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Deborah Rising (May 11, 2025)

• Organic Church • Season 2 • Episode 26

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"Wake up, Deborah, wake up!" The ancient call to a biblical heroine echoes powerfully into our modern world as we explore what it truly means to be a spiritual mother in today's chaotic landscape.

The world often dismisses motherhood as expendable—something that doesn't contribute meaningfully to society. Nothing could be further from the truth. Through the compelling story of Deborah in Judges, we discover that mothers—biological and spiritual—are the primary architects of discipleship in homes and communities across generations.

Motherhood transcends biology. Whether you've given birth or not, every woman has the capacity to nurture, protect, and guide those around them toward their divine purpose. The journey begins with three essential qualities exemplified by Deborah herself: courageous faith that believes when nobody else does, wise leadership that offers counsel without trying to fix everything, and the ability to empower others while holding them accountable.

Some of us carry wounds associated with Mother's Day—perhaps your mother wasn't present, or maybe you've desperately wanted children but haven't been able to have them. Perhaps you're estranged from your children, or you've lost a child. Whatever your circumstance, there's healing in recognizing that spiritual motherhood offers a path forward. Like Florence, who saved a young man's life simply by telling him when to shut up and when to stand up, your influence matters more than you know.

Your voice is valued. Your presence is powerful. Your calling is unique. You're chosen and anointed "for such a time as this" to speak life into those who feel lifeless and hope into those who feel hopeless. Just as Deborah arose when few people remained in Israel, you're positioned to make an extraordinary difference in your sphere of influence. The question isn't whether you have what it takes—it's whether you'll wake up to the call.

Speaker 1:

Just for clarity. It's just nursery today. I'm a little disappointed. My wife has nursery today, on Mother's Day, but I guess somebody had to do it right. It's better her than me. I can say that For the kids and for me you. Okay, max, just nose dive, just nose dive. Hey, I'm going to go ahead and move this so I don't trip over it. Just nosedive, just nosedive. Hey, I'm going to go ahead and move this so I don't trip over it, because inevitably I will.

Speaker 1:

Let's start by going to Judges 5.12. Judges 5.12. If you've got your Bibles, turn there with me. If not, we'll put it on the screen for you Judges 5.12. And I'll tell you what. Why don't we just all stand to honor 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, wake up. Wake up. Wake up and sing a song. Arise, barack, lead your captives away. Now here's what I want to say to you Wake up, deborah, you can be seated.

Speaker 1:

We are going to spend some time in judges. We're going to jump around a lot, so take good notes. You'll want to go back and refer to these, but today we're going to gather to honor the women who I promised I wasn't going to yell today. I promised I'm like it's Mother's Day, just don't yell. So I promised I wasn't going to yell today. I'm going to do my best, okay? Today we gather to honor the women who shape. No, we're not feeling that. Wait, I was going to say are you going to leave? She's like that's the whiny voice, I'm out, I'm out. Oh, dawn, I love you. Today we gather to honor the women who shape our lives with love, strength and enduring faith our mothers.

Speaker 1:

Now some of us may be able to sit in this room and say my mother did not treat me like that. Amen, I have not had a great mother. I will tell you this. God gave you the mother you needed in your life. That may not sound fair, but sometimes it is fair, amen. It may not sound fair, but sometimes it is fair. I will tell you that my dad is sitting here, so I have to be careful how I talk about my mom, because he'll tell her. Actually, he won't, but even if he did, I wouldn't be scared, because everything that I know about my mother is true and I'm going to just share a little bit because I think you guys need to understand that I am the person that I am today because of how my mother raised me Good, bad and indifferent Amen.

Speaker 1:

So my mom didn't really go to work until I was in school. She stayed at home, which created 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 a mommy's boy Not going to lie Kind of still am, Right, is that fair? So she took care of me when my, when my brother and sister weren't home. But here's the thing as I grew up and I started to see things in my house, I realized that my mom's not perfect. She doesn't have it all together. I'm just to share some fun things, and some of you may have lived through these things.

