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Ephesians 4:11-12 is a very special passage for me, as it describes exactly what my passion is as a pastor – to equip the saints for the work of ministry.

Ten years ago I met Steve and Barb Trader. Steve was serving as the head of the deacon board at Wilmington First Assembly of God, and he contacted me about becoming their new pastor. He traveled to meet me personally, and then I traveled to Wilmington to visit him and the church, and was elected as pastor. Over the next few years, our relationship grew as we worked together at WFA. Steve sensed a call into the ministry, and we began to meet privately together as God continued to develop that call within him. Employed in a very lucrative position at a major pharmaceutical company, Steve’s plan was to prepare for ministry until he could take an early retirement, and then use his corporate experience as an administrative pastor.

During this same time, God was speaking to my heart, and our vision to plant new churches in Delaware was taking shape. As I invested myself in Steve, he caught this same vision. In fact, he not only caught it, but fully embraced it, as God was speaking to him about becoming a church plant pastor. He continued to prepare for ministry, but now focusing on the educational requirements to allow him to become a church planter. I went with Steve and Barb to a Church Multiplication Network BootCamp, coaching them throughout the week. I continued to coach them following the BootCamp as the team was put together to plant the new church in Hockessin, Delaware. Steve received his license to preach, and Trinity Community Church was launched.

Weekly I continued to meet with Pastor Steve Trader, and God’s favor was on him as he continued to grow in his ministry. And, Trinity Community Church continued to grow, too! They hired staff. They purchased a building, with the intent of touching their community throughout the entire week. And one year ago, I had the privilege of conducting a special meeting where the church was officially “set in order,” becoming a sovereign Assemblies of God church.

Pastor Steve Trader continued to grow and mature in ministry, and this past Wednesday evening, I had the high privilege and honor as both his pastor and his presbyter to lay hands upon both Pastor Steve and Barb and pray over them, ordaining him into the ministry. Ordination is the highest level of ministerial credential in the Assemblies of God.

When Steve and I first met a decade ago, neither of us had any idea what the Lord had in store for us both. But, the Lord allowed me to follow His Word, and “equip the saints for the work of ministry.” And now, the ministry is being multiplied as Pastor Steve Trader joins me in equipping saints for ministry!

Here is your copy of firstIMPRESSIONS, Volume 10.19. Live for God, on purpose, allowing yourself to be prepared for works of service for Him!

Be Blessed – Living God’s Life of Blessings

Hannah was a servant of God, and a loving and devoted wife. But, she was mocked and taunted by those around her. She humbled herself, and prayed, “O Lord Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life.” The Lord blessed Hannah, and she gave birth to Samuel.

Hannah has served for centuries as a model for mothers. We quote from this passage as young mothers present their children for dedication. Hannah sought the blessing of the Lord, and in so doing, she became blessed, and she blessed those around her.

There are few things more important than godly, consecrated, praying, Bible reading, God-fearing mothers. There is no way of knowing the eternal lasting good a godly mother contributes to her family and the world.

This Sunday is Mother’s Day in America, and here at WFA we will be honoring all the mothers of our church. We have a special gift for every mother, and we plan to encourage and bless every one, as we share the biblical principles for mothers on how to “Be Blessed – Living God’s Life of Blessings.” Be sure to bring your entire family, and be blessed!

It’s Not Easy Being a Mom

by Alan Smith

Judith Viorst once wrote an essay based on interviews she had with children. The subject was “What’s a good mother like?”

Viorst reports that the children expected their mother to get angry from time to time. “She has to,” said Ted, “or she’ll faint from holding it in.”

“But it’s best to remember,” said Randy, “that when your mother starts to act real weird, you have to look scared and serious. Don’t giggle. When mommies are mad, they get madder if you giggle.”

“My mommy got so mad,” said Megan, “that she yanked the plate off the table and all the mashed potatoes flew into the air.”

“And why,” Viorst asked, pretending she’d never heard of such shocking behavior, “why would a mother do a thing like that?”

“Well,” said Megan, “she told my older brother, Mike, he’s 11 years old, to eat the potatoes on his plate and he said ‘Later.‘ And then she told him again to eat the potatoes and Mike said ‘Soon.‘ And then she told him he had better eat those potatoes right now and he said, ‘In a minute.‘ And then she stood up and Mike finally took a bite and told her, ‘How can I eat them? They’re cold!’“

It truly is not easy being a Mom! But how blessed we were to have our mothers. In this country, we will honor our mothers on Sunday, and I think it’s certainly appropriate. Paul said we as Christians are to “give honor to whom honor is due” (Romans 13:7), and I can’t think of anyone any more deserving of honor than our mothers. I hope that you will honor in a special way those mothers who are like Hannah.

