Worship Service – May 9, 2021

Our scriptures this week are;

(10) A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.

(11) Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.

(12) She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.

(13) She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.

(14) She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar.

(15) She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls.

(16) She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

(17) She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.

(18) She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night.

(19) In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

(20) She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.

(21) When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

(22) She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

(23) Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

(24) She makes linen garments and sells them and supplies the merchants with sashes.

(25) She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.

(26) She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

(27) She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.

(28) Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:

(29) “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.”

(30) Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

(31) Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

(18) Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.

(19) Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.

(20) Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.

(21) Fathers do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.

(22) Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. (23) Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, (24) since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. (25) Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism.

(7) “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. (8) For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

(9) “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? (10) Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? (11) If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! (12) So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

Message

Johnny was complaining to a friend about how hectic his days were since he got his first job. “I get up at 6:00 each morning and eat my breakfast,” he said. The friend asked, “You mean you get up and fix your own meal?” “No,” said Johnny. “My mother prepares it for me. She has to cook Dad’s breakfast by 6:30 anyway.”

The friend replied, “Gosh, your mom gets up that early just to fix breakfast?” “Oh, no,” said the young man. “She likes to get up early. It gives her more time to do the things she enjoys – like mopping the floors, dusting furniture, shopping for groceries, and preparing lunch for me and Dad.”

“I see,” said the friend, “but she does have the afternoon for herself?” “Oh, yes,” was the reply. “She spends that time playing with my little sister, sewing, and preparing supper, ’cause my dad and I like to have supper on the table when we come home after a hard day’s work. We think that’s fair; after all, Mother doesn’t work!”

Such an attitude brings chuckles and groans because it is so ridiculous. Just because a mother or wife is not employed outside the home, it doesn’t mean that she doesn’t work. I’d be willing to bet that very few fathers and husbands would trade jobs with you.

Let’s take a moment and figure out the monetary value of a mother’s services in the home? Here is probably just a partial list of the various functions she performs: chauffeur, gardener, family counselor, teacher, maintenance worker, cleaning woman, housekeeper, cook, motivational speaker, errand runner, bookkeeper/budget manager, interior decorator, caterer, dietitian, secretary, public relations person, hostess, and nurse. Of course, I am making this list from what I’ve seen my wife, my mother and my stepmom do out of love for my family. So, using this impressive list of household duties, if you figure out the dollar value of a mother’s work in today’s labor market. It comes to $2,226.30 a week. That’s $115,767.60 a year!

Mothers, we know that you have a twenty-four-hour-a-day job, one which demands not only all your time, but also all of your attention and energy. Because of that realization, we salute you today, in the fashion that we should honor you every day . For all you do for us and for all you give to your family.

Few of us show our mothers the depth of love, honor, and respect that we should. We know we don’t, and we feel guilty about it. So, on Mother’s Day, we try to make up for our failure by giving mom’s and wives gifts to symbolize our true feelings of affection and appreciation.

We give all sorts of gifts which range from the extravagant to the simple, from store-bought to the homemade, from fancy flowers to fattening foods. We should shower our mothers and wives with gifts, for she needs to be reminded of our love and gratitude for all she has done.

My chief concern today is that this gift-giving is not just one day a year. We should give to our mothers and wives each day. Today, I want to suggest several gifts of a non-materialistic, noncommercial nature, that are necessary in the Christian family and should be given each day.

No matter what age you are, from nine months to ninety years, no matter how many children of your own you have, the Bible says that the gift you should give your Mother every day is “HONOR”! One of the Ten Commandments says, “Honor your Father and Mother …” That means that we children are to treat our mothers with great respect, in how we act toward them and in the way we speak to them. Did you realize that in ancient Israel, if a child cursed his mother, he was to be put to death? (Exodus 21:17) They took God’s law very seriously.

There’s not much that angers me more than to hear children speak sarcastically, hatefully, or sharply to their mothers. The Lord demands that you speak with utmost love and respect to your Mother. She is the instrument through which God gave you life. She put her life in jeopardy in order to give you birth. She has sacrificed many of the luxuries of life in order to feed, clothe and educate you. So, you must never be dishonorable to your mother in the way that you speak to her or about her. You must offer her the gift of “HONOR” in what you say.

There’s an old story about a family with four children, who were celebrating Mother’s Day. Dad and the kids decided to create their own Mother’s Day presents for Mom that year. Mom sat in her favorite chair expectantly.

