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WEEK 1 SERMON DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR GROUPS

May 14, 2023

Mother’s Day 

Introduction:

What can we say about mothers that have not been already said? Mothers have been our confidants, our role models, our advocates, our inspiration, our helper, and our best friend to name a few. A mother is able, accepting, accessible, accommodating, active, adaptable, admirable, adoring, amazing, assuring, attentive, authentic, available, and awesome; and that is just the A’s. Being a mother is an important job, but one that can easily feel frustrating and unrewarding. Motherhood is not a hobby, it is a calling from God. Parenting is a ministry, full of spiritual experiences and opportunities for deeper meaning.

Something To Talk About:

Like Vaudeville plate spinners, mothers are accustomed to keeping many things going at once and are all too familiar with feeling overwhelmed when trying to accomplish so much.  Mothers can be tempted to feel inadequate when faced with the magnitude of work and self-giving their vocation requires of them.

  1. Release my need to control:  Being a mother is hard enough, but trying to be in control of everything makes it impossible. The concept of “not enough faith or trust” is often promoted as the core reason why we find it hard to let God take control of our lives. Well, the real reason why letting go and letting God take control can be difficult is that we don’t fully know the character of God. We can trust God when times are tough — but only up to a point. We run towards God when things are hard — but only up to a point. It is so incredibly easy to think that we trust God in all things and run towards Him in all things, but when we are faced with a challenge that requires more than we are comfortable giving, it becomes so clear that we don’t actually fully trust in the character of who He says He is. If we truly believed that God was good, and believed from the bottom of our hearts that the character of God was selfless and had our best interests, why would we not be giving up control to this God all the time? Why wouldn’t we always run towards Him for safety and help if we could claim that we really knew Him? 
  2. Receive from others: The saying, “It takes a village to raise a child” is true. You can’t do it all on your own. When you feel overwhelmed, reach out for support from family and friends.  It’s important to remember that we’re not meant to navigate this journey alone. Hebrews 10:24-25 says, “ Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” God designed us for connection—connection with Him and connection with others. Connecting with other moms can provide a much-needed sense of community and support. Whether it’s through a moms group at church, a local playgroup, or even connecting with other moms online, there are endless opportunities to find a group of women who understand the ups and downs of motherhood. Lean into one another and encourage each other in this beautiful yet challenging season of life.
  3. Rely on God for strength: Motherhood is hard. From gracefully and patiently handling toddler tantrums to dealing with the attitudes of high schoolers. You have to wonder if it would make more sense for God to call mothers once they knew what they were doing. But that’s not how God sees it. God wants mothers in a place of humility, a place of awareness of their weaknesses and frailties. It’s when mothers, or any person for that matter are in that place that we realize we really can do nothing apart from Him. And that is when we rely on Him to guide moms to be the people He wants them to be. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” Strength is a gift from God. His promises of strength are ours for the taking. He provides strength for our spirit: “That according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being” (Ephesians 3:16 ESV).

Discussion Questions:

  1. What is a favorite memory you have of your mother? What do you, or did you appreciate about your mom?
  2. How do you decide which things you should control and which you should let go? How might being a control freak be less or an all-or-nothing approach?
  3. When does trust (reliance on God) come easy for you? When is it hard for you?  Why do you think that is so?
  4. Faith is active reliance on God. What does that look like in your day-to-day experience?
  5. Name people in your life from whom you receive emotional support and people to whom you give emotional support. If you do not have these types of relationships in your life, where can you go to find such a group?
  6. Why is trusting God so difficult for us? Why is it scary?  
  7. What does Jeremiah 17:5-6 say about those who trust themselves and not the Lord? In verses 7 and 8, what does he say about those who trust Him explicitly? 
  8. Why do you think it’s hard to let go of control and trust God and take action? How do we determine when to trust God and when to get off the couch and do something?
  9. Instead of honoring the moms/women in our lives only once a year, what are some ways that we can live in constant respect and honor for them that make them feel valued, appreciated, utilized, and thought of throughout the year?

Take One Thing Home with You:

There was a mother in the news that went on strike.  She didn’t walk a picket line or protest outside her home, she just stopped doing the things she does as a mother daily.  For six days the mother of three did no “picking up, tidying, washing, cleaning, clearing, reminding or nagging.” The results were predictable. Absolute chaos ensued. The house was a wreck. It became painfully obvious to the family just how much moms do on a daily basis.

Mothers play such a vital role in our society. Not only do they impact their children, but they also impact their grandchildren and maybe even their great-grandchildren. They influence the next generation by passing on their values, understanding, wisdom, and faith. Where would we be without mothers?