Like mother-like daughter: The mouse of my mother’s aunt eats a Chinese guitar while drinking tea with the cat.

I. A Child learns how to live primarily from observing their Mother (Truth is both taught and caught)

Pr 31:1 The words of King Lemuel, the utterance which his mother taught him: (Dt 6:4-7)

Taught: (piel) intensive intentional repeated action; to instruct, admonish, discipline, correct, chasten, chastise; prophetic burden

A. Since more things are caught than taught (modeling recorded by sub-conscious) we must first possess to pass on

B. Second-hand truth (sermon/devotional sound-bites) is like cold soggy McDonalds versus choice marinated steaks hot off the grill

Dt 6:5 You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. 6 And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

II. We learn to depend on God by asking for help and having our needs met (physical and emotional) though prayer

2  What, my son? And what, son of my womb? And what, son of my vows? (cf 1Sam 1:15 Hannah)

A. A parent demonstrates God’s goodness and sufficiency by responding to requests as God would, and receiving sufficiency from God

B. Needs, wants/desires, anxieties/fears, security, etc., are all met by an unceasing, expectant dependency on the Almighty Creator God.

Lk 11:11 If a son asks for bread…give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish?

2Co 3:5  Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; 1Th 5:17 Pray without ceasing.

2Co 9:8 God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:

III. We learn the self-discipline to make wise choices according to the will of God rather than foolish tempting choices (escapism) by observation and purposeful training

3  Do not give your strength to women, Nor your ways to that which destroys kings.

4  It is not for kings, O Lemuel, It is not for kings to drink wine, Nor for princes intoxicating drink;

A. Hypocrisy speaks louder than a hundred lectures.

B. Credibility is found in Christlikeness.

Pr 29:15 The rod and rebuke give wisdom, But a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.

Pr 16:6  By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD [men] depart from evil.

IV. We learn to keep the law 1^st in our thinking (& ourselves in the place of blessing) though consequences

5  Lest they drink and forget the law, And pervert the justice of all the afflicted.

A. Since we tend to do what is directly in front of us, we must keep God’s law primary in our thinking (What does God say about this?)

Pr 1:8 My son, hear the instruction of your father, And do not forsake the law of your mother;

B. Cars Cuties & Cash Dt 17:18 he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book. 19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law    cx 1Ki 11:4 when Solomon was old, his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David  QT/SM

V. Our sense of Justice, Compassion, and Courage are developed through debriefed responses to trials.

6  Give strong drink to him who is perishing, And wine to those who are bitter of heart.  7  Let him drink and forget his poverty, And remember his misery no more. 8  Open your mouth for the speechless, In the cause of all who are appointed to die.

9  Open your mouth, judge righteously, And plead the cause of the poor and needy.

Our ability to be other centered and courageous is dependent upon our consciousness of God’s care, provision, and plan for us.

VI. A Godly Woman builds priceless worth and value by paying the cost to care most about what God thinks of her.

10  Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies. (See Truthbase.net for next outline)

30  Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.

Questions for Reflection/Discussion/Response:

1. What do you think most mothers want most from their children? Why is that?

2. What’s the natural result of a woman finding her worth and value in something other than her relationship with God?

3. What can help children of single or absentee parent families?

4. How does someone develop character traits? How does one develop new or Christlike traits?

5. What happens if children of imperfect parents don’t reparent themselves? Accept/Blame/Consider/Decide/Emphasize/Find/Grow/Help

Pr 23:25  Let your father and your mother be glad, And let her who bore you rejoice.

Pr 30:11  [There is] a generation [that] curses its father, And does not bless its mother.

Norman Bates of All About Families ministry says, "She�s got to be as insightful as a psychologist, tough as a Marine Corps DI, gentle as a nurse. She�s got to be a labor and management negotiator, a teacher, an electrician, a plumber and a carpenter. It requires a massive amount of patience, endless energy, and iron will, and the ever present reality that if she gets sick, she�s got to get well before the end of the day." And all the Mothers say, Amen!

But oh what a difference a godly woman can make.

Meanness in girls can start when they still are toddlers, a Brigham Young University study found. It found that girls as young as 3 or 4 will use manipulation and peer pressure to get what they want.  "It could range from leaving someone out to telling their friends not to play with someone to saying, 'I'm not going to invite you to my birthday party,'" said Craig Hart, study co-author and professor of marriage, family and human development at BYU. "Some kids are really adept at being mean and nasty." They regularly exclude others and threaten to withdraw friendship when they don't get their way.

