Deborah Rising: A Mother's Legacy of Leadership

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Just for clarity.
It's just nursery today.
I'm a little disappointed.
My wife has nursery today, onMother's Day, but I guess
somebody had to do it right.
It's better her than me.
I can say that For the kids andfor me you.
Okay, max, just nose dive, justnose dive.

(00:23):
Hey, I'm going to go ahead andmove this so I don't trip over
it.
Just nosedive, just nosedive.
Hey, I'm going to go ahead andmove this so I don't trip over
it, because inevitably I will.
Let's start by going to Judges5.12.
Judges 5.12.
If you've got your Bibles, turnthere with me.
If not, we'll put it on thescreen for you Judges 5.12.

(00:45):
And I'll tell you what.
Why don't we just all stand tohonor the word this morning?
Just a second, if you're able,just stand with me for just a
minute.
Judges 5.12.
Maybe.
I mean it says it back there,but it doesn't say it up here,
so we'll just give it a second.
There it is.
It says wake up, deborah, wakeup.
Wake up.

(01:06):
Wake up and sing a song.
Arise, barack, lead yourcaptives away.
Now here's what I want to sayto you Wake up, deborah, you can
be seated.
We are going to spend some timein judges.
We're going to jump around alot, so take good notes.
You'll want to go back andrefer to these, but today we're
going to gather to honor thewomen who I promised I wasn't

(01:29):
going to yell today.
I promised I'm like it'sMother's Day, just don't yell.
So I promised I wasn't going toyell today.
I'm going to do my best, okay?
Today we gather to honor thewomen who shape.
No, we're not feeling that.
Wait, I was going to say areyou going to leave?

(01:51):
She's like that's the whinyvoice, I'm out, I'm out.
Oh, dawn, I love you.
Today we gather to honor thewomen who shape our lives with
love, strength and enduringfaith our mothers.
Now some of us may be able tosit in this room and say my
mother did not treat me likethat.
Amen, I have not had a greatmother.

(02:13):
I will tell you this.
God gave you the mother youneeded in your life.
That may not sound fair, butsometimes it is fair, amen.
It may not sound fair, butsometimes it is fair.
I will tell you that my dad issitting here, so I have to be
careful how I talk about my mom,because he'll tell her.
Actually, he won't, but even ifhe did, I wouldn't be scared,
because everything that I knowabout my mother is true and I'm

(02:35):
going to just share a little bitbecause I think you guys need
to understand that I am theperson that I am today because
of how my mother raised me Good,bad and indifferent Amen.
So my mom didn't really go towork until I was in school.
She stayed at home, whichcreated a bond with my mom that
my other siblings don't have,because they were in school and
I was at home with her.
Right, I was a little bit of amommy's boy Not going to lie

(02:58):
Kind of still am, Right, is thatfair?
So she took care of me when my,when my brother and sister
weren't home.
But here's the thing as I grewup and I started to see things
in my house, I realized that mymom's not perfect.
She doesn't have it alltogether.
I'm just to share some funthings, and some of you may have
lived through these things.

(03:18):
I never understood why, a coupleof days a week after school, we
would walk from our house tothe payphone at the end of the
street.
Why do we have a phone at home?
Why are we walking to the endof the street?
We were walking to the end ofthe street, because that's how
my mom would call billcollectors.
So then they didn't have thehouse phone because then they

(03:39):
couldn't call when my dad washome and that he would find out
that we were behind on our bills.
I can't tell you how many timesI came home from school and the
electric was off.
We would just call my mom ather job and she would call the
electric company and pay it andhave it turned back on because
she didn't want my dad to knowthat we were behind on our bills
.
I can't tell you the number ofcars that were repossessed

(03:59):
because my mom could not budgetmoney.
You want to talk about me beinga little bit stingy with my
money now you know why Because Iknow what it's like to live
without.
As a kid, I didn't understand it.
As an adult, it doesn't seemfair, right?
Why would you do that to yourchildren?
And then I realized that if shedidn't go through it, I wasn't

(04:19):
going to be better.
Right?
I can't live like she was justand say, well, that's the norm,
right?
I can't just accept that aslife and expect that to be how
life works.
I have to be the change that Iwant to see in the world, amen.
And I'm going to tell you, Iwant to be the change in the
world, if I can do.
Listen.