Speaker 1:

I never understood why, a couple of days a week after school, we would walk from our house to the payphone at the end of the street. Why do we have a phone at home? Why are we walking to the end of the street? We were walking to the end of the street, because that's how my mom would call bill collectors. So then they didn't have the house phone because then they couldn't call when my dad was home and that he would find out that we were behind on our bills. I can't tell you how many times I came home from school and the electric was off. We would just call my mom at her job and she would call the electric company and pay it and have it turned back on because she didn't want my dad to know that we were behind on our bills. I can't tell you the number of cars that were repossessed because my mom could not budget money. You want to talk about me being a little bit stingy with my money now you know why Because I know what it's like to live without.

Speaker 1:

As a kid, I didn't understand it. As an adult, it doesn't seem fair, right? Why would you do that to your children? And then I realized that if she didn't go through it, I wasn't going to be better. Right? I can't live like she was just and say, well, that's the norm, right? I can't just accept that as life and expect that to be how life works. I have to be the change that I want to see in the world, amen. And I'm going to tell you, I want to be the change in the world, if I can do. Listen. The other week we had three salvations 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 me or for you, I want to be here for the kingdom, right? And so the thing is, is that's really what Deborah was all about? Was the kingdom of God, okay? The world often overlooks the quiet power of being a mother. Amen.

Speaker 1:

A lot of times the world looks at a mom, especially a stay-at-home mom, as expendable. Well, they don't do anything anyway. They don't contribute to society. Listen, it's the truth, isn't it? I say it to my wife all the time. I get up in the morning and I'm like well, I got to go to work this morning. One of us has to contribute to society. I'm joking. Obviously, my wife would drop me quick if I ever said that in a serious way. It's true, it's true. There aren't many people I'm afraid of. She's one of them. She could poison me and I wouldn't even know it, wouldn't even know it. Undetectable death, you know. I'm just saying the life insurance is probably worth it at some days, I don't know. I know that my wife does more for the kingdom of God in an afternoon than I can do in my lifetime, because she is raising up disciples each and every day.

Speaker 1:

I know at the ladies brunch she shared that the kids were in the car. She was driving through that really bad windstorm that we had and one of the kids said to her mom, I just knew you were going to start praying in tongues the whole way, which is funny to laugh at. But when you look at that, they know the expectation, they know the standard, they know that when we're struggling or we're in a spot that we don't know how to get out of, we go straight to the father. Right, we don't lean on our own understanding, we go straight to the father. He gave her good discernment. She knew what to do, how to handle it. Listen, that wasn't the only thing that they said that day. Emmett said to her. He said mom, I just kept praying, I just kept, I just. I probably prayed three times in the car through that. You're raising up disciples, right. We're not doing that by simply talking to them. We're doing that by showing them that that's what we do as kingdom-minded people. Amen.

Speaker 1:

And often that quiet motherhood gets overlooked, it gets disregarded. Let me tell you moms, you are the most important in building disciples. Now, I keep using this word mom. Right, there are people in the room who aren't necessarily moms, never had a biological child, but they treat children like their own right. I know lots of people who have never had a child, that raise children every day. You know my mom is, or my wife is still raising this child, right, some of us it's your husband. Some of us it's the friend group that you have. Some of us it's your husband. Some of us it's the friend group that you have. Some of us it's working in children's ministry or childcare, whatever it may be. You are raising up disciples and you are showing them the way to go. There are some of us who aren't here today because Mother's Day is a hard holiday for us, because we've lost our mothers. Right, let me tell you something you haven't lost your mother. She is part of you.

Speaker 1:

Every day, when I get up, I realize that there is a certain part of me that is my mother. Good, bad or indifferent, amen. Good, bad or indifferent, there is a part of me that is my mother. We have to remember that. Every mother that has shaped our lives. And listen, I could go through all of the moms in my life. It would take me forever.

Speaker 1:

I've got my wife, who is not just a mother to my children, but she is a supporter of all things, me, amen. I've got my grandmother, who was 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 Boyardee ravioli all the time. So I had something to eat after school, right? Never questioned it, we just went in, we ate, we bounced, right, it was like the cafeteria I 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.

Speaker 1:

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 I will love her for her entire life, and it's because she gave birth to two of the best things that I've ever done. Right, they might be jerks, they're in here so I can say that what, what, but I will tell you something we have done the best that we can do, and every part of her is part of them.

