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Biblical Manhood & Womanhood - 2 Timothy 3 - Living By The Truth… · Mount Eaton Church

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All right, let's pray. Father, I want to thank
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you for your word. Thank you, Lord, for Mother's
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Day. Thank you for the gift of the mom. Just
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ask you would be with us as we go through your
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word, that the full counsel of your word is spoken
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and taught. Help us to rightly divide it. Help
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us to be good Bereans and to test all things.
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I pray that you are high and lifted up, glorified
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in all that we do, because you are the God. who
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gives life. We praise you and thank you in Jesus'
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name. Amen. So the kids have been given a task
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to count how many times the word she is said
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in today's sermon. Now, I probably won't. I'll
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have to go back and listen to it just to count
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how many she's I have said, but we're going to
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do that. So I hope you have your little pens
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ready and your little papers and your little
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pads. Proverbs 31. is where we're going. You're
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like, oh, really? You had to pick out of all
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of the scripture to compare a mom to, a woman
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to Proverbs 31. It's an impossible task. Well,
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actually, if you look at it from the perspective
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as I'm going to present it, it's actually not
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that impossible. The words of King Lemuel, an
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oracle that his mother taught him. Oh, wow. So
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this entire Scripture, Proverbs 31, is an oracle,
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a teaching, an instruction that was given to
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King Lamuel from his mom. So that kind of settles
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some things, doesn't it? What are you doing,
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my son? What are you doing, son of my womb? What
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are you doing, son of my vow? Do not give your
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strength to women, your ways to those who destroy
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kings. It is not. For kings, O Lemuel, it is
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not for kings to drink wine or for rulers to
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take strong drink, lest they drink and forget
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what has been decreed and pervert the rights
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of all the afflicted. Give strong drink to the
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one who is perishing and the wine to those in
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bitter distress. Let them drink and forget their
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poverty and remember their misery no more. Open
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your mouth. for the mute, for the rights of all
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who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously,
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defend the rights of the poor and needy. An excellent
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wife who can find she is far more precious than
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jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her,
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and he will have no lack. gain. She does him
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good and not harm all the days of her life. She
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seeks wool and flax and works with willing hands.
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She is like the ships of the merchant. She brings
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her food from afar. She rises while it is yet
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night and provides food for her household and
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portions for her maidens. She considers a field
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and buys it. With the fruit of her hands, she
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plants a vineyard. She dresses herself with strength
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and makes her arm strong. She perceives that
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her merchandise is profitable. Her lamp does
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not go out at night. She puts her hands to the
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staff and her hands hold to the spindle. She
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opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her
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hands to the needy. She is not afraid of snow.
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for her household, for all of her household are
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clothed in scarlet. She makes bed coverings for
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herself. Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
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Her husband is known in the gates, and he sits
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among the elders of the land. She makes linen
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garments and sells them. She delivers sashes
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to the merchants. Strength and dignity are her
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clothing, and she laughs at the time to come.
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She opens her mouth. with wisdom, and the teaching
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of kindness is on her tongue, and does not eat
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the bread of idleness. Her children rise and
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call her blessed, her husband also, and he praises
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her. Many women have done excellently, but you
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surpass them all. Charm is deceitful, and beauty
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is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to
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be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands,
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and let her works Praise her in the gates. First
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thing I want you to notice, gentlemen, is it
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has nothing to do with you. We'll handle that
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right in the beginning. You're like, ooh, that
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just like took the air right out of the balloon.
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A mother's heart for her kids. Listen to your
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mother's warnings. Wisdom is found in the lips
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of a godly mother, and failure to heed will bring
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calamity. Mom has a lot to say. I said this earlier.
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My wife's right 90 % of the time. You're like,
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what happened to the other 10 %? I can't make
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her perfect. But she's usually right. I know
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some of you women are saying, what happened to
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99 .9? At least there's one 10th left. Sorry,
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can't do that. I at least want to be right 10
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% of the time. Proverbs 1, 8 through 9 says this,
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the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.
