Embracing a Mother's Unconditional Love and Legacy
Summary
### Summary
On this Mother's Day, we reflect on the profound and enduring love of mothers, both those present and those who have passed on. We began by acknowledging the bittersweet nature of this day for those whose mothers are no longer with us, offering ways to honor their memory, such as living out their teachings, lighting a candle, releasing balloons, or planting a tree in their honor. We then transitioned to the biblical story of Moses from Exodus 2:1-10, highlighting the relentless and sacrificial love of his mother, Jochebed. Despite the perilous decree from Pharaoh to kill all Hebrew baby boys, Jochebed's faith and ingenuity led her to hide Moses for three months and then place him in a basket on the Nile, trusting God with his fate.
The narrative underscores the unyielding nature of a mother's love, which is constant and unwavering, much like God's love for us. Jochebed's actions exemplify the lengths to which a mother will go to protect and nurture her child, even in the face of grave danger. This love is not limited by biological ties, as seen in Pharaoh's daughter, who, moved by compassion, adopts Moses despite the cultural and racial differences. This act of love transcends societal boundaries and reflects the divine love that God instills in mothers.
We are called to emulate this "around the clock" love in our own lives, extending it to everyone we encounter, not just our biological children. This love should be unconditional, persistent, and active in all circumstances, mirroring the agape love that God has for us. As we celebrate Mother's Day, let us commit to loving others with the same fervor and dedication that mothers show their children, allowing this love to go airborne and impact our communities and beyond.
### Key Takeaways
1. Honoring Mothers Who Have Passed: We can honor our mothers who have passed by living out the lessons they taught us, lighting a candle in their memory, releasing balloons, or planting a tree. These acts keep their memory alive and acknowledge the light they brought into our lives. [01:14]
2. A Mother's Love is Relentless: The story of Jochebed hiding Moses for three months and then placing him in a basket on the Nile demonstrates the relentless and sacrificial nature of a mother's love. This love is willing to take risks and trust God with the outcome, showing faith in the face of danger. [26:29]
3. Love Transcends Boundaries: Pharaoh's daughter adopting Moses despite their cultural and racial differences illustrates that a mother's love transcends societal boundaries. This love is a reflection of God's unconditional love, which is not limited by race, class, or religion. [41:22]
4. Unconditional Love in Action: A mother's love is not like a faucet that can be turned on and off; it flows continuously like a waterfall. This love is active and persistent, providing protection, nurturing, and support around the clock, regardless of circumstances. [32:11]
5. Emulating a Mother's Love: We are called to love others with the same unconditional, persistent, and active love that mothers show their children. This "around the clock" love should extend to everyone we encounter, reflecting the agape love that God has for us. [48:08]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[0:30] - Honoring Mothers Who Have Passed
[10:42] - Standing on the Shoulders of Mothers
[13:04] - Introduction to the Sermon Series "Airborne"
[13:55] - Reading from Exodus 2:1-10
[16:43] - The Unceasing Nature of Certain Things
[18:13] - The Story of Moses' Birth
[21:02] - The New Egyptian King's Fear
[23:28] - The Defiance of the Hebrew Midwives
[25:01] - The King's Command to Drown Hebrew Boys
[26:29] - Jochebed's Faith and Action
[32:11] - A Mother's Creative Solutions
[34:02] - Trusting God and Letting Go
[41:22] - Pharaoh's Daughter's Compassion
[48:08] - Loving Like a Mother Around the Clock
[56:29] - Invitation and Benediction
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
- Exodus 2:1-10 (NKJV)
> And a man of the house of Levi went and took as a wife a daughter of Levi. So the woman conceived and bore a son. And when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him three months. But when she could no longer hide him, she took an ark of bulrushes for him, daubed it with asphalt and pitch, put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river’s bank. And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him. Then the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river. And her maidens walked along the riverside; and when she saw the ark among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it. And when she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby wept. So she had compassion on him, and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.” Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?” And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” So the maiden went and called the child’s mother. Then Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. And the child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. So she called his name Moses, saying, “Because I drew him out of the water.”
#### Observation Questions
1. What actions did Jochebed take to protect her son Moses from Pharaoh's decree? ([26:29])
2. How did Pharaoh's daughter respond when she found Moses in the basket? ([40:00])
3. What role did Moses' sister play in the story, and how did it impact the outcome? ([37:46])
4. What was the significance of Pharaoh's daughter adopting Moses despite their cultural differences? ([41:22])
#### Interpretation Questions
1. What does Jochebed's decision to hide Moses and then place him in a basket reveal about her faith and trust in God? ([26:29])
2. How does the compassion shown by Pharaoh's daughter reflect the theme of love transcending societal boundaries? ([41:22])
3. In what ways does the story of Moses' early life illustrate the concept of "around the clock" love? ([32:11])
4. How can the actions of Jochebed and Pharaoh's daughter be seen as examples of God's providence and divine plan? ([38:29])
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you had to trust God with a difficult situation. How did you see His providence at work, similar to Jochebed's trust in God? ([34:02])
2. How can you honor the memory of a loved one who has passed, as suggested in the sermon? Consider specific actions like lighting a candle or planting a tree. ([01:14])
3. Think of a person in your life who is not biologically related to you but whom you can show "around the clock" love. What specific steps can you take to demonstrate this love? ([48:08])
4. How can you extend unconditional love to someone from a different cultural or social background, similar to Pharaoh's daughter's compassion for Moses? ([41:22])
5. Identify a situation where you need to let go and trust God, much like Jochebed did with Moses. What practical steps can you take to release control and rely on God's guidance? ([34:02])
6. How can you actively show love and support to those in your community, reflecting the persistent and active love described in the sermon? ([32:11])
7. Consider a person who has tested your patience. What specific prayer or action can you take to show them love and forgiveness, as encouraged in the sermon? ([48:08])
Devotional
Day 1: Honoring the Legacy of Mothers Who Have Passed
Description: Honoring mothers who have passed away is a deeply personal and meaningful act. It involves living out the lessons they taught us, which can be a powerful way to keep their memory alive. Lighting a candle, releasing balloons, or planting a tree in their honor are tangible acts that acknowledge the light they brought into our lives. These actions serve as a reminder of their enduring influence and the love they bestowed upon us. [01:14]
Bible passage: "The memory of the righteous is a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot." (Proverbs 10:7, ESV)
Reflection: Think of a lesson your mother or a mother figure taught you. How can you actively live out that lesson today in a way that honors their memory?
