Thank you for listening to Servants for Christ as we get into the wonderful Word of God. For the next few minutes, I want to invite you to open your hearts and minds as we explore His truth together, encouraging your faith, strengthening your walk, and drawing closer to Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Let's get into the wonderful Word of God and see what He has for us today. I'm Darrell Bailey, thank you for tuning us in. Here's Sunday morning service for Christ, as I wanna welcome all of our mothers a happy Mother's Day today. Would you please, if you have your Bibles in front of you or close by, would you get them and go to two places? As I get into my Mother's Day message, the seed of a mother, the seed of a mother. First, turn to Genesis chapter three, verse 15. And then hold your place there and turn over to Proverbs chapter 31, verses 27 and verse 28, amen. And so as we get into the wonderful word of God, as each and every one of us turn those pages, amen, and ask the Lord to do what no one else can today, I'm glad that he's with us wherever we go. And so I'm glad also that when we look and realize that the Lord knows exactly what's good for us. Read along with me in Genesis chapter 3 verse 15. The Bible says that I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed. It shall bruise thy head and thou shall bruise his heel. In Proverbs 31, verses 27 and 28, the Bible says, When we look at this and we realize this morning that What has God accomplished through the many years of ministry through the seed of a mother? Well, scripture overflows with testimony after testimony that God has often planted world-shaping ministries in the heart of the faithful praying mothers of the world. And when we look at all the scripture of what God has accomplished through the seed of a mother, I thank God as we read the text. Nations were changed through their sons and daughters, and many mothers never stood in a pulpit, but they raised children who moved the world for God. Jacobed in Exodus 2, Jacobed in Hebrew pronunciation, hid Moses, nurtured him, and passed on faith that would lead Israel out of Egypt. Hannah and 1 Samuel 1 prayed for Samuel, dedicated him to the Lord, and he became a prophet who anointed kings. Mary in Luke's chapter 1 and 2 said yes to God's will and mothered the Savior of the world and pondered his path in her heart. You know, William Ross Wallace said, the hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world. Well, What has God accomplished through the seed of a mother? Well, when we look and think about that, we see not only that nations were changed through their sons and daughters, but generational faith was passed down. Paul wrote to Timothy of the faith that first lived in his grandmother, Lois, and his mother, Eunice, in 2 Timothy 1, verse 5. God used a mother and a grandmother to prepare Timothy to become a faithful pastor and companion to the apostle Paul. And so, Charles Wendell said, a godly mother is one of the greatest gifts a child can receive. She preaches sermons every day without saying a word. And so what has God accomplished through the seed of a woman? Again, we asked ourselves. Well, first, the nations were changed through their sons and daughters. Generational faith was passed down. But thirdly, unseen sacrifices built visible kingdom impact because behind every missionary, pastor or servant of God is likely a mother who prayed, cried, fasted, worked, and stayed faithful when no one else noticed. I thank God I was with Brother David Franklin over at Michael Sork Jr.' 's church back over at People's Valley this morning and looking at the wonderful blessings of the eight baptized and the four children dedications that were dedicated this morning. Amen. And Brother David Franklin helped in part of the baby dedication as well. And he reminded us of all of the great missionaries and famous Sam Jones and Lottie Moon that came out of Cartersville and around this part of the country. Well, Here we see the unseen sacrifices that built this visible kingdom impact because behind every missionary, pastor, or servant of God is likely a mother who prayed, who cried, who fasted, who worked, who stayed faithful when no one else noticed. Suzanne Wesley, the mother of John and Charles Wesley, raised 19 children and set aside hours every day for prayer. Her spiritual discipline shaped the founders of the Methodist movement. Monica, the mother of Augustine of Hippo, prayed for years for her son's salvation. Her tears were the seatbed of one of Christianity's greatest theologians. The old Chicago shoe salesman, D.L. Moody, said, behind every great man is a praying mother. And I believe that. I have to say amen. And so what has God accomplished through the seed of a mother. I'm glad that today I went over to the graveyard to visit my mother's grave and to spend time with not only my mother and my father, my aunt and my uncle, Aunt Lee and Uncle Bradford and also my father-in-law. You won't believe the most unusual thing, but when I married my wife, We were married for years and then when her father passed away, I found out that his plot was right next to our family plot. Can you believe it? Oh my goodness. And so, what has God accomplished through the seed of a mother? Well, when we look and we realize that nations were changed through their sons and daughters. Generational faith was passed down. Unseen sacrifice built visible kingdom impact. And so we look and we see what God has accomplished because through the seed of a mother, as my introduction here, her tears, prayer, nurture, and faith, God has raised deliverers and