Identity Theft – 7

Subject – The Lost Need to Know Who They Are in Christ

by Rick Welborne

1 Peter 2:9-12 (NLT)
⁹  But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.
¹⁰  “Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.”
¹¹  Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls.
¹²  Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world. 

--We have looked at people who have struggled with their identity and who have questioned what their real purpose is in this life. Many would question this familiar set of verses:

Jeremiah 29:11-14 (NIV)
¹¹  For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
¹²  Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.
¹³  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
¹⁴  I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile."

--Maybe you would question whether God has a plan for you or not. Maybe the thought of living a prosperous life is beyond your comprehension. A hope and a future…you think…I have no hope or future.

--Many could stand and testify today that their lives were empty and they seemed to have no hope at all. Many of them may have had ‘things’ but they did not have true happiness or joy! Maybe you were destitute.

--Don’t misunderstand me, growing up we were never without food or shelter but when I was born we lived in an 800 sq. ft. slave tenant house…Dad, mom, and four kids. My first bike came from the junk yard…junk!

--What was funny, as a very young kid, I did not know how poor we were…when we were in the third grade my parents bought a house in a real neighborhood with paved streets…Clampets had come to town.

--The house cost $6900 and I remember my parents talking about how tough it would be to make a $76 payment every month. When they sold it four or five years after I graduated they got $35,000 dollars. Up town.

--We definitely were poor spiritually…church was never on the radar, and God and Jesus were talked about often but never in ways that was respectable or honoring. We were lost with no plan or hope.

--By the time I was 17, not only was I poor, my life was bankrupt. Without love and guidance, I kept falling deeper and deeper into a spiritual abyss. This is when I met Ronnie Chunn…he saw identity in me I did not see.

--He started a two-year process of witnessing to me. He took much abuse but remained faithful to what I truly believe was God’s mission for him at that time…Imagine being assigned with that task!

--I finally went with him to a revival service…the rest has been history…that one encounter with Jesus has impacted me for eternity…I found my identity…I obviously found out God had a plan for my life. 

1. We must know who we are in Christ!

1 Peter 2:9-10 (NLT)
⁹  But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.
¹⁰  “Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.”

--We once had no identity as people but now we have received the mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ and everything has changed, or at least, it should have changed.

--Once you have given your heart to the Lord, the devil has only one plan for you, and that is for you to not know who you are in Christ…for you to lose your identity.

John 10:10 (NKJV)
¹⁰  The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

--Jonah was an Old Testament example of what happens when we do not know our identity in God and how that affects our lives.

Jonah 1:1-3 (NKJV)
¹  Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
²  "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me."
³  But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. 

--Jonah thought like many of us do, it does not matter what I do or what I am called to do…I will do my own thing and go my own way. We don’t have time to read all of the book of Jonah but:

--First the people on the ship he was taking to Tarshish were affected…They found themselves in a storm that was sent for Jonah…wow…our decisions do affect others who are around us.

--His decision cost others financially…because of the storm and Jonah they had to throw their cargo off the ship to lighten the load…the bad decisions you make can cost others bigtime. 

Romans 14:7 (NKJV)
⁷  For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself.

--Even though Jonah told the men on the ship to throw him overboard, they wanted to preserve his life…they rowed harder and harder…our decisions make others have to work harder…ask grandparents raising grandkids. 

--He ends up in the belly of a big fish…addiction can be a big fish…the wrong decision can be a big fish…not doing what God called you to do can be a big fish…we can disobey but there is a cost.

--Because Jonah tried to choose a different identity and a different plan an entire city could have been affected. When he obeyed, the people of Nineveh heard the Word and repented…revival came.

Romans 11:29 (NCV)
²⁹  God never changes his mind about the people he calls and the things he gives them.

2. We must know what we are called to do!

--Do you know what is sad? We are so much like Jonah, in that we know what God has called us to do but we choose to go a totally different direction. 

--When we speak of being called by the Lord we quickly think about specific ministries that God may or may not be calling us into.

