The Power of a Mother's Faith - Pastor Stacey Shiflett
- Pastor Shiflett
- May 10
- 5 min read
The Power of a Mother’s Faith
2 Timothy 1:5 When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.
Intro: The faith of a mother is a powerful thing!
Here are just a few examples from God’s Word of mothers with power that moved mountains.
There are many stories in the Bible of a mother’s faith and what it accomplished.
On this Mother’s Day, I want to remind you that a Mother’s Faith still is a powerful thing!
A Mother’s Faith is Powerful when it is…
I. A Real Faith
· 2 Timothy 1:5 “When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.”
The word unfeigned means sincere, genuine, without hypocrisy, without pretense.
Paul was not complimenting Eunice for having a polished appearance or a religious reputation.
He was testifying that her faith was authentic.
It was real at home, real in private, real under pressure, and real over time.
The power of a mother’s faith is not found in perfection, but in sincerity.
Children can usually detect what is genuine and what is artificial.
They may not understand theology, but they can recognize authenticity.
A mother may fool the church, impress her peers, and maintain an image before others, but her children see the reality of who she is.
They watch her reactions, hear her words, observe her priorities, and discern whether her Christianity is heartfelt or merely habitual.
Lois and Eunice possessed an unfeigned faith.
· It was not manufactured.
· It was not borrowed from somebody else.
· It was not inherited tradition or conforming to a religious culture.
· It was not just learning how Christians behaved and then going through the motions.
· It was not a costume she wore on Sunday mornings.
It was the settled conviction of her heart.
There is a tremendous difference between learning church culture and truly knowing God.
Some people learn the language of Christianity without ever experiencing the life of Christianity.
They know when to say “Amen,” when to bow their heads, how to dress, and how to maintain appearances, but inwardly there is no genuine fellowship with God.
Jesus condemned that kind of empty religion.
· Matthew 15:8 “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.”
A mother with real faith does not merely perform Christianity; she lives it.
Her children see her pray when nobody else is watching.
They hear her speak of God naturally in daily life.
They watch her trust the Lord in hardship, seek forgiveness when she fails, and maintain conviction when compromise would be easier.
Her faith is not dependent upon applause or public visibility because it is rooted in a real relationship with God.
Paul also connected unfeigned faith with purity of heart and conscience.
· 1 Timothy 1:5 “Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:”
Real faith does not mean a flawless, perfect life.
It means an honest walk with God.
It means Christianity that is exemplified beyond the church walls.
It means convictions that remain consistent whether anybody is watching or not.
The power of a mother’s faith begins when her children see that her relationship with God is not an act, but a reality.
It is not broadcast by her lips, but by her life.
A Mother’s Faith is Powerful when it is…
II. A Remembered Faith
· 5 “When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith…”
Paul remembered the faith of Timothy’s mother and grandmother.
It must have been amazing!
For the Apostle Paul to refer to someone’s faith as “unfeigned” is a testimony!
It made an impression on him.
Her faith was so great that it is recorded and preserved in the Word of God for all eternity.
There are many stories in the Bible of a mother’s faith and what it accomplished.
These mothers had a kind of faith that will be remembered forever.
· Jochebed – Believed God under extremely dangerous circumstances - Exodus 2:1-10
· The Widow of Zarephath – Believed God when facing starvation - 1 Kings 17:8-16
· The Shunammite Woman – Believed God when her son was dying - 2 Kings 4:8-37
· Hannah – Believed God could give her a son - 1 Samuel 1
· The Syrophoenician Woman – Believed God could deliver her daughter - Matthew 15:21-28
What will your children remember about your faith?
What will others remember about your faith?
Can people look at your faith and be inspired and encouraged and can it be an example to them?
A Mother’s Faith is Powerful when it is…
III. A Reproduced Faith
· 5 “…and I am persuaded that in thee also.”
Faith is powerful when it is passed down.
Jude talked about “the faith once delivered unto the saints.”
Generational faith is the key to the longevity of the church.
Paul taught the importance of passing it down in 2 Timothy 2:2.
Biblical Christianity is always one generation away from extinction.
Every generation must intentionally deliver the truth to the next generation.
The danger is that many parents fail to clearly and passionately pass it down.
Truth must be taught, modeled, defended, and lived before the next generation if it is to survive.
Real faith when witnessed by people will affect them.
A mother with unfeigned faith is not trying to “keep up appearances.”
She is doing her best to walk with God.
This kind of faith is powerful because it is authentic.
Hypocrisy weakens influence, but sincerity strengthens it.
When children see this kind of real faith, it has a huge impact on them.
Modeling real, unfeigned faith is the missing element in many of today’s churches.
Kids are seeing more hypocrites than real believers.
They sit in church and hear the same messages you hear, watch you nod your head and say amen, and then go home and ignore it.
And then you wonder why they ignore you?
You wonder why they ignore your prayers and your reproof?
Children may rebel against standards, but it’s hard to ignore faith that has been consistently lived before them.
Timothy had watched the reality of God in the lives of Lois and Eunice long before Paul ever mentored him. Their faith prepared his heart for the ministry.
2 Timothy 3
· 14 “But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
· 15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.”
Notice that Timothy not only learned the Scriptures, but he knew of whom he had learned them.
The credibility of the message was strengthened by the credibility of the messengers.
Lois and Eunice lived what they taught.
Conclusion: If you are a mother here today, are you a woman of faith?
Is it real?
Will it be remembered?
Are you reproducing your faith in your children?