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2 Tim. 3:10-17
We invite you to join us for worship each Sunday morning at 9:30. You can also download our service at Baptist-Christian at iTunes. Anyone who thinks motherhood is a walk in the park has never been a mother! Someone figured out that by the time a child reaches the age of 18 a mother has had to handle some 18 thousand hours of child generated work! There is an old Spanish proverb – an ounce of mother is worth a pound of clergy! When we look at Timothy’s life we see the power of a mother’s influence. Read 2 Tim. 1:3-9. Timothy grew to be a minister of Christ and many scholars believe he pastured the church at Ephesus. Let’s consider how his mother, Eunice and his grandmother, Lois, influenced his life. They both:
- INSTILLED AN ADORATION FOR THE SCRIPTURE. Read 2 Tim. 3:12-17. Paul tells Timothy if he is to be a true man of God, persecution is a given. The true heart commitment to God, even commitment to death, isn’t something that happens instantly. It must be cultivated and grounded way before persecution happens. In 2 Tim. 3:14 we learn that Timothy learned the Scriptures as a child. Eunice was teaching Timothy the Scriptures by living them in front of him. As a result, Timothy became convinced or assured by what he learned from observation. Both Eunice and Lois were so dedicated to living the Scriptures in their daily lives that when Timothy was grown and on his own, he was so convinced that what he saw in his mom and grandmother was the only and right way to live. Mom, what are you teaching your child/children now, that will influence them to follow Christ when they “leave the nest?” Notice Eunice and Lois also
- INSPIRED AN AUTHENTIC FAITH! Read 2 Tim. 1:5. An authentic faith is cultivated only from strong adoration for the Scriptures. Timothy’s “faith” in this verse means free from hypocrisy and pretense. The word finds it origin in agape, which defines God’s love for us; it is pure, genuine, real! Read 1 Tim. 1;1-7 and notice in verse 5 how all this is hooked to agape love. The point is that one cannot have authentic faith without agape love! The two are inseparably bound together. Timothy’s mother and grandmother taught him an authentic faith by living it in their daily lives. Is that what you are doing Mom-Grandma? Notice these ladies also
- INSTILLED AN ASPIRATION TO MINISTER. Read 1 Tim. 4:6-8. There are several passages throughout these two letters that indicated Timothy had a heart to minister. Usually a Godly mom/grandmother recognizes skills and talents early in the life of their children. A truly Godly mother or grandmother will never do or say anything to discount or discourage a child’s abilities and talents; nor will they try in any way to steal a child’s dream. In fact Mom-Grandma you should be teaching your child those aspirations come from God. They do if they don’t in any way contradict God’s Word. You should be doing all in your power to encourage your child or children to follow the prompting of God’s Holy Spirit to develop their talents to the fullest for God’s glory. Use your influence to guide your children to Christ as Savior, then to pledge their allegiance to Him all their life.
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