Speaker 1:

Amen, and I have to be able to embrace that. It doesn't mean I have to give her a hug when I see her, right, but I'm going to. We're going to be at births, at graduation parties, at birthdays. We're going to be at births, at graduation parties, at birthdays. We're going to spend time together. We have to learn to get along. We have to learn to be able to love one another. That is hard stuff to do, but let me tell you I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength. Right, I can walk into a room of 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 off track already. You are more than caretakers. You are leaders, warriors and wisdom bearers.

Speaker 1:

Moms, we don't know everything. I know that you do your best, but how many of you have ever been put in an impossible situation where you just say, god, I'm going to have to give this one to you Because your children will give you gray hair real quick, right? Yeah, you don't even know what to expect. Some days you just wake up and there's that phone message that says Mom, come get me from jail. Right, that's the stuff that moms can't be prepared for. You raise them up in the way that they should go and then you just hope that they go that way. You cannot force them to do anything.

Speaker 1:

I've learned with my two oldest boys. You have to let them figure it out. I can tell you all the things, but chances are you ain't listening. My oldest always tells me I know, dad, I'm not going to be 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 than he realizes. Stubborn, difficult, got life figured out. I promise you that there will always be a place at my house for him, because I know what life is like. It'll kick you in the teeth real quick, right?

Speaker 1:

Moms are the only ones who can help mold their children in the way that they should go. Dads, we will do everything that we can, but most dads, as the authoritarian, are the scary ones, right? I don't want to ever be that way to my children. I want my children to go. I know that I can ask my dad anything. I know that I can go to my dad and I can say this happened, help me fix it. I can't fix everything, but I can try. Amen. But moms, you guys are the gatekeepers, you're the ones that can make a difference. All right, we're going to go to Judges. We're going to be in four and five, we're going to jump back and forth, so let's just go to Judges 4-4. Judges 4-4.

Speaker 1:

Deborah was the wife of I think it's Lapidoth, whatever was a prophet who was judging Israel at that time. So we're going to talk about Deborah today. We're going to spend a lot of time really understanding what it was that she did. She was a judge, a prophet, a military leader, and all of 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 sit here today afraid of something in your life. Something in your life Now, I'm talking about like real life stuff, not like frogs like me, right? I'm not talking about like you're not afraid of the dark. I'm not talking about that.

Speaker 1:

Ashley, if something happened to JJ like that, fear lives inside of you every day, doesn't it. Listen, she's picking stuff up so 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. Now, when she gets to kid three and four, she's going to be like they're going to fall. It's just going to happen because I ain't got enough arms. But you're a mom, that's what you do, right? She's thinking six steps ahead of the baby. At all times she's like he ain't doing nothing. That's inside of you, but there is a fear that something could happen, right? That's why you want to stay at home with your baby. 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 things that God has called us to do, but we cannot operate strictly out of fear. All right, judges 5-7.

Speaker 1:

There were a few people left in the villages of Israel until Deborah arose as a mother of Israel. Leave that up there. There were few people left. Can I tell you that oftentimes we walk into a room where there are a few people left? I want to remind you what this building looked like after COVID 15 to 30 people maybe on a Sunday morning. If we got to 30, we felt good, we're like this place is packed. There were 80 in here this morning and I'm like where's the other 20? Right, there were few people until Deborah arose as the mother of Israel. Now I want to tell you something. My wife is the mother of this house, amen. However, she is partnered by one of the strongest prophets that I've ever met. She is partnered by one of the strongest prophets that I've ever met.

Speaker 1:

Pastor Holly, when she came, a part of this team changed the way this building operated. Now for me for a minute. It wasn't good because it was a little bit scary, because I wasn't used to it, right, she's a strong, independent woman. She doesn't need me to have her ministry operate, but she respects my position, right, and I don't mean because I'm the senior pastor. I'm saying it's Pastor Michael at all times. That's how she refers to me. I refer to her as Pastor Holly at all times. Like that. It's a mutual respect for what we do.

