at the age of 89. But her legacy continues on, for it was in 2003 where this hospital became the largest Christian hospital in the world, boasting over 2,000 beds used to treat the outcasts, the underprivileged and the poor. Its school now is seen as one of the best schools of medical training in the entire subcontinent of India. In a world dominated by men and by the religions of men, Dr. Ida Scudder stood fast in her faith in Christ and changed the world. Now the world and the church and society and the family are in need of a robust and renewed understanding of biblical womanhood. The unique gifts understandings, experiences, strengths that women bring are necessary, important, strategic, worth admiring, rewarding, both to those who share those gifts and to those who benefit from them. On our message last week, we looked at the subject of biblical manhood, and we saw the strong call that God gives to each man to stand strong and play the man, teaching his family and leading his family in the ways of the Lord and being involved in the church and exercising meekness, which is strength under control. And as we saw last week, there was a equality that takes place in this complementarity between men and women. And so it is in our study on the M&Ms of the Christian life, we come to moms or the wows that are all around us. And we want this morning to celebrate, to appreciate, to rejoice in the gift that each person is in the life of the church. And we want to celebrate men as men and women as women. And today we get to celebrate women that are around us, created in the image of God, gifted for ministry, and help them in the strategic role that they play in the life and ministry of the church and of the family. And so we're going to look at a few passages today because it's scattered throughout the word of God, this robust theology of how God views women and how they can be used in his kingdom service and their value and their integrity and their importance. But as we begin, we want to affirm a couple of things that we said last week. We said last week that we affirm that men and women are created to be different, and that this is a good thing, it is a wise thing, it's a mysterious thing, but it is something that is wonderful for us as creatures created in God's image. We affirm that this difference is to be seen as complementary. Complementary, but equal in value, equal in Jesus, equal in access to the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and equal in the gospel. We affirm that men and women are complementary but not interchangeable. They are both important. They have great gifts, great roles that are necessary, but they're not interchangeable. They are complementary. And lastly, we affirm that this difference is to be celebrated. It is to be lived out. It is to be proudly, boldly preached, proclaimed, lived out, loved, enjoyed. and enjoyed by all in the church. So as you follow along in our sermon outline this morning, we're going to take a similar path that we did last week as we looked at a robust biblical manhood and are going to look at biblical womanhood today. And first we begin with the wonder of women. We want to begin by looking at some of the strengths and the giftings and the unique things that are just part of the nature of the case for women. And so, first of all, we need to affirm that women are different from men. I cannot give a complete list this morning. It's an awesome study. It is so fun to see how God made us and how He made us differently and how He made us to be complementary of one another. But these differences start very young. They start even in the womb. for the brains of male and female show differences as early as 26 weeks in gestation. And at that stage, the brains of young girls start developing a thicker corpus callosum, which is the part of the brain that connects the left and the right hemisphere. This allows women to develop verbal abilities on both sides of their brains. And it's this design which leads to a scientific observation that girls will commonly use more words than boys to describe a story, or a person, or an object, or a feeling, or a place. If you observe boys and girls in a nursery, the girls will use words, the boys will use noises. There's a reason for that. They're created that way, in God's good wisdom. Girls have 11% more neurons than boys in the brain centers that control language and hearing. So generally, then, women have better hearing than men. In addition, according to how the front part of the brain develops, they have better language skills. Those who have had an opportunity to watch boys and girls develop will notice that girls develop fine motor skills earlier than boys, and that tends to lead to what we see the rest of life, where women have neater handwriting than men. When we get down to the eyes, women have more what we call P cells, the letter P, in their eyes than men do. And this allows for identifying objects, details, textures, colors. not only variations within colors, but more colors, whereas men have more M-cells in their eyes, which allow for better recognition of movement, especially at a distance. So women, from the get-go, are going to recognize more details in up-close objects. So as they do surveys of babies in the nursery, they find that girls, right from the first moment, prefer to look at faces, while boys follow movement. It's innate. It's part of the creative wisdom that God has given them. During periods of stress, which of course everyone has, both men and women release the hormone oxytocin, and that oxytocin, mixed in with female estrogen, brings a feeling of calmness. whereas that oxytocin with the male testosterone brings a feeling of aggression or defense or the desire to fight, which is why we generally see in a conflict then that women are generally better disposed to provide comfort and emotional support, while men tend to fight and defend. In women, the brain activity that is associated with negative emotions moves from the primitive area of the brain