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Fools despise wisdom and instruction. Hear, my
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son, your father's instruction, and forsake not
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your mother's teaching, for they are a graceful
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garland on your head and pendants for your neck.
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Proverbs 31, 1 through 9. I want you to notice
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a couple things here. It says the words of King
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Lemuel, an oracle that his mother taught. This
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is his mother's righteous and sound instruction,
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not his father's. His mother taught him. Notice
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these three things. What are you doing, my son?
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What are you doing, son of my womb? What are
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you doing, son of my vow? Every single son has
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brought terror and white hair to the mother's
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head. I'm telling you right now. This is sort
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of like this. I'll say it like South Jersey.
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What are you, stupid? Are you kidding me? I carried
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you for nine months and you don't listen to me
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ever. Oh, I gave it to the Lord and you're still
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not listening, you crazy nut. If you're Italian,
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you know exactly what I'm saying. I mean, it's
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three times. First, he reminds him, hey, you're
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my son. Second, I carried you for nine months
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and you still don't listen. And third, you made
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a promise and you're still not keeping your promises.
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That's exactly what it means. Do not give your
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strength to a woman and your ways to destroy
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kings. A mother's wisdom. Keep yourself chaste
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until you marry. Because when you give yourself
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away, it drains you of your life. That's what
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she's saying here. Why? She's a woman. She sees.
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She knows. She knows. Notice, she also tells
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him, oh, King Lamuel, it's not for kings to drink
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wine and for rulers to have strong drink. In
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other words, how many moms have begged their
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kids not to get drunk or become an alcoholic
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or get addicted to drugs? It's going to kill
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you. And not only does it kill you, it perverts,
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it causes you to forget the law that's there
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to protect you. And it perverts and affects the
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rights of those around you. That's what she's
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saying here. How do I, why do I know this? Because
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my mom did the same thing with my brother who
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died from a heroin overdose. begged him. Did
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he listen? No. Listen to your mother. She knows.
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Notice it says, give strong drink to those who
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are perishing. For those who just want to continue
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to destroy their lives, they will destroy their
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lives without any hesitation. When God gives
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grace and mercy, latch onto that because God
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is giving you life to run away from the thing
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that has snatched you. Notice it says here in
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verse Seven, let them drink and forget their
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poverty and remember their misery no more. Eventually,
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they won't remember anything. By God's grace,
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if God has given you life, embrace it. Open your
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mouth for the mute, for the rights of those who
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are destitute. You should be men, you should
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be speakers, speaking on behalf of those who
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cannot speak for themselves. This is from a mother's
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mouth. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend
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the rights of the poor and the needy. Take care
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of those who cannot take care of themselves.
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That's wisdom from a mother's mouth. So I want
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you to notice here in this oracle that's been
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given to King Lemuel. This is a mother giving
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him directions on how to lead. You know who develops
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leaders in the home? You know who develops godly
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men? Moms. Why? Because when dad's out there
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working eight hours a day, guess who's forming
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and molding that man into being a man? Their
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mother, you come and you lead your wife. She
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leads the kids. Notice what it says. Next, biblical
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principle. Biblical motherhood starts with how
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well she partners with her husband. How you treat
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your husband teaches children more than what
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you say about how a Christian woman should be.
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The greatest gift that you can give your kids
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is to love their father. and to treat him with
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respect and honor as God has assigned him the
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responsibility to be the head of the home, the
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leader who leads in service and in servitude.
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That's how men lead. Men become slaves. What
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did Jesus say? Peter, if I do not wash your feet,
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you will have no part with me. Treat him well.
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Love him well. Be faithful to him, and your kids
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will learn what it means to be faithful. First
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Peter 3, 1 through 2. Likewise, wives, be subject
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to your own husbands so that even if some do
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not obey the word, they may be won without a
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word by the conduct of their wives when they
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see your respectful and pure conduct. What's
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interesting about this word subject means partner.
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Walk alongside with, work with, together with,
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support with, fit him even if he's not a believer.