Speaker 1:

Can I tell you that this building wouldn't sit at 80 people had Deborah not rose up. It's true. It's true, I might be able to preach the word. I might be able to get people excited, but none of you would be being healed the way that you are, because that's not how I operate. It's not what I do. Well, I'm thankful every day that we had somebody rise up in this house so that we would be able to move forward for the kingdom of God. Amen.

Speaker 1:

Now I can tell you, like Dawn, we were just joking about my whiny voice, she said the first time she came here she was like I don't know if I can sit under him. He is whiny. I wish she could tell me what message it was so I could go back and listen to it, because I got to hear it, but apparently it was whiny. Here she still sits, but I promise you it was because she had people to come alongside her. Amen, those people have been raised up by Pastor Holly, not just by me, and I'm telling you that those are the things that I'm expecting of every mother in this house, because you are not just going to rise up for this building, but for your families, for your communities.

Speaker 1:

I look at this world and I see how broken it is. There are children. Listen, when we lived in Dover, there weren't a lot of kids that lived around us and so we didn't have a lot of neighborhood kids. Now we have become the neighborhood hangout. Last night it was 8.30 at night. We were finishing a game of Monopoly and the doorbell rings. There's six kids standing outside wanting to play basketball in the driveway. I'm like what is happening right now? But we know that they're safe in our house, right, and they may not have mothers who are raising up disciples in Christ, and so we're going to take every opportunity to do just that Now. Fortunately, my wife is the one who does all of the mom contacting because I'm like come get your kids Anyhow.

Speaker 1:

I believe that that verse ties motherhood to leadership. Amen, because Deborah was called to protect, nurture and guide her people. Every one of you, every female in this building, is called to nurture, to protect and to guide the people in your lives Amen. Some of you may not see your own children on Mother's Day, it's true. Right, I did a funeral for a lady. Only one of her children showed up. The others didn't feel like it was important to be there.

Speaker 1:

I've learned something the hard way you only get one mom right, and when you find strife in your relationship with your mother. Oftentimes you're just sowing seeds of discord or chaos. Right? Moms have great strength in our lives. They're able to build us up when we don't feel like we can be built up. They're able to keep us on the straight and narrow, sometimes the hard way.

Speaker 1:

My mom kept a wooden spoon in the visor of her car. It's not a joke. You get loud in the back seat somebody's catching that wooden spoon. Unfortunately, I was always made to ride in the middle as the youngest and oftentimes I caught the wooden spoon because you know you can only reach so far with that wooden spoon. But I'll tell you that wooden spoon. It taught me how to behave.

Speaker 1:

Now I'm not saying you have to beat your kids. Some of your kids need beat. I'm going to say it out loud. I'll just tell you how it is. Sometimes my kids need beat. But here's the thing my parents were not church-going people. They didn't know how to raise me up in the way of the Lord. They did what they could. It was my responsibility to figure that out Amen.

Speaker 1:

Listen, poor Easton, that kid. He takes the fall for everything, but that's usually because it's his fault and he'll tell you it's his fault. He might struggle with good decision-making, but he'll own it when he makes a bad decision. He was like well, dad, I was just I'm like well, you were just still doesn't fix it right. With all due respect, I was just doesn't fix it. But I'll tell you, my wife handles him so well with grace and mercy. I'm thankful that my wife was raised in a house so different from mine. She was a free range child. There weren't hi. She's looking at me like I don't want to turn it down. My wife didn't have a whole lot of boundaries in her house and she was. But that allowed my wife to realize that she needed boundaries in her life and that she could then help mold and shape the boundaries for my children. Amen, all right.

Speaker 1:

There are three qualities of a godly mother and we're going to take these directly from Deborah. All right, are you ready? We're going to start with courageous faith. Judges 4.14. It says then Deborah said to Barak get ready, this is the day the Lord will give you victory over Caesarea, for the Lord is marching ahead of you. So Barak led his 10,000 warriors down the slopes of Mount Tabor into battle. Can you imagine if somebody told you to march your troops into battle? Many of us would not be willing to go right. She was able to give them courageous faith. She was able to encourage them.