into the cerebral cortex, where language and reasoning takes place. So it's why women are generally better able at expressing emotions, whereas men don't want to talk about it. There's a reason for that even just in how the brain is put together. It also explains why women are generally better at remembering things than men. Now, I had to laugh at myself this week because, as I said, I had ordered these two brochures several weeks ago with the idea that I would hand them out on the appropriate days. And I got into my office on Monday morning and realized I hadn't handed it out. And then I started reading, and I saw, well, women remember details better than men. And so all I could do is laugh at myself and say, case in point. Now, you're not going to like this one quite as much. But women store body fat a little differently than men. Women tend to store it in a ring around the atom, where men tend to store it between the internal organs, which is actually more unhealthy. What this does is it creates a good incubating effect, and when you think of the design of women, it's quite wise. It also explains that unhealthy beer belly that too many of us are carrying around as men. Women have looser ligaments than men, which gives them greater range of movement and generally makes them better at performing certain gymnastic movements. Generally speaking, women also live 10% longer than men. And because of the XX chromosome mixture, it makes women less susceptible to certain types of birth defects and disabilities as it does men. On the other hand, women genuinely feel more pain than men. The awareness of pain in women is produced in the left amygdala of the brain, whereas in the men, it's in the right. And that causes a difference in how they actually sense and feel pain. A woman's blood flow is generally concentrated more in the abdomen area, whereas for men, it is more even from head to toe, which would explain why women often have cold hands and feet. Given the difference, however, in brain activity, we talked last week how men operate very well within regions of the brain, but not outside of those regions and not between the hemispheres, whereas women operate more between the regions and between the hemispheres. Well, one of the downsides of that is that women tend to worry more than men, because they're making a lot more connections in their brain, and so they worry about more things, whereas men don't care. Okay, I'm saying that a little stronger than I should. The fact is they don't make all the connections to really know that they should care about what's going on. They have to learn how it is to make these connections to worry. Now, that's not to say that there aren't a number of challenges that women generally face. There are a number of challenges that our culture puts women through. The challenge to always look just right. The challenge to do everything in comparison with other women. The challenge to own up to being able to do everything well and be the perfect mother and the perfect housewife and the perfect neighbor and the perfect co-worker, they all take their toll, especially in an Internet age, where judgment is so quick to be offered over the slightest of imperfections. This especially takes its toll on younger women, who are more likely to become depressed than were their mothers and at a much earlier age, because they are much more exposed to the Internet, which picks on any perceived weakness. Added to the fact that there are increased economic pressures, and there are changing and even contradictory roles into what is expected of women, and you can see why anxiety, worry, fear, Eating disorders are on the rise because there's a feeling of a sense of no control, no self-control, a lack of control, and so they're struggling to find things that they can control. The struggle that many women have with this ongoing voice that's inside the head of constantly giving judgment, of comparison, of personal criticism is one that many women find hard to silence, which leads to more fear and worry. Women are much more likely to be victims of abuse of all kinds of types. A very practical note for those of us that have young women that are near and dear to us, and that is that there are tremendous differences in the liver function between men and women. There are actually 1,000 gene differences between the liver of men and the liver of women. And one of the negative sides of that is women are not able to process alcohol as easily as men. Now, why I bring that up is we think of college-age girls and what they're susceptible to. And the phenomenon of date rape, which is far too prevalent, is in part because of this physical weakness built in being exploited by sinful men. But we simply want to affirm that men and women are different, and we want to affirm that this is God's good design. Because as we see these differences between men and women, they're just that, they're just differences. There's not a value judgment as far as this is better than that, or this is more efficient than that. It's showing the need that we have of one for another. We see the goodness of God, the wisdom of God, I would say the kindness of God. And as we read Genesis 1 a few moments ago, did you not sense the tone of celebration going throughout creation as God created man and woman in His image and provided for them, and everyone saw this as a good thing. God created them to be interdependent of each other, and so the image of God would be displayed in the fullness of humanity as displayed in men and women. And so it's good to celebrate, it's good to rejoice, it's good to recognize so that we better understand who we are as we're created in the image of God. And as I said last week, I'm gonna say again, vive la difference. This is a good thing by a good God for the goodness of humanity. So first we see the wonder of women. Secondly, we see that there is no single exception. We as a church need to come to grips with the reality of what the Word of God says, that getting married and having