A Woman’s Pathway to Godliness (1 Timothy 2:9-15)

Download Sermon Outline

Sermon Manuscript . . .

A Woman’s Pathway to Godliness

1 Timothy 2:9-15

Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments, 10 but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness. 11 A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness. 12 But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. 13 For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. 14 And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. 15 But women will be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint.”

There has always been a fascination with superheroes in America. The first superhero was created by DC Comics in 1938 and was released in a small, paperback comic book. The main character–Superman. Since that time, the number of superheroes has increased at an exponential rate. In fact, the Marvel universe–pardon me, the multiverse for you comic nerds, now boasts nearly 5,000 characters.

And the popularity of these characters has surged in recent years with the advent of CGI and big budget Hollywood movies. Marvel has taken in some $12 billion dollars in ticket sales in the past 10 years alone. That is a staggering amount. Now this fascination with superheroes has historically been segmented to a specific part of the population–anyone want to guess? That’s right–males.

And I believe this is largely because many men secretly view themselves as low-level super heroes. In fact, every guy in this room knows what his preferred super power would be if he had one. Mine would be to eat anything I want without gaining weight. If you look closely enough, you can see men demonstrate their perceived superpower. Let me give you a couple examples.

Picture the man who believes he has super strength. He has strapped a queen size mattress onto the roof of his car with a single rope and is driving on the freeway at 70mph. A normal person fears the wind may grab this huge rectangle and perhaps even rip it right off the top of the car. But have no fear, our superhero extends his arm out the window, “Don’t worry–I got this.” And holds that thing down with one powerful arm.

What about the guy who thinks he can control time? “Honey,” his wife says, “how long do you think it will take to fix it?” “Oh babe,” he answers, “I can knock this out in less than an hour.” Three weekends and many hours later, the task remains incomplete.

What about the man whose super power is anger? To any casual observer, he is a rational and mild-mannered husband and father. But under the surface there lurks a rage-a-holic that is released only when the home project he is working on fails. Having returned from Home Depot with the exact amount of supplies needed to complete a simple job, he proceeds to begin his project.

Before long, he cuts a section of wood too short, strips a screw head, or finds a stubborn piece that no matter how hard he tries will not fit into its designated spot. And in an instant, this passive, docile man transforms into a seething cauldron of rage. In a senseless and irrational moment, he decides to release his anger on the inanimate objects that surround him. He is now breaking things, throwing tools, and wreaking havoc on the very supplies he needs to complete his project. Sadly, those last two describe me pretty well.

This past June, Warner Brothers released a superhero movie that targeted women. The movie, Wonder Woman, was an instant success, exceeding expectations and even setting records in the box office. It tells the story of the daughter of Zeus who, as an immortal, has incredible, godlike powers, and who singlehandedly saves the world.

This movie appealed to women in a unique way. One woman spoke of the emotional effect of the movie, saying she cried off and on throughout the entire movie. Another, when leaving the theatre said, “I have been waiting for this movie my entire life.” One of the reasons for this is that women identify with the heroine of the story.

A beautiful, strong, capable woman who, taking matters into her own hands is able to effect positive change in her world. She can do anything she puts her mind to. And this defines today’s woman. Strong enough to compete in the career world, racing to the top of the corporate ladder alongside her male counterparts, while having a husband and kids at home.

She is active in the PTA, has her own blog, gets to the gym each morning, always looks put together when she drops the kids off at school, makes sure that her diet is all organic, farm-raised, locally sourced, and gluten free. She is able to do it all. She even has time to lead a small group at church, have people over, and be a team mom. And it seems she does all of this without breaking a sweat. I mean, all you have to do is go to her Instagram feed to see proof of her amazing life.

To accomplish all this, you would need to possess some kind of superpower. But many women believe they should be able to do it all and are discouraged or even feel like a failure when they find they fall short. The passage we are looking at this morning speaks to these issues. And really, it will help to reset the expectations for women who desire to honor God in their lives.

Similar to a movie made for women, this is a section of Scripture uniquely designed for you. And through it, the Spirit of God wants to draw you in and to help you to see His perfect plan for your life. If we were to boil this morning’s message down into one phrase, it would be, a woman’s pathway to godliness. Said a different way it is, a woman’s pathway to please God.

By way of review, we are studying 1 Timothy and our theme, HOUSE RULES, is found in 1 Timothy 3:15. Paul says, “I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God.” Paul is laying out instruction for how believers should behave in the church in a way that honors God. That is, how you and I are to live in the context of the gathered and assembled church.