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Don't give up. Proverbs 31, 10 through 12. An
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excellent wife who can find. I found one. I know
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all of you are saying, well, if you're married,
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you have to say the same thing. Because if you
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don't, you're in deep trouble when you go home.
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So hopefully you can say your wife's excellent.
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I do. I don't have a choice. She is far more
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precious than jewels. Her value is beyond measure,
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and she is priceless. So much more valuable and
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priceless than jewels is a wife to a husband.
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There is nothing more valuable in my life than
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my wife besides Jesus. Nothing. And I say this
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to my kids ever since they were little. When
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they would mouth off and give mom a hard time,
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don't talk to my wife that way. You're going
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to grow up, move out, get your own family. I
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got to die with her. Leave her alone. Respect
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her. Don't talk to my wife that way. Not don't
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talk to your mother that way. Don't talk to my
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wife that way. She's mine. My gift. Now, thank
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you. She does him. Notice what it says here.
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The heart of her husband trusts in her and he
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will have no lack of gain. There's nothing that
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I don't trust my wife with. Nothing. Trust me.
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She grabs my phone anytime she wants. Just saying.
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She does him good and not harm all the days of
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her life. Does she do, do you do your husband
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good? Are you working and partnering and edifying
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him? Next principle. A woman living biblical
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motherhood is never found to be idle. She is
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always doing what she was designed to do. Galatians,
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I mean, Genesis 2, 15 says, and 18 says this.
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For God took the man and put him in the garden
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of Eden to work it and keep it. Verse 18, then
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God said, it is not good for man that man should
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be alone. I will make a helper fit for him. So
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I want you to get this, men. She is your helper,
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one who works with you in the garden, not someone
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you tell what to do. She is not your slave, and
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you are not dominant over her. You walk with
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her and you guide her. You lovingly care and
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protect her and you work together. You invite
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her into the work together with her. She's there
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to fit you, not for you to control. Biblical
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men who lead, lead by being a slave and edifying
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his wife so that she's willing to walk alongside
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with her husband to accomplish what God has set
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for them to do. I could not be the pastor I am
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today without my wife's complete and total partnership
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and support in what we do. Very important. Now,
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Proverbs 31, 13 through 16. She seeks wool and
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flax. Notice, she seeks it. She doesn't go to
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her husband and say, honey, you know, I need
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some clothes for the kids. I got to make clothes.
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Is it all right if I buy that? Because if she
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doesn't buy it, guess who runs around? Without
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clothes on. They're kids. Not good. But notice
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what she does. Not only does she do that, but
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she also does some other things with it. Look
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what it says. She seeks wool and works with willing
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hands. She delights in working with her hands.
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She finds God's purpose and plan for her life
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to be busy doing what God has equipped her to
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do. She is like the ships of the merchant. She
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brings her food from afar. So not only does she
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take care of your clothes, washes them, folds
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them, sometimes irons them. She also cooks your
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dinners. When you come home from work, what's
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the first thing you do? Sit on the couch, hit
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your recliner, ask her for something to drink.
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Hey, you know what my wife say? Get up and get
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it yourself. That's what she would say. I know,
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babe. She's helping me get up and get it myself.
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No, her job is not to serve at my every beck
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and call. What should men do? Men, like Jesus,
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go in after a long day's work, see a bunch of
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piled dishes, and they do the dishes. You're
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like, well, that's not fair. I worked all day.
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She did too. She managed your house, cleaned
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your laundry, took care of the kids, took out
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the dog, made you dinner, made sure they ate
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lunch, taught them school all day, and then you
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want to come home and act like you're Mr. King.
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Notice what it says here. She rises while it
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is yet night and provides food for her household
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and portions for her maidens. Now, I don't have
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any slave, but I will tell you, there are many
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times my wife usually goes to bed really late.
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I know because anyone who talks and texts her
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at night, I know you. I'm in bed. My wife's still
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up. So she's busy preparing. How many times has
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she prepared food the previous day in order to
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make sure you had food for the next day? Or that
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you have lunch to take to work? That's your wife.
