Reference

Proverbs 31:10, 2 Timothy 1:5, Deuteronomy 6:6-7, 1 Samuel 1:27-28

Homegrown Faith: God's Plan for Marriage and Motherhood

THE HEART OF A MOTHER: NURTURING FAITH AT HOME

Text: Proverbs 31:10ff, 2 Timothy 1:5, Deuteronomy 6:6-7, 1 Samuel 1:27-28

Intro: Good morning and Happy Mother’s Day! Today, we celebrate the blessing of mothers—their love, sacrifice, and deep impact on the family. A mother’s heart is at the center of her home. She shapes not only the routines and meals but also the faith and character of her children.

 

Many of you here today carry a deep longing—to raise godly children who love the Lord. But in a world that pulls them in every direction, how do we make faith real at home? How do we model the kind of trust in God that will stay with them for a lifetime?

Today, we will look at three ways a mother nurtures faith at home—through her example, by her teaching, and with her prayers.

 

A Mother’s Faith is Her Child’s First Lesson

 

2 Timothy 1:5 “I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.”

 

Timothy became a great leader in the early church, but his faith didn’t begin in a synagogue or a classroom—it began at home. His mother, Eunice, and his grandmother, Lois, lived out a sincere faith that shaped him.

 

Moms, you are the first Bible your children will ever read. Before they can ever understand doctrine, they will understand love, kindness, and devotion—modeled through you.

 

Prov 31:10–12 “Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies. The heart of her husband safely trusts her… She does him good and not evil all the days of her life.”

 

Why does Prov 31:10 begin by asking, “Who can find a virtuous wife?”—not because she doesn’t exist, but because she’s rare and valuable. She is “more precious than rubies.”

 

Her strength is in fearing the Lord and walking with Him daily. Her faith doesn’t sit still – it shapes her family’s future.

 

It adds value to her husband. “The heart of her husband safely trusts her.”

 

This woman isn’t just helpful—she’s heroic. She is wisdom in work boots.

 

The book of Proverbs is bookended by Lady Wisdom in ch.1 and the Virtuous Wife in ch.31.

 

Sprinkled in between ch.1 and ch.31 are examples of foolish women.

 

The choice Proverbs presents isn’t just between right and wrong—it’s between two kinds of women: The Foolish Woman and Lady Wisdom.

 

Avoid the foolish woman at all costs.

 

She is presented as a promiscuous seductress who cares nothing for the sacred bonds of marriage.

 

Prov 5:3–5 “For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey, and her mouth is smoother than oil; But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. Her feet go down to death, her steps lay hold of hell.”

 

She’s a skilled predator who uses her words and her body to entice men to ruin their reputations and destroy their homes.

 

Prov 6:24–26 “…To keep you from the evil woman, from the flattering tongue of a seductress. Do not lust after her beauty in your heart, nor let her allure you with her eyelids. For by means of a harlot a man is reduced to a crust of bread…”

 

Lady Wisdom, on the other hand, is the voice of God’s truth calling out to all who will listen.

 

Prov 1:20–23 “Wisdom calls aloud outside; She raises her voice in the open squares… ‘Turn at my rebuke; Surely I will pour out my spirit on you.’”

 

She is noble and trustworthy, and she doesn’t hide.

 

Unlike the seductive whisper of the Foolish Woman, Lady Wisdom stands in the open and urges us to fear the Lord, to embrace understanding, and to live with integrity.

 

In Proverbs 31, she’s personified in the virtuous wife—strong, industrious, and God-fearing, a model of wise, godly living.

 

When a man marries Lady Wisdom, he doesn’t just get a wife—he gains a future.

 

Consider that the book of Proverbs doesn’t end with a king’s speech or a professor’s lecture – it’s ends with a mother.

 

That tells you something important about what God values.

 

Why does Proverbs end with this kind of woman? Because she’s the answer to every warning about the foolish seductress.

 

Wisdom has a name—it’s “Mom.”

 

Application:

  • If we want our children to pray, they need to see us pray.
  • If we want them to love the Bible, they need to see us in the Word.
  • If we want them to trust God, they need to see us steadfastly worship Him in hard times.

 

A Mother’s Words Shape the Future

 

Deut 6:6-7 “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”

 

She doesn't just teach with words—she teaches with presence. Every moment, every routine is a classroom for her children.

 

The ordinary becomes eternal as she teaches her children “when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.”