The oldest girl wrote Mom a poem. “Roses are red, violets are blue; You are the best Mom, It really is true.” She had written it on a piece of paper and decorated the edges like a certificate. After Reading it, she placed it on a silver tray and presented it to Mom.

The oldest boy took the tray and placed a carefully drawn and painted scene of their house and family. For a seven-year-old it wasn’t bad.

The youngest boy took the tray and set a paper dessert plate which he had colored and decorated on the tray. The plate contained 3 Oreo cookies from his school lunch. They were his favorites, so this was quite a sacrifice. (There were four, but temptation got the better of him when he was setting everything up. Mom could see cookie crumbs in the corner of his mouth.)

The youngest daughter was a little distraught. She hadn’t thought of anything or made anything and in their excitement Dad and the other children forgot her. But she took the silver tray, set it on the floor in front of mom, stepped onto the tray and said, “I give you me.”

“I give you me.” Isn’t that what Christ offered to us, when he died on the cross. God gives (good gifts) to us when we ask, when we HONOR Him, in the way we live.

We must also give our wives’ and mother’s honor in the way we live. Whether we want it to be this way or not, the way we live is a reflection them. So, if you really want to honor your mother, your wife, you should live in a way that she will be proud of. You must live an honorable life.

God commands that you should honor your mother. Has your lifestyle done that? The first and greatest thing that all children should give their mothers is the gift of honor – through what we say and how we live.

Another gift that God says you unmarried children must give to your parents is “OBEDIENCE”. As long as you live in the household of your parents, you have an obligation to obey them, provided they don’t demand that you act contrary to God’s word and will. For the Bible says in Colossians 3:20; “Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.”

This principle applies to unmarried children only, because the Bible says in Genesis 2:24, that at marriage, “a man leaves his father and mother and cleaves to his wife,” (KJV) and a women at marriage are to “submit to your husbands, as is fitting to the Lord.”(Col. 3:18).

So, let me speak just a moment to you unmarried children who are still living at home. The Bible says that you should give your mother the gift of “OBEDIENCE”, provided she doesn’t ask you to act contrary to God’s will.

I realize that there are times when you think that your mother knows absolutely nothing about the way life in our world today. I am aware that there are many times you think you know what is best for you, much more than your mom does. But let me tell you something that may come as a surprise to you in your youth: Your mother is much wiser than you are. She has a wisdom that can only be gained through years of living. Perhaps in a few years, you will come to the same conclusion. So when your mother tells you to do some task or chore around the house, do it immediately and without complaint. It is your Christian duty to give her the gift of obedience. If you want to offer a special gift to your mom this Mother’s Day, start giving her the gift of “OBEDIENCE”.

I smile as I remember a Mother’s Day card, I saw that was really cute. It was a great big card written in little child’s printing, like first grade printing. On the front was a little boy with untied sneakers. He had a wagon, and toys were everywhere. He had a little cut on his face and they were smudges all over this card. It read, “Mom, I remember that little prayer you used to say for me every day,” Inside it read. ‘’So, I thought I should start praying it for you.” HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY ! “God help you if you ever do that again.”

Well now, we have seen that all children, no matter what age we are, should give honor to our mothers. We have seen that unmarried children living at home should, in addition to honor, give obedience to their mothers. But now I want us to look briefly at the other side of the coin and examine, not only a mom’s responsibility but a dads also. Mom’s and dad’s, you are not only the recipient of gifts, but you also have a responsibility to offer gifts to your children on this “great day” as well as on every day.

As your pastor, I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t tell you moms and dads that you should also give, “good gifts”, to your children. The first gift you must present to your children is to be the kind of person you want them to be! You must give them a Christian example in what you say and do.

Have you ever noticed, how a little girl mimics her mother. If Mom wears high heels, she will slip into them also. She will stand before the mirror and pretend to put on makeup. The child wants to be like Mother in every way.

For this reason, parent’s, it is your sacred duty to give the gift of an,” Exemplary Life” in word and deed. You have the power to influence your child for good or evil, so you must be a Christian example in your home. It is sad, but true, a negative example can come simply through carelessness.