(04:39):
The other week we had threesalvations in this building.
Praise Jesus, right?
Three sounds like a tiny number, but this about the kingdom is
not about me, right?
I don't want to be here for meor for you, I want to be here
for the kingdom, right?
And so the thing is, is that'sreally what Deborah was all
about?
Was the kingdom of God, okay?

(05:00):
The world often overlooks thequiet power of being a mother.
Amen.
A lot of times the world looksat a mom, especially a
stay-at-home mom, as expendable.
Well, they don't do anythinganyway.
They don't contribute tosociety.

(05:22):
Listen, it's the truth, isn'tit?
I say it to my wife all thetime.
I get up in the morning and I'mlike well, I got to go to work
this morning.
One of us has to contribute tosociety.
I'm joking.
Obviously, my wife would dropme quick if I ever said that in
a serious way.
It's true, it's true.
There aren't many people I'mafraid of.

(05:42):
She's one of them.
She could poison me and Iwouldn't even know it, wouldn't
even know it.
Undetectable death, you know.
I'm just saying the lifeinsurance is probably worth it
at some days, I don't know.
I know that my wife does morefor the kingdom of God in an
afternoon than I can do in mylifetime, because she is raising

(06:05):
up disciples each and every day.
I know at the ladies brunch sheshared that the kids were in the
car.
She was driving through thatreally bad windstorm that we had
and one of the kids said to hermom, I just knew you were going
to start praying in tongues thewhole way, which is funny to
laugh at.
But when you look at that, theyknow the expectation, they know

(06:26):
the standard, they know thatwhen we're struggling or we're
in a spot that we don't know howto get out of, we go straight
to the father.
Right, we don't lean on our ownunderstanding, we go straight
to the father.
He gave her good discernment.
She knew what to do, how tohandle it.
Listen, that wasn't the onlything that they said that day.
Emmett said to her.
He said mom, I just keptpraying, I just kept, I just.

(06:47):
I probably prayed three timesin the car through that.
You're raising up disciples,right.
We're not doing that by simplytalking to them.
We're doing that by showingthem that that's what we do as
kingdom-minded people.
Amen.
And often that quiet motherhoodgets overlooked, it gets
disregarded.

(07:07):
Let me tell you moms, you arethe most important in building
disciples.
Now, I keep using this word mom.
Right, there are people in theroom who aren't necessarily moms
, never had a biological child,but they treat children like
their own right.

(07:28):
I know lots of people who havenever had a child, that raise
children every day.
You know my mom is, or my wifeis still raising this child,
right, some of us it's yourhusband.
Some of us it's the friendgroup that you have.
Some of us it's your husband.
Some of us it's the friendgroup that you have.
Some of us it's working inchildren's ministry or childcare

(07:49):
, whatever it may be.
You are raising up disciplesand you are showing them the way
to go.
There are some of us who aren'there today because Mother's Day
is a hard holiday for us,because we've lost our mothers.
Right, let me tell yousomething you haven't lost your
mother.
She is part of you.
Every day, when I get up, Irealize that there is a certain

(08:09):
part of me that is my mother.
Good, bad or indifferent, amen.
Good, bad or indifferent, thereis a part of me that is my
mother.
We have to remember that.
Every mother that has shapedour lives.
And listen, I could go throughall of the moms in my life.
It would take me forever.
I've got my wife, who is notjust a mother to my children,

(08:29):
but she is a supporter of allthings, me, amen.
I've got my grandmother, whowas I mean, I used to get off
the bus in front of her house,I'd go inside and she either had
whole potatoes or Chef Boyardeeravioli all the time.
So I had something to eat afterschool, right?
Never questioned it, we justwent in, we ate, we bounced,

(08:53):
right, it was like the cafeteriaI had Florence.
If it weren't for that lady,I'd probably be dead or in jail.
Let's be honest with each other.
She saved my life.
That's all there is to it.
I have the mother of my oldest,two children.
That freaks people out, right?
Well, you guys aren't together,right?
I understand that.
But I will tell you something Iwill love her for her entire
life, and it's because she gavebirth to two of the best things
that I've ever done.

(09:14):
Right, they might be jerks,they're in here so I can say
that what, what, but I will tellyou something we have done the
best that we can do, and everypart of her is part of them.

