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.
We’re taking a pause from our regular preaching schedule. Today is a special day when we recognize the mothers that we have in our lives. Obviously, mother’s day is not the only day we should recognize mothers. Just like Christmas and Easter are not the only days we recognize Jesus Christ. But it’s good to have a day that helps us to pause and reflect. Because mothers are an amazing blessing that God has given us. We wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for our mothers!
God has given mothers an incredible gift, and an amazing responsibility to bring children into this world. God formed you in your mother’s womb.
Isaiah 44:24 Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things…
God chose women to bear his creation. He chose women to be mothers. To care for children and to raise up generation after generation throughout all of history. That’s a huge responsibility and it’s one of the most important jobs in all of human existence. Think about some of the most important jobs that exist today: Police officers, Firefighters, Doctors, Surgeons, Senators, President. Those are all important jobs, but the importance of being a mother far exceeds all of those jobs combined. It doesn’t even come close.
If God gave mothers one of the most important jobs on the planet—do you think God thinks highly of mothers? You better believe He thinks highly of mothers. And if He thinks highly of them, then all of us should think highly of them.
Since Mothers have one of the greatest responsibilities, it also means that they have a tremendous amount of power. Some people think that the elites, billionaires, and political leaders hold all the power. But actually, mothers hold a power far greater than the elites of this world. Mothers have a God-given power to affect entire generations. If you are sitting here today as a mother, or maybe you plan on being a mother in the future, understand that you have the power to affect millions of lives leading into the future. The choices you make today will determine whether you affect those lives in a positive way or a negative way. It’s a huge responsibility and that’s why the title of the lesson this morning is
“The Power of a Godly Mother”
The text we’re reading from is 2 Timothy. This is a letter written by the Apostle Paul to Timothy who was Paul’s co-laborer, and fellow servant. Paul describes him as his own son in the faith; he was dearly beloved by Paul.
And because of that, Paul is writing to Timothy to give him instructions…
When you love someone, you want them to do right. You want them to be successful and to serve the Lord. You want to give them instructions that will help them. You don’t leave them on their own. Like the children in this area that are left to their own—they roam the streets. No one in their lives cares enough to give them instruction and to protect them. That is very sad…
But Paul loves Timothy and He’s giving him a final charge to stay strong in the faith, guard sound doctrine, endure suffering, continue in the scriptures, and faithfully preach the word after Paul was gone.
Paul opens this letter with a powerful reminder. Let’s start in verse 1 so you can see the context:
2 Timothy 1:1-5 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus, 2 To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 3 I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day; 4 Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy; 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.
From this passage I want to give you three points that you can take away this morning.
1. A Mother’s Faith Must Be Real
2. A Mother’s Faith Must Be Visible
3. A Mother’s Faith Must Be Followed
1. A Mother’s Faith Must Be Real
In Paul’s opening greeting. He’s telling Timothy that he thanks God that he remembers him in his prayers night and day. He greatly desires to see Timothy, and he is filled with joy when he remembers the unfeigned faith that is in him.
The word unfeigned, means not counterfeit; not hypocritical.
Something that is counterfeit looks real—It has a form of being real, but it’s not real. Timothy’s faith was the real deal. It was not fake, not counterfeit, not hypocritical. But notice the order of things. Where did this unfeigned faith come from? Where did it start?
“which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.”
Because Lois had real and sincere faith, that faith did not end with her. It was passed down to her daughter Eunice. And because Eunice followed in the footsteps of her mother and possessed that same unfeigned faith, Timothy also followed in the footsteps of his mother. What started in the heart of one godly grandmother continued into the life of her daughter, and then into the life of her grandson. And through Timothy’s faithfulness, his ministry, and through this letter that was written to him, countless people have believed on Jesus Christ and are saved forever. And it all started with a godly mother who had real faith.
Imagine if Lois did not have real and sincere faith. If Lois chose to reject Jesus Christ things would most likely have been a lot different. That godly influence would not have existed.
That’s why it’s important for mothers to first and foremost believe in Jesus Christ alone for salvation. There are many mothers that take their kids to church, they teach them to have good manners and good behavior, they teach them to have respect for God and to love Him. And those are things that you absolutely should teach your children. But if you don’t truly believe in Jesus Christ then all those things are meaningless in the end.
If a mother is teaching her children that those things are required to be saved to go to heaven, then she doesn’t have unfeigned or real faith. She has a form of godliness, (something that is counterfeit appears to be real, but it’s not) She has a form of godliness but denies the power thereof.
Remember the gospel is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes. You can have a form of godliness but not believe the gospel, therefore you are denying the power. In order for a Godly mother to have power, she must first believe in Jesus Christ.
I’m thankful that I had a mother that had real unfeigned faith and believed in Jesus Christ. I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for my mom. For those of you who don’t know, my Mom went home to be with Jesus in November of 2024. Shortly after this church started. You can see her in the picture of our opening service. She taught me from the beginning to trust in Jesus for salvation. Both of my parents did, but I can still remember being six years old and being scared of dying and going to hell. And I remember the exact room in our house in New Jersey where I believed on Jesus Christ and I prayed with my mom and I’ll never forget that day. My mom had power because she believed. And now because of her, countless people are saved forever from the depths of hell.
I’m also thankful that I have a wife, who is the mother of my children, that has unfeigned real faith in Jesus Christ. Without my wife, it would be impossible for me to do anything that I do. She is the greatest blessing in my life. She has real power because of her faith and belief in Jesus.