Speaker 1:

Listen, a lot of mothers lead quietly, right? 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 are loud? Yes, listen, some mothers lead quietly. Some mothers lead loud. Right, I don't have to yell, I just talk loud, it's natural, right, it ain't yelling. I'm just trying to get my point across, right, I'm not yelling. You're not listening, right? Okay, all right, listen. We have to lead with unwavering faith and we have to believe in our children when no one else does. We have to believe in our children when no one else does.

Speaker 1:

Has anybody ever told you your kid's a snot Like? Listen, there's something wrong with your kid, he's bad. What? Yours is an angel, okay, where's he at right now In the nursery crying? I'm kidding, I'm kidding. Now she's like no, I got to go get him. She has a rule If JJ is on the floor for any longer than 10 seconds crying, andrew gets yelled at for not picking him up. He needs something. He's hurting, he's in trouble, right? Is that a true, it's a real rule. It's not made up. It's just a different type of child rearing. Correct Me, I'm like rub some dirt in it.

Speaker 1:

Matter of fact, I was on the phone with Beth the other day. Easton had wrecked, or Emmett had wrecked, his scooter, tore up his knee, something fierce, I mean just blood everywhere, and he's sitting on the couch and I was 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 to start crying. Oh, he did Got to go. So I hang up the phone and I take him to the bathroom and I put a little bit of peroxide on it, put a Band-Aid on it. He's good as gold. Right, that Band-Aid was like new flesh Sometimes. Sometimes we have to. We lead differently, but we have to lead with unwavering faith in God. Amen. We have to raise up our children with unwavering faith in God.

Speaker 1:

In Judges 4-5, people came to Deborah for counsel. Did you realize? As mothers you are often the first counsel for your children. Listen, my kids will walk right past me, straight to my wife to say mom, can we Right? Moms Right, my kids will walk right.

Speaker 1:

I was sitting right next to Adeline yesterday, right next to her, and she gets up and walks to her mom and says mom, can we have a popsicle? She said well, your dad was right 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, if that's his answer, that's his answer. It's not budging in. He don't believe that no is budging in.

Speaker 1:

Judges 4.5 says she would sit under the palm of Deborah, between Ramah and Bethel, in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites would go to her for judgment. Who is that? Oh, at least it's not an adult. She would give wise counsel to the people who would seek it. Moms, I need to prepare you for something. When they get to a certain age, they will not seek wise counsel, right? They'll stop at some point and they'll just say I've got it figured out. You have to learn that you can't always give counsel when counsel isn't requested.

Speaker 1:

Many of you know that when you call me and you say something to me, I ask a question. It's a very simple question do you need me to help solve this problem or do you just need me to listen? Because a lot of times people will call me and say well, pastor michael, this, that or the other is happening in my life. I'm a problem solver, it's's what 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 just want me to listen. But I still try to fix it.

Speaker 1:

Moms, you can't fix it all. You cannot fix it all. There are so many times that we just 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. James 1.5, if you need wisdom, ask our generous God and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. Moms, you should be in prayer more often than not when something is happening in your life and you're trying to figure out. How do I lead, guide and direct these little snots that won't listen to me? God, give me strength, give me wisdom, give me all of the things from you, father. God, and allow my flesh to be dead. Amen, other God, and allow my flesh to be dead, amen.

Speaker 1:

Listen, I'm the kind of dad that likes to pick right. How many of us are like that. It seems like sometimes, like when Emmett fell, he's all bleeding. I'm like, oh, he's going to cry. I knew saying that was going to make 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 enough that he fell? Right, I tend to pick, it's what I do but his mom would have carried him to the bathroom. Who said that Would have carried him to the bathroom? I mean, the kid's almost as big as her, rocked him and ointment and kissed his little boo-boo. Hey, you know what? That's okay, it is okay, it is fine that she would do that, but I have to learn to be more nurturing as well.

Speaker 1:

Amen, listen, guys, we don't have to be tough all the time. We don't have to be mean and pick all the time, because what we do is we create a vacuum, a void, and then mom is always the default parent. Mom, how many of you are the default parent in your life, every day, even if your kids don't live with you, you are the default parent all the time. I tell you right now I could call my oldest two boys' mom and be like, hey, is there anything the boys are supposed to tell me today? And she would say, yeah, they didn't tell you these five things? I'd be like, nope, didn't tell me 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 more nurturing as men, right. We have to learn to be more nurturing as men, right. We have to learn to be softer as men.