(09:35):
Amen, and I have to be able toembrace that.
It doesn't mean I have to giveher a hug when I see her, right,
but I'm going to.
We're going to be at births, atgraduation parties, at
birthdays.
We're going to be at births, atgraduation parties, at
birthdays.
We're going to spend timetogether.
We have to learn to get along.
We have to learn to be able tolove one another.
That is hard stuff to do, butlet me tell you I can do all

(09:56):
things through Christ, who givesme strength.
Right, I can walk into a roomof people who hate me and be
completely okay with it.
Be completely okay with it.
Be completely okay with it.
All right, I'm sorry, we're offtrack already.
You are more than caretakers.
You are leaders, warriors andwisdom bearers.
Moms, we don't know everything.

(10:17):
I know that you do your best,but how many of you have ever
been put in an impossiblesituation where you just say,
god, I'm going to have to givethis one to you Because your
children will give you gray hairreal quick, right?
Yeah, you don't even know whatto expect.
Some days you just wake up andthere's that phone message that
says Mom, come get me from jail.
Right, that's the stuff thatmoms can't be prepared for.

(10:42):
You raise them up in the waythat they should go and then you
just hope that they go that way.
You cannot force them to doanything.
I've learned with my two oldestboys.
You have to let them figure itout.
I can tell you all the things,but chances are you ain't
listening.
My oldest always tells me Iknow, dad, I'm not going to be

(11:05):
like you.
Can I tell you a secret?
I used to tell my dad I know,dad, I ain't going to be like
you.
Guess what?
He's already more like me thanhe realizes.
Stubborn, difficult, got lifefigured out.
I promise you that there willalways be a place at my house
for him, because I know whatlife is like.

(11:28):
It'll kick you in the teethreal quick, right?
Moms are the only ones who canhelp mold their children in the
way that they should go.
Dads, we will do everythingthat we can, but most dads, as
the authoritarian, are the scaryones, right?
I don't want to ever be thatway to my children.
I want my children to go.
I know that I can ask my dadanything.

(11:48):
I know that I can go to my dadand I can say this happened,
help me fix it.
I can't fix everything, but Ican try.
Amen.
But moms, you guys are thegatekeepers, you're the ones
that can make a difference.
All right, we're going to go toJudges.
We're going to be in four andfive, we're going to jump back
and forth, so let's just go toJudges 4-4.

(12:09):
Judges 4-4.
Deborah was the wife of I thinkit's Lapidoth, whatever was a
prophet who was judging Israelat that time.
So we're going to talk aboutDeborah today.
We're going to spend a lot oftime really understanding what
it was that she did.
She was a judge, a prophet, amilitary leader, and all of

(12:33):
those rules demanded courage,wisdom and faith.
She never shrunk back in fear.
Fear is not from God.
Fear is not how many of you sithere today afraid of something
in your life.
Something in your life Now, I'mtalking about like real life
stuff, not like frogs like me,right?

(12:55):
I'm not talking about likeyou're not afraid of the dark.
I'm not talking about that.
Ashley, if something happened toJJ like that, fear lives inside
of you every day, doesn't it.
Listen, she's picking stuff upso he won't trip if it's close
to the edge of something,because she doesn't want him to
hit his head, right.
She's a mom.
It's built, it's wired into her.

(13:16):
Now, when she gets to kid threeand four, she's going to be
like they're going to fall.
It's just going to happenbecause I ain't got enough arms.
But you're a mom, that's whatyou do, right?
She's thinking six steps aheadof the baby.
At all times she's like heain't doing nothing.
That's inside of you, but thereis a fear that something could
happen, right?
That's why you want to stay athome with your baby.

(13:37):
Right, it's hard, it's hard,but that fear cannot define who
we are as people, as mothers.
We can be all of those things.
We can be strong and courageous.
We can do all of the thingsthat God has called us to do,
but we cannot operate strictlyout of fear.