Ephesians 4:11-12 (NLT)
¹¹  Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers.
¹²  Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ.

--This next list expands on the first and really opens up the areas we can be called into.

1 Corinthians 12:27-28 (NIV)
²⁷  Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
²⁸  And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues.

Romans 12:6-8 (NIV)
⁶  We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.
⁷  If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach;
⁸  if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

Galatians 5:13 (NLT)
¹³  For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. 

--I do not want to over simplify this message but according to what we just read, I come up with this basic conclusion about what we are called to do…We are called to serve God and serve one another. Agree?

--I truly believe that we, after we have been saved, should feel a call from God to love, serve, and disciple those who have received Christ. But what of those who have not received Christ? His call for us is to go!

Mark 16:15-16 (NKJV)
¹⁵  And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.
¹⁶  He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

--Once we go and get them…I mean, lead them to Christ, our next job is to disciple them into who God wants them to be…in other words…once they are saved we are called to serve them.

--Can I say it…thanks! The reason so many Christians are not enjoying their life in Christ is because they are neither going nor serving. We think, we pay others to go (missionaries) and others to serve (pastors). Out text:

1 Peter 2:9-10 (NLT)
⁹  But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.
¹⁰  “Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.” 

--Because you are royal priests, because you are God’s very own possession, because you are saved you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. 

3. We must know our identity is found in helping others find their identity.

--Right after Peter tells us that we can show others the goodness of God (in others words we show them their identity in Christ) we see that it says…Once we had no identity as a people and now we are God’s people.

--Once I did not know who I was or what I was supposed to do with my life, but now, because of finding God’s mercy…I know my identity.

--The sad woman at the well in John 4 did not know who she was and she surely did not know God had a plan for her life…Jesus knew His identity and that He came to seek and to save the lost.

--This woman thought her identity was found in having the right man, and she was right, it was the Son of Man, Jesus Christ. Once she found Him and her identity she became just like Him…what did she do?

John 4:28-42 (NKJV)
²⁸  The woman then left her waterpot, went her way into the city, and said to the men,
²⁹  "Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?"
³⁰  Then they went out of the city and came to Him.
³⁵  Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!
³⁹  And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who testified, "He told me all that I ever did."
⁴⁰  So when the Samaritans had come to Him, they urged Him to stay with them; and He stayed there two days.
⁴¹  And many more believed because of His own word.
⁴²  Then they said to the woman, "Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard Him and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world." 

--Watch this…the woman finds her identity in Christ and goes to tell the men of the city about Jesus. She did for them what Jesus had done for her!

--Jesus is saying the time is now to go and help people figure out who they are. Many received Christ because of this woman! A job well done!

Biblical Spiritual Warfare – 7

Subject – The Breastplate of Righteousness 

by Rick Welborne

Ephesians 6:10-14 (NIV)
¹⁰  Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
¹¹  Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.
¹²  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
¹³  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
¹⁴  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place… 

--The second piece of armor that we must put on is the breastplate of righteousness. 

1. The breastplate of righteousness is absolutely necessary to protect our hearts.

Psalm 24:3-10 (NKJV)
³  Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place?
⁴  He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully.
⁵  He shall receive blessing from the LORD, And righteousness from the God of his salvation.
⁶  This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him, Who seek Your face. Selah
⁷  Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in.
⁸  Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, The LORD mighty in battle.
⁹  Lift up your heads, O you gates! Lift up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in.
¹⁰  Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, He is the King of glory. Selah 

Proverbs 4:20-23 (NIV)
²⁰  My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words.
²¹  Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart;
²²  for they are life to those who find them and health to a man's whole body.
²³  Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. 

--It is so hard to get it through people’s heads how important it is to protect your hearts. To approach God we need pure hearts and really find the abundant (the wellspring) life we must guard our hearts.