Last week we looked at the call to pray for the lost. And we concluded in verse 8 with the specific call to men in the church to lead in prayer. In verses 9-15, Paul transitions to the role of women in the church. And so with this in mind, let’s examine the character qualities that the women of FBC and godly women everywhere should be known for. We are going to see three areas that are a part of a woman’s pathway to godliness.

1.  How you live, not how you look Verses 9 to 10

Look at verse 9 and Paul says, “likewise”–that is, in the same way that I just challenged the men, I now want to challenge the women. He says, “Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing.” He begins his instruction to women by addressing a woman’s outward appearance.

The word for adorn is the word kosmos from which we get the English word cosmetics. It means to cause something to be beautiful by decorating. Women are to adorn themselves or to make themselves beautiful, Paul says–look back at the verse, with proper clothing. That is, in a way that matches the occasion–in a suitable and respectable manner.

There is no argument that a woman’s appearance is extremely important. There are multiple billion dollar industries based on women’s beauty–the fitness world, fashion, cosmetics, beauty parlors, even plastic surgery. The world has painted the picture of the perfect woman and it is based completely on her outward appearance, and there is a tremendous amount of pressure to look the part.

A man may have a garage full of tools to complete projects and tame the yard, but it is no match for the arsenal of beauty supplies and other contraptions that women have in their bathrooms. And even with all this effort, roughly 50% of women report having “wholesale displeasure” with their bodies and only a minority see themselves as being above average in appearance.

And only 2% describe themselves as beautiful. This is why my nickname for Tracy is “the Hotness” to remind her that she is in that 2%. It’s also the reason that the plastic surgery industry is booming. Americans spent more than $16 billion last year to get a nip here, a tuck there. Injections, additions, even removals are all part of making a woman truly beautiful.

In verses 9 to 10, Paul gives Christian women instruction on their outward appearance. And for our purposes, we will break this into three sections and ask the question, “Who are you appealing to by the way you dress?” First let’s see how your dress can appeal to men.

A.  The Appeal to Men

Paul uses two descriptive words to describe how women should dress–modestly and discreetly. The word modestly has the idea of avoiding shame and the word discreetly has the idea of thoughtful awareness of what is best, even self-control. The overarching idea is that women are not to dress in a way that promotes sensuality or is even suggestive in nature.

She does not dress in a way that shows off her body to the opposite sex with the goal of gaining their attention or approval. In other words, ladies–don’t dress to turn a man’s head, particularly in the assembled church. Men are coming to fix their eyes on God in worship, not to be distracted or even drawn into sin because of what you are wearing. Men are visual creatures and have a particular proclivity to stumble in the area of lust and sexual sin.

Lust is not just the young man’s sin–it is every man’s sin. To give you an idea of how strong this desire is for men, the proverbs speak about a man who gives in to his lust. Proverbs 6:32 says he lacks sense and verse 33 that it leads to his disgrace. And even so, 27:20 says his eyes are never satisfied. Back in 6:26 says that it “reduces him to a loaf of bread,” which is very telling and 6:32 says he will destroy himself to fulfill his lust.

And so a woman must be careful with her dress. She must guard against immodesty and indiscretion. And you can’t say, “Well, that’s his problem. He’s the pervert.” No, there is specific instruction here for you to dress properly. This does not mean you shouldn’t seek to present yourself in the most attractive way.”

The idea of beauty is a biblical idea. Listen to the Old Testament. Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Bathsheba, Esther, and the Shulamite princess of the Song of Solomon, among others, are all called beautiful women. What’s the point? The Bible does not ask women to conceal their beauty. But it does ask them to conceal their bodies. And this means that your identity should be found in Christ and not in the affections or approval of men.

When Tracy was in college, my wife went into her sister’s room and took out all of her inappropriate clothes and put them in a bag on her bed. Now it was a bit drastic, but it’s not a bad idea. Maybe you should consider opening your wardrobe to the scrutiny of others. And next, a woman’s dress should not . . .

B.  Appeal to self

Paul finishes verse 9 saying, “not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments.” He is pushing back on women whose dress is over the top extravagant–those who adorn themselves in a flagrant, conspicuous way in an effort to flaunt their wealth or social standing. He references braided hair, which could be translated as elaborate hairstyles or plaited hair.