(13:58):
All right, judges 5-7.
There were a few people left inthe villages of Israel until
Deborah arose as a mother ofIsrael.
Leave that up there.
There were few people left.
Can I tell you that oftentimeswe walk into a room where there

(14:20):
are a few people left?
I want to remind you what thisbuilding looked like after COVID
15 to 30 people maybe on aSunday morning.
If we got to 30, we felt good,we're like this place is packed.
There were 80 in here thismorning and I'm like where's the
other 20?
Right, there were few peopleuntil Deborah arose as the

(14:45):
mother of Israel.
Now I want to tell yousomething.
My wife is the mother of thishouse, amen.
However, she is partnered byone of the strongest prophets
that I've ever met.
She is partnered by one of thestrongest prophets that I've
ever met.
Pastor Holly, when she came, apart of this team changed the
way this building operated.
Now for me for a minute.

(15:08):
It wasn't good because it was alittle bit scary, because I
wasn't used to it, right, she'sa strong, independent woman.
She doesn't need me to have herministry operate, but she
respects my position, right, andI don't mean because I'm the
senior pastor.
I'm saying it's Pastor Michaelat all times.
That's how she refers to me.
I refer to her as Pastor Hollyat all times.
Like that.

(15:28):
It's a mutual respect for whatwe do.
Can I tell you that thisbuilding wouldn't sit at 80
people had Deborah not rose up.
It's true.
It's true, I might be able topreach the word.
I might be able to get peopleexcited, but none of you would
be being healed the way that youare, because that's not how I

(15:49):
operate.
It's not what I do.
Well, I'm thankful every daythat we had somebody rise up in
this house so that we would beable to move forward for the
kingdom of God.
Amen.
Now I can tell you, like Dawn,we were just joking about my
whiny voice, she said the firsttime she came here she was like
I don't know if I can sit underhim.
He is whiny.

(16:10):
I wish she could tell me whatmessage it was so I could go
back and listen to it, because Igot to hear it, but apparently
it was whiny.
Here she still sits, but Ipromise you it was because she
had people to come alongside her.
Amen, those people have beenraised up by Pastor Holly, not

(16:30):
just by me, and I'm telling youthat those are the things that
I'm expecting of every mother inthis house, because you are not
just going to rise up for thisbuilding, but for your families,
for your communities.
I look at this world and I seehow broken it is.
There are children.
Listen, when we lived in Dover,there weren't a lot of kids

(16:51):
that lived around us and so wedidn't have a lot of
neighborhood kids.
Now we have become theneighborhood hangout.
Last night it was 8.30 at night.
We were finishing a game ofMonopoly and the doorbell rings.
There's six kids standingoutside wanting to play
basketball in the driveway.
I'm like what is happeningright now?
But we know that they're safein our house, right, and they

(17:11):
may not have mothers who areraising up disciples in Christ,
and so we're going to take everyopportunity to do just that Now
.
Fortunately, my wife is the onewho does all of the mom
contacting because I'm like comeget your kids Anyhow.
I believe that that verse tiesmotherhood to leadership.

(17:31):
Amen, because Deborah wascalled to protect, nurture and
guide her people.
Every one of you, every femalein this building, is called to
nurture, to protect and to guidethe people in your lives Amen.

(17:54):
Some of you may not see yourown children on Mother's Day,
it's true.
Right, I did a funeral for alady.
Only one of her children showedup.
The others didn't feel like itwas important to be there.
I've learned something the hardway you only get one mom right,

(18:19):
and when you find strife in yourrelationship with your mother.
Oftentimes you're just sowingseeds of discord or chaos.
Right?
Moms have great strength in ourlives.
They're able to build us upwhen we don't feel like we can
be built up.
They're able to keep us on thestraight and narrow, sometimes

(18:43):
the hard way.
My mom kept a wooden spoon inthe visor of her car.
It's not a joke.
You get loud in the back seatsomebody's catching that wooden
spoon.
Unfortunately, I was alwaysmade to ride in the middle as
the youngest and oftentimes Icaught the wooden spoon because

(19:05):
you know you can only reach sofar with that wooden spoon.
But I'll tell you that woodenspoon.
It taught me how to behave.
Now I'm not saying you have tobeat your kids.
Some of your kids need beat.
I'm going to say it out loud.
I'll just tell you how it is.

(19:25):
Sometimes my kids need beat.
But here's the thing my parentswere not church-going people.
They didn't know how to raiseme up in the way of the Lord.
They did what they could.
It was my responsibility tofigure that out Amen.
Listen, poor Easton, that kid.