Speaker 1:

Third quality of a godly mother you have to always be empowering others. This one's hard. This one is hard because people who want us to empower them don't want to show up. Hear me, why are you laughing? Yeah, yeah, the third quality of 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.

Speaker 1:

I was like you can't make this stuff up, guys. It's really this good all the time. It is really this good all the time. And listen, I love her to death. I get where she is. I'm just like I'm not that kind of parent. I'm not, I never have been, but she is twice the mom that I could ever be as a dad. Right Like she. Just she, she's got it figured out. She's okay carrying around holding him. Listen, he was at my house the other day. I got out of the car, that kid started crying immediately. He's like. I can sense it. He doesn't like people Empowering others.

Speaker 1:

Here's the challenge when we are called to empower others, we need those others to actually show 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, we want to be, we want to all of these things. We want to be in children's ministry, we want to help do. How do you want me to empower somebody who can't just be there themselves? Do you know how hard it is to rely on people who aren't reliable? So as I do this message, I start to think about all of the things that people do. I'm going to give a shout out real quick and I don't normally do this and I'm not doing it so that you guys will give him praise, but Marcus has mowed the grass almost every week at this church since it started growing.

Speaker 1:

He just shows up and does it. He usually texts me and says the grass is cut. Do you realize how much time that saves me? If you cut this entire yard in one day? It's two and a half to three hours. Some days he cuts it twice. Some days he cuts it twice because it gets so high. He could spend six hours on a lawnmower here and he asks for nothing in return. When I called on him to come alongside me and help me, he did it without question.

Speaker 1:

You guys came for dodgeball the other night. Those of you who were here, you notice how empty the gym was. Marcus and Jenny did every bit of that. I didn't touch it. I said I'm going gonna be there this night. By the time I got here, they were done.

Speaker 1:

I'm gonna tell you that when you call upon people to be raised up and they ask you to support them when they want to be empowered, you have to be able to show up right. And what I mean by show up is you gotta show up on Sunday morning. Just be here right. Because I'll tell you it is the hardest thing for a pastor to stand in the pulpit and look out and realize who's missing. Because when I look out and I realize who's missing, I start to ask myself are they upset? Are they hurt? What happened? Where are they at? Are they visiting another church? Are we about to lose this person?

Speaker 1:

I don't take attendance like that because I'm worried about anything other than your spiritual well-being. When you aren't here, trust me, I notice I'll reach out A lot of times. I don't hear anything back and you know what I say. God, move in their lives and do whatever you're going to do. Make it quick, because I don't hear anything back and you know what I say. God, move in their lives and do whatever you're going to do. Make it quick, because I don't like that pain and suffering, right For you or for me. But I will tell you that so many people want to be empowered inside of ministry and a lot of people think that they should preach. I'm going to tell you, it is not for everyone, it is not for the faint of heart. I can tell you that. But the only way that we can do that is if you show up Judges 4.9. Very well, she replied. I will go with you, but you will receive no honor in this venture, for the Lord's victory over Caesarea will be at the hands of a woman. So Deborah went with Barak to Kadesh, victory would be at the hands of a woman. Women. You will have victory in the name of Jesus.

Speaker 1:

Mothers, grandmothers, aunts, spiritual mothers your role is not secondary in God's plan. It is the primary role in God's plan. You should be at all times raising up your family in prayer, amen. Raising up your family in confidence. Know that your voice is valued. Listen when I speak to my children. I know they well. They typically don't hear me. It goes in, but what they do with it I can't count on right. A mother's voice is valued. You have to understand the importance of your voice simply being heard.

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Ladies, you have to rise in obedience to God's unique plan for your life. Your calling is not the same as the person sitting next to you. Your calling is not the same as the person sitting next to you. Your calling is not the same as the person that you see on TV or on TikTok or Instagram. Your calling is unique. Right, it may not feel like that some days, but I'm going to tell you this has been one of the hardest conversations I've had with people over the last six months.