 

illus: Amy Carmichael was born in 1867 to a devout Christian family in Ireland. From an early age, her mother taught her that prayer was real, and that God was near. One night, little Amy prayed fervently for God to change her brown eyes to blue. She believed—fully, childlike—but woke up disappointed. Her mother gently explained that God always answers prayer, just not always the way we expect. Years later, in India, Amy disguised herself in native dress to sneak into Hindu temples where young girls were trapped as ritual slaves. Her brown eyes allowed her to blend in and rescue them. That childhood “no” had been God’s sovereign “yes.”

 

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”

Impact Stats:

  • Amy served in India for 55 years without furlough.
  • She founded the Dohnavur Fellowship, a sanctuary for abused or abandoned children.
  • She rescued over 1,000 children, primarily girls forced into temple prostitution.
  • Her writings—over 35 books—still influence missionaries and believers today.

 

Amy Carmichael – “You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.”

Amy’s mother didn’t raise a missionary by pushing her. She raised one by walking with Jesus herself in front of her daughter.

 

Her example, her bedtime prayers, and her gentle theology formed the soul of a girl who would one day become a spiritual giant.

 

Mom, Dad—don’t rush past the little questions. Don’t dismiss those childlike prayers.  What you’re doing in your home might seem small—but heaven sees it as shaping the future.

 

Prov 31:26–27 “She opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness. She watches over the ways of her household…”

 

A mother’s voice becomes her child’s internal soundtrack. She opens her mouth, and wisdom comes out.

 

Not complaints, not chaos—wisdom. And it’s covered in kindness. In her words, there’s warmth. In her tone, there’s truth.

 

She manages the home like a CEO, speaks like a counselor, and loves like a mother—because God built her for more than one lane.

 

A godly mother doesn’t just keep the house running—she keeps the people inside it growing.

 

Her children are learning not just what to believe—but how to live.

 

Application:

  • Speak truth over your children: Remind them they are loved, chosen, and made for a purpose.
  • Use everyday moments to teach: Talk about God’s faithfulness while driving, cooking, or playing.
  • Correct in love: Discipline should be a time of teaching, not just punishment.

 

A Mother’s Prayers Impact Eternity

 

She doesn’t worry – she worships. She doesn’t panic—she prays.

 

illus: Hudson Taylor was a rebellious teen, indifferent to the things of God. He had grown up in a devout home, but like the prodigal son, he drifted. At 17, while visiting a relative’s library, he picked up a gospel tract out of boredom—and was suddenly overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit. He gave his life to Christ on the spot. What he didn’t know was that his mother had locked herself in a room that very day, determined not to leave until she had the assurance that her son would be saved. Hours into her intercession, she said the Spirit gave her peace—and weeks later, Hudson confirmed the moment of his salvation matched her prayer.

 

James 5:16b “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”

Impact Stats:

  • Hudson Taylor founded the China Inland Mission (now OMF International) in 1865.
  • At the time of phis death in 1905, the mission had:
    • Sent over 800 missionaries
    • Established 125 schools
    • Started 300+ mission stations
    • Reached untold thousands of Chinese converts

 

Hudson Taylor – “It is possible to move men, through God, by prayer alone.”

You may never preach to thousands or cross a sea, but your prayers can go further than your feet.

 

Hudson Taylor’s mother didn’t save China—but she helped birth the man who would shake it for Christ.


Don’t underestimate the quiet power of a mother on her knees.

 

Moms, your prayers are not background noise in heaven—they are battle cries. God heard one mother’s intercession and shook two continents through her son. You’re not just raising a child. You might be raising a world-changer.

 

1 Sam 1:27-28 “I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord.”

 

Hannah’s story reminds us that your greatest work as mothers isn’t in controlling your children but in surrendering them to God.

Charles Spurgeon was raised by a godly mother who often prayed aloud for her children. On one occasion, she prayed…

 

Eliza Jarvis Spurgeon – “Lord, if my children go on in their sins, it will not be from ignorance that they perish. And my soul must bear a swift witness against them at the day of judgment if they lay not hold of Christ.”

 

Proverbs 31:20–21, 25, 28–31 “She extends her hand to the poor… She is not afraid of snow for her household… Strength and honor are her clothing… Her children rise up and call her blessed… A woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.”


A praying mother leaves fingerprints on eternity.

 

She prepares her family like she’s preparing them for a storm—because she is. And prayer is her umbrella.

 

“She extends her hand to the poor… she is not afraid of snow for her household.”

 

Her home is more than shelter—it’s her base of operations for shaping lives and blessing the community.

 

She lives wide awake to the needs around her—her hands are ready to give, not just to work.