(19:47):
He takes the fall foreverything, but that's usually
because it's his fault and he'lltell you it's his fault.
He might struggle with gooddecision-making, but he'll own
it when he makes a bad decision.
He was like well, dad, I wasjust I'm like well, you were
just still doesn't fix it right.
With all due respect, I wasjust doesn't fix it.

(20:09):
But I'll tell you, my wifehandles him so well with grace
and mercy.
I'm thankful that my wife wasraised in a house so different
from mine.
She was a free range child.
There weren't hi.
She's looking at me like Idon't want to turn it down.

(20:29):
My wife didn't have a whole lotof boundaries in her house and
she was.
But that allowed my wife torealize that she needed
boundaries in her life and thatshe could then help mold and
shape the boundaries for mychildren.
Amen, all right.
There are three qualities of agodly mother and we're going to

(20:50):
take these directly from Deborah.
All right, are you ready?
We're going to start withcourageous faith.
Judges 4.14.
It says then Deborah said toBarak get ready, this is the day
the Lord will give you victoryover Caesarea, for the Lord is
marching ahead of you.
So Barak led his 10,000warriors down the slopes of

(21:13):
Mount Tabor into battle.
Can you imagine if somebodytold you to march your troops
into battle?
Many of us would not be willingto go right.
She was able to give themcourageous faith.
She was able to encourage them.
Listen, a lot of mothers leadquietly, right?

(21:34):
How many of you are quiet moms?
Quietly, right.
How many of you are quiet moms?
Whoa, rough.
Okay, let me pivot real quick.
How many of you mothers areloud?
Yes, listen, some mothers leadquietly.
Some mothers lead loud.
Right, I don't have to yell, Ijust talk loud, it's natural,

(21:54):
right, it ain't yelling.
I'm just trying to get my pointacross, right, I'm not yelling.
You're not listening, right?
Okay, all right, listen.
We have to lead with unwaveringfaith and we have to believe in

(22:16):
our children when no one elsedoes.
We have to believe in ourchildren when no one else does.
Has anybody ever told you yourkid's a snot Like?
Listen, there's something wrongwith your kid, he's bad.
What?
Yours is an angel, okay,where's he at right now In the
nursery crying?

(22:36):
I'm kidding, I'm kidding.
Now she's like no, I got to goget him.
She has a rule If JJ is on thefloor for any longer than 10
seconds crying, andrew getsyelled at for not picking him up
.
He needs something.
He's hurting, he's in trouble,right?
Is that a true, it's a realrule.
It's not made up.
It's just a different type ofchild rearing.

(22:59):
Correct Me, I'm like rub somedirt in it.
Matter of fact, I was on thephone with Beth the other day.
Easton had wrecked, or Emmetthad wrecked, his scooter, tore
up his knee, something fierce, Imean just blood everywhere, and
he's sitting on the couch and Iwas on the phone with Beth.
I said to him.
I said just rub some dirt in it, you'll be fine.
I said to Beth.
I said I think he's going tostart crying.
Oh, he did Got to go.

(23:20):
So I hang up the phone and Itake him to the bathroom and I
put a little bit of peroxide onit, put a Band-Aid on it.
He's good as gold.
Right, that Band-Aid was likenew flesh Sometimes.
Sometimes we have to.
We lead differently, but wehave to lead with unwavering
faith in God.
Amen.
We have to raise up ourchildren with unwavering faith

(23:46):
in God.
In Judges 4-5, people came toDeborah for counsel.
Did you realize?
As mothers you are often thefirst counsel for your children.
Listen, my kids will walk rightpast me, straight to my wife to
say mom, can we Right?
Moms Right, my kids will walkright.
I was sitting right next toAdeline yesterday, right next to

(24:13):
her, and she gets up and walksto her mom and says mom, can we
have a popsicle?
She said well, your dad wasright there.
Why didn't you ask him?
Here's what Easton tells her,because he'll budge in and tell
me no.
And it always says, well, ifthat's his answer, that's his
answer.
It's not budging in.
He don't believe that no isbudging in.
Judges 4.5 says she would situnder the palm of Deborah,

(24:35):
between Ramah and Bethel, in thehill country of Ephraim, and
the Israelites would go to herfor judgment.
Who is that?
Oh, at least it's not an adult.
She would give wise counsel tothe people who would seek it.