prophets, sustained churches and families, built spiritual legacies, changed the course of nations, birthed revivals, carried the gospel across the generations. And so, you know what? legacy of faith are you sowing today that God may multiply tomorrow. Will you pray with me? Heavenly Father, on this special day, we pause to thank you for the gift of mothers on Mother's Day. And we ask your forgiveness for our sins and for our failures today as we put on the armor of God and as we stand against the wiles of the devil and the enemies that come against all of us. I pray God, I thank you for a wonderful mother, a church-going mother, a mother, Lord, that taught us all of the knowledge that we needed to know to survive, and then some. And as we reflect on the promise of the seed of the woman this morning, we open our hearts to the power of your redemption. Challenge us to honor not only our earthly mothers, but also the spiritual legacy passed through women of faith. And we ask it all today on this special time and occasion. In Jesus Christ we pray, amen. You know, I was reading about a woman named Eleanor who raised five children on her own after her husband passed away. And she worked two jobs and yet she never missed a church service. Her kids recall waking up to find her praying over them. One son, now a pastor, said something like this, she planted something in us. We didn't always act like it, but her prayers went deeper than our rebellion, unquote. Eleanor's life echoed the eternal truth that a mother's spiritual seed can grow into a divine legacy. And I believe what I'm preaching with all of my heart, the seed of a woman or the seed of a mother is what I'm talking about. You see a mother's spiritual seed can grow into a divine legacy. Listen to me. First of all, the first thing that I want to say is the promise is wrapped in pain. What does that mean? It means that God still chooses to work through ordinary people, especially faithful women, to accomplish eternal purposes. Hallelujah. And just as the seed of the woman brought our Savior, the spiritual seeds being planted by mothers today, grandmothers, women of faith today still shape the future. Now you may not see immediate results, but your obedience, your love, your sacrifice and faith are part of God's redemptive plan in someone's life. And so it means that. If you're a mother, your daily faithfulness is never wasted. You are part of God's greater story. If you've had a godly mother, you carry the legacy of her prayers. You are living proof of her seed, the seed of a mother. And so, if you've lacked a mother's presence, God himself promises to be enough. And he often plants spiritual mothers in our lives to fill the gap. And, listen to me, listen here, if you're a man, this calls you to honor, to support, and to elevate the sacred role that women play in God's kingdom. And so, we see the promise that's wrapped in pain. Because in Genesis 3, verse 15, the Word of God says, I will put enmity between thee and the woman. A conflict was being declared in the very beginning of Scripture out of Genesis 3, verse 15. God speaks of a spiritual war beginning with a woman, Eve, between her lineage and the serpent. and the woman becomes the vessel through which the Messiah would one day come. And so a conflict is being declared, but secondly, a curse with a clue. The serpent is cursed, but tucked within that curse is hope, praise God. A prophecy that one day, through a mother, the enemy will be crushed, praise his mighty name. And so, when we look at the seed of a mother, And I'm glad that when we see the promise that is wrapped in pain, here we see that conflict that was declared, amen. We see a curse with a clue. But thirdly, a mother's role in redemption, because from Eve all the way to Mary, and the plan of salvation that hinges on the obedience, that hinges on courage, that hinges on the faith of women chosen By God, I'm glad Max Licato said one time God's ultimate weapon against Satan was not a warrior with a sword, listen to me, but a mother with a child. And so a mother's spiritual seed can grow into a divine legacy, praise God. The promise that's wrapped in pain, but secondly, the pain of redemptive motherhood. What does that mean today? The path of redemptive motherhood. Well, the path of redemptive motherhood is a phrase that likely it refers to a mother's journey of self-giving love, of healing, of transformation, both for her children and herself. The path of redemptive motherhood. If you consider what this means for you today, Mothers, women, here are a few possibilities depending on your life situation. First of all, healing through love. Redemptive motherhood suggests that through nurturing, patience, sacrifice, you can bring healing. Whether to your own past wounds, to your children's struggles, or to your family's dynamics, this could mean choosing forgiveness where there's been hurt. healing through love, being a safe space for your children to grow emotionally and spiritually, accepting your own imperfections and using them to grow rather than to shame. And so, when we look and see that seed of a mother, and when we see the path of that redemptive motherhood, healing through love, we also see, secondly, transforming challenges into grace, because your daily challenges, your fatigue, Your worry, your feeling unseen can become moments of grace if seen through the lens of a redemptive love. Listen, I want you to ask yourself, mothers, here this morning, how can I find deeper meaning in today's sacrifices? What lesson is hidden in today's frustration or tiredness? And so, when we look and we realize