The women of Ephesus were known for styling their hair in sort of a tower with cascading levels of braids, often times placing gold, pearls, and other jewels in their hair. The overall look was incredible and defined beauty. In addition to these incredible hairstyles, the text says they would wear costly garments. This term carries the idea of great value or worth. There was no bargain shopping happening here. These were opulent and luxurious outfits designed to let everyone know that this was a woman of means.

Putting all of this together, you have a woman who is dressing to impress. She is displaying her wealth in a pretentious and demonstrative way. She is walking into church and every eye is following her as she walks up the aisle–and this is the intent. It is dressing in a way that appeals to self. This is a woman who desires to show off her beauty, her fashion sense, her ability to afford the name brands.

Many women define themselves by the clothes they wear, the purse they carry, even their sunglasses and shoes. And identity becomes wrapped up in outward appearance. This leads to a pride-fueled effort to outdo others, sizing up the competition and passing judgment on those around you. “I’m better than her–that outfit is so last year.” Seems petty, but all too often true.

Somewhere under all of this is an insecure woman who struggles with contentment because she is seeking happiness in externals. And so she draws attention to herself in the way she dresses in an effort to feel special, seeking the approval of others instead of finding her identify in Christ. She battles with envy and jealousy when she sees women who are prettier than her, have nicer things than she does, or who have a higher capacity and just seem to have it all together. But it is not wise to live comparing yourself to others. Teddy Roosevelt said, “Comparison is the thief of joy.” Finally, a woman’s adornment should appeal to God.

C.  Appeal to God  Verse 10

In verse 10, Paul contrasts verse 9 saying, “but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness.” Remember the word adornment from verse 9–we defined it as to make something beautiful by decorating. And Paul is saying that a woman should make herself beautiful not primarily by the way she fashions her hair or by the clothes she wears, but rather, verse 10, “by means of good works.”

Her pathway to godliness is how she lives, not how she looks. We place so much emphasis on how we look–God places none. In 1 Samuel 16:7 it says, “God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” God does not value smoking hot. He isn’t interested in whether or not you are a size 4. He does not even give you extra points if you are a supermodel. He does not place value in outward beauty. No, He looks at your heart.

Which is why Peter says in 1 Peter 3:3 and 4, “Your adornment must not be merely external—braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; 4 but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.” I love that–it is precious in the sight of God. It appeals to God.

And so the woman who back in 1 Timothy 2:10 is “making a claim to godliness” is focused on pleasing God and not others. This word “making a claim” is to make an open pronouncement. She is emphatically declaring to a watching world that God is her audience and she seeks to please Him.

I will rejoice greatly in the Lord, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness” (Isaiah 61:10). She is not known for what she wears, but by how she lives. She is all about good works, serving others, caring for others—“zealous for good works” (Titus 2:15). “Women need to remember that if nature has made them plain, grace can make them beautiful, and if nature has made them beautiful, good deeds can add to their beauty” John Stott).

Let me wrap this section up with a simple illustration. Consider this stained glass window. It is beautiful in itself–intricate and ornately designed, and it exists to bring attention to itself. To say to the watching world, look at me, I am beautiful.

Compare it to this other window. It is clear, unnoticeable, even invisible. It draws no attention to itself, but acts as a conduit allowing you to see something else. Which are you? Do you draw attention to yourself by the way you dress, or are you a conduit for others to see Christ in you? A woman’s pathway to godliness comes through how she lives, not how she dresses. Second, a woman’s pathway to godliness is . . .

2.  How you learn, not how you lead  Verses 11 to 14

This brings us to a text that has been beaten from pillar to post in recent years. It is a controversial and seemingly hated section of Scripture. It has been ignored, disregarded, and re-interpreted to make it more palatable. I read one author who concluded that Paul is “just wrong” in these verses. Not sure how that works.

Kent Hughes wisely said, “My concern is this: If we do not invite the biblical text to define church order, the intrusive culture will.” And that has certainly happened in Christianity today. In a culture marked by tolerance and equality, the lines separating men’s and women’s roles have at best, become blurry, and at worst, been eliminated altogether.

It is not uncommon to see whole denominations that ordain women as pastors, elders, and leaders in the church. And while this text may not be popular in today’s world, its meaning is inescapably clear. And here at FBC, we feel no need to apologize, no need to make excuses, no need to alter the word of God in an effort to bend to the culture around us.