The Keepers of the Springs – Mother’s Day Sermon

2 Timothy 1:5-7, 3:14-15

Note from David -This sermon is dedicated to my Mother, Lodie Marie Bowden Wilson. Mother went home May 29, 1991. In her life she was a daughter, sister, wife, WAC, civil servant, Mother and Grandmother. Not a day goes by that I do not miss her, but I know where she is, and one day, I will see her again. She was truly a Keeper of the Springs.

Peter Marshall, one of my favorite preachers from days gone by, told this story.

Once upon a time, a certain town grew up at the foot of a mountain range. It was sheltered there in it’s shadow, so that the cruel wind that threw sleet at the windows and howled through the cracks of homes on the other side, when it came to the foot of the mountain, was a wind spent.

High up in the hills, a strange and quiet fellow took it upon himself to be the Keeper of the springs. Whenever he would see a spring, he cleaned its brown pool of silt and fallen leaves, of mud and mould., and took away all foreign matter, so that the water that bubbled up from the springs was clean and cold and pure.

It leaped sparkling over rocks and dropped joyously in crystal cascades until swollen by other streams, it became a river of life to the busy town.

Millwheels were turned by its rush. Gardens were refreshed by its waters. Fountains threw it like diamonds into the air. On its surface swans swam lazily, and children laughed and played on its banks in the springtime.

But the city council was a group of penny conscious businessmen. They scanned the budget and found within it a salary for the Keeper of the Springs. The CPA said, "Why are we paying this invisible man? He is never seen. We don’t need him. Why if we build a reservoir, we can do away with the position entirely.

So they did. The water filled the concrete basin, but it didn’t seem the same. Where before it was sparkling and clear as it moved past the city, now it sat, brown and languid. Soon, it began to show the signs of a green slime. There were constant troubles with the pumps after that, and the swans found a cleaner place above town.

Finally, an epidemic broke out, and the sickness reached its cold hand into every home in the city. The City Council met again, realizing the error of its ways, and called for the Keeper of the Springs to make it right again. It wasn’t long until it was right. The springs were cleaned and the water joyfully leaped down the mountain. The Millwheels turned as of old. The swans returned. And children played again by the banks of the stream.

Now by now you are wondering, where is he going. Well, I do not exaggerate when I tell you this morning that I think of women and mothers as keepers of the springs.

It was my mother who read me the scriptures. My mother who taught me how to pray. And my mother who made sure I did. It was my mother who enrolled me in Sunday School as a baby - they called it the cradle roll back then. All through my life, she consistently applied both the gospel and at times the flat palm of her hand to my life, each where they would do the most good.

She was following too, her mother’s example. Now I will insert here my Mother’s Day disclaimer. I am talking on Mother’s Day about the influence a godly WOMAN can have on our lives. If you are not a Mother, that by no means excuses you from the responsibility to seek to influence other people for Christ. Men, you know that we need sometimes to stand back while our women work and praise God for their tenderness, their patience - I really like the KJV word to describe a mother’s love - loving-kindness. So I am not giving anyone a get out of the sermon free card today. There is something for us all in a godly example and its results.

It’s not an easy thing, this motherhood. For anyone who is entrusted with the care of children needs 189 moveable parts, 3 pairs of hands and the ever popular eyes in the back of her head. Norman Bates of All About Families ministry says, "She’s got to be as insightful as a psychologist, tough as a Marine Corps DI, gentle as a nurse. She’s got to be a labor and management negotiator, a teacher, an electrician, a plumber and a carpenter. It requires a massive amount of patience, endless energy, and iron will, and the ever present reality that if she gets sick, she’s got to get well before the end of the day." And all the Mothers say, Amen!

But oh what a difference a godly woman can make.

Abraham Lincoln was once quoted as saying, "No man is poor, who has had a godly mother." There is no position ordained by God with more influence than that of a Mother. That cuts sharp at times though, doesn’t it.

I remember watching a TV show where the lead character, a woman, catches herself in the middle of an act that she remembers from somewhere, but just can’t quite figure out where. She continues for a few moments, and then it hits her. She rushes over to the mirror, and screams, "I’ve become my Mother!" How many of us can find things we do, or say that we can trace right back to something we learned maybe without ever realizing we did.

It is a powerful influence.

When attending the funeral service for Mrs. Ruby Mimbs last week, I was touched as example after example of her influence was testified to. I myself felt it just last Sunday too, as I was told that my use of the word D-A-R-N (I spelled it hoping to sneak it by), would have earned me a trip to discipline city. Of course I’ve never been there before. Well, let me be a little more accurate. Only recently can I pass a chinaberry tree without involuntarily putting my hand behind me in hopes of deflecting a switches’ blows.

