To be posted...

Romans 6
1 What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply? 2 Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it? 3 Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of his resurrection. 6 For we know that our old self, was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be rendered powerless so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin,
 
7 since a person who has died is freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him, 9 because we know that Christ, having been raised from the dead, will not die again. Death no longer rules over him. 10 For the death he died, he died to sin once for all time; but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11 So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
 
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey its desires. 13 And do not offer any parts of it to sin as weapons for unrighteousness. But as those who are alive from the dead, offer yourselves to God, and all the parts of yourselves to God as weapons for righteousness. 14 For sin will not rule over you, because you are not under the law but under grace.
 
FROM SLAVES OF SIN TO SLAVES OF GOD
15 What then? Should we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? Absolutely not! 16 Don’t you know that if you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of that one you obey—either of sin leading to death or of obedience leading to righteousness? 17 But thank God that, although you used to be slaves of sin, you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching to which you were handed over, 18 and having been set free from sin, you became enslaved to righteousness. 19 I am using a human analogy because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you offered the parts of yourselves as slaves to impurity, and to greater and greater lawlessness, so now offer them as slaves to righteousness, which results in sanctification. 20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free with regard to righteousness., 21 So what fruit was produced then from the things you are now ashamed of? The outcome of those things is death. 22 But now, since you have been set free from sin and have become enslaved to God, you have your fruit, which results in sanctification—and the outcome is eternal life! 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.[1]
 
Ladies, Happy Mother’s Day…

• In Romans 6, Paul is declaring the mindset has to be changed from focusing on sin (and stop sinning) to focusing on our righteousness (and living out of that righteousness). We have to relearn what we were taught and know to a renewing of our mind because we have been transformed.

 
Therese David

• January 2019, we got off the MercyMe cruise ship and sitting in the airport, you got your first indication you had cancer. You are now in remission through an extensive chemotherapy process and the Lord’s healing. Which has impacted you more? Living through that healing process or knowing more that you will never die again because you are in Christ? Can you share a little of both of your understandings on these 2 subjects?

 
Amy Getchell

• Amy, you grew up in a setting that would be described as “religious”. Can you explain the difference from how you grew up to how you are raising your children?
• Your struggling watching your own family members being burdened by the church. How do you try to influence or impact this situation?

 
Nicole Le

• Nicole, first of all, explain how you and I met originally.
• You come here every Sunday by yourself. You sit down quietly, listen intently and then get up and go home. Why do you come here? What do you ultimately want from this community?

 
Jeannie Hilfiker

• A year ago, you made the decision to never return to Pinheads again. How come you are here today?

 
Amy Nicholas

• Amy, your family has been coming for the last 3 years to Pinheads and small groups. Can you share how what you are learning inside of this community has impacted your relationship with Mike and the kids? How has it impacted each of your family members?

 
Angela Ellison

• You have a past… we all have a past. I don’t know the details of your past so you share as little or as much as you are comfortable. But one day, you were here with Cameron and he brought you to me to have a conversation. He wanted to confirm with me to you that what we were teaching was true in your own life. That Christ died one time and you are truly forgiven. This is not what you grew up hearing and understanding. How did this news affect your thinking?
• Your public identity is that of a police woman, which you do well. In today’s society that has become really difficult for police. How does knowing your true identity in Jesus impact what you do on a weekly basis?

 
Caroline Shrieve

• Caroline, as a mom, you are not only learning your identity in Christ, but you are a teacher of identity.
• How are you able to implement what you believe while being a teacher in a system that may have different values?
• What specifically do you do at home with your four boys to teach them their identity in Jesus?

[1] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Ro 6:1–23). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers. 
Amy Nicholas

• Amy, your family has been coming for the last 3 years to Pinheads and small groups. Can you share how what you are learning inside of this community has impacted your relationship with Mike and the kids? How has it impacted each of your family members?

 
Angela Ellison

• You have a past… we all have a past. I don’t know the details of your past so you share as little or as much as you are comfortable. But one day, you were here with Cameron and he brought you to me to have a conversation. He wanted to confirm with me to you that what we were teaching was true in your own life. That Christ died one time and you are truly forgiven. This is not what you grew up hearing and understanding. How did this news affect your thinking?
• Your public identity is that of a police woman, which you do well. In today’s society that has become really difficult for police. How does knowing your true identity in Jesus impact what you do on a weekly basis?