 

She doesn’t brace for disaster—she laughs at the days to come because she’s already placed them in God’s hands.

 

This woman isn’t background support—she is the crown of the book of Proverbs. She is wisdom in work boots, faith with a backbone, and grace that goes the distance.

 

She is God’s answer to a foolish world. Her days show her skill at living. Her routine points to God’s righteousness in Christ.

 

“Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.”

 

She is the tree of life for her children. They rise and call her blessed because through her, they’ve tasted the goodness of God.

 

And her legacy? It doesn’t fade with time because the secret isn’t in her success – it’s in her surrender.

 

“A woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.”

 

Is she praised for being perfect? No.

 

She’s praised for fearing the Lord and faithfully walking in wisdom. That’s a legacy worth passing on.

 

You can’t be everywhere. You can’t protect them from every hardship. But your prayers can reach places you cannot.

 

Application:

  • Pray for their hearts to be soft toward God.
  • Pray for their friendships and future spouse.
  • Pray for wisdom in how to guide them.

 

Conclusion: A Mother’s Legacy of Faith

 

The greatest gift a mother can give is a legacy of faith—a home where Christ is honored, love is abundant, and prayer is a foundation.

 

Maybe you feel like you’ve fallen short. Maybe you’re just starting this journey. Take heart—God’s grace is sufficient. Start where you are, and trust that your faithfulness today will bear fruit in the future.

 

Prayer: Lord, thank You for the gift of motherhood. Give every mother here grace to walk in faith, speak life, and pray with boldness. May their children rise up and call them blessed. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

 

Transcript

Find Proverbs 31 in your Bibles. This is a topical message, but I'll have some verses there, probably more than anywhere else. And it seems this homegrown faith series about marriage and motherhood gotten a lot of good feedback on that. It must have been overtime past due to preach on the family. And we have lots of families here and this is a big interest in our culture Today.

I want to give a talk I call the Heart of a Nurturing Faith at Home. Good morning and happy Mother's Day. How about that? I'm Trevor Davis. I'm GCC's pastor.

And today we celebrate the blessing that is a mother. Because their love and their sacrifice and their deep impact on the family, we all feel. In fact, a mother's heart is at the center of her home. It's not that she only shapes the routines and the meals, but also the faith and the character of her children. And I suspect that many of you here today carry a deep longing.

And I think that longing is to raise godly children who love the Lord. But my question is, in a world that pulls our children in every direction away from God, how do we make faith real at home? How do we model the kind of trust in God that will stay with our children for a lifetime? How do we do it so that when they go off to the university they haven't abandoned Jesus by Labor Day? How do we do it when they go to trade school and they go from high school right into adulthood that the pressures of the world don't just immediately swallow them up?

Well, today we're going to look at three ways a mother nurtures faith at home. Number one, through her example. Number two, by her teaching and number three, with her prayers. So let's bow for prayer today together.

Father, how grateful we are that you invented moms. And how thankful that we live in a nation that says one Sunday a year we stop and think about moms if we haven't thought about her in a while. I pray today, God, that this message would hit home. I pray it would encourage the moms and the would be moms and the not yet moms here today. And it would challenge the dads and it would inspire the children.

Would you do that for Jesus sake? Give us a heart to hear and don't allow the enemy to steal the seed that's been planted. Before we go to lunch today in Jesus name and a faith filled church said yes. So how does a mom nurture faith at home? First truth I want to tell you is a mother's Faith is her child's first lesson.

And I want to start off with a verse in the New Testament. I think it's the best verse in the New Testament about the influence of a mom. Second Timothy, chapter 1, verse 5. The apostle Paul is writing to his protege Timothy. He's training a young man who's going to eventually pastor one of the most influential churches in the New Testament, the church at Ephesus.

This young man's name is Timothy. Paul encourages him with these words. I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother, Eunice. And I am persuaded, now lives in you also. The apostle Paul looks at his young guy, Timothy, and he says, look, don't you dare give me credit for your ministry.

It didn't start with me. I know your grandmother and I know your mother. Your grandmother passed it to your mother, your mother passed it to you. And with my apostle eyes, I can tell you, I see it in you. You learned your first lesson about God, not by me, the apostle, but by Grandma and Mom.

Timothy became a great leader in the early church, but his faith didn't begin in the synagogue. It didn't begin in a classroom. There was no Sunday school back then. It began at home. His mother, Eunice, his grandmother Lois, they lived out in front of him.

A sincere faith that shaped Timothy. Moms, you're the first Bible your children will ever read. God designed it that you're around the children more than dad is. He's out providing he's dadding, whatever that is. You're with them.

