Sermons

Mother's Day: God's Favor in the Midst of My Mess

May 13, 2012 Speaker: John Hansen

Topic: Mother's Day Passage: 1 Samuel 1:1–2:10

Mother’s Day Sermon: God’s Favor in the Midst of My Mess

1 Samuel 1-2

I’d like to invite you to turn in your Bibles to 1 Samuel chapter 1 and 2. We’ll be focusing on chapter 1, but we’ll also get a little into chapter 2.

Intro to Text:
• Familiar Story: This is the familiar story of Hannah and the birth of her son, Samuel.
• Hannah – means favor or grace

My Passion: To leave you ladies encouraged and to give you hope that you can find yourself in the favor of God despite the messy situation that you may find yourself in.

Milton Vincent commented: “No woman I’ve ever met goes into marriage thinking, “You know what. I’m going to mess things up!” … Most women dream of having a model marriage, of having a model home, and of themselves being a model wife and a model parent. However, it is not long into marriage that most women realize that they can’t have a model marriage because they are not married to a model husband…And even more painful to themselves is the realization that they themselves have fallen woefully short of what they thought they would be as a wife. It’s not very long into mothering that a mother looks at her children and realizes that she does not have model children and even more painful to her is the awareness that she herself has fallen woefully short of what she thought she would be as a mother to her children. Every woman at some point into her marriage and into home life and into motherhood experiences profound disappointment in herself and even in her circumstances as the reality falls far short of the dream. And that can create a discouragement in the hearts of many women … in the Midst of [this] disappointment…their thought is, “I guess my dreams are not going to be fulfilled of being a model of all of these things [so] God can’t really do much with me. In fact some moms look at their marriage and their home life and say, “What a mess!” - Milton Vincent

Brenda Payne - “A mother is one who gives life, but these days far from feeling like a life giver, you feel drained of life. Perhaps you are looking around at all the other good Christian mothers with their good Christian children and wondering what’s wrong with me and my kids. How can I be failing at one of the most important things in all of life, parenthood. How could I mess up something I was so looking forward to doing?” - Brenda Payne

Today I want you to be encouraged by Hannah and how God does great things through her despite the mess she finds herself in. We’ll look at:
• Her circumstances…which are quite messy
• What she does
• And what God does through her
Hannah’s situation is a mess. This is not the situation we’d think God would use to do something that would change the course of world history, but that’s the kind of God we serve. He not only works in spite of our messes, but he actually uses the mess to accomplish his work.
So let’s jump into this mess.


[Let’s READ Samuel 1:1]

There was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephrathite.
• I know you wanted to know all of that

Read verse 2 – 2 He had two wives. The name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other, Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
• From the text, it seems clear that Hannah was Elkanah’s 1st wife.
• A young girl has a wedding; she prepares to give herself to her husband and she has all these dreams of what life will be like as his wife.
• One of those dreams, one of the dreams of every Jewish girl was to give children to her husband.
• But Hannah can’t have children – so very quickly in her marriage her dream starts to disintegrate – her reality falls short of dream – can’t give Elkanah children and she can’t help him carry on the family name.
• Elkanah realizes this problem, and like a typical male, he works on a solution. He’s the fix it guy. He’ll slap a solution on this problem. “If Hannah can’t give me children, I’ll find someone else who can.”
• So to add insult to injury – Elkanah takes on a 2nd wife and marries Peninnah.
• And it works! Practically every year Peninnah is popping out another kid – Peninnah had at least 5 children that she was able to give Elkanah.
• Rivalry: But very quickly a rivalry developed between these 2 women