 
Caroline Shrieve

• Caroline, as a mom, you are not only learning your identity in Christ, but you are a teacher of identity.
• How are you able to implement what you believe while being a teacher in a system that may have different values?
• What specifically do you do at home with your four boys to teach them their identity in Jesus?

[1] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Ro 6:1–23). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers. 
Amy Nicholas

• Amy, your family has been coming for the last 3 years to Pinheads and small groups. Can you share how what you are learning inside of this community has impacted your relationship with Mike and the kids? How has it impacted each of your family members?

 
Angela Ellison

• You have a past… we all have a past. I don’t know the details of your past so you share as little or as much as you are comfortable. But one day, you were here with Cameron and he brought you to me to have a conversation. He wanted to confirm with me to you that what we were teaching was true in your own life. That Christ died one time and you are truly forgiven. This is not what you grew up hearing and understanding. How did this news affect your thinking?
• Your public identity is that of a police woman, which you do well. In today’s society that has become really difficult for police. How does knowing your true identity in Jesus impact what you do on a weekly basis?

 
Caroline Shrieve

• Caroline, as a mom, you are not only learning your identity in Christ, but you are a teacher of identity.
• How are you able to implement what you believe while being a teacher in a system that may have different values?
• What specifically do you do at home with your four boys to teach them their identity in Jesus?

[1] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Ro 6:1–23). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

• I realize in this room we have many emotions concerning the celebration of Moms on Mother’s Day.
• We have those who’ve had great mothers and those who’ve had abusive mothers.
• We have those whose mothers are still alive and those whose mothers have passed.
• We may have some in here who have never known their mother.
• But today is rare for my teaching at Leavener. I want to share a message to potential mothers and current mothers.
• In so many years from now, this message will be purged from the teachings of Leavener on the internet.
• I’m assuming that Hallmark will eventually lose the battle of marketing both Mother’s Day and Father’s Day due to gender equality.
• Our world is doing everything it can to wipe out the differences between men and women.
• That means women will never have clean seats in Starbucks restrooms. Welcome to our world!
• I’ll try not to say anything divisive for the sake of keeping you focused on the intent of this message.
• If you focus on the decisions this world is making about gender in light of what I have to say, then you missed the message and evil one wins the hour for you.

 
- Divide the room according to Mothers & Fathers-
Young Girls
(Mothers to be)
- 2 Timothy 4:1-5 -  1 I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is going to judge the living and the dead, and because of his appearing and his kingdom: 2 Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; rebuke, correct, and encourage with great patience and teaching. 3 For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, will multiply teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear what they want to hear. 4 They will turn away from hearing the truth and will turn aside to myths. 5 But as for you, exercise self-control in everything, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. [1]
What is going to influence your decisions and morality?
“Science of Good and Evil”, (2019) TIME
The choices we make, to behave morally or immorally, are a different matter, and there is a wide variety across populations. Simply knowing or intuitively feeling a rule does not mean we will follow it. Where do those intuitions come from? And why are we so inconsistent about following where they lead us? Scientists can’t yet answer those questions, but that hasn’t stopped them from looking. Brain scans are providing some clues. Animal studies are providing others. Investigations of tribal behavior are providing still more. None of this research may make us behave better, not right away at least.[2]
- Know your identity in Christ
2 Corinthians 5:6-8 - 6 So we are always confident and know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. 7 For we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 In fact, we are confident, and we would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.[3]
If you are a Christian, you have an identity in Christ. Once you become a new creation in Him (2 Corinthians 5:17), your whole identity changes because you've been rescued and redeemed from sin and darkness and welcomed into God's Kingdom family (Galatians 2:20; 1 Peter 2:9).
You are handpicked by God, treasured, irreplaceable, loved, forgiven, worth dying for, free, precious, and so much more.
Even if you don't feel it, know that it is true. You're a child of the One True God.
That's worth celebrating. You're worth celebrating.
 