Before they can ever understand doctrine, before they can learn teaching, before they ever understand how amazing my sermons are. Amen. Right? Before they ever get any of that. I'm just kidding.

Sort of. Before they ever get any of that. Children understand love and kindness and devotion because it's modeled through you.

Now, to Proverbs 31.

It ends with the virtuous wife. And that ending section starts this way, verses 10 through 12. Who can find a virtuous wife for her worth is far above rubies. The heart of her husband safely trusts her. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life.

My question is, why does Proverbs 31:10 begin by asking, who can find a virtuous wife? Is it because she doesn't exist? No, it's because she's rare and valuable and she's more precious than rubies. Her strength is in fearing the Lord, and she walks with God every day. In other words, this kind of mom, her faith doesn't sit still.

Her faith doesn't only reside at church on Sunday, she carries it with her and it shapes her family's future. And apparently it adds value to her husband. The heart of her husband safely trusts her friends. This woman isn't just helpful, she's heroic. She's wisdom in work boots.

In the book of Proverbs. I had you turn there. Proverbs has 31 chapters. The first chapter of Proverbs is Proverbs 1. The last chapter of Proverbs is the one I had you turn to.

It's 31. I want you to think about this. Proverbs is bookended by two women. In chapter one we're introduced to Lady Wisdom. And in chapter 31 we're introduced to the virtuous wife.

The book of wisdom in your Bible begins and ends with ladies. That's on purpose. It tells us something about what God values. Now sprinkled in between chapter one, two kinds of ladies. The foolish woman and Lady Wisdom.

And Proverbs says, if you're wise, you'll avoid the foolish woman at all costs. We read about her the Most in Proverbs 5, 6, 7. She is presented as a promiscuous seductress in chapter 5 who cares nothing for the bonds of marriage, nothing for a covenant and promise that a husband and wife makes. She is a home wrecker. Proverbs 5:3 5.

For the lips of an immoral woman drip honey and her mouth is smoother than oil. But in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two edged sword. Her feet go down to death, her steps lay hold of hell. This is what happens to the homes of the men seduced by the foolish woman. Not only is she a promiscuous seductress, she's a skilled predator.

She knows how to hunt and she knows how to kill. She uses her words and her body to entice men to ruin their reputations and destroy their homes. Proverbs 6, 24, 26 Solomon warns his sons, I'm writing these things to keep you from the evil woman, from the flattering tongue of a seductress. Do not lust after her beauty in your heart, nor let her allure you with her eyelids, for by means of a harlot a man is reduced to a crust bread. In Proverbs 5, 6:7 the dense person is the man, and the dangerous person is the woman.

And Solomon tells his boys, she's out there, she exists and it's your responsibility to steer clear from her. But on the other hand, there's Lady Wisdom. She's the voice of God's truth, calling out to all who will listen. We meet her in Proverbs 1, verses 20 through 23. Wisdom calls aloud outside.

She raises her voice in the open squares turn at my rebuke. She says, surely I will pour out my spirit on you. Look, whatever the spirit of Lady Wisdom is, if it's to be poured out, I want it poured out on me, don't you? This lady is noble and trustworthy, and she doesn't hide. She speaks in the town squares.

If she can find a microphone, she gets behind it. It's the opposite of the seductive whisper of the foolish woman who gets her prey to sneak around in the dark. Lady Wisdom stands in the open and urges men and women and her children to fear the Lord. She tells them to embrace understanding. And she says, you must live with integrity.

And in Proverbs 31, Lady Wisdom is personified. There's a real lady, a real gal. She's the virtuous wife. And Proverbs 31 says of her that she's strong. Not only is she strong, she's industrious.

She brings resources into the house alongside her husband. She, she's God fearing and she models wise, godly living. In fact, here's the definition of wisdom in your Old Testament. In the Hebrew mindset, in the thought of the Old Testament, the definition of wisdom is skill in living life. The wise person, whether man or woman, develops skills in living life and going over the hurdles and getting around the obstacles of life by experience and knowledge.

In fact, the beginning, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge. Proverbs 1:7. So when a man marries Lady Wisdom, he doesn't just get a wife, he gains a future. There's a difference. Some men marry the foolish woman in their futures.

And I want you to consider this. How the book of Proverbs ends. Proverbs doesn't end with a king's speech. And that matters because most of the guys who wrote Proverbs were kings Solomon and King Ager and King Lemur.

Proverbs doesn't end with a professor's lecture at an academy. Proverbs doesn't end with an eloquent sermon.