Paul understood the significance of the faith Timothy’s mother and grandmother had, and the impact it made on his life. But for their faith to have such a powerful influence, it had to be visible. Timothy did not just hear about their faith; he saw it lived out before him. That brings us to our next point…
2. A Mother’s Faith Must Be Visible
Remember we are talking about the power of a Godly mother. That power comes first from real faith in Jesus Christ. A mother’s faith cannot deeply influence her children if it’s hidden, inconsistent, or only visible at church. Timothy was shaped by the faith of Lois and Eunice because that faith “dwelt” in them. It was not something they merely claimed; it was something that lived in them and could be seen by those around them.
A Godly mother’s faith should be visible in her priorities.
Children learn what matters most by watching what their parents make time for.
If you prioritize yourself above everything else. Entertainment. Fulfilling your desires.
As your children grow they will follow in your footsteps and they will prioritize themselves above others.
But when you prioritize the things of God. And children see that you care about those things and you show love toward your children—you prioritize keeping the commandments of God, then you will have children that will want to prioritize God in the same way.
“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness…”
A Godly mother’s faith should be visible in her words.
The things that she teaches, the way she corrects, encourages, and warns are all extremely important.
If our speech is always filled with gossip, with cursing, and name calling, then we should expect our children to do the exact same things.
That’s why you want your mouth to be filled with the Word of God. As a mother, that is where your power comes from.
2 Timothy 3:14-15 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.
Where do you think Timothy learned the scriptures? From his mother and grandmother as Paul mentioned earlier in his letter. That’s exactly what you want to do for your children. Teach them the Bible. Read it to them. Play Bible audio throughout the day. Put away the music of the World. And listen to God’s Word. Will you see a difference in your children? Yes. You will see a difference. That is the power that you wield as a mother. You can make decisions that will directly affect your kids for generations to come.
Proverbs 31:26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
A Godly mother’s faith should be visible without being fake.
Visible faith does not mean putting on a religious performance. It means sincerely living what you believe. Children do not need a mother who pretends to be perfect or puts a show on in front of others and then lives differently at home.
Children need to see honesty and integrity. When we make mistakes, we own our mistakes and we apologize. That will make the difference. There is no such thing as a perfect mother or a perfect father. Jesus Christ is the only one who is perfect. Our Father in heaven is perfect. We are not.
Remember that unfeigned means not counterfeit and not hypocritical. That’s the kind of faith that Lois and Eunice had. That’s the kind of faith that we all need to have.
3. A Mother’s Faith Must Be Followed
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.
One thing we need to understand is that faith is not passed down by genetics. Just because your mother or grandmother had faith does not mean you automatically have faith. You are not saved because your mother believed. You are not saved because your grandmother believed.
We run into a lot of people who think they are going to heaven because their dad is a pastor, or their mom is a prophetess. That would be nice. But that’s not how it works.
Timothy had a godly mother and a godly grandmother, but Paul still says that same unfeigned faith was “in thee also.” In other words, Timothy had to possess that faith for himself.
A godly mother can teach you the Scriptures. She can pray for you. She can bring you to church. She can set an example before you. But at some point, every child must personally decide whether they are going to believe the gospel and follow the faith that was set before them.
Children, you must personally believe for yourself.
A mother’s faith can influence you, but it cannot save you by itself. My mom taught me and showed me what God’s Word says. She brought me to a place of understanding, then I had to make my own decision to believe. Milana diligently teaches our children and is an awesome influence and example. But our children still have to make their own decisions to believe in Jesus.
Children should honor godly examples. This also applies to adult children. When God gives you a mother or a grandmother who has real faith, you should not despise that influence. You should be thankful for it and follow the godly pattern they placed before you.
You have to understand that having a Godly mother is truly a rare thing in this world.
Proverbs 31:10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.
So when you have a mother that believes on Jesus Christ. When you have a mother that loves you and cares for you, teaches you the Word of God, and prepares you to enter into this hostile world, you need to be very thankful for what you have.
You continue in the things that you learned from your mother…
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;
Paul was telling Timothy remember the people who taught you the truth. Continue in those things.
Let’s do a quick recap of the three points from this passage.
1. A Mother’s Faith Must Be Real
2. A Mother’s Faith Must Be Visible (Priorities, Words, Not Hypocritical)
3. A Mother’s Faith Must Be Followed
A godly mother’s influence may begin in the home, but it does not end there. Lois influenced Eunice. Eunice influenced Timothy. Timothy influenced churches, pastors, and generations of believers. That chain began with sincere faith.
Charge to Mothers
Mothers, as you go from here today, do not underestimate your influence. You may feel like your labor is unseen, or unappreciated, but God sees it. Your children are watching your faith, your words, your priorities, and your example. Make sure the faith they see is real. And remember the power that you have. If you believe in Jesus, you have the power of God. As long as you rely on the Lord for strength and wisdom, He will use you to affect generations to come in a mighty way.
Charge to Children
Children, do not despise the faith of a godly mother. If your mother has taught you the Bible, prayed for you, corrected you, brought you to church, and pointed you to Christ, that is a great blessing. Do not run from that influence. Follow it.
And maybe you did not have a godly mother like Timothy had. Maybe your mother did not teach you the Scriptures or set that kind of example. But you can still honor her because God used her to bring you into this world. And by the grace of God, that pattern can change with you. You can be the start of a new generation — a generation marked by unfeigned faith.
The greatest legacy a mother can leave is not money, possessions, or a name. It is unfeigned faith in Jesus Christ — a faith that is real, a faith that is visible, and a faith that is followed. Let’s Pray
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