--Oh, Pastor, it does not matter what I do because I can surely ask God to forgive me and all will be forgiven. First, it does matter what you do and hearts can be forgiven but they can also be scared. Warning:

1 Corinthians 6:18-20 (NKJV)
¹⁸  Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.
¹⁹  Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
²⁰  For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

1 Corinthians 6:18 (NLT)
¹⁸  Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body.

--Pastor Rick, there is no way that I am righteous; is there any hope for me? Please know that you are in good company…again we must depend on the completed work of Jesus on the cross. 

2 Corinthians 5:20-21 (NKJV)
²⁰  Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.
²¹  For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

--Righteousness is the positive result a person having a sound relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Once we are born again we strive to keep our hearts pure and to guard our hearts from sin.

2. The breastplate of righteousness is absolutely necessary to reflect the glory of God.

--Let me explain: When the Roman army was approaching an enemy, they would try to so align themselves with the sun shining against their breastplates as to not give away their numbers in the battle.

--Enemies were often frightened by the sight of this brilliant light coming toward them and many times would either flee or surrender. 

--Having this new revelation about the breastplate and the sun shining brilliantly and reflecting for the enemy to see, really made my heart leap with joy!

--As we put on the belt of truth we are putting on the Lord Jesus Christ and as we put on the breastplate of righteousness we are reflecting the glory of God.

--I began imagining preparing for battle (putting on the full armor of God) and taking the time to shine my breastplate (the thing that would protect my heart).

--I asked the Lord what would be symbolic of polishing or shining my breastplate? I felt Holy Spirit speak to me and say the polishing of the breastplate was symbolic of worship and prayer.

--Once we have put on Jesus (our belt of truth), nothing is more important than preparing for spiritual warfare by worshiping and praying especially in Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 6:18 (NCV)
¹⁸  Pray in the Spirit at all times with all kinds of prayers, asking for everything you need. To do this you must always be ready and never give up. Always pray for all God’s people. 

--I felt like the Lord spoke to me and said that the more we polish (worship and pray) the more we shine in this dark world and push back the principalities and powers warring against us. My heart turned to Isaiah. 

Isaiah 60:1-5 (NKJV)
¹  Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you.
²  For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the LORD will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you.
³  The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising.
⁴  "Lift up your eyes all around, and see: They all gather together, they come to you; Your sons shall come from afar, And your daughters shall be nursed at your side.
⁵  Then you shall see and become radiant, And your heart shall swell with joy; Because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, The wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you. 

--As we are intentional about putting on the belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness, God’s glory will burst forth!

--When we start marching side by side (unity) with the glory of God they will no longer see us but they will see the Lord Who is risen upon us!

3. The belt of truth and the breastplate of righteousness will cause the lost and hurting to come to God’s light.

--Verse 3 says, The Gentiles shall come to your light, They will come to your light…please get this…it is your light but it is God’s glory.

Matthew 5:14-16 (NKJV)
¹⁴  You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.
¹⁵  Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
¹⁶  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

--Isaiah says, not only will the Gentiles come to your light but kings also will come to the brightness of your rising…this is why we need to pray for our national and local leaders. Those in authority and power.

--Let’s stop speaking negatively about them and see what God will do…this is God’s Word so let’s pray for revival in our nation. 

--When we put on the belt of truth (Jesus) and when we put on our breastplate of righteousness (worshiping and praying) until His glory comes, we will see our sons and daughters return to God Who loves them.

Isaiah 60:5 (NKJV)
⁵  Then you shall see and become radiant, And your heart shall swell with joy; Because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, The wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you. 

--In the light of missions I especially like the last part of the verse…The wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you. God help us see in these last days wealth coming from the world to bless God’s Kingdom.

--The world is looking for an answer and they are looking for hope…come on Life Church, put on your belt and shine your armor…it is time to reflect the glory of God…Stop reflecting the despair of the world.

Ephesians 6:10-12 (NIV)
¹⁰  Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
¹¹  Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.
¹²  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 

--One of the biggest distractions for the church today is that we are fighting against flesh and blood…we are fighting each other. We have to be smarter than that and recognize Satan’s tricks.

--The Lord is saying to the church that since we are living in the last days that we need to stop fighting one another and realize the devil is our enemy…Stop putting a face to the fight.