Paul is giving credit where credit is due. Timothy had become a Christian, and a strong believer, thanks to the influence of his Mother and his grandmother, Lois and Eunice. The seeds they sowed with little Timothy had produced fruit pleasing to God.

It was a Powerful Influence, but it was also a Perpetual Influence.

Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3:15-17 “that from childhood you had known the Holy Scriptures." How did little Timothy learn them? In his Mother’s and Grandmother’s lap. I have seen that picture played out in the life of my sons, as their grandmother read the Bible stories to them in a way that made them seem to jump off the pages. Then their Mother drilled into their hearts with a question that was asked and answered hundreds of times. Over and over Bunny would ask Adam, then Sean, "who loves you best?" At first they would say "Mommy." Bunny would then lovingly correct them, "no, what did Mommy tell you? Who loves you best?" Then each boy would answer, "God loves me best."

It is that consistency of virtue that does "train up a child in the way he should go" that produces "and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Plant those seeds of salvation beloved. Men and women alike must dedicate themselves to making disciples of those loved ones that they are in regular and sustained contact.

Now some of you this morning may have a prodigal in a far country. Let me give you assurance that God’s Word will bring them back. One day they will realize just who loves them best, if you made a diligent effort to plant the seeds of salvation.

Paul referred to a "sincere faith" that made the difference. Now I am not going to get personal here, but if the Holy Spirit decides to, then you blame Him. Is your faith sincere? I have known many people over the years that seemed full of faith on the outside, but were not sincere. And you know what, time will tell.

My oldest son is dating a young woman who told us just last week that her parents dropped her off at church, but didn’t go themselves. They wanted to make sure that she read the bible, but didn’t themselves. Now when their child is a woman of 22, they want her to have the faith that they do not have. Today more than ever, we need sincere faith. I’ve sure seen a lot of the false faith. Many times it is so covered in Christian cliches that it’s like peeling a onion to get to the truth, but it always is revealed.

I came across a quote this week that rings with truth. "You can do everything else right as a parent, but if you don’t begin with loving God, you are going to fail." Beloved, parenthood is a partnership with God. We are given God’s most precious creation, a baby, warm and helpless, and for 20 years or so we work with God to bring His work to completion. It is in exact parallel to our following of God’s plan for our lives that we see success in giving back to our Creator, a man or woman fit for His service.

Can I ask you another question? What do you see as most important for your child to know? Algebra, computers, or Christ? Softball, soccer, or the Savior? Many of us think nothing of making sure little Johnny or Susie get here and there on time and on budget, but when it comes to church activities, well, he or she just has too much going on right now.

Well beloved, you have to decide what you want your child to value. If they choose, you can be sure that Madison Avenue, Disney, and the like will entice them away from faith. Choose to put God first in your life and then your child’s and all the rest will fall into place. But if you don’t start the trip to adulthood with Christ, it gets more and more difficult to go back and get Him on board as they get older. Choose this day who you will serve said Joshua. You too have choices to make that will have eternal consequences.

It’s a powerful influence, a perpetual influence, but at times it is also a painful influence

I think Mary understood this well. On the day she took her son Jesus to be dedicated at the temple, she was told, "a sword will pierce your heart also." How many times did I see my Mother cry over me. And for twenty years as a father, I’ve seen my wife cry over my sons. There’s something I’ve come to realize about those tears though. They are not tears of defeat, in fact, they are a sure sign of victory.

It was a Powerful Influence, but it was also a Perpetual Influence.

Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3:15-17 “that from childhood you had known the Holy Scriptures." How did little Timothy learn them? In his Mother’s and Grandmother’s lap. I have seen that picture played out in the life of my sons, as their grandmother read the Bible stories to them in a way that made them seem to jump off the pages. Then their Mother drilled into their hearts with a question that was asked and answered hundreds of times. Over and over Bunny would ask Adam, then Sean, "who loves you best?" At first they would say "Mommy." Bunny would then lovingly correct them, "no, what did Mommy tell you? Who loves you best?" Then each boy would answer, "God loves me best."

It is that consistency of virtue that does "train up a child in the way he should go" that produces "and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Plant those seeds of salvation beloved. Men and women alike must dedicate themselves to making disciples of those loved ones that they are in regular and sustained contact.

Now some of you this morning may have a prodigal in a far country. Let me give you assurance that God’s Word will bring them back. One day they will realize just who loves them best, if you made a diligent effort to plant the seeds of salvation.

