your mother while you can."
"The world says there is no owners manual for being a good mother or father. But the world is wrong. There is one. It is called the Bible. In it is all the principles for loving your children, raising your children, nurturing you children, and correcting your children."
"Mothers are teachers. Mothers are disciplinarians. Mothers are cleaning ladies. But great mothers know baking cookies is much more important than cleaning windows. Mothers are nurses and doctors, chauffeurs, and counselors and teachers. But most important of all mothers are a child's first link to God's love."
"God's plan always was for children to be raised by a mother and a father. Society has long said now, you only need a mother. And any day now society is going to say, you don't need just a mother, or a father, but just as good a job can be done with two mothers, or two fathers also. Wrong. A mother and a father are needed in every child's life."
"Now Mary according to the story has been told she is going to be a mother. Mothers will tell you, even with all the up sides, being a mother is incredibly stressful. Mary certainly was under stress, but she said in Verse 46 and 47, I can rejoice in God my savior. And if Mary could do and say that when raising the Son of God, you can do the very same with your children. Mary lived a life of favor and grace. So can you, mothers, even today."
"Mary lived her life with godly attributes, but I want to share just three of them with you today. And mothers, you need these godly attributes if you are going to have godly children. I know that one day, some of you parents out there, woke up, and decided you were going to live for God, and you have. Every time the church doors are open you are here. But it breaks your heart that your kids are not now following in your footsteps. But mothers you taught them that going to the lake, going to ball practice, having family time, was more important than living for God."
The first godly attribute is that great moms are great models. "And mothers you are the model, good or bad, for your children."
"So why did God chose Mary? Not like she was the only virgin in Israel. Every Jewish girl of the time wanted to be the mother of Messiah. It was because He wanted for His Son someone who would be a model of someone who had faith, and what it means to give God first place in your life. And He found that someone in Mary."
"You see, she had the faith and the commitment, and she taught those attributes to her Son."
"One child is a task. Two children a job. Three or more...God help you! And I mean that absolutely sincerely."
The second godly attribute is that mothers are optimists. "You believe in God and you believe in your children. The definition of an optimist I like best goes something like this, 'An optimist is a person who goes after Moby Dick in a row boat and takes tartar sauce with them.' Your children need to know that you have faith in God and that you believe in them. They need to know that and they need to hear that."
The third godly attribute is that mothers are the mainstay. Mainstay is the rope part of the main sail that front to back steadies the ship. A great mother steadies the ship-of-state she is in charge of.
In closing, Dr. Crawford told the story of a mother who wouldn't allow a carjacker to steal her car as her six-year-old child was still in it. The car drug her several blocks before she was able to get hold of the steering wheel and finally manage to drag the man from her car. "She knew she was the central figure in her daughter's life, and she was going to do everything to save her. And she would stick to that mission until the end."
"Mothers are models, and they ought to be optimists, and mainstays of the faith. And I hope mothers, today, your children have a mainstay in you."
We now have two morning worship services, to better accommodate you and your family during the summer months. Our first service, the early morning service, is at 8:30 a.m., with Sunday school immediately afterwards, and after Sunday School, the second morning worship service the mid-morning service, will start at 11 a.m. Please be in prayer, as we are stepping out in faith, to grow God's church.
For our monthly potluck dinner Sundays, we will revert to just the one morning worship service at 11 a.m., followed by our noon fellowship supper and afterwards, as always, our young preacher boys will speak.
AWANA ends Wednesday, KFC begins next Wednesday.
And remember you can hear a rebroadcast of one of our pastors' services, on KURM radio, 100.3 on the FM dial, at 8:30 a.m. Sunday mornings or listen to our pastors' services at: http://www.firstbaptistchurchpineville.com/Sermons.html.
If you have no church home of your own, we would love for you to join us in ours. No friendlier, down home church, can be found anywhere in the four-state area.
Religion on 05/14/2015