--Here is the prayer we should be praying for one another:

Ephesians 1:15-23 (NIV)
¹⁵  For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints,
¹⁶  I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.
¹⁷  I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.
¹⁸  I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
¹⁹  and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength,
²⁰  which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,
²¹  far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.
²²  And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church,
²³  which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. 

--The Roman soldiers would strike their breastplate every step to make them sound like a strong powerful army as they drew closer and closer to the battle line.

--They marched in unison beating they armor letting the enemy know that they were united and strong…let’s do the same and see a great victory!

Identity Theft - 6

Seven Ways to Love Your Mother

Subject: How to Build Identity into Your Mom

by Rick Welborne

 John 19:25-27 (NKJV)
²⁵  Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.
²⁶  When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold your son!"
²⁷  Then He said to the disciple, "Behold your mother!" And from that hour that disciple took her to his own home.

--Mary witnessed the crucifixion from the foot of the cross.  Can you even imagine how she must’ve felt?

--Jesus turns to John and says, take care of her, and looks at his mother and says, let him stand in my place as your son.  John lived a very long life, and I believe he took care of Mary until she went to heaven.

 --Jesus is on the cross, bearing the weight of the sins of the whole world on His shoulders, yet He sees to it to make sure His mother is taken care of after He is gone!  

--As God, Jesus is dealing with eternal matters, but as a man, He’s showing all of us today how important it is to take care and love our mothers!

 --You cannot be willfully wrong with your mother and be right with God.  If your mother is still alive, regardless of your and her ages, you can love her in these 7 ways:

 1. Love her by what you say!

Men’s Philosophy – I don’t have to tell my wife I love her; she already knows I do. If I change my mind, I will let her know.

--The man may say I show my wife love, not just say it…and that may be true, but a woman needs to hear those words, “I Love You!” Look at your wife and tell her you love her. It does not take away your manhood!

--If you struggle to say to your wife or your mom, I love you…I am just not built like that, let God rebuild you... I am just not comfortable…then, get used to being uncomfortable…say it to them.

Proverbs 18:21-22 (NKJV)
²¹  Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.
²²  He who finds a wife finds a good thing, And obtains favor from the LORD. 

2. Love her by your touch!

--When’s the last time you gave your wife or your mom a hug without her asking for it…or a kiss on the cheek, or a neck rub, or just sat on the couch and held her hand?

--Your mom is the first person who ever touched you…she wrapped you up in her womb for months, and you came out and her first priority was to hold you. 

--She cuddled with you, stroked your face, rubbed your feet, held your little cheeks against hers, gave you a finger to hold…in love she did all these things, including cleaning you with a licked finger!

 --When you were little she could say, “give me sugar”, and you’d pucker up and she’d accept your wet, sloppy nasty kiss and even say thank you!  

--You give her bear hugs so tight she didn’t have to hold on…you’d just cling to her as she walked around!

  --She changed your diapers, potty trained you, and held the Kleenex for you to blow your nose!  She wiped food off of your face years longer than she should have had to!  

 --She constantly touched you!  And she may have to hand you off to another, and her life may endure some heavy changes, but she deserves your touch and should never have to give that up completely!

 --That touch would mean more to her than flowers or candy, or eating out, or a diamond necklace (well, let’s not go too far!) Everyone needs touch…everyone needs a hug! Why I love walking around the church!

Mark 10:13-14 (NKJV)
¹³  Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them.
¹⁴  But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.

 3. Love her by being patient!

--Mothers have an incredible job with no pay.  No position in the business world compares to the physical, emotional, and spiritual commitment she has in being a mother.

--She rises up at break of the day and through her tasks she races. She cooks the meals as best she can and scrubs the children’s faces while schoolbooks, lunches, homework too, all need consideration...

--And yet many insists she has— “No job” but when breakfast dishes all are done she rushes off to work her job or starts cleaning all the rooms one by one.