Young Mothers
(Mothers of children at home)
 - Obviously know your identity in Christ.
 - Teach identity in Christ to your children.
USA TODAY -“Why American moms are seriously struggling”
"This ideal of what it means to be a good mom is to put your child's needs above your own. An ideal worker in the U.S. economy means being fully dedicated and committed with your undivided attention – that you can come in at a moment's notice, that you don't have anything that distracts. This doesn't work if you have kids," said Caitlyn Collins, a sociology professor at Washington University.
American mothers are struggling.[4]  

• In 1975, more than half of mothers stayed home with their kids. Today both parents work in 70% of families with children.
• Child care costs on average $12,350 to $13,900 a year, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In some cities, it's double that.
• Dads are taking on more parenting responsibilities than ever, but surveys show it’s still unequal in more than half of households even when both parents work full-time. 
• Nearly half of grandparents live more than five hours from their grandkids.
• Moms in 2016 spent 14 hours a week outside work on child care, up from 10 hours a week in 1965, according to the Pew Research Center.
• Social media is pervasive, and research shows mothers who frequently compare themselves to others on social media feel more depressed, less competent and less positive about their co-parenting relationships.[5]

• The most important relationship in the house is between the husband and the wife.
• The mother carries a child for 9 months and the bond begins. Not so with the father.
• Continue to date (equal opportunity)
• Put the phones down
• Pursue healthy sexual intimacy
• Vacation without kids!
• Make your spouse the priority behind Jesus.

What you do impacts for generations to come.
“Science of Good and Evil”, (2019) TIME
In the alternative, there are neurological explanations for human selflessness. We’re sympathetic creatures, but not in the prettified way we usually use that word. Our brains are wired with mirror neurons— cells that make us mimic the behavior of the people around us, so that we laugh when they laugh, cry when they cry, yawn when they yawn. We even wince at other people’s pain. That provides social cohesion, but it also reduces our most generous impulses to something more transactional: we relieve the suffering of strangers in part because it hurts too much to do nothing.[6]

• Don’t chase after what the world tells us is the “thing to do”. This would be your flesh.
• Mom blogs…
• 1 John 2:15-17 -  15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride in one’s possessions—is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 And the world with its lust is passing away, but the one who does the will of God remains forever. [7]

 

• Pursue the Spirit that resides in you.
• Romans 8:12-17 -  12 So then, brothers and sisters, we are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh, 13 because if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons. 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. Instead, you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father!” 16 The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, 17 and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. [8]
  
  
• There is no reason to compare yourself to others when you know your identity.
• Romans 14:5-9 - 5 One person judges one day to be more important than another day. Someone else judges every day to be the same. Let each one be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 Whoever observes the day, observes it for the honor of the Lord. Whoever eats, eats for the Lord, since he gives thanks to God; and whoever does not eat, it is for the Lord that he does not eat it, and he gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives for himself, and no one dies for himself. 8 If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9 Christ died and returned to life for this: that he might be Lord over both the dead and the living.[9]

 

• Suffering is going to happen… but that suffering has eternal value.
• Romans 8:16-17 - 16 The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, 17 and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. [10]

 
Mature Mothers
(Empty Nesters & Grandmothers)

• A loss of purpose
• Frustration over lack of control
• Emotional stress
• Marital stress
• Anxiety about your children
  
  
• If half of grandkids live more than 5 hours away… adopt a family!
• Disciple other women about what you know… your identity in Christ.
• Encourage people through their temporary suffering.

Volunteering is for Everyone
“Science of Good and Evil”, (2019) TIME,
“People who are givers are happier and across the board tend to have better mental health,”[11]
“If you can raise a caring child, that child is likelier to be happier and probably live a longer and healthier life,” recommends Post, whose work now centers on studying and advocating for service as a way to prevent and recover from addiction—particularly among adolescents.[12]
1 Peter 5:1-10 - I exhort the elders among you as a fellow elder and witness to the sufferings of Christ, as well as one who shares in the glory about to be revealed: 2 Shepherd God’s flock among you, not overseeing out of compulsion but willingly, as God would have you; not out of greed for money but eagerly; 3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. 5 In the same way, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. All of you clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because
God resists the proud
but gives grace to the humble. (Proverbs 3:34)
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you at the proper time, 7 casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you. 8 Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. 9 Resist him, firm in the faith, knowing that the same kind of sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world.
10 The God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, establish, strengthen, and support you after you have suffered a little while. 11 To him be dominion forever. Amen. [13]

• Ask the Fathers to pray over the Mothers.