In a nutshell, these verses teach that the role of a woman in the church is not teacher or leader or authority, but rather a quiet and submissive learner. Now let’s unfold this together. Look at verse 11, “A woman must quietly receive instruction with entire submissiveness.”

The phrase to “quietly receive instruction” is a command–in fact the first command in the entire epistle. And what are women commanded to do? Look back at verse 11, to “receive instruction.” Women are to place themselves in the role of student and come to church to learn.

Now this may not seem like an amazing revelation, but it was relatively progressive in Paul’s day, where some considered women as the property of their husbands and some rabbis taught that it would be better for the words of the Torah to be burned, than that they should be entrusted to a woman.

In our vernacular, women are not to be relegated to children’s ministry or some other service activity at the expense of their ability to sit under the teaching of the word of God. They are not to be shooed off when the conversation goes to deeper things or to topics of theological complexity–rather they are to eagerly receive instruction.

Verse 11 gives two modifiers to receiving instruction–quietly and with entire submissiveness. Quietly carries the idea that she is not disruptive or to interfere with the teaching in any way. Entirely submissive means she puts herself completely and totally under the authority of the one teaching.

In verse 12 Paul expands on this. “But I do not allow a woman”–I do not grant permission to her “to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet.” It should be noted once again that this is referring to the assembled church. It does not refer to government, business, school, or anything else in the public sector. This is about order in the church.

It is also worth noting that this admonition does not allow any man in the church, because he is male, to exercise authority over any woman in the church, because she is female. In fact, Ephesians 5:21 says that we are to submit to one another in the fear of Christ. This is a very specific instruction regarding the authority of the church.

So to summarize, ladies–your role when the church gathers is not one of teacher, but of learner. It is not one of outward authority, but one of quiet submissiveness. In 1 Corinthians 14:34, Paul reiterates this saying, “The women are to keep silent in the churches; for they are not permitted to speak, but are to subject themselves, just as the Law also says.”

If women aren’t allowed to teach in the public gathering of the church, then are they allowed to teach at all? What are they allowed to do? We do not have time to get into this, but I gave you some verses in your outline that highlight women’s ministry in Scripture. Suffice it to say, each church has its own standards and guidelines. You can talk to John Pleasnick if you have questions about FBC.

The lingering question that may be rolling around in your head is, “Why?” Why is it that men are called to lead and women to submit? What is the rationale behind this? And in verses 13 and 14 Paul gives us two reasons.

A.  Creation dictates it  Verse 13

Why? Because verse 13, “It was Adam who was first created, and then Eve.” The reason why, Paul says, is because this is the way God made it. He goes back to Genesis to defend the order of the Church by looking at the order of creation.

In Gen 1:27 it says, “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them.” Let me point out a couple of things from this verse. In His creation, God established two distinct genders–male and female, which were different in form, function, and role. Both male and female were made, the verse says, in His own image. Both are image bearers.

So even though there is equality in the eyes of God, there is something significant about the order of creation. God could have created Adam and Eve at the same time, like He did with every other life form on earth–but He didn’t. Adam was created first, signifying that he was God’s appointed leader. And he was given charge over creation even before Eve was created.

He was uniquely designed to be a loving, caring, strong leader for his wife. She was created to be his perfect complement, his helper. God designed Eve to be his partner who supported and honored his leadership. Notice that the roles they are given are given to them before the fall. Headship and submission are not a result of the fall–they are the order of creation.

J.I. Packer says, “The man-woman relationship is intrinsically non-reversible . . . This is part of the reality of creation, a given fact that nothing will change.” Not only does creation dictate it, secondly, in verse 14 . . .

B.  The fall confirms it  Verse 14

And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.” This verse looks past creation and examines the fall, and particularly Eve’s role in it. Verse 14 informs us that she was deceived. This is not new information. Eve responded to God in Genesis 3:7 saying, “The serpent deceived me and I ate,” openly admitting her deception.

And so, verse 14 says she “fell into transgression,” that is she willfully defied God’s stated command. She crossed the line and alongside Adam, plunged the human race into sin. Certainly her sin was direct disobedience to God by eating the forbidden fruit. But there is more to it.

She chose to subject herself to the rule of a created being–the serpent. It ruled over her when she chose to obey it. And then she exercised authority over her husband by leading him to do the same thing. She reversed the roles. Certainly his sin was direct disobedience to God by eating the forbidden fruit. But in similar fashion, his sin also involved the reversal of roles. He came under her authority and allowed her to lead.