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She's managing and running the house. She considers,
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she devises and purposes a field and buys it.
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Notice, she doesn't go to her husband and ask
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permission to buy a field. You're going to notice
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something here in a minute. Why? Why does she,
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on her own, devise plan and purpose to buy a
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field? Because she has to feed her family. Look
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what it says. With the fruit of her hands, she
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plants a vineyard with the field she just bought.
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Do you know what that means? Not only does she
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provide food, grapes for her family, she's provided
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revenue. Because vineyards are very expensive.
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They produce wine and other things that she gets
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to sell. Isn't that interesting? She is always
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looking for ways to care and provide for her
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family. She is fulfilling the work mandate as
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prescribed and commanded by God in Genesis 2.
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She's fulfilling what she's supposed to do as
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a wife. If I trust her, I need to trust her with
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the money. I only trust you but this far because
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I need to manage it all. We do it together or
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it don't get done. The beauty of a woman living
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biblical motherhood is not in attire that draws
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the eye. It's not in what she wears that draws
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the eye, but she is clothed in strength and dignity.
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1 Peter 3 -6, chapter 3 -6. Do not let your adorning
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be external, the braiding of hair or the putting
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on of gold jewelry or the clothing you wear,
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but let her adorning be the hidden person of
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the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle
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and quiet spirit. She's not demanding, pushy.
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She partners, she works together, she communicates
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clearly. She's not screaming at the top of her
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lungs because in God's sight, it is very precious,
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that gentle and quiet spirit. For this is how
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the holy women who hoped in God used to endure
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themselves by submitting to their own husband.
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As Sarah obeyed Abraham. This word obeyed means
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honored. As she honored him by calling him Lord,
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by calling him dear, by calling him my love,
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by calling him my king. Not my master slave,
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but master husband. And then, and you are her
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children if you do good. And do not fear anything
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that is frightening. Why? Because she is sure
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in the hands of her God and her husband. Proverbs
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31, 17 through 25. She dresses herself. She girds
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and prepares herself with purpose. She gets ready
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on purpose. I got a mission. What does she dress
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herself with? With strength. And she makes her
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arms strong. This makes her arm strong is God's
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symbol of strength for her family and those in
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her life. I am getting myself ready to walk alongside
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you, partner with you, work with you. I got work
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to do. That's the idea. She perceives, she knows
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with confidence that her merchandise is profitable.
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Think about it. I mean, she just bought a field.
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She's making wine. She's like, I can make some
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serious money. She perceives, she knows with
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confidence that her merchandise is profitable.
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Her lamp does not go out at night. She works
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and continues to work. She puts her hands to
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the distaff and her hands hold to the spindle.
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She's the one doing the work when you're busy
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doing other things, dad. She opens her hand to
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the poor and reaches out her hand to the needy.
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She is always compassionate to those who are
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less fortunate. She is not afraid of the snow
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for her household. Why? Because she's already
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prepared them for the clothing she needs. For
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all her household is clothed in scarlet. She's
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given them the best of what she has. She makes
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bed coverings for herself. You notice she doesn't
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forget about taking care of herself. She takes
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care of herself also. Her clothing is fine linen
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and purple. Her husband is known in the gates
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when she sits among the elders of the land. Notice,
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she makes her husband popular. When a wife partners
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with her husband and they are busy accomplishing
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what God has set out for them to do, everyone
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knows them. We are no greater than the women
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that God has given us. She makes linen garments
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and sells them. She delivers sashes to the merchant.
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You don't do that. I don't know about you, but
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this woman is making some serious cash. Strength
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and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs
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at the time to come. She has no fear. She has
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contempt for what's coming. It's a joke. It doesn't
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matter, she says. Women living biblical motherhood,
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as God designed, commands praise and respect,
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especially from her family. Do you respect? your
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mom? Do you respect your wife? Do you proclaim
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and give praise and honor to the woman that God
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has put in you? This life giver. Psalm 127 verse
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3. I want you to hear this. This is huge. Psalm
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127 verse 3 and Proverbs 14 .1. Proverbs 14 .1
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is going to wreck a lot of men's ideas. It's
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just amazing. Behold, children are a heritage
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from the Lord, the fruit of the womb, a reward.