(25:01):
Moms, I need to prepare you forsomething.
When they get to a certain age,they will not seek wise counsel
, right?
They'll stop at some point andthey'll just say I've got it
figured out.
You have to learn that youcan't always give counsel when
counsel isn't requested.
Many of you know that when youcall me and you say something to

(25:21):
me, I ask a question.
It's a very simple question doyou need me to help solve this
problem or do you just need meto listen?
Because a lot of times peoplewill call me and say well,
pastor michael, this, that orthe other is happening in my
life.
I'm a problem solver, it's'swhat I do.
I do it naturally.
I want to help you fix it right, but oftentimes you're not
asking me to fix it, you justwant me to listen.

(25:43):
But I still try to fix it.
Moms, you can't fix it all.
You cannot fix it all.
There are so many times that wejust have to watch our little
baby birds fly from the nest,but we have to be prepared to
catch them when they fall,because we cannot just walk away
.
That is not wise leadership.

(26:05):
James 1.5, if you need wisdom,ask our generous God and he will
give it to you.
He will not rebuke you forasking.
Moms, you should be in prayermore often than not when
something is happening in yourlife and you're trying to figure
out.
How do I lead, guide and directthese little snots that won't

(26:26):
listen to me?
God, give me strength, give mewisdom, give me all of the
things from you, father.
God, and allow my flesh to bedead.
Amen, other God, and allow myflesh to be dead, amen.
Listen, I'm the kind of dad thatlikes to pick right.

(26:50):
How many of us are like that.
It seems like sometimes, likewhen Emmett fell, he's all
bleeding.
I'm like, oh, he's going to cry.
I knew saying that was going tomake him cry, right, because he
was already emotional.
And after I did it I was like,why would I do that?
You know, isn't it bad enoughthat he fell?
Right, I tend to pick, it'swhat I do but his mom would have

(27:12):
carried him to the bathroom.
Who said that Would havecarried him to the bathroom?
I mean, the kid's almost as bigas her, rocked him and ointment
and kissed his little boo-boo.
Hey, you know what?
That's okay, it is okay, it isfine that she would do that, but
I have to learn to be morenurturing as well.

(27:32):
Amen, listen, guys, we don'thave to be tough all the time.
We don't have to be mean andpick all the time, because what
we do is we create a vacuum, avoid, and then mom is always the
default parent.
Mom, how many of you are thedefault parent in your life,
every day, even if your kidsdon't live with you, you are the
default parent all the time.

(27:54):
I tell you right now I couldcall my oldest two boys' mom and
be like, hey, is there anythingthe boys are supposed to tell
me today?
And she would say, yeah, theydidn't tell you these five
things?
I'd be like, nope, didn't tellme a single one of them, because
she is the default parent.
She knows all the things.
I know none of the things.
That's okay.
That's okay.
But we have to learn to be morenurturing as men, right.

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We have to learn to be morenurturing as men, right.
We have to learn to be softeras men.
Third quality of a godly motheryou have to always be empowering
others.
This one's hard.
This one is hard because peoplewho want us to empower them
don't want to show up.
Hear me, why are you laughing?

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Yeah, yeah, the third qualityof a godly mother is empowering
others.
You must always look.
She went and got him.
She went and got him.
You must always look.
She went and got him.
She went and got him.
I was like you can't make thisstuff up, guys.

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It's really this good all thetime.
It is really this good all thetime.
And listen, I love her to death.
I get where she is.
I'm just like I'm not that kindof parent.
I'm not, I never have been, butshe is twice the mom that I
could ever be as a dad.
Right Like she.
Just she, she's got it figuredout.
She's okay carrying aroundholding him.
Listen, he was at my house theother day.

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I got out of the car, that kidstarted crying immediately.
He's like.
I can sense it.
He doesn't like peopleEmpowering others.
Here's the challenge when we arecalled to empower others, we
need those others to actuallyshow up.
Oftentimes, pastor Holly,pastor Roger myself, we'll have
people come to us and say hey,we want to help, we want to do,

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we want to be, we want to all ofthese things.
We want to be in children'sministry, we want to help do.
How do you want me to empowersomebody who can't just be there
themselves?
Do you know how hard it is torely on people who aren't
reliable?