Now notice in 1 Timothy 2:14 it says, “Adam was not deceived.” What this tells us is that Adam sinned with his eyes open. One writer said, “The serpent deceived the woman; the woman did not deceive the man, but persuaded him.” It may have taken a profoundly powerful being to seduce Eve, but it took only a suggestion from his wife to bring Adam into rebellion against God.

Have you ever wondered why he sinned? Scripture doesn’t tell us, but I think the simplest answer is because he loved her. One commentator wrote, “She yielded to the temptations of her senses and the deceits of Satan, he, to marital love. And so even though Eve is called the transgressor and took the first step into sin, Adam as the leader is held responsible.

And for the rest of redemptive history he receives the indictment. Romans 5:12 says, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned.” And in Genesis 3:17 God holds Adam culpable.

And so coming back to the main idea in our text, the reason that women are to remain quiet in the church, the reason they are not to exercise authority is rooted in the design of creation and the blunder of the fall. So we see that a woman’s priority is not found in teaching, but in learning. Not in authoritative leadership, but in quiet submission.

Her pathway to godliness then is in how she learns, not how she leads. And this brings us to #3–finally, a woman’s pathway to godliness is seen in . . .

3.  How you walk in faith, not how many children you have  Verse 15

This brings us to the final verse of chapter 2. This verse holds one of the most difficult interpretive challenges in the entire New Testament. And I would like to thank Doctor Pleasnick, Doctor Shailer, and almost Doctor Mueller for nominating me–someone who sells equipment to doctors, to preach this text. So let me read the verse again, explain the issue, and then share some common views. Verse 15, “But women will be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint.”

The word preserved is used commonly in the New Testament and is most often translated saved. This is how it is translated in verse 4, where it says, “God desires all men to be saved.” It has the idea of rescuing or to set free. So let me rewrite this verse with this in mind–women will be saved through the bearing of children if they live continuous lives of faith, love, and holiness and self-control.

What in the world does that mean? Women will be saved through childbearing? How are we to understand this word saved and what does that have to do with a woman’s pathway to godliness? Let me give you four of the most common interpretations.

A.  Women will be saved spiritually

That is to say, the only way for a woman to go to Heaven is by having babies. Your eternal security is based on the number of children you have. This is, of course, not even a valid thought. Scripture teaches that salvation is granted through faith alone in Christ’s finished work on the cross.

And by the way, not every woman will be married and not every woman will have children. Paul devotes much of 1 Corinthians 7 to the topic of singleness, instructing singles to pursue Christ in an undistracted way. We have some of these in our church and they should be highly esteemed.

B.  Women will be saved physically

In Genesis 3:16, God tells Eve, “I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth. In pain you will bring forth children.” Some see this verse as an assurance that a woman can guarantee safe delivery of children if she lives in faith, love, and sanctity. Again, this makes no sense, as many women, even godly women, have died in the childbearing process.

C.  Women will be saved through the Messiah

This is a solid interpretation, but is a bit complex and relies heavily on both grammar and context. Let me try to explain it briefly.As Genesis 3 draws to a close, Adam and Eve are exposed in their sin, removed from the garden, and placed into a cursed world to live and die in separation from God.

But in Genesis 3:15, there is a promise given. God says, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel.” This is a promise given in the midst of the curse. It is called the proto-evangelium, which is described as the first glimmer of the Gospel.

God says that through a descendent of Eve, a man will come, restore what was lost in the fall, and deal the deathblow to Satan. The reference to the seed of the woman is the virgin birth of the Messiah. Coming back to 1 Timothy 2:15, we could read it as, “the woman, Eve, will be saved through the childbearing”–that is, the birth of Messiah. And so this mother of all, Eve, will through Mary be mother of Him who would one day save her as well as all who would believe.

I will not spend any more time on it except to say many good commentators and theologians land here. There is one final interpretation I would like to share with you and this is where we will land this morning.

D.  Women will be saved from reproach

Let me explain. Eve, a woman, fell into transgression verse 14 tells us, and expedited the fall. Because of this, dishonor, reproach, and even shame is on her–and by extension, all women. Her contribution–leading the human race toward destruction.

But verse 15 tells us that women can be saved from this reproach through childbearing. Eve may have caused the fall by stepping out of her God-ordained role, but women can be preserved, can be delivered from the dishonor and stigma of the fall, by raising godly children.