Proverbs ends with a mother. And that tells you something important about what God thinks is valuable. And why does Proverbs end with this kind of woman? Because the virtuous wife is the answer to every warning in Proverbs against a foolish woman.

You see, in the wisdom literature in your Bible, wisdom has a Name, and most of the time, it's Mom.

So before we leave this first point of a mother's faith as her child's first lesson, let's apply it. Is it accurate if I say, if we want our children to pray, they need to see us pray?

If we want our children to love the Bible, they need to see us in the Word. And if we want them to trust God, listen carefully. They need to see us steadfastly worship him in the worst times in our lives, because it's easy to do it when everything goes well. They remember when you're faithful, when it's all going wrong. So a mother's faith is her child's first lesson.

Here's the second way a mom nurtures faith at home. A mother's words shape the future.

What if I told you, from Old Testament to New Testament, God has always given the responsibility to teach children about him, to disciple them in the faith, to create followers of Jesus. He's always given primary responsibility to the parents.

Our culture has said, look, just bring them to church, let them do it. You be the chauffeur. You make sure that you keep the calendar, you keep the schedule. Even when they don't want to go, you take them. And then you set them loose in the building and say, preacher and children's ministry workers have at it.

But that kind of deviates from the pattern of scripture. Deuteronomy, chapter 6, After Moses is giving the law from Mount Sinai, he is expounding it, he's elaborating on it, and he starts talking about the family. And in verses 6 and 7 of Deuteronomy 6, we read, these commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts, impress them on your children. I mean, stamp it on them, talk about them. When you sit at home, when you walk along the road, when you lie down, and when you get up, local church ministry is here to reinforce what you teach and live at home.

We're not first base in the baseball game of the Christian faith. We're second base. First base is Jesus at yohouse.

Jesus from yolips, Jesus in your heart. And so Moses doesn't tell the priests and the Levites to speak about God to their children and everybody else's. He tells all the moms and dads, a mother's words shape the future. She doesn't just teach with words. She teaches with the ministry of presence.

That means the ministry of being there. I'm a law enforcement chaplain. Me and Ralinda Lee here at our church for Olive Branch police. And they call us in on the tragedies to give death notifications to families when there's been a wreck or a suicide or something horrible. And I don't care how many seminars I've been to on how to do a death notification.

There are no magic words. But you know what is magic? You know what does make a difference? Being there. Even if it's somebody you don't know, just being in the room, sitting beside them, put your arm on their shoulder and just say, I'm so sorry.

The presence, the ministry of presence. God puts a power on and he gives it to moms first. So you're there every moment, every routine is a classroom for your children. The ordinary becomes eternal as mom teaches her children. And Moses says, moms, you do it when you sit in your house.

That's when you're at home. He says, moms, you do it when you walk, by the way, that's when you're out living life in the marketplace. He says, you do it when you lie down, that's at night. You know what? If we're good at anything, it's bedtime prayers.

And he says, you do it when you rise up. You give them Jesus, you give them the Lord first thing in the morning, along with the breakfast cereal and the Eggo waffles or whatever it is at your house, home, marketplace, night, morning. I want to introduce you to somebody named Amy Carmichael. I think you'll like her. Amy Carmichael was born in 1867 to a devout Christian mother and father in Ireland in the British Isles.

From an early age, Amy had her mother teaching her two things. That prayer was real and that God was near. And so one night, little Amy prayed and she prayed with all the fervency and all the faith and all the confidence that an 8 year old can pray. Believing that God was going to hear her prayer and it was going to be different the next morning. Her prayer was, God, change my brown eyes into blue eyes.

That was her prayer, and I'm telling you she meant it. Her mother heard was from the heart. She fully believed, childlike. And you know as well as I do that she woke up disappointed when she looked in the mirror. In fact, she was almost inconsolable.

Why wouldn't God love me enough to hear my prayer? And then it was time for her mother to answer that question. Amy Carmichael's mother gently explained that God always answers prayer, just not always the way that we expect.

That was so wise. See, now you fast forward about 20 years later. Amy Carmichael is no Longer in Ireland, she's left the British Isles. She is now in the heart of India, one of the first lady missionaries that we really have on record taking the gospel to India. And Amy Carmichael, by the power of God, brought change, sweeping change in revival to India.

Here's what she did. She would put on modern. She would put on native clothing, native dress and attire where most of her body was covered, even the shawls, you've seen that kind of thing. And she would masquerade as an Indian woman and sneak into the Hindu temples where she would rescue young girls from the, from sex slavery. They were ritual slaves in a very religious culture.

