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We must never underestimate the role that our mothers play in teaching us about God, about His Word, and about salvation. From a very early age, a mother is preparing us for life. Teaching us about our Creator and Redeemer is part of God’s purpose for mothers, and we must appreciate the godly mothers and honor them for taking up the challenge of preparing us for life. Resources You’ll need one set of these for every three youth: Pair of clean (not smelly) socks Hard boiled egg Plastic cup OR A set of puzzle pieces from a small puzzle or cut out from a postcard or magazine and a blindfold for each group. What to do (Option 1) Divide the youth into groups of three. Give each group a pair of socks, one hard boiled egg, and a small cup. One person in each group must wear the pair of socks, one over each hand. Place the hard boiled egg in the cup and then place the cup is in thecsock-covered hands. Give the following instructions: “The person with the socks is a friend who has come to you with a problem. He or she needs to peel the hard boiled egg so that no shell remains on it and place all the shells in the cup. Your friend may not remove the socks from his or her hands. Discuss the problem briefly then take action and help your friend. When your group finishes, remain where you are and quietly observe the other groups still working a their task. No other instructions will be given. Go!” What to do (Option 2) Divide the youth into groups of three. Blindfold one member of each group. This blindfolded youth can talk and use his or her hands. Assign another youth in each group who can ONLY talk. The third youth in each group can use hands, but he or she CANNOT talk, and CANNOT touch the puzzle pieces. Give the following instructions: “The objective is to be the first group to put the puzzle together. Your friend may not remove the blindfold. Discuss the problem briefly then take action and to help your friend complete the puzzle. When your group finishes, remain where you are and quietly observe the other groups still working a their task.” Take It to the Next Level Discussion What were the instructions given? What were the rules of the game? What resources did you have? What limitations did you experience? What strategy did you team use to accomplish the task? Make it Spiritual In most cases you will find the unhandicapped persons peeling the egg and doing all the work or the blindfolded person being taken through a complicated process to complete the puzzle. The less obvious solution and the point of the task is to enable the individual to become free to help himself or herself. This is best accomplished if the two helpers remove the socks from their friend’s hands, or the person able to use his hands, but not touch the pieces to remove the blindfold thus freeing their friend to complete the task. (The directions only stated that the person with the socks or blindfold could not remove them.) There were three ways around the problems: Do it for the person Instruct the person on how to accomplish the activity or Enable the person to do it him or herself. This the role God has given parents. When we are born, we are very dependent on them to do everything for us. But very soon, they will start releasing some of that role and teaching us, then enabling us to do things for ourselves, to overcome our limitations. We gain strength, knowledge, skills, and wisdom to be the person God created us to be. It would be a sad state to never grow and mature and never be able to care for ourselves and someday care for others. But the role of parents is not simply to equip us for life with knowledge, skills and wisdom. We were created as spiritual beings so that role also extends to preparing us for our relationship with our Creator and Redeemer. Make it Practical Make a list of things you have learned from your parents – skills and knowledge. What have you learned from your parents, by example and by their teachings about God? What is our responsibility related to learning from our parents? Make it Personal Thank your mother for sharing with you lessons and skills to prepare you for the purpose God created you for. Scriptures “Hear, my son, your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother•s teaching.” - Proverbs 1:8 “My son, observe the commandment of your father and do not forsake the teaching of your mother.” - Proverbs 6:20 King Lemuel in Proverbs 31:1 said that it was his mother who taught him about how to recognize a godly woman who would be a godly mother for his children. “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” - Proverbs 22:6 ESV “The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.” - Proverbs 29:15 ESV “You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” - Deuteronomy 6:7 ESV “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” - 2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV “A fool despises his father’s instruction, but whoever heeds reproof is prudent.” - Proverbs 15:5 ESV “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” – 2 Timothy 3:14-17 ESV (Timothy’s godly heritage was a result of his mother and her mother before her (2 Timothy 1:5). “And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.” - Luke 2:52 “He decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to teach their children, so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children.” - Psalm 78:5-6 (See also Deuteronomy 4:10) For more Youth Sermon Ideas visit our page at Youth Sermon
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