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So as I do this message, Istart to think about all of the
things that people do.
I'm going to give a shout outreal quick and I don't normally
do this and I'm not doing it sothat you guys will give him
praise, but Marcus has mowed thegrass almost every week at this
church since it started growing.
He just shows up and does it.
He usually texts me and saysthe grass is cut.
Do you realize how much timethat saves me?

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If you cut this entire yard inone day?
It's two and a half to threehours.
Some days he cuts it twice.
Some days he cuts it twicebecause it gets so high.
He could spend six hours on alawnmower here and he asks for
nothing in return.
When I called on him to comealongside me and help me, he did

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it without question.
You guys came for dodgeball theother night.
Those of you who were here, younotice how empty the gym was.
Marcus and Jenny did every bitof that.
I didn't touch it.
I said I'm going gonna be therethis night.
By the time I got here, theywere done.
I'm gonna tell you that when youcall upon people to be raised
up and they ask you to supportthem when they want to be

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empowered, you have to be ableto show up right.
And what I mean by show up isyou gotta show up on Sunday
morning.
Just be here right.
Because I'll tell you it is thehardest thing for a pastor to
stand in the pulpit and look outand realize who's missing.
Because when I look out and Irealize who's missing, I start

(31:38):
to ask myself are they upset?
Are they hurt?
What happened?
Where are they at?
Are they visiting anotherchurch?
Are we about to lose thisperson?
I don't take attendance likethat because I'm worried about
anything other than yourspiritual well-being.
When you aren't here, trust me,I notice I'll reach out A lot

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of times.
I don't hear anything back andyou know what I say.
God, move in their lives and dowhatever you're going to do.
Make it quick, because I don'thear anything back and you know
what I say.
God, move in their lives and dowhatever you're going to do.
Make it quick, because I don'tlike that pain and suffering,
right For you or for me.
But I will tell you that somany people want to be empowered
inside of ministry and a lot ofpeople think that they should

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preach.
I'm going to tell you, it isnot for everyone, it is not for
the faint of heart.
I can tell you that.
But the only way that we can dothat is if you show up Judges
4.9.
Very well, she replied.
I will go with you, but youwill receive no honor in this

(32:48):
venture, for the Lord's victoryover Caesarea will be at the
hands of a woman.
So Deborah went with Barak toKadesh, victory would be at the
hands of a woman.
Women.
You will have victory in thename of Jesus.

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Mothers, grandmothers, aunts,spiritual mothers your role is
not secondary in God's plan.
It is the primary role in God'splan.
You should be at all timesraising up your family in prayer
, amen.
Raising up your family inconfidence.

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Know that your voice is valued.
Listen when I speak to mychildren.
I know they well.
They typically don't hear me.
It goes in, but what they dowith it I can't count on right.
A mother's voice is valued.
You have to understand theimportance of your voice simply

(33:53):
being heard.
Ladies, you have to rise inobedience to God's unique plan
for your life.
Your calling is not the same asthe person sitting next to you.
Your calling is not the same asthe person sitting next to you.
Your calling is not the same asthe person that you see on TV

(34:14):
or on TikTok or Instagram.
Your calling is unique.
Right, it may not feel likethat some days, but I'm going to
tell you this has been one ofthe hardest conversations I've
had with people over the lastsix months.
I'm too old.
God can't use me.
I'm too old.
I don't know anybody who hasever retired in Christ.

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I don't know anybody who hasever retired in Christ.
You might retire from thepulpit, you might retire from
active service day to day, but Ipromise you, those people walk
into the world still preachingthe gospel of Jesus Christ and
those who think that there isnothing that God can do in their
lives.
I promise you, or with theirlives.

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I promise you that there is acalling for you today, that
there is a calling for you today, but you have to rise up in
obedience.
We may not sit under a palmlike Deborah, but I promise you
you sit at kitchen tables, insmall groups, in gatherings of
friends and in all of thoseplaces.

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We should find ourselves morelike Deborah, speaking life into
those who feel lifeless, givinghope to those who feel hopeless
.
You are chosen and anointed forsuch a time as this, for such a
time as this.

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I don't know how many of us aresitting here today feeling a
certain way because, you know,Mother's Day elicits a lot of
emotion.
There are people who havechildren that are no longer with
them.
There are people who will never, who won't see their children
because there's strife orthere's anger.
There are people who maybe wantchildren and don't have
children.
There are people who have kidsand don't want them.
I mean, all of the, it's true,isn't it?