The only way that she could sneak into those Hindu temples was because her eyes were brown, just like all the Hindu ladies. If they had been blue, her cover would have been blown. Let me tell you what happened. You see that childhood. No.

Had been God's sovereign. Yes. Amy just didn't understand it. You see Proverbs 3, 5, 6. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.

In all your ways, acknowledge him and he shall direct your paths. And little 8 year old Amy Carmichael, leaning on her own understanding, was heartbroken when she woke up that next day still having brown eyes.

But God directed her paths. And let me give you some impact stats. When Amy Carmichael finally went to heaven, what she left behind in India. First of all, she served in India for 55 straight years. No furlough.

She never went back home. She founded the Dohnavur Fellowship, a sanctuary for abandoned and abused children. She rescued over 1,000 of them, most of them girls forced into temple prostitution. And she wrote over 35 books. And we're still talking about her in sermons today.

She shook India. Amy Carmichael wrote, you can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving. You know what I want to relate to you today. Amy's mother didn't raise a missionary by helicopter parenting her. She didn't raise a missionary by pushing religion on her at every moment.

She raised a missionary by walking with Jesus in front of her daughter. You see, it was her example. It was her bedtime prayers. It was her gentle theology that formed the soul of a girl who would one day be a spiritual heavyweight, a giant among us. So let me say, mom and dad, don't rush past the little questions.

Don't dismiss the childlike prayers. Because what you're doing in your home may seem small, but it isn't. Heaven sees it as shaping the future. Moms, you do it with your words. The virtuous wife in Proverbs 31 did.

She opens her mouth with wisdom. And on her tongue is the law of kindness. She watches over the ways of her household. Moms, did you know that your voice becomes your child's inner soundtrack. I mean they just take you and what you've told them.

Everywhere they go it plays their favorite songs, the sound of their mother in their head. God uses you in a conscience like way for your children.

She opens her mouth, by the way, and wisdom comes out. Not complaints. That doesn't help them. Not chaos. Also not helpful wisdom.

And her wisdom and. And the virtuous woman, the virtuous wife's wisdom is covered in kindness. On her tongue is the law of kindness. And in her words there's warmth and in her tone there's truth.

She can do all these things in one day, gentlemen. She can manage the home like a CEO. She can speak like a counselor and make all the boo boos feel better. And she shows love and concern like a mother. And do you want to know why she's so versatile?

Because God built her for more than one lane in life.

You see, a godly mother doesn't just keep her house running. She keeps the people inside it growing. Her children are not learning just what to believe. They're learning how to live. Before we leave this idea, let's apply it.

Moms, can I say to you, speak truth over your children. Say it out loud. Remind them that they're loved. You do that all the time. But when's the last time you told them?

Did you know that you're chosen by God? When's the last time they heard you say God made a purpose for you? And it's not just to pick up your toys.

Use everyday moments to teach. Talk about God's faithfulness. When. When you're driving, when you're waiting for big brother at the car rider line, when you're cooking. And especially talk about the Lord when you're playing.

Look, your kids need to know that Jesus is fun. And if he's not at your house, it's not his fault. It's yours, man. There is, you know, the Bible says, delight yourself in the Lord and he'll give you the desires of your heart. Jesus is delight.

Make it fun. And also help us out here. Correct your children. Amen.

Discipline should be a time of teaching, not just punishment. But my goodness, say no to them a lot.

Say it just because. Because you see your no is easier to take than when they become adults and they're still immature and their boss tells them no. Or the cop Tells them no, and they're not ready because you always gave them soft landings. My parents beat my tail. Amen.

80s and I needed it. Not as much as my brothers, but I need it. Right. No, we. My mom.

My mom was a middle school teacher and coach. Back in the 80s, there was these things called wooden paddles. Y' all remember them? And my mom had one, and I think she paddled every Olive Branch Middle School PE student. So there's some.

There's some kids came through there got spanked more than me. It was great because she was tired of it by the time she got home. Right. Did you know. Did you know that corporal punishment is not child abuse?

It's the opposite. If you never use the rod, they keep their foolishness forever. And you've disobeyed God. Who's saying that? The Bible says that.

Now learn how to do it. You gotta rump for a reason. Probably the only target, you know, but, man, I could just tell stories of the beatings I took and nobody would leave.

That's so tempting. All right, let me get back to my notes. My goodness. Okay. What's wrong with you people?

Making me make fun of myself? All right. The last way a mother nurtures faith at home. A mother's prayers impact eternity. Not only do her words shape the future, but the prayers do something different.