children is not a requirement for being a godly woman. Now, this is a blessing, it is a desire, it's an aspiration that many want to have and that many actually achieve, but it is not true that to truly be a godly woman, you must be a wife and mother. A single woman, standing on her own in the image of God, is fully human, of great value, of high importance, and we need to affirm that, and we need to incorporate that in how we operate as a church, how we operate one with another, because the Apostle Paul clearly says that singleness for many is a gift, a gift given by God, and indeed there are advantages to being single. And so the commands then that go out to women for biblical womanhood is a call to all women, irrespective of their certain social standing or current condition. There are no exceptions to the command to godliness and holiness given to women. And there are some reasons, then, that we can build this up to see this as a good thing. We let God be God, and as He directs each one of us, whatever our station in life is, we say, this is good, and it leads to the well-being of His people, because we affirm that all women are image-bearers of God. Each woman has that imprint of the Creator on her life that gives her great value, great worth, a life that is meaningful, God rejoices over every human being he creates, men and women. He creates them to be equal in value, equal in spiritual inheritance, equal as members of the kingdom of God. The fact that they are complementary does not mean inequality. And sometimes in our current contemporary forces, that's what we want to say. We don't want to say men and women are complementary because somehow that implies better versus less good. That's not at all what it means. Complementary does not mean inequality because inequality does not mean sameness. And we have to get the thinking straight in our minds. Things can be equal but different, and equality does not mean sameness, not in the wisdom of God and not in his economy. And so, women, in the face of the lies that come at you continuously, through the Internet, through the culture, perhaps in the home, perhaps in the neighborhood, perhaps in your own mind, And the authority of the Word of God command those voices to be silent and recognize your great worth as an image bearer of God, of great value for great purposes for God's kingdom. Secondly, we say that all women are called to be followers of Jesus, that when Jesus was going around in his ministry, he was calling men and women of all stripes to follow him. And the beautiful thing of the gospel And the difference that Christianity makes over all other world religions is that in the integrity of the gospel, women are given great dignity and value. That is not the case in the great religions of the world, but it is the case in Christianity. Christ is the one who breaks down social and cultural barriers that separate people, that separate men and women, those separations that are allowed to reign in religions of the world. Christ is the one who calls all people everywhere to repent and to follow him as Lord and Savior. He is the one that is weaving together this beautiful, majestic piece of art that is his people, from all tribes and nations and old and young and male and female, and it's going to give Him great glory throughout all eternity. Jesus is the one man who will never fail women. And Jesus says to you, ladies, come and follow Me. Thirdly, we see that all women are gifted by the Lord for service. Now think about what our responsibility is as the people of God. From the beginning all the way to the end, we are called to be a people that is witnessing and proclaiming the glories of God throughout all the nations. We call it in New Testament language, the Great Commission. Make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. and teaching them to obey everything that Christ taught. Let's think about the reality. 7.4 billion people in the world today, and according to recent statistics of the United Nations, almost 52% are women. And if we add women and children, we have over 75% of the world that would be women and children. If women do not get involved, the Great Commission will not be fulfilled. Because it still remains to be seen that there are many places where it is simply not possible culturally for men to minister. But there's opportunities for women. And if we're going to reach the whole world with the whole gospel, the whole church, including women, need to be mobilized. And that's why we see these examples throughout scripture of women teaching women, women training others, women passing on their wisdom. And we're gonna look at more examples as we go through this message this morning. But the plea this morning is women, we need you to be involved. We need you to train younger women. We need you to plan and prepare and implement programs and activities. We need you to exercise those gifts and those talents and those wonders that God the Holy Spirit has given you in His wisdom. We also need you to challenge the men, to man up and play their roles as well. We need the time and the resources and the skills and the gifts and the talents that God has given you for the growth of the church, for the well-being of the family, indeed for the very health of society. And there's no exception to this. Whether you currently are married or single or widowed or divorced, you are seen by God and you are valued and you are needed in this church. So as you rise up to serve, may we follow the admonitions of Scripture to rise up and call you blessed. So first, we've seen the wonder of women. Secondly, we've seen there's no single exception. Thirdly, we see the way of the godly woman. I think you'll agree with me that Proverbs 31 is an inspiring and insightful passage. It is also a challenging and daunting one. This temptation that is there to compare ourselves to one another and to compete against one another does not help us understand what is going on in this passage. So I'm gonna invite you now to turn in