Paul referred to a "sincere faith" that made the difference. Now I am not going to get personal here, but if the Holy Spirit decides to, then you blame Him. Is your faith sincere? I have known many people over the years that seemed full of faith on the outside, but were not sincere. And you know what, time will tell.

My oldest son is dating a young woman who told us just last week that her parents dropped her off at church, but didn’t go themselves. They wanted to make sure that she read the bible, but didn’t themselves. Now when their child is a woman of 22, they want her to have the faith that they do not have. Today more than ever, we need sincere faith. I’ve sure seen a lot of the false faith. Many times it is so covered in Christian cliches that it’s like peeling a onion to get to the truth, but it always is revealed.

I came across a quote this week that rings with truth. "You can do everything else right as a parent, but if you don’t begin with loving God, you are going to fail." Beloved, parenthood is a partnership with God. We are given God’s most precious creation, a baby, warm and helpless, and for 20 years or so we work with God to bring His work to completion. It is in exact parallel to our following of God’s plan for our lives that we see success in giving back to our Creator, a man or woman fit for His service.

Can I ask you another question? What do you see as most important for your child to know? Algebra, computers, or Christ? Softball, soccer, or the Savior? Many of us think nothing of making sure little Johnny or Susie get here and there on time and on budget, but when it comes to church activities, well, he or she just has too much going on right now.

Well beloved, you have to decide what you want your child to value. If they choose, you can be sure that Madison Avenue, Disney, and the like will entice them away from faith. Choose to put God first in your life and then your child’s and all the rest will fall into place. But if you don’t start the trip to adulthood with Christ, it gets more and more difficult to go back and get Him on board as they get older. Choose this day who you will serve said Joshua. You too have choices to make that will have eternal consequences.

It’s a powerful influence, a perpetual influence, but at times it is also a painful influence

I think Mary understood this well. On the day she took her son Jesus to be dedicated at the temple, she was told, "a sword will pierce your heart also." How many times did I see my Mother cry over me. And for twenty years as a father, I’ve seen my wife cry over my sons. There’s something I’ve come to realize about those tears though. They are not tears of defeat, in fact, they are a sure sign of victory.

When those times come when Mother’s cry it is this washing of their soul that prepares their hearts again for battle against all that Satan can array against her. How powerful are a Mother’s tears? One tear from a Mother can move even the strongest man to do what he would not for any other reason under the sun do. One tear from a wife can move a man past his pride and cause him to become a real minister to his family. Did you notice Paul’s comment about Timothy’s tears? Brothers, don’t be afraid to show you hurt. Real life hurts sometimes. Real grace heals it.

Still, can I confess that there are times when I just don’t get it? When I feel outside the great secret that is Motherhood.

The story is told of a family’s pet dog that died one morning, and they were discussing it later at the dinner table. Mother was quite sad and one of her sons said, "Don’t feel bad Mother, we can get a new dog tomorrow." The father then chimed in his support and concern by saying, "Yes honey, and you know yourself that Rover was old and sick and ready to pass over to doggie heaven." But the Mother was not satisfied.

"You just don’t understand," she said. "To you he was just a dog, but I was the one that held him and fed him as a puppy. I took care of him everyday and cleaned up his messes. It was me that took him to the vet every time he got sick. That dog was part of my heart."

I’ve experienced that love myself. When I doubted I could ever finish college, my Mother and my wife said, "You can do it." When I was faced with difficult decisions, time after time, I’d turn to the Bible my Mother gave me. When it seemed no one else believed in me, my Mother and my wife did. Friends, when a woman gives you their heart, treasure it, for it is beyond price.

Almost 8 years ago today, on a Sunday morning like this one, I held my Mother’s hand for the last time in this world. I was watching as she fought for life. The cancer had ravaged her body. Her lungs were filled with fluid and couldn’t be drained again. I prayed to my God to take my Mother home. One last beat of her heart, one last pulse through her arteries. I was holding her wrist when I felt what I believe was a release of all the cares of this world. She was home.

Beloved of God, my mother held my hand so many times when I crossed the street. If I needed her, she reached down and grabbed my hand in hers and made sure I was okay. I believe she did it one last time that Sunday morning as she made sure I understood just how to go home.

Do you know how to get home? The Bible tells us that this world is not our home. Our home is with Jesus Christ, and we cannot get there to Him unless we claim His salvation through faith in His sacrifice for our sins, and His resurrection as our eternal hope of glory.

As I wrote this last line of the message, it came to me what you need to know before you leave here this morning - Yes, your Mother may love you, but God loves you best. Will you come and claim that love?