--With one eye she watches the little ones still at home while taking care of the enormous pile of clothes that have to be washed. I think I would rather dig a ditch than stay home and do housework and watch kids.

--We men like to play with them for an hour and get them all stirred up and then leave them to mom while we go fishing. Taking care of home is the hardest job…yet people say ‘stay at home moms’ do not work!

--Mom works all day at home or her job and the first thing she hears when she gets home is not…I love you or I missed you or how was your day…she hears…what’s for dinner, I’m starving!!! 

--Don’t ever make the mistake of asking a lady…Do you work or stay at home? Only thing worse is to ask an expecting mom…Are you ever going to have that baby? 

--Here’s the point, in spite of all she does for us, we often become impatient with her…we get so used to her taking care of things we come to expect it…give the lady a break!

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (NIV)
⁴  Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
⁵  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
⁶  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
⁷  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
⁸  Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 

4.  Love her by your willingness to hear her heart.

--Mothers listen as you pour out your heart…she has a sympathetic ear and always has…and even as an adult you’ve gone to her when you want someone who will really listen and understand…and she’ll always be there.

--No wonder athletes say…I love you, Mom! When they are interviewed…Mom’s listen and they care.

--A documentary was done on prisoners on death row…they were interviewed as well as their moms. Invariably the moms would say, He’s such a good boy!  Interviewer:  yes, but he slaughtered 37 with an axe!... “I know, but he has a good heart!”

 --It’s no wonder we like to talk to mom…she listens…but now she has issues, and now it’s your turn to be her “rock” and take time to listen…it’s payback time! “But, she’s always complaining” yes, just like you did!

--There is a reason God gave us two ears and one mouth…we should listen twice as much as we talk! Listen to mom and hear her heart…yes, she is frustrated but you would be too if you had to deal with you!

5. Love her gratefully.

--An elementary science class had been studying magnets, and how metal objects are attracted to them.  At the end of the semester the teacher puts on exam this question:  

--What word has six letters and it starts with the letter “M” and it picks up things? After the teaching the obvious answer was magnet but over half the class wrote “Mother”. 

--She needs a sincere thank you, and not just today, but from a genuinely thankful heart when least expected!

Romans 1:20-22 (NKJV)
²⁰  For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,
²¹  because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
²²  Professing to be wise, they became fools,

--Now I know these verses are talking about our relationship with God but I think it can truly apply to our moms.

A. God’s attributes were clearly seen…mom’s attributes, also, are clearly seen by what she does.

B. They knew God but did not glorify Him as God…we know mom but give her no praise for what she does.

C. They knew God but were not thankful…we know mom but we are not thankful for her.

D. Their thinking was messed up toward God…our thoughts toward our mothers are messed up.

E. Their hearts were darkened toward God…our hearts too can be darkened toward mom.

F. They professed to be wise but became fools…when we think we know it all, we become fools! Be thankful for the wisdom of your mom.

 6.     Love her generously!

--It would be very difficult to be too good to her and to repay her for all she has done for you. Instead of spending on herself, she spent it on others in the family.

--Maybe it is time for her to be treated with generosity…maybe it is time for her to reap what she has sown…maybe God can use you to be the one to repay her for her sacrifice.

--She has given generously as a taxi service for you…she has blessed you when she had her own needs…she scripturally has been the greatest among us by being a servant. 

Matthew 23:11-12 (NKJV)
¹¹  But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.
¹²  And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

7. Love her honorably.

Exodus 20:12 (NKJV)
¹²  "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you. 

--When children leave home and start their own lives and families, children could argue that they longer have to obey their parents and they would be right but to honor is something you do until they die.

--This is binding as long as your mother lives. If the husband is the head of the home, then the mother is the heart...don’t break her heart!

 --You may say “My mother wasn’t honorable!”  Well, the Bible says nothing about that qualification. 

--It only asks, is she your mother! It’s the only one of the 10 commandments which includes a built-in promise of blessing! That your days may be long!

 Ephesians 6:1-3 (NLT)
¹  Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do.
²  “Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise:
³  If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.”