your Bibles to Proverbs 31. It's not gonna be up here on the screen, most of it. We're not gonna be able to go verse by verse through the entire chapter, but we are going to look at some very important things. Proverbs 31. And what we see happening at the very beginning of this inspirational yet challenging passage is we have the King Lemuel reflecting on wisdom that he received from his mother. Listen to those words again. We have a king, Lemuel by name, that is reflecting on the wisdom that he has received from his mother. So in this story, even as we begin chapter 31, we see the truth of the old poem, the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world. Women, you do not know the influence you can have. Whether you have your own children, whether you are able to influence children, you do not know where that influence might lead. It might lead right into the palace. So use your influence well for kingdom purposes. And so this king is reflecting on what his mother has been telling him, and she's teaching him the question, how to find an appropriate wife? With the question, then, an excellent wife, who can find? And it's in that context, then, that we read this mother-son relationship, this teaching, this influence that's gone on, for the wisdom that comes from this mother, the instruction then to her son, a king. how to look for a virtuous or godly or excellent woman. Now, the passage is too long for us to consider in great detail, but we can glean a lot of good information. And I confess this morning that I have taken some influence here from Dr. Tony Evans and his daughter. Crystal Evans Hurst, who wrote a book called Kingdom Woman, where they did a more deep dive into Proverbs 31, a deeper study into what it says here, and I am gleaning some of their insight in addition to some of my own insight in this passage. So it's a book that I would recommend if you're disposed to go out and get a good book for a reference or a resource in your own life. But as we walk through chapter 31, we're gonna jump around verses a little bit and kind of regroup them according to categories. So first we see that according to Proverbs 31, the godly woman is good to her husband. I'm just going to read a couple of verses, verses 10 to 12. She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not harm all the days of her life. This godly woman seeks what is best for her husband, helping him to succeed in what he does in life. She is a blessing to him, a comfort to him, and does him good. Men, I want you to agree with me here. The joy of a good wife is one of life's greatest riches. Amen. And we need to appreciate that great gift that we've been given. The joy of a good wife is one of life's greatest riches. Women, you have power. You have influence in the lives of the men in your life. Your encouragement goes far. Your comfort, your wisdom, your love, your support gives men the strength to battle for the family. to provide for the family, to stay faithful, to stay devoted, to protect the integrity of your marriage. That's why we are not surprised to see behind every successful man a wonderful and gifted and devoted and dignified woman, whether it is his own wife or his mother, but as the helpmate that she is created to be. She joins with this team that is her husband, and she wants her team to succeed. She's determined to see that her team will win. Women, I can tell you that your husband looks to what you say about him more than to anyone else. Your words are powerful, and you can either break him or you can make him as a man and as a husband. But as you join with that team and you want to see that team succeed, your family, your marriage, your community, there will be a result. Look at what the text says. We're going to jump down to verse 29. It says, Many women have done excellently, but you surpassed them all. This is the words of the husband. The praise of a woman for her husband will result in the praise of the husband for his wife. That's how it's intended to be. Because in the goodness of God, as we saw in the garden, we also have affirmed in Proverbs 18, which says, he who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord. Secondly, we see the godly woman is caring for her family. Just gonna read the verses you have on the screen there. She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her husband and portions for her maidens. She is not afraid of snow for her household. For all her household are clothed in scarlet. She makes bed coverings for herself. Her clothing is fine linen and purple. She looks well to the ways of her husband and does not eat the bread of idleness. This virtuous woman of Proverbs 31 is no slouch. This passage is full of action verbs and activities that require physical exertion, intellectual strength, emotional depth. This is a woman who is vibrant, active, attractive, impactful, attentive in her daily activities as she takes care of her children, providing food and clothing and a safe home. One of the greatest blessings a woman can provide is a safe home for her children. A teacher asked a boy this question. It was a mathematical question. Suppose your mother baked a pie and there were seven of you, your parents and five children. What part of the pie would you get? A sixth, replied the boy. Well, said the teacher, I'm afraid you don't know your mother, because there are seven of you, you'd get a seventh. Yes, teacher, but you don't know my mother. Mother would say she didn't want any pie. I think King Lemuel, if he heard this story, would chime in and say, yes, that's exactly what I'm talking about. This godly, creative, virtuous woman who takes care of her family. We see thoughtfulness, we see creativity, great skill, a desire for beauty and excellence. There's sacrificial love, and there's loving sacrifice. And so, women, whether you have your own children or not, You can turn your place of living into a place of refuge and ministry, an oasis to help people from the business of life, a safe place to go for comfort, for