that, the path of redemptive motherhood and what it means that likely a mother's journey of self-giving love, of self-giving healing, of self-giving transformation, both for her children and herself, I'm glad that we see a healing through that love. A mother can heal things like no one else can. Transforming challenges into grace, amen. And so, I'm glad thirdly, living with purpose and intention. Redemptive motherhood isn't just about doing it all, even though mothers do it all, but doing what you do with intention and love. Today, that might mean taking 5 extra minutes to truly listen to your child, or letting go of guilt over something imperfect, or remembering that your worth isn't in your performance but it's in your presence. You're a mother that's just on time. You're there day in and day out. Your presence, it sings volumes of what you're doing with your children's life and with their legacy and what you're instilling them with the seed of a mother because there's nothing like the seed of a mother. Boy, I'm glad God gave me this idea. And so the healing through love, the transforming challenges into grace, living with purpose and intention. But then we see fourthly, participating into something that's much bigger. Because if your faith plays a role in your motherhood, redemptive motherhood may echo spiritual themes. Sharing in Christ is love and redemptive suffering. That could mean offering up daily struggles as a part of a spiritual calling. Embracing motherhood as a vocation, not just a role. And I'm glad the path of that redemptive motherhood in Luke chapter 1 verse 31, the Bible says, Thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. Hallelujah. You see, Mary's had a fateful yes. When Mary accepted God's call, she embraced the cost of obedience, rejection, risk, and ridicule. that path of that redemptive motherhood. We see Mary's fateful yes. We also see the weight of the wound because the wound carried not just life, but eternity's hope itself. Women bear more than physical burdens. They carry spiritual legacies. Praise God, glory, hallelujah. And so Mary's fateful yes, the weight of the wound. But then thirdly, the cost of cradle to cross, the cost of cradle to cross. Because when we look at the cost of the cradle to the cross, Mary saw her son crucified. Every mother sacrifices. My mother sacrificed. I know, I saw it. But Mary bore the agony of redemption firsthand. Elizabeth Elliot, the longtime missionary that stayed behind to minister to the tribe that killed her husband, said to be a mother is to forever have your heart walking around outside your body. And so a mother's spiritual seed can grow into a divine legacy. Amen. The promise is wrapped in pain. The path of redemptive motherhood is included in it. But then thirdly, there's the power of a planted seed. What does that mean for every one of us? The power of a planted seed? Well, it's a A metaphor rich with meaning, when applied to our daily lives, it suggests that small, intentional actions that mother do like no one else, done with love, done with hope, done with faith, can grow into something far greater than what they appear today. Here's what it might mean for you right now. That power of a planted seed, praise God. We see that small act that have a big potential. Even if today feels ordinary or it feels exhausting, something as simple as a kind word to your child, a prayer whispered in faith, a moment of patience when it's hard, can plant seeds that grow into trust, that grow into confidence, that grow into love, or even healing in the future, praise God. And so I'm glad that we see that those small acts have big potentials. But secondly, growth happens over time. You may not see the results today, but planted seeds grow in silence and darkness before they ever break the surface. And I'm telling you, we've got to be patient with ourself and with our family. We've got to trust that what you're doing matters, even if it seems very small and unnoticed by anyone else, mothers, because you're the seed of a mother. And so small acts have big potential. Growth happens over time. Your efforts aren't wasted, I assure you, mothers, today. No, they're not. Because whether you're sowing seeds of faith, whether you're sowing seeds of character, whether you're sowing seeds of kindness, whether you're sowing seeds of stability in your home, in your community, you're participating in something generative. You don't have to control the outcome. You just have to plant with care. And so it is those small acts that have big potential, the growth that happens over time. Your efforts aren't wasted, amen. But also we see hope for the future because here with the power of a planted seed, can you imagine a promise? What is planted in love and in hope or faith? It will bear fruit in its time. I've got to say that again. That is so powerful. What a mother and what a father plants in love and hope or faith. When they plant those, when they plant love, when they plant hope, when they plant faith, it will bear fruit in its time. Even if you're in a very difficult season, the seed carries life and possibilities and so it's the power of a planted seed and so Paul said in Galatians chapter 4 verses 4 and 5 but when the fullness of time was come God sent forth his son made of a woman and so ain't you glad God's timing is perfect Even from Eden to Bethlehem, God's plan unfolded through generations. No seed planted in faith is ever forgotten. Praise God. Uh-uh, no it's not. And so, I'm glad we see God's timing is perfect. But a woman's influence reaches generations. And from Lois to Eunice to your grandmother or your