Every week I publish my sermon notes so that you may read them for yourselves. For my parishioners, this could be a good review from the weekend before. And it gives you a chance to see what I intended to say! For other pastors and ministers, feel free to borrow and use any of this material. I'd love for God to be glorified by you incorporating these notes into your own worship.
A Mother’s Faith - 05.12.13
Scripture: 2 Timothy 1:5-7 / Video: In Her Steps [1:40]
Challenge of Mothers Day - for some of us, it’s a great day of celebration. Great moms. New moms. Most kids (grandkids) moms. Longest moms. But for others, Mother’s Day brings sorrows. Lost moms. Almost moms. Wish they could be moms. Not good moms.
Illustration: conversation with woman who couldn’t have children. “Lots of different kinds of moms.” Here’s the question we want to be asking today - Do you have influence over others? Greatest task of any mom - or of any person - is to possess a true Christian faith and instill into another person’s life (child or otherwise).
What does a mother’s faith look like? (Read 2 Tim. 1:5-7 / p. 832)
6 Characteristics of a Mother’s Faith:
1. A faith that is ___SINCERE___ .
“I have been reminded of your sincere faith.” 2 Timothy 1:5a
Sincere = ἀνυπόκριτος anupókritos = “not hypocritical,” not an act, genuine. Where we get the word actor. A child watching Mom knows if the way she acts in public is the same as the way she acts in private. Sometimes we get “sincere” wrong... George Burns used to say, “Sincerity is everything. If you can fake that, you’ve got it made.” To pass the “sincere” faith test, we need to do 3 things:
- Make sure our faith is genuine. Need times of examination.
- Need to allow protege close enough to see the authentic me
- Accept my failures. Don’t hide my mistakes.
What always impressed me about my own mom’s faith, was not the perfection of her faith, but the direction of her faith. I knew that her prayers (along with her struggles) were genuine.
Transition: The best sermons are lived and not preached.
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