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I'm too old. God can't use me. I'm too old. I don't know anybody who has ever retired in Christ. I don't know anybody who has ever retired in Christ. You might retire from the pulpit, you might retire from active service day to day, but I promise you, those people walk into the world still preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ and those who think that there is nothing that God can do in their lives. I promise you, or with their lives. I promise you that there is a calling 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 palm like Deborah, but I promise you you sit at kitchen tables, in small groups, in gatherings of friends and in all of those places. We should find ourselves more like Deborah, speaking life into those who feel lifeless, giving hope to those who feel hopeless. You are chosen and anointed for such a time as this, for such a time as this.

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

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I promise you that each and every one of you have value this day. In the mighty name of Jesus. In the mighty name, if you're sitting here without a child and you're like, well, mother's Day doesn't mean anything to me. I promise you. I promise you that you are a mother to somebody. I don't think Florence ever looked at me as one of her children, but I always considered myself one of her children because she was raising me up in a way that I didn't understand. I'm thankful that I had somebody so willing to tell me to shut up when I needed to be told to shut up, and somebody who was so willing to tell me to stand up when I needed to be told to stand up. I can't tell you the things that that lady saw me through, but I can't tell you the things that Pastor Holly has saw me through. I can't tell you the things that my own mother has seen me through, the things that my wife has walked through with me. I promise you that there is value in each and every one of you today. Today, we should exhibit courageous faith, wise leadership and we have to empower others. We have to call people to the next level, to a higher standard. Amen. I have to be able to look at you and say, if you're not gonna do it, don't say you're gonna do it. We have to be willing to say you are a blood-bought child of the Almighty. Amen. You are worthy of whatever God has called you to do today. Amen.

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Ladies, my wife and I, with the help of staff who had to work today, we prepped flowers for each of you for Mother's Day. So this isn't just for moms. There are 50 of 50-ish out there. I want everybody in here, every adult woman in this building, to walk out of here, get a flower. And I want you to know this that before we put them on that table, each and every one of them were prayed over, just like your seats, just like the offering plates, because we believe that when you take that home with you, that the prayers that we prayed over them will grow inside of your home as that flower grows. If that flower dies, take it to Vicki Hickey, no kidding.

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The idea is that we wanted to put life into your homes. We wanted to speak life into your hearts today and we wanted to put life into your homes. I know that God is doing a mighty work inside of this building and it's amazing that I see how much of it is being done by women. It's true, I can't tell you. I pulled up the other day and saw cars in the parking lot. There were women in the building working. I pull up at the parking lot and there were cars in the parking lot. Nobody's here, but there are cars. Well, they're at a church event somewhere. God is moving in this place.

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Women, you are leading that charge and we thank you for that every day. We thank you for your prayerfulness. We thank you for how you take so seriously the job that God has put forth. And men, today is a call to action. We can be just as strong. You're going to get a black eye. Ashley. Jj keeps throwing his head back into her face. Listen to him laugh. I don't like kids, but aren't they cute? Let's pray together.

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Father, I thank you and I praise you for the women in this room. Lord, I pray that there is an anointing like no other, flowing through their hearts today. Father, god, lord, I pray that each and every one of them will find courageous faith, wise leadership and learn to empower others. In the mighty name of Jesus. Lord, I know that, as you walk through this place, that you continue to lead, guide and direct them. And, lord, I need them to know that they are chosen and anointed for such a time as this. Let every woman sitting in this building understand how the magnitude of what a mother is and the magnitude of what a mother is and the magnitude of what a mother can do in shaping the lives of those around her.

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Lord, I'm praying for those who are hurt today, whose hearts are on the men for whatever the case may be in their lives. Lord, I know that you are willing and able to take away that pain. Mend, broken relationships today, father God, simple phone calls, simple text messages. Lord, I pray for each and every one of the women who are serving you in this ministry. Continue to anoint their steps, father. Give them guidance and direction, allow them to be strong and steadfast in you. Lord, I pray for every person in this congregation. I pray that you give them traveling mercies as they leave this place. Lord, bring them back at their next appointed time. Father, I thank you, I praise you, I give you honor and glory this day in the mighty name of Jesus. And the church says