[1] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (2 Ti 4:1–5). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[2] “Science of Good and Evil”, (2019) TIME, Editor Edward Felsenthal & Jeffrey Kluger
[3] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (2 Co 5:6–8). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[4] “Why American moms are seriously struggling”
Analysis: Economic, cultural and technological changes have piled on new pressures for moms.
Alia E. Dastagir, USA TODAY Updated 1:47 p.m. EDT May 9, 2019
[5] “Why American moms are seriously struggling”
Analysis: Economic, cultural and technological changes have piled on new pressures for moms.
Alia E. Dastagir, USA TODAY Updated 1:47 p.m. EDT May 9, 2019
[6] “Science of Good and Evil”, (2019) TIME, Editor Edward Felsenthal & Jeffrey Kluger
[7] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (1 Jn 2:15–17). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[8] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Ro 8:12–17). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[9] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Ro 14:5–9). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[10] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Ro 8:16–17). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[11] “Science of Good and Evil”, (2019) TIME, Editor Edward Felsenthal & Jeffrey Kluger
[12] “Science of Good and Evil”, (2019) TIME, Editor Edward Felsenthal & Jeffrey Kluger
[13] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (1 Pe 5:1–11). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

Numbers 26:59 - 59 The name of Amram’s wife was Jochebed, a descendant of Levi, born to Levi in Egypt. She bore to Amram: Aaron, Moses, and their sister Miriam.[1]
 
Exodus 6:20 - 20 Amram married his father’s sister Jochebed, and she bore him Aaron and Moses.[2]
 
Exodus 1:8-10 - 8 A new king, who had not known Joseph, came to power in Egypt. 9 He said to his people, “Look, the Israelite people are more numerous and powerful than we are. 10 Let us deal shrewdly with them; otherwise they will multiply further, and if war breaks out, they may join our enemies, fight against us, and leave the country.”[3]
Exodus 1:22 - 22 Pharaoh then commanded all his people: “You must throw every son born to the Hebrews into the Nile, but let every daughter live.”[4]
Exodus 2:1-10 - 1 Now a man (Amram) from the family of Levi married a Levite woman (Jochebed).
 Jochebed’s Credentials:
 - Jews – God’s chosen people.
 - Levites – Priests who carried out the duties of the temple/tabernacle. Very religious people.
 - They were willing to defy orders of the Pharaoh.
 - Jochebed – She had a relationship with the Lord. This is essential for parents.
2 The woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son; when she saw that he was beautiful, she hid him for three months.
Jochebed’s Courage:
 - Jochebed refused to give into a godless system that would have cost her the life of her son.
 - Hebrews 11:23-29 - 23 By faith, after Moses was born, he was hidden by his parents for three months, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they didn’t fear the king’s edict.
 - God… make us parents who aren’t afraid to take a stand in our faith through these sinful days.
24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter 25 and chose to suffer with the people of God rather than to enjoy the short-lived pleasure of sin.[5]
 - Jochebed instilled her faith in her child so that one day he would have his own faith and pursue it.
Exodus 2:3-10 - 3 But when she could no longer hide him, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with asphalt and pitch. She placed the child in it and set it among the reeds by the bank of the Nile. 4 Then his sister stood at a distance in order to see what would happen to him.
Jochebed’s Confidence (faith):
 - It took faith to place the child in the river.
 - This was the same instrument which was being used to destroy the other babies.
 - It took faith for this mother to take her hands off the life of this child and leave him to the will of God.
 - It takes faith for us to let our children go.
 - It takes faith to just leave them in the hand of God, but the child who has a praying mother, a past filled with the Bible and training in the way of the Lord has the advantage and will do well.
5 Pharaoh’s daughter went down to bathe at the Nile while her servant girls walked along the riverbank. Seeing the basket among the reeds, she sent her slave girl to get it. 6 When she opened it, she saw the child—a little boy, crying. She felt sorry for him and said, “This is one of the Hebrew boys.”
7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Should I go and call a woman from the Hebrews to nurse the boy for you?”
8 “Go,” Pharaoh’s daughter told her. So the girl went and called the boy’s mother. 9 Then Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child and nurse him for me, and I will pay your wages.” So the woman took the boy and nursed him. 10 When the child grew older, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, “Because,” she said, “I drew him out of the water.”[6]
Jochebed’s Giving Away her Son:
 - Jochebed refused to let her child be trained in the ways of the world.
 - Faith is taught at home.
 - Don’t trust the system to teach your child about faith.
 - I left what I was doing because I didn’t want anyone else to teach my kids what I had come to understand.
 - Jochebed taught Moses God’s ways rather than the world system.
 - She trained Moses then gave Moses away for God’s service.

• This is no different than what God for us with His only Son… Jesus.

[1] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Nu 26:59). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[2] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Ex 6:20). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[3] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Ex 1:8–10). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[4] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Ex 1:22). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[5] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Heb 11:23–29). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
[6] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Ex 2:1–11). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.