Sermon Outline Title: Love, Faith, and the Women Who Shaped Us
Bible Text, Theme, Big Idea
Bible Text: Proverbs 18:22; Exodus 2:1-5; Ruth 1:16; 2 Timothy 1:5
Theme: Honoring the godly women who shaped our lives and families
Big Idea: A godly woman is a gift from God — her love, faith, devotion, and strength reflect the very heart of Christ, and through her influence families are built and souls are led to heaven.
1. The Women Who Shaped My Life
a. I have loved many women—thirteen to be exact—but not in the worldly sense. My mother, my wife, my mother-in-law, six sisters-in-law, two daughters, and two granddaughters each have had a place of honor in my life.
b. Of them all, my wife has been the most important—my partner, teacher, encourager, and the mother of our children. A good marriage reveals what love really is: a bond that grows stronger with time.
c. The Bible says “God is love” (1 John 4:8), and no earthly picture displays that love better than a faithful marriage and the devotion of a godly woman. Through them, we learn what commitment and selflessness truly mean.
2. A Mother’s Faith and Sacrifice
a. I learned early how vital my mother was. When I was ten, she became deathly ill and spent nearly a year in the hospital with typhoid fever. Dad worked long hours, stretched every dollar, and did his best to raise two boys.
b. Those days taught me the quiet heroism of mothers—the ones who cook, clean, teach, comfort, and keep a home together. We learned how much we needed her when we had to eat Dad’s “potterage” and wash dishes ourselves.
c. My mother’s faith carried her through that illness. She even told of a night when she believed heaven was calling, yet God spared her to continue raising her family. When she came home, everything felt right again.
d. Men, never forget how much your mother’s prayers and sacrifices shaped your life. God works through faithful mothers every day.
3. A Mother’s Wisdom and Discipline
a. There was a time I believed my mother had superpowers—she always knew when I was sick, discouraged, or up to no good. She could read my face and my heart.
b. When I misbehaved, she didn’t hesitate to correct me. Back then the “rod of correction” wasn’t a metaphor—it was a belt. And I can testify it worked.
c. She cared about how we acted and what people thought of us, not for pride’s sake but because she wanted us to be godly men.
d. Proverbs 13:24 says, “He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.” Discipline is love in action. The “Bible belt” wasn’t just a region—it was a way of raising children in righteousness.
4. Jochebed — The Mother Who Found a Way (Exodus 2:1-5)
a. Jochebed, the mother of Moses, lived under Pharaoh’s decree that all Hebrew baby boys be killed. In faith she hid her son, then built an ark of bulrushes and placed him in the Nile.
b. God honored her courage—Pharaoh’s daughter found the baby, and Jochebed was paid to raise her own child. When there seemed no way, she trusted God to make one.
c. That’s what godly mothers do: they find a way when there seems to be none. Their faith and creativity keep families afloat when life floods in around them.
d. I remember my own mother standing up for me, like Jochebed protecting Moses. She once confronted a bus driver who treated me unfairly. After that, the ride to school was a lot smoother. A good mother defends her children because love makes her brave.
5. Ruth — The Woman of Devotion (Ruth 1:16)
a. Ruth’s loyalty to Naomi stands as one of Scripture’s purest portraits of devotion. After both women were widowed, Ruth refused to leave her mother-in-law, saying, “Where thou goest, I will go.”
b. Her love led her into God’s blessing—she married Boaz, bore a son named Obed, who fathered Jesse, the father of King David. Through her faithfulness came the royal line that led to Christ.
c. Godly women today mirror Ruth’s character when they keep going through hard times, staying faithful to family, and trusting God’s plan when life seems unfair.
d. A mother’s devotion often shines brightest in difficulty. Like Ruth, many of you have learned to make the best of less-than-perfect circumstances—and God sees every act of love.
6. Eunice — The Woman Who Passed on Her Faith (2 Timothy 1:5)
a. Eunice, the mother of Timothy, is mentioned only briefly, but her influence shaped a preacher. Paul said Timothy’s “unfeigned faith” first lived in his grandmother Lois and in his mother Eunice.
b. She taught her son about the Lord, ensuring he would walk with God long after she was gone. Every believing mother’s greatest legacy is her children’s salvation.
c. One of Lera’s sisters, before she passed, called her son to her bedside and asked one last question: “Son, are you saved?” That’s a mother’s heart—longing to see her family safe in heaven.
d. A Christian mother’s most important work is not what she leaves for her children, but what she leaves in them—faith in Jesus Christ.
Illustration / Example
A mother’s love is like a lighthouse. It may not calm the storm, but it guides her family safely through it. Through Jochebed’s courage, Ruth’s devotion, and Eunice’s faith, we see the light of God’s love reflected in the hearts of women everywhere.
Alliterated Main Points
1. Sacrifice — A mother’s selfless devotion.
2. Strength — Courage that finds a way.
3. Steadfastness — Loyalty in hardship.
4. Spirituality — Faith passed to the next generation.
Conclusion / Invitation
You put all these qualities together—faith, courage, devotion, and love—and they spell mother. But above even a mother’s love stands the love of Jesus Christ. He said, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” He gave His life for us so that we could live forever.
Honor the women who’ve shaped your life, and most of all, honor the Savior who loved you enough to die for you.