John MacArthur said, “Women led the race into sin, but God has given them the privilege of leading the race out of sin to godliness through the raising of godly children. This fits the context. Your role, ladies, is not to lead the church, but to raise children who love God.

The calling to be a mom is huge. It is not a prison, or some lesser position that holds you back from accomplishing your dreams. No, it is the opportunity to have an amazing impact on this world, one child at a time. The influence is silent. It is private. It happens one day at a tim–10,000 little ways to teach, shepherd, disciple, and love those little ones into the kingdom.

The influence is unparalleled. A preacher gets his congregation only one hour a week. You have unlimited access to those little hearts, to impact them for Christ. And yet sometimes, those little gifts from God can be viewed as distractions, something even that pulls you away from “real ministry”.

They get in the way of how you want to be used by God in a greater way and so you step over your kids to minister to others. Be careful. And if you find your priorities are outside of the home, then evaluate whether or not that is best for your family. The time is fleeting, they are here today and gone tomorrow. Are you using this time wisely?

Parenting is a stewardship, plain and simple. Your kids have been entrusted to you for these brief years. May this serve as a reminder of the incredible privilege it is to have kids and the incredible responsibility you bear as their mom.

Verse 15 ends saying, “If you continue in faith, love, sanctity, and self-restraint.” How you influence your kids is based directly on your walk with God. Said a different way, you cannot take your kids where you have never been. So if you want them to love Christ, then model what it looks like to love Christ with all that you are.

If you want them to serve, then demonstrate like Christ did, what it means to put an apron on–get on your knees and wash others’ feet. Show them what it looks like to walk in faith. Show them what it means to be a broken and imperfect woman whose life is all about Jesus Christ.

I think about the impact my mom had on my life. She was very strict with sugar–we had none of it in the house. I think this is part of the reason I am a junk food addict now. I remember going clothes shopping with my mom as a teenager, and I would be in the dressing room trying on pants and she would yell out from the other side of the door loud enough for everyone to hear, “How’s the crotch?” Not the length, not does it fit in the waist, always the crotch. It’s hilarious.

As a child, I had a hard time breathing through my nose. After exhausting allergy testing and other mainstream treatments, my mom took me to a special doctor when I was 10 or so. Doreen Glover–her name is forever etched into my memory.

Her treatment option, a long skinny balloon inserted through my nose and up into my sinus cavity. The end of the balloon was attached to a blood pressure bulb which would be inflated inside my nose in an effort to expand my sinus passages. It is the closest thing to torture I have ever experienced.

I remember one time she pushed it too far into my sinuses and it inflated in my throat, cutting off my ability to breathe. To this day, my sister remembers sitting in the waiting room and hearing me scream. I like to remind my mom of this story so that maybe she can experience just a fraction of the pain I endured at the hands of Doreen Glover. Did I mention, she was a chiropractor?

Anyway, shortly after high school, I had reconstructive surgery on my face after a snow ski accident. The doctor let me know that I had a deviated septum and he fixed it–problem solved.

Can I tell you something about my mom? She is the reason I am standing in this pulpit right now. Saved when I was 5, she raised my sister and I without a Christian husband. My father was saved much later in life. She took us to church every Sunday and every Wednesday night.

Each night, she taught us from the children’s storybook Bible. She signed me up for every camp and every event the church offered. Long before I was a believer, my mom was actively praying and pointing me to Christ in any way she could. She wasn’t perfect, but she did all that she could in her broken imperfection, to raise her children to the glory of God.

Ladies, this is the opportunity that you have as mothers. It is no small task, but it is an amazing privilege. Well, let’s wrap this up. This morning, we have seen a woman’s pathway to godliness is . . .

  1. How you live, not how you look
  2. How you learn, not how you lead
  3. How you walk in faith, not how many kids you have

Let me leave you with three closing thoughts. Do you need to consider . . .

A Wardrobe change

Think about this . . . can I encourage you to ask a woman you trust about your clothes? And be open to change.

A Lifestyle change

If there are any areas of your life, ladies, that you are not willing to submit to Christ, will you ask Him to break you and make you more like His Son?

A Heart change

If you are not a Christian, then can I encourage you to come to Christ today? Find forgiveness from your sins and salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. Let’s pray.

About Shawn Farrell

Shawn leads the college ministry and serves as an elder at Faith Bible Church

Leave a Comment