mom or your stepmother, Their fate still speaks in 2 Timothy chapter one, verse five. God's timing is perfect. A woman's influence reaches generations and you know what? Every mother out there right now is a minister. Whether through prayer, whether through discipline or hugs or tears, mothers preach sermons without pulpits. I'm gonna say amen to that. And so I'm glad that the singer Nicole Nordman wrote one time, she said, you are a house of God in motion. You are an ark of the covenant. You are motherhood." So from the garden to the grave and on to glory, God chose the seed of a mother to bring forth our savior. Wow. Oh my goodness. This Mother's Day, we honor all women, not just for who they are, because they're spectacular. but for the eternal role that they play in God's story. Through the pain, through the prayers, through the perseverance of mothers, Jesus came. And through today's faithful women, his gospel still spreads, praise God. Man, your day's coming, but not today. And so the prophecy given in Genesis chapter 3 verse 15 that we started out with and that we read where God declares that the seed of a woman would crush the serpent's head is one of the most profound and foundational promises in all of scripture. Praise God. This single line foretells not just the defeat of Satan, but the entire arc of redemptive history. Praise God! What a message! Because in a world fractured by sin, this promise lit the first spark of hope that one day evil would not have the final word. And the serpent, he was cunning, he was deceptive. He had brought death into the world, but through Eve's seed would come life, would come healing, and the ultimate victory. And so, the seed of a mother. This seed understood by Christians to be Christ would not merely resist evil, but destroy it at its root, crushing the serpent's head, breaking his power forever. And this promise carried through generations. It whispered through prophecies. It carried in the hearts of awaiting people until it erupted into history in the person of Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. his crucifixion. It looked like defeat, but it was the serpent's death blow. Praise God, glory. And so, at the cross, sin was judged. In the resurrection, death itself was undone. And in the coming days, Whether seen in the heart of each believer or at the triumphant return of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, the crushing of the serpent is not just a distant hope, it is a guaranteed reality echoing through Eden to eternity, praise God. And so in the grand tapestry of time, the serpent, once cold around the roots of the world, but the foot of Eve's promised seed came down like thunder. And when it did, the echo was not just of a battle, but of a final victory, a cosmic exhale that told the world, listen, darkness does not reign here anymore, uh-uh. Darkness does not reign here any more. Darkness does not reign here any more. And so I'm glad. What can we do to honor the seed of the mother that she planted in you? Huh? What can you do to honor the seed of a mother that planted in you? You can live in obedience to God's word and pass that faith on to others. And so, you know what? Maybe many mothers wasn't perfect. Maybe there were a lot of mothers out there that were absent. God can redeem your story through his grace and he can place spiritual mothers in your life according to Psalms chapter 27. Verse 10. Let me turn over there very quickly. I don't have my Bible turned to it, but it won't take me but a second. When we look at Psalms 27. Psalms 27, verse 10. Boy, I love to hear the pages of the Word of God turn. Psalms 27, verse 10. Sorry, I didn't have it marked. The Word of God says, When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up. You see what I'm saying? That mother wasn't perfect. That father wasn't perfect, or that mother was absent, or that father was, but God can redeem your story through His grace, and He can place spiritual mothers, He can place spiritual fathers in your life, as Psalms 2710 just said. And I wonder, either as a woman or a man, We can plant seeds that can last for all eternity. Today is the woman's day because it's mother's day, men. But by praying, by mentoring, by serving, and by sharing the gospel with others around you, you can make a big difference. I hope that you got something out of the message when we look back and we realize that each and every one of us when we see a mother's spiritual seed that can grow into a divine legacy, the promise that was wrapped in pain, the path of redemptive motherhood, and the power of a planted seed. Boy, we owe our mothers so much. We're in debt so much to our mothers to this very moment, because I'm glad that each and every one of us have a mother that can tell a story about the seed of a mother. Lord, thank you for being the seed of the woman who crushed the serpent's head. Thank you for the mothers that you've given us in our lives, whether they're biological, whether if they're adoptive, whether are spiritual. We asked again for daily forgiveness and we pray that we would, Lord, as we go our separate ways, We want to give our hugs. We want to give our love, our recognition, and our thanks to all of our mothers. They have guarded us. They've loved us. They've given everything. They've raised us. They fed us. And Lord, they've sheltered us. Everything that I can think of, my mother has done for me as she did for me when I couldn't do for myself. May we honor the women that you used to plant seeds of faith in all of our lives. In the mighty name of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, I pray.