Did you know that a godly mother doesn't worry, she worships. And a godly mother doesn't panic. She prays. Let me introduce you to Hudson Taylor. I love these missionaries.

They all had great moms. Hudson Taylor was a rebellious teenage boy. You've met him before. He couldn't care less about church. He was indifferent to the things of God.

He slept through every sermon. And as soon as he. As soon as he got an open door, he took off. Like a prodigal son, he drifted away at 17, but not too long after that, he found himself at the home of one of his uncles, like a relative. And this relative had a library at the house.

There was things to read. And out of boredom, one day he picked up a gospel tract.

He didn't mean to read it. He certainly wasn't expecting anything to happen. But on that particular day, as he read this gospel tract about how to become a Christian, he was suddenly and mysteriously overwhelmed.

And this proud young man is in a puddle of his own tears. And he doesn't understand why. And as he reads about how Jesus gave his life for him, in a moment, the Holy Spirit shows him the beauty of Jesus, shows him his own sins and Hudson Taylor is converted to Christ on that day in that library. Out of nowhere, he wondered about that. What he didn't know was on that very day, his mother had locked herself in a room in her home, determined that she wouldn't leave that room and that intercessory prayer session until the Holy Spirit had assured her that her son would come back home from the world and would be saved.

Hours into the intercession, she said, the Spirit came over her and gave her shalom peace. And she wondered about that. Weeks later, down the driveway comes her son, Hudson Taylor. And he says, you're not going to believe this, mom, but your God that I rejected for so long, he's now my Lord and my Savior. She said, what day?

He said it was on this day. She said, what time? He said it was this time. And Hudson Taylor confirmed that the moment his salvation matched the exact moment that God gave his mother assurance in that prayer closet that he would become a child of God. You know what James 5:16 says?

The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Let me give you some impact stats from Hudson Taylor. He was the first modern missionary, as best we know, to go into the interior of China. In 1865, he founded a missionary movement called the China Inland Mission. 1865.

He dies in 1905. And by 1905, at the time of his death, the China Inland Mission had sent over 800 missionaries into China. The China Inland Mission had established 125 Christian schools in that nation. It has started 300 mission stations there where the Gospel is preached. And beginning with untold thousands.

That number is now in the millions of unbelieving Chinese who heard the gospel and have become brothers and sisters in Christ because of the pioneer work of Hudson Taylor, who owes it to the prayers of his mother and the grace of God.

Hudson Taylor wrote, thinking about this story. It's possible to move men through God by prayer alone, because that's what his mother did. Moms, let me say something to you. You may never preach to thousands. You may never cross a sea, but your prayers can go further than your feet.

You know, Hudson Taylor's mother didn't save China, but she helped birth a man who shook that country.

What's the point, Pastor? Hey, listen to me. Never underestimate the quiet power of a mother on her knees.

Moms, I want you to know that your prayers are not background noise in heaven. They're battle cries. God heard one mother's intercession and shook two continents through her son. You may not Be raising a child instead. You're raising a world changer.

When I think about moms in the Bible praying for their children, how can I not mention Hannah today? Hannah in 1st Samuel. Hannah wanted her husband and she wanted a child. She wanted to be that kind of mom. She checks the box.

After she gets married and God closes her womb, she is overcome with grief. She is saddened. But she doesn't get depressed at her home. She goes to the temple at every opportunity. And she's praying in the temple one day, the priest thought she was drunk.

She's praying and her mouth's moving. There's no words coming out. So the priest goes to minister to her and she says, no, I'm just overcome with grief. I'm asking God to give me a baby, and if he'll give me a baby, I'll give the baby back to him. God heard that prayer, and here was Hannah's response.

In 1st Samuel, chapter 1, verse 27 and 28, I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I ask of him. So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life, he'll be given over to the Lord. You know, Hannah's story reminds all of us that Moms, your greatest work isn't trying to control your children. Your greatest work is surrendering them back to God.

Have you done that? Man? When we act like owners of our children, we've gotten far off the biblical reservation. Every one of our offspring belong to the Lord Jesus Christ, the God who made them. And he's loaned them to us for a little while.

You maybe have 20 years.

Are you redeeming that time? Maybe you've heard of Charles Haddon Spurgeon, England's greatest preacher. Who you haven't heard of is his mother, Eliza Jarvis Spurgeon. She was a godly lady, and she raised her children to know the Lord. And here's how she did it.