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The only reason why we as men can claim that
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we have arrows in the quiver is because our wives
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give them to us by God's grace and his will.
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But I want you to notice something else. Proverbs
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14, 1. I want you to hear this, men. Pay attention,
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gentlemen. The wisest of women builds her house.
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But folly with her own hands tears it down. A
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woman can make a house successful, strong, and
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powerful if she's partnering alongside with her
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husband and they are walking together for the
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glory and edification of God and the accomplishment
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of bringing up godly children. But she, in the
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same breath, can tear it down. There is nothing
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worse than a scornful woman. But there's nothing
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greater than a woman who does the will of God.
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and obeys him. Proverbs 31, 26 through 27, no,
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31, sorry. She opens her mouth with wisdom. Notice
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that. Your kids get their wisdom from their mother.
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And the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
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How well should you care for her? She looks well
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to the ways of her household and does not eat
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the bread of idleness. I can tell you that for
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sure. I wake up in the morning. I don't know
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about you. But my brain isn't working. I need
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like an hour and a half. I've sat down for like
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45 minutes. My wife comes out and says, what
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are you doing? I said, I just woke up. She said,
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45 minutes ago. I said, I need another hour.
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What does she do? Right in the kitchen starts
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working. I'm like, oh my goodness. Showing me
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up. I'm like, sometimes I just sit and enjoy.
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Because I'm just like, my brain is like, ooh.
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She allows me. She allows me. Look what else
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it says here. She looks well to the ways of her
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household and does not eat the bread of idleness.
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Her children rise up and call her blessed. Her
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husband also, and he praises her. Do you understand
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how blessed you are with the woman that God has
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given you? The life giver that God has given.
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It's the greatest gift that the next salvation
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God could ever give is your wife. There is no
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greater gift. that you could give your kids to
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love your wife in front of them. My kids get
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gross when I go, hi, honey, and give her a little
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hug and kiss. She's like bugging out. They're
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like, ew, that's gross. I'm like, you're 19.
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Give me a break. Many women have done accidentally,
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but you surpassed them all. A charm is deceitful
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and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the
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Lord is to be praised. Give her. of the fruit
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of her hands, and let her work. Praise her in
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the gates. There's one more mother I want to
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be able to talk about, and that is a mother who
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is single. Didn't do this in first service, but
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I will do it here. I grew up with a mom who was
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single. I want you to think about that. She raised
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two boys. By God's grace, God redeems one and
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calls him to ministry. The other, not so much.
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But my mom was a life giver. There are two types
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of single moms. Ones where their husbands don't
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have enough gumption, don't have enough gumption
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or guts to continue to love their family and
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lead them and guide them and walk with them.
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The second are those who lose their husbands.
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It's our responsibility as the church, as best
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as we possibly can, to come alongside those women.
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It's hard enough to try to raise kids with parents.
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It's harder to raise kids without them, at least
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one. The burden that single moms have is greater
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than I could ever imagine. And my mom worked
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her rear end off. So remember those whose fathers
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are gone, who are left alone, who we must come
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alongside and walk with and be the support that
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she needs until the Lord provides another. Father,
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I want to thank you so much for your goodness
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and faithfulness. Thank you for your grace and
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mercy. Thank you, Lord, for the moms, the life
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givers. Thank you for the moms that continue
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to work hard. partnering with their husbands,
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walking side by side, accomplishing your purpose
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and your plan and your task. She is a gift. Thank
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you for the moms who are alone, still raising
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kids, walking with their children, teaching them
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their ways. I pray, Lord, that you would continue
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to remember them, provide for them as the church
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comes alongside them. I pray that you would be
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honored and glorified in all things. Lord, we
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praise you and thank you for your faithfulness
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to be honor and glory forever. In Jesus' name,
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amen.