In I Samuel 1, we have recorded the birth of Samuel. Before he was born, Hannah prayed a vow to God. She said, “O LORD of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.” (I Samuel 1:11)

The Lord heard her petition and she was blessed with the birth of Samuel. Hannah didn’t forget her vow to the Lord. She took her son Samuel to be trained at the feet of Eli, the priest of God. From a very young age, Hannah made sure that her son was preparing to serve the Lord.

I heard about a preacher a number of years ago who came home after preaching a gospel meeting, and he was asked how it went. Rather discouraged, he said that he had only baptized one young girl who was about 12 or 13 years old – all in all, comparatively speaking, not a very successful meeting. But, after that girl grew up, she married and became the mother of five sons who became gospel preachers. What a great impact that young lady ended up having in the world!

I know that mothers – especially mothers of young children – sometimes get discouraged because they wonder if they’re really accomplishing anything. Let me assure you that if you are instilling within your children a love for God and His Word, you’re accomplishing something. It may be years down the road before you see the results, but you’re having an impact. You’re making a difference.

Give honor this weekend to your own mother – and to those mothers around you – who, like Hannah, have vowed to give their children over to God.

This article by Alan Smith, Senior Pastor of the Helen Street Church of Christ in Fayetteville, North Carolina. You can visit his site at http://www.TFTD-online.com

Why Mothers are Awesome

by Russ Lawson

It’s a shame that many people only take time to appreciate their mothers one day a year. A mother is the most awesome part of creation God ever developed. Mothers take more abuse and give more love than anything in all of creation besides God.

Admittedly I understand men better than I understand women; after all I have that perspective on life. Women however amaze me in their capacity to love and endure the endless things in life that would drive me crazy.

How mothers deal with life shows her inner fortitude, strength and ability to adapt. They just do some things better than men! For example: “A woman had quit work to stay home and take care of her new baby daughter. Countless hours of peekaboo and other games slowly took their toll.

One evening she smacked her bare toes on the corner of a dresser and, grabbing her foot, sank to the floor. Her husband rushed to her side and asked where it hurt. She looked at her husband through her tear-filled eyes and managed to moan, ‘It’s the piggy that ate the roast beef.’“

Another harried mother had three very active boys. One summer evening she was playing cops and robbers in the back yard after dinner. One of the boys “shot” his mother and yelled, “Bang! You’re dead.” She slumped to the ground. When she didn’t get up right away, a neighbor ran over to see if she had been hurt in the fall.

When the neighbor bent over, the overworked mother opened one eye and said, “Shhh. Don’t give me away, it’s the only chance I’ve had to rest all day.”

You probably have heard the saying, “Growing old is not for sissies.” I would add that “Being a mom is not for sissies!”

Godly Mother’s, also have the ability to show remarkable love for us as children, in their willingness to sacrifice for us. I read of a mother in the early days of our county who received three apples as a gift. It was a rare treat for her in the harsh land in which she lived. She sat her two sons down and carefully cut up two of the apples, one for each of them and put the third on a shelf to have for herself later. The boys devoured their apples and sat staring at the last one on the shelf. The mother of course noticed, took the apple down and divided it between her sons. Later the boys were talking and one asked, “Why do you think mother gave us that apple?” To which the other boy replied, “I don’t know, I guess she just doesn’t like apples.” We know the truth though don’t we! It was that she loved her boys more than she loved apples.

In 1 Samuel 49:15 God compares his love for his people to the love of a mother. Notice what he inspired Samuel to write. “Never! Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for the child she has borne? But even if that were possible, I would not forget you!”

If God compares his love to the love of a mother, we begin to get a glimmer of understanding as to just how awesome she really is!

as seen in Russ Lawson’s “Messages from the Heart.” Russ Lawson is the pastor of Greenville Church of Christ, Greenville, OH.

A Mother’s Work

by Os Hillman

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother – which is the first commandment with a promise – that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth” – Ephesians 6:1-3

One of the great tragedies of society today is the minimizing of the work performed daily by stay-at-home moms. Women who decide to stay home to raise their kids are a rare breed indeed. They must overcome the stigma of comparison to others who pursue careers outside the home. They fail to get the feelings of accomplishment that can come from a career. They are the unseen missionaries of our day. There will be a special reward for these selfless servants.