She often prayed out loud for her children in front of her children. And I'm telling you, this wasn't lucky charms and rainbows and unicorns prayers. These were get your heart right with God in prayer prayers. Here's one of them. Lord, if my children go on in their sins, it will not be from ignorance that they perish.

And my soul must bear a swift witness against them at the day of judgment if they lay not hold of Christ. Are you kidding me? Eliza Spurgeon prays in the hearing of her children. God, if my kids go to hell, it's not because I didn't tell them. And if they refuse you as their Lord, be the first to testify against them on the Day of Judgment.

Is it any wonder that Charles Haddon Spurgeon built the first megachurch in the modern world in Europe, when his mom's praying for him and about him and in front of him like that?

Let me end by saying, moms, I know you can't be everywhere, and I know you can't protect your children from every hardship, and you shouldn't. Because the best way to learn is to fail and to go through affliction. Not for everything to be awesome all the time and be the Lego Movie. Everything's awesome and nobody ever has to cry. You may not be able to protect them from every hardship, but you know what you can do?

You can pray for them, because your prayers can reach places that you cannot. Your prayers impact eternity. And I think that's a legacy worth passing on. Do you agree with me? Well, here's how you apply that.

You know, you need to pray for the hearts of your children. Here's what you need to pray. God, draw my children to Jesus. Jesus said, no one can come to me except that the Father who sent me draws him. God, draw my children to yourself.

Pray for their future. Before you pray for their spouse, you need to pray about their friends.

Don't pray for your children to have popular friends. Pray that they'll have godly friends. And look, you know what godly means in our culture. Uncool, unpopular. And then pray that they wouldn't marry a Christian.

Pray that they marry a godly spouse. Because you can take the label Christian and be baptized and fake that, but you can't fake godliness, because your flesh eventually will give you a way that you're really just masquerading. Pray that they find someone where they'll always be number two behind Jesus.

And then lastly, pray for your children to have wisdom, wisdom that would guide them well, and you can just trust God with the rest. And for those of you who are saying, you know, this is a great sermon, Pastor, but I've already made a mess of this or I'm too late. I want to say you're probably not. Maybe you feel like you've fallen short. Maybe you're just starting the journey.

May I say to you, take heart. God's grace is sufficient to make up for all your lost time. His grace is sufficient to make the present filled with the Holy Spirit for you and your household. And his grace is sufficient to give you hope and a future.

You think about that as we pray. Lord, I want to thank you for the gift of motherhood. I want to thank you for all the moms here and I pray you give every mother in the room grace to walk by faith. I pray you give every mother and every would be mother in the room grace to speak life. I pray that you would give all the moms grace to pray with boldness and may their children do like the virtuous wife's children in Proverbs.

Rise up, call her blessed in Jesus name.

Come and join us this Sunday at the Great Commission Church for a truly remarkable and uplifting experience. Great Commission Church is not just any ordinary place of worship; it's a vibrant community where faith comes alive, hearts are filled with love, and lives are transformed. Our doors are wide open, ready to welcome you into the warm embrace of our congregation, where you'll discover the true essence of fellowship and spirituality. At Great Commission Church, we are more than just a congregation; we are a family united by a common mission – to follow the teachings of Christ and spread His love to the world. As you step inside Great Commission Church, you'll find a sanctuary that nurtures your faith and encourages you to be part of something greater than yourself.

We believe in the power of coming together as a community to worship, learn, and serve. Whether you're a long-time believer or just starting your spiritual journey, Great Commission Church welcomes people from all walks of life. Our vibrant services are filled with inspiring messages, beautiful music, and heartfelt prayers that will uplift your soul. Every Sunday at Great Commission Church is an opportunity to deepen your relationship with God and connect with others who share your faith and values.

At Great Commission Church, we believe that faith is not just a solitary endeavor but a shared experience that strengthens and enriches us all. Our church is a place where you can find purpose, belonging, and the encouragement to live a life in accordance with Christ's teachings. Join us this Sunday at Great Commission Church and experience the transformative power of faith in action. Be part of a loving and supportive community that is committed to making a positive impact in our world. Together, we strive to fulfill the great commission to go forth and make disciples of all nations. We look forward to having you with us at Great Commission Church this Sunday, where faith, love, and community intersect in a truly amazing way.

Great Commission Church is a non-denominational Christian church located in Olive Branch, Mississippi. We are a short drive from Germantown, Southaven, Collierville, Horn Lake, Memphis, Fairhaven, Mineral Wells, Pleasant Hill, Handy Corner, Lewisburg and Byhalia.

See you Sunday at Great Commission Church!