(36:02):
There are people who havechildren and don't want them,
who will not spend Mother's Daywith them because they aren't
valued.
I promise you that each andevery one of you have value this
day.
In the mighty name of Jesus.
In the mighty name, if you'resitting here without a child and
you're like, well, mother's Daydoesn't mean anything to me.
I promise you.
I promise you that you are amother to somebody.

(36:25):
I don't think Florence everlooked at me as one of her
children, but I alwaysconsidered myself one of her
children because she was raisingme up in a way that I didn't
understand.
I'm thankful that I hadsomebody so willing to tell me
to shut up when I needed to betold to shut up, and somebody

(36:45):
who was so willing to tell me tostand up when I needed to be
told to stand up.
I can't tell you the thingsthat that lady saw me through,
but I can't tell you the thingsthat Pastor Holly has saw me
through.
I can't tell you the thingsthat my own mother has seen me
through, the things that my wifehas walked through with me.
I promise you that there isvalue in each and every one of
you today.
Today, we should exhibitcourageous faith, wise

(37:12):
leadership and we have toempower others.
We have to call people to thenext level, to a higher standard
.
Amen.
I have to be able to look atyou and say, if you're not gonna
do it, don't say you're gonnado it.
We have to be willing to sayyou are a blood-bought child of
the Almighty.
Amen.
You are worthy of whatever Godhas called you to do today.

(37:36):
Amen.
Ladies, my wife and I, with thehelp of staff who had to work
today, we prepped flowers foreach of you for Mother's Day.
So this isn't just for moms.
There are 50 of 50-ish outthere.
I want everybody in here, everyadult woman in this building,

(37:58):
to walk out of here, get aflower.
And I want you to know thisthat before we put them on that
table, each and every one ofthem were prayed over, just like
your seats, just like theoffering plates, because we
believe that when you take thathome with you, that the prayers
that we prayed over them willgrow inside of your home as that
flower grows.
If that flower dies, take it toVicki Hickey, no kidding.

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The idea is that we wanted toput life into your homes.
We wanted to speak life intoyour hearts today and we wanted
to put life into your homes.
I know that God is doing amighty work inside of this
building and it's amazing that Isee how much of it is being
done by women.
It's true, I can't tell you.

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I pulled up the other day andsaw cars in the parking lot.
There were women in thebuilding working.
I pull up at the parking lotand there were cars in the
parking lot.
Nobody's here, but there arecars.
Well, they're at a church eventsomewhere.
God is moving in this place.
Women, you are leading thatcharge and we thank you for that
every day.
We thank you for yourprayerfulness.

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We thank you for how you takeso seriously the job that God
has put forth.
And men, today is a call toaction.
We can be just as strong.
You're going to get a black eye.
Ashley.
Jj keeps throwing his head backinto her face.
Listen to him laugh.
I don't like kids, but aren'tthey cute?

(39:25):
Let's pray together.
Father, I thank you and I praiseyou for the women in this room.
Lord, I pray that there is ananointing like no other, flowing
through their hearts today.
Father, god, lord, I pray thateach and every one of them will
find courageous faith, wiseleadership and learn to empower
others.
In the mighty name of Jesus.

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Lord, I know that, as you walkthrough this place, that you
continue to lead, guide anddirect them.
And, lord, I need them to knowthat they are chosen and
anointed for such a time as this.
Let every woman sitting in thisbuilding understand how the
magnitude of what a mother isand the magnitude of what a
mother is and the magnitude ofwhat a mother can do in shaping

(40:09):
the lives of those around her.
Lord, I'm praying for those whoare hurt today, whose hearts are
on the men for whatever thecase may be in their lives.
Lord, I know that you arewilling and able to take away
that pain.
Mend, broken relationshipstoday, father God, simple phone

(40:35):
calls, simple text messages.
Lord, I pray for each and everyone of the women who are
serving you in this ministry.
Continue to anoint their steps,father.

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Give them guidance anddirection, allow them to be
strong and steadfast in you.
Lord, I pray for every personin this congregation.
I pray that you give themtraveling mercies as they leave
this place.
Lord, bring them back at theirnext appointed time.
Father, I thank you, I praiseyou, I give you honor and glory

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this day in the mighty name ofJesus.
And the church says