Without the commitment of our stay-at-home moms we would not have some of our greatest leaders. “All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother,” said Abraham Lincoln.

Though poor, Ida Stover was determined to go to college. She scraped together enough money to attend Lane College in Lecompton, Kan., where she met fellow student David Eisenhower. She was known as a firm but gentle disciplinarian and was deeply religious. It is said she once won a prize for memorizing 1,365 Bible verses. As a pacifist, she was not in favor of her son attending West Point but decided to let him go. She was the mother of Dwight David Eisenhower, one of the greatest U.S. presidents.

Mary Litogot grew up on a farm, and met her future husband, William Ford, when he came to work on their farm. She was 12 and he was 26. They married nine years later. Mary was self-sufficient and a diligent worker. Henry later attributed his clean factories to her belief in cleanliness. She encouraged his interest in machines early on. He later said, “I have tried to live my life as my mother would have wished. I believe I have done, as far as I could, just what she hoped for me.” She was the mother of Henry Ford.

Has God called you to be a stay-at-home mom? Know that your obedience and sacrifice will be recognized by the Lord.

as seen in Os Hillman’s “Today God Is First.” Adapted from Source: “Mothers: 100 Mothers of the Famous and Infamous,” edited by Richard Ehrlich; Paddington Press Ltd.

Beatitudes for Parents

“Train up a child in the way he should go...” – Proverbs 22:6 NKJV

A mathematics teacher, who agreed to babysit while her friend went shopping, left her this note: “Dried tears 11 times...tied shoelaces 15 times...blew up balloons, five per child... warned children not to cross the street 26 times...children insisted on crossing the street 26 times. Number of Saturdays I’ll volunteer to do this again – Zero!”

The following “Beatitudes for Parents” were written 45 years ago by Marion E. Kinneman when her daughters were raising her six grandsons. They’re still spot-on!

• Blessed are those who make peace with spilled milk and mud, for of such is the kingdom of childhood.

• Blessed is the parent who engages not in the comparison of his child with others, for precious unto each is the rhythm of his own growth.

• Blessed are those who have learned to laugh, for it’s the music of a child’s world.

• Blessed and mature are those who without anger can say “No,” for comforting to a child is the security of firm decisions.

• Blessed is the gift of consistency, for it brings heart’s-ease in childhood.

• Blessed are they who accept the awkwardness of growth, for they are aware of the choice between marred furnishings and damaged personalities.

• Blessed are the teachable, for knowledge brings understanding and understanding brings love.

• Blessed are the men and women, who in the midst of the unpromising mundane, give love, for they bestow the greatest of all gifts to each other, to their children, and, in an ever-widening circle, to their fellowmen.

One successful entrepreneur said, “I may be a self-made man, but the blueprints came from my mum and dad.” Bottom line: Children learn from their parents. What are you teaching yours?

Rufus’s Mother

You may be surprised to learn that some pastors have mixed feelings about celebrating Mother’s Day. The reason: Many women sitting in the pews long to be mothers but can’t – those who are single and celibate, those who struggle with infertility, or those who have suffered a miscarriage or lost a child – and for them the day is painful.

But every woman can be a mother to someone. The apostle Paul had an “adopted mother” whom he greeted in Romans 16:13. “Greet Rufus for me,” he wrote, “...and also his dear mother who has been such a mother to me” (TLB).

American Greetings, the card company, has a Mother’s Day card that says, “Because you’re like a mother to me, I’m thinking of you on Mother’s Day. Whenever I need advice, you’re always there with an open mind and an understanding heart. I can’t tell you how much that means to me.”

According to Isaiah 66:13, even the Lord longs to be like a mother to us.

Perhaps you’re more of a mother than you realize. Or perhaps there’s more than one “mother” whom you need to appreciate this year on Mother’s Day.

The Last Impression

Miss Jones had been giving her second-grade students a lesson on science. She had explained about magnets and showed how they would pick up nails and other bits of iron.

Now it was question time and she asked, “My name begins with the letter ‘M‘ and I pick up things. What am I?”

A little boy on the front row said, “You’re a mother.”

God has been doing a special work in our hearts recently at WFA. Each week, there has been such a special presence of His precious Holy Spirit, and lives have been changed, as we seek Him and commit ourselves to become more like our Lord Jesus. I am eagerly anticipating worshiping together again this week. Bring your mother with you, and let the whole family worship together!