Day 2: The Relentless Love of a Mother
Description: The story of Jochebed, Moses' mother, illustrates the relentless and sacrificial nature of a mother's love. Despite the perilous decree from Pharaoh to kill all Hebrew baby boys, Jochebed's faith and ingenuity led her to hide Moses for three months and then place him in a basket on the Nile, trusting God with his fate. This act of love demonstrates a mother's willingness to take risks and trust God with the outcome, showing faith in the face of danger. [26:29]
Bible passage: "By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king's edict." (Hebrews 11:23, ESV)
Reflection: Reflect on a time when you had to take a significant risk out of love for someone. How did your faith play a role in that decision, and what was the outcome?
Day 3: Love That Transcends Boundaries
Description: Pharaoh's daughter adopting Moses despite their cultural and racial differences illustrates that a mother's love transcends societal boundaries. This act of compassion and love is a reflection of God's unconditional love, which is not limited by race, class, or religion. It shows that love can bridge gaps and bring people together, regardless of their backgrounds. [41:22]
Bible passage: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:28, ESV)
Reflection: Think of someone from a different background or culture whom you can show love and compassion to today. What specific action can you take to bridge that gap and reflect God's unconditional love?
Day 4: Unconditional Love in Action
Description: A mother's love is not like a faucet that can be turned on and off; it flows continuously like a waterfall. This love is active and persistent, providing protection, nurturing, and support around the clock, regardless of circumstances. It is a powerful reminder of the unceasing nature of God's love for us, which is always present and unwavering. [32:11]
Bible passage: "Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends." (1 Corinthians 13:7-8a, ESV)
Reflection: Identify a situation in your life where you have been hesitant to show unconditional love. What steps can you take today to demonstrate persistent and active love in that situation?
Day 5: Emulating a Mother's Love
Description: We are called to love others with the same unconditional, persistent, and active love that mothers show their children. This "around the clock" love should extend to everyone we encounter, reflecting the agape love that God has for us. By committing to this kind of love, we can impact our communities and beyond, allowing God's love to go airborne and touch the lives of many. [48:08]
Bible passage: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:34-35, ESV)
Reflection: Think of a person in your community who might need to experience God's love through you. What specific actions can you take today to show them unconditional, persistent, and active love?
Quotes
1. "After you have cried, after you have worried about it, after you have lost sleep behind the thing, the next best thing you gotta do is stand." [10:42] (17 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "Therefore some things in this life occur all the time and move with consistency continually uninterruptedly constantly persistently incessantly and around the clock." [19:39] (22 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "Beloved, how many of you know when you really love something or someone, you sometimes have to trust God and let them go. Your faith has to rise above your feelings. And you sometimes have to say, Father, I love you. Father, I can't hide this baby no more. Father, I cannot conceal them no more. Father, I can't protect this child no more. But I trust you enough to let them go down this river." [34:02] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "A mother's love is so strong that it even kicks in when the recipient of the love is not even their biological child. Ooh, I'm preaching good this morning to somebody. Amen. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Some of you have been loved by aunts and some of you have been loved and nurtured by grandmothers and great grandmothers. Amen. Some of you have been loved and cared for by nana and big mama and nurse mama and Madea and taken in by women that had no biological blood tied to you." [35:14] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "A mother's love is strong. But watch this. A mother's love is not like a faucet. know, a faucet, you can cut on and you can cut it off. But a mother's love flows continuously like a waterfall. That's what a mother's love is." [32:11] (21 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
6. "A mother's love is enduring. Amen. And a mother's love is powerful. And a mother's love never ends. A mother's love endures to the end. What you saying, Pastor? What I'm saying is a mother's love is around the clock. A mother's love is 24-7. A mother's love is around the clock. And a mother's love is active in good times and in bad." [43:16] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
7. "The love of a mother is so consistent that it still flows even during uncertain times. Yes. A mother's love still flows even when everything is tore up from the floor. Amen. A mother's love still flows even in dark times. Yes." [35:14] (18 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
8. "Beloved, what got me in the text was how shrewd this mother was. How much wisdom this mama had. How much mother wit, as the saints would say, this mother had. She, oh my goodness, she knew the law. She knew the danger. She knew what was in her heart. She knew what was at stake. But the text says in verse 2 that she hid that baby for three months." [28:51] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
9. "When a mother can no longer cover. a mother can no longer hide. The next thing a mother does is she gonna take action. the mother knew I can no longer hide this baby growing. This baby growing. Making all this noise and I can't hide this baby no more. So I got to do something else. So the mother got creative. Lord have mercy. How many of y'all mothers are creative when it comes to their children?" [33:06] (27 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
10. "The love in the heart of Pharaoh's daughter began to fan out beyond the divisions of class, race, and economic status. I believe God put his own love. I'm going to say that again. I believe God inserted his own love. I believe God dropped his own love, which is an unconditional love, in this species called mothers, to give to their children and to the world." [42:16] (43 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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