Consider this. One day in Sunday School little Susie was asked to read from the Bible. She told the teacher that she didn’t like to read the Bible anymore, because she was “grown up now.” The teacher did not understand Susie’s attitude and she told her how important it was to read the Bible. Susie replied, “I’ve never seen my mother read the Bible, so it must not be as important as you say.”

Mother, you are one of the most powerful influences on your child’s life through your words and deeds. Are you giving them a Christian example? Do they see you pray and read the Scripture? Do they hear you witness to your love for Christ? Do they see you serve him in the way you live? If they do, your children will grow up to call you “blessed,” as we read in Proverbs 31:28.

Example. A Sunday school teacher asked his young class members to talk about how they became Christians. They went around the room, each child telling the details of when he committed his life to the Lord. Finally, it was Tommy’s turn. He had no fantastic story to tell. He simply said, “I don’t really know. Christianity runs in my family – on my mother’s side.” It was obvious that his mother had been a positive Christian example!

Parents, are you giving your children a Christian example in the way you talk to them and pray with them? Are you presenting a Christian example in how you love your spouse and in how you love the Lord and his Church? Do they see Christ in your unending love, your patience, your concern for others, and your encouragement of them? One of the greatest gifts you can offer your children is to be the kind of person you want them to be.

The second gift you must give your child is, “Your Time”! Each one of us knows how hectic life these days is. There are more demands on us and our time than ever before. And the sad result of all the time-consuming activity in our society is that we leave such precious little time for our children.

Children are a gift from the Lord. They are a gift which must be nourished, cared for, trained, and disciplined. And that takes time – lots of time. Children must take priority over social engagements, clubs, adult activities, and in some cases, even work. Your children need you more than they need clothes. They need you more than they need a new bicycle or more toys. They need you, your time, your attention, and your affection, more than they need any other thing on earth.

Imagine this. Two ladies were sitting on a park bench watching children play. One of them, who had no children, said to the other, who was a mother of four, “Sally, I’d give anything to have children like yours.” The mother replied, “No, Donna, you wouldn’t give anything; you would have to give everything for almost twenty years.”

That’s true, isn’t it? Motherhood, as well as fatherhood, is a full-time job – a full-time opportunity, one which demands many sacrifices. One of the finest gifts you can possibly give your children, is “Your Time”, because in giving your time, you give yourself.

So we see that this special day demands special gifts. All of us children should give honor to our mothers in what we say and do. Unmarried children who are living at home should give obedience to their mothers. Mom, your children will be looking for you to show them the kind of person they should be – and to give them your time. These are the most precious gifts of Mother’s Day.

Mothers, we thank God for you, for all that you do, for the kindness you show, for the love you give, and for the example you are. We love you with all our hearts!

May God bless you on this, your special day!

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY ! “God help you if you ever do that again.”

In His Service,

Pastor Joe

Listen To Audio: Sermon 20210509

Listen To Audio: Service 05092021

ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

Pastor Joe will be available at the church on Thursday afternoon from 2 to 4.  If you need to speak to him, contact Pastor Joe at

570-267-4570 (cell) or Email: joe.s.travis@gmail.com

A quick note to let you know our website has recently been updated to include a donate option on the front page of our website. If you wish to support our church or if you would like to support one of the many outreach organizations we support, please visit http://franklinhillpresbyterian.org/

Loose change offering, (coins & bills), goes to Local Mission

CareNet (Baby Bottle) concludes today

Sunday School starts at 8:30am with a study of the book of Galatians.  A good time to join us.

PW Luncheon on Thursday at 11:00.  Pastor Susie will be our guest speaker.  She will give a message approximately from 11:15 – 11:45, then Darrow Catering will provide our lunch.  Ladies please join us as Daughters of the King.

PW is putting gathering recipes for a church/community cookbook.   If you have a favorite recipe and would like to share it, it can be emailed to Bonne, or give it to her handwritten.

Men’s Breakfast 8:00 A.M. Wednesday May 19, 2021

Session meets 9:00 A.M. Tuesday May 25, 2021

Newsletter Deadline – Tuesday June 1, 2021

EMAIL address for the church has been changed to:   fhpc400@att.net

The annual meeting of The Franklin Hill Cemetery Association will be held on Tuesday May 11, 2021 at 6 p.m. in the Franklin Hill Community Building.

If you are in the parking lot, PLEASE TUNE YOUR RADIO TO 89.5 FM TO HEAR THE CHURCH SERVICE.