The May 10th Mother’s Day sermon entitled “Gold Star Mothers” will be “live streamed” at our normal worship service time of 9:30AM Sunday. However, we encourage you to login at 9:25AM to get settled in and enjoy the piano prelude music. Once again, you are invited to view or listen to our Sunday morning sermon in one of 4 ways.
1) Watch live on the church Facebook page at 9:30AM, SUNDAY by going to: facebook.com/srcmarion Please “like” our Facebook page for future notifications.
2) Watch the same recording later on Facebook at a time more convenient for you: facebook.com/srcmarion
3) Watch the same recording later on our newly created YouTube channel. Just type in “Second Reformed Church of Marion” when you go to: youtube.com Or you can click on this link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo3ZNP8OgRarSQXfqzGcn-Q
4) Listen to the audio recording and see sermon outline on our church website: sermons.srcmarion.org
GOLD STAR MOTHERS
I. Introduction
A. American Gold Star Mothers, Inc.
B. Shaking the Earth (Hebrews 12:26-29)
C. Panning for Gold (Job 23:10)
II. Purpose- We can endure hard providences and come forth as gold by emulating 3 Gold Star Mothers in the Bible.
A. Gold Star Mom 1- Hagar
- First Runaway Crisis (Genesis 16:1-16)
- Near Death Experience (Genesis 21:10, 14-21)
- Gold Nugget- Hagar was shaken and swirled in the pan of desperation and discovered God as “The God Who sees me.”
B. Gold Star Mom 2- Naomi
- Famine, Husband & Sons Death (Ruth 1:1-5)
- Naomi = Pleasantness / Mara = Bitterness (Ruth 1:13, 19-21)
- Pleasantness and Nourishment Restored (Ruth 4:14-17)
- Gold Nugget- Naomi was shaken and swirled in the pan of hardship and God turned her bitterness into joy.
C. Gold Star Mom 3- Mary
- Shame, Pending Divorce & Possible Stoning (Matthew 1:19)
- 5 Moves in 12 Years (Nazareth > Town in Judah > Nazareth > Bethlehem > Egypt > Nazareth)
- Losing Boy Jesus for 3 Days (Luke 2:41-51)
- “A sword will pierce through your own soul also” (Luke 2:34-35)
- Watching Her Son Be Crucified (John 19:25)
- Servant and Magnifier of the Lord (Luke 1:38; 46-55)
- Gold Nugget- Mary was shaken and swirled in the pan of hard providence which revealed a worshipping servant heart of gold.
III. Conclusion
A. Summary
B. Application
- Which Gold Star Mom inspires you the most to endure hardships so you can come forth as gold?
- These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold – and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold. (I Peter 1:7)
- Closing Prayer
SERMON BASED QUESTIONS
- Describe the greatest hardship you have ever experienced?
- Can you recall a time when God revealed Himself in a deeper way and helped you through a crisis?
- What can we learn from the example of Hagar?
- If you are currently in a desperate situation, do you believe that God sees you?
- What does the life of Naomi teach us?
- Are you experiencing a bitterness right now where you will trust God to restore and nourish you?
- What encouragements flow from the way in which Mary endured hardship?
- In the midst of your hard providence, will you keep serving and worshipping God through it?
- Which Scripture spoke to you the most and why?
- What is your biggest “take away” from this sermon?