prayer, for friendship. You can be that safe provider for those in need. As the godly woman makes a home that is safe and secure and loving, we see the words of Abraham Lincoln come to life, who says, no man is poor who has a godly mother. So after caring for her family, we see the godly woman is skillful in society. Skillful in society. She seeks wool and flax and works with willing hands. She is like the ships of a merchant. She brings her food from afar. She considers a field and buys it. With the fruit of her hands, she plants a vineyard. She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong. She perceives that her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp does not go out at night. She puts her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle. She makes linen garments and sells them. She delivers sashes to the merchant." This is just a lovely picture. This is a professional woman. She shows the skills of an entrepreneur, a planner. She's a trader. She's a businessman. She's actively engaged with her community. She has resources. She has acumen with how to handle people and how to add resources. She's a learner, one who is using her God-given wisdom to make her surroundings a better place. And I love this picture of a skilled and gifted woman using all that she has in the service of God and the service of others. Women, you are created and saved to do great things. Not just for the sake of success itself, but for the welfare and blessings of others and ultimately the glory of God. And in the power of Christ, as you seek him first, you will serve so well those that are around you and be that wonderful fragrance of blessing and help that we so desperately need in our families and in this culture. When Robert Ingersoll, who was a nasty, notorious atheist of a generation ago, was in his heyday, he would go around to college, university settings and try to tear down the faith. And so one day, two university students went to hear what he had to say, and as they walked down the street after the lecture, one said to the other, well, I guess he knocked the props out from under Christianity, didn't he? The second one said, no, I don't think he did, because anger Saul did not explain my mother's life, and until he can explain my mother's life, I will stand by my mother's God. Women, you have great power and influence in those around you, and a life well lived for Christ is a powerful testimony to the truth of God. Fourthly, as we see in Proverbs 31, this godly woman is wise with others. Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. This life lived in fellowship with God, soaking in the riches of his words, strengthened by the freshness of his spirit, can be used in service to others as she draws upon the wisdom and experience and talents that God has given her. And in doing so, she displays the fruit of the Spirit. She shares the truth of God's Word and helps others to apply it in life. And that's the ultimate meaning of wisdom. Biblically, wisdom means properly living before God and before others. And one of the greatest resources we have are godly women dispensing wisdom that allows us and helps us to walk right before God and right before others. We've heard it said that there is no fool like an old fool. Well, Proverbs 31 says there is no resource like a wise and experienced godly woman. And so, women, I ask you before God to strive to be that woman in the power of Christ, under the direction of His Spirit and the truth of His Word, and be a river through which the blessings of God flow to those that are around you. And lastly, the godly woman is helpful to the poor. She opens her hands to the poor and reaches out her hand to the needy. We see her wisdom revealed in compassion and in kindness. We see that she will reflect the heart of God. If she gets to know God's heart, it will shine through her own life to the downtrodden, to the outcast, to the suffering, to the sick. She will combine the skills that she has, the wisdom that she has received, and the creativity to provide solutions to different situations that are around her. And I think you'll agree, yes, this is a very challenging list. And the temptation is to feel overwhelmed. But there's hope. There's hope found in the second to last verse that says, charm is deceptive and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. It starts with the fear of God, the woman who is committed and devoted to God. It'll flow through her life in such a way that the people around her will notice and comment on it. Earlier in Proverbs, we are told that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and you see now how that plays out in the life of this godly woman, that women who spend time building their relationship with God will have an impact to others. Now, at the beginning, I talked about Dr. Ida Scudder, and I want to give you one anecdote from her life. All throughout her life, she was known as a woman of great compassion and mercy and wisdom and love. and she showed it to these Muslim and Hindu women of India. And one day she was asked by one of her patients, why are you like this when so many of your patients are mean and demanding and insulting and have this attitude of superiority which flows out of these religions of men? And before she could even answer, another patient chimed in and said, do you not know why? It is because Dr. Ida's God is a God of mercy, compassion, and love, and she resembles her God. You see, this woman of Proverbs 31 resembles the God of Proverbs 31. And so how are you doing in your own life today? What is the type of God that people see in your life because they can tell what kind of God you're spending time with? We see the wonder of women. No single exception. The way of the godly woman, and we close with Jesus, the friend of women. One of the things that I love doing is what's called apologetics. It is simply giving a defense of the Christian faith. I see the truth of God all around us. I see it revealed in every aspect of creation. His way makes sense in every situation, and I wanna be able to present that. And in my own ministry, I've had the wonderful privilege of serving people in different cultures and different languages. But one thing I can say without hesitation is that the religions of men are a bad deal for women. I see it happen all around the world. But there's one exception. All these other religions somehow see women as inferior or unclean, something to be avoided, or somehow of lesser value than men. But the one exception is Jesus of Nazareth. In His life, in His ministry, in His teachings, He gave value to women. He upheld their dignity and their worth. He displayed special honor and respect to them. And so, women, you're called to walk in the ways of God, and you can do so if Christ is the one that is leading you, and He can be your help. Why? Because He understands women's humanity. Jesus was God. and human form. He came and lived a fully human life. He endured all that we face, all that we might suffer. Humiliation, pain, disappointment, betrayal, rejection, being misunderstood. If you've experienced any of those things, then Jesus truly is your man. He walked that path for you, and he will help you walk with him. But look at what he did. Look at the way that Jesus treated women in a culture that did not give them the same value and honor as men. He honored Mary for her desire to go deeper in theology and to want to spend time with him. He encouraged Martha to find her rest in him in the midst of the pressure to perform for others. He lifted up and gave dignity to the woman caught in adultery. He gave hope to the woman at the well. He offered salvation to the Gentile Syrophoenician woman and commended her faith. He entrusted his own mother to his friends at the cross. He even had women that moved with him in the apostolic band who provided for him out of their own wealth and resources. You can read about it in Luke chapter eight. Women, Jesus knows you. He knows your situation. He understands. He's available. He wants to help. Call upon him. Secondly, he provided for their salvation. In the religions of men, it is not always clear how women will be saved or even if they will be saved. Some folk forms, local forms of Islam and Hinduism even question whether women can experience all that men can experience spiritually. But Jesus came to seek and to save the lost, those men and women, those Jews and Gentiles, the elect and the redeemed from every culture, from every time, all across history and all across the globe, who will be part of His people one day. And so that's why we find this Apostle Paul, this Gentile theologian who was transformed by the power of the gospel, telling Gentile Christians that the impact of the gospel will be for all kinds of people. who in Christ will be the true children of Abraham. And so he says to them, there is neither Jew nor Greek. There is neither slave nor free. There is no male or female, for you are all one in Christ. The gospel and the teaching of our master affirm the equal value, the equal inheritance, the equal importance of all who are the true sons of Abraham in Jesus Christ. So thirdly, he calls and empowers women to walk with him. To one woman he rescued from judgment and said, go and sin no more. To another he said, drink of the living water that I provide. To a third one he said, you have great faith. To yet another one he said, what you need is to spend time with me. But to all women he says, come, come, come and follow me. Take my yoke upon you and find your delight in me. For women, we know that this life lasts but for a short moment. But the impact that you can have in it can last for a lifetime and even go on to eternity. If this morning you find yourself not knowing Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior this morning, if you are afraid of death, if you think that if death arrives today, you do not know where you will be, I call on you right now to say, Jesus, have mercy on me and save me a sinner. Today is the day of salvation. But perhaps you've been playing a game. Oh, you've known Jesus for a while, but the temptations of life and the struggles of different programs have kind of caused your heart to grow cold. And Jesus is saying, uh-uh, follow me. Deny yourself. Take up your cross and follow me. Now is the day to repent and turn to him. This morning we've seen in our time together the wonder of women, that there is no single exception in those who are to follow Christ. We've seen the way of the godly woman and that Jesus is the friend of women. Yes, I agree with the Psalms, with the Proverbs, that the woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. And so men, children, others, as we see the women around us walking in the ways of God, let us be the first to encourage them and lift them up and give them the honor that they are due according to what the word tells us here. To the women I say, the Lord is calling you. Will you listen to his voice? For to paraphrase Abraham Lincoln, be it as a mother, an aunt, a friend, a neighbor, One is never poor who has a godly woman in his life. Let us pray. Father, thank you for just the joy and dignity that we can have before you in Christ. Thank you for the beautiful vision you gave in your word of creation itself rejoicing over human beings. And Father, we know that because of sin we have lost that ideal, but we long for it. We want to get back to that original idea, that original glory. And so, Father, this morning, would you lead us in Christ by the power of your Spirit to be men and women who will dare to make a difference for you because we love you so much that we will turn away from everything else. And I pray this morning, Father, especially for our sisters that are here this morning, that they would recognize the great value they have in your sight, the great value they have in Christ, and the great opportunity they have to serve him while they have time in this life. So to that end, we pray and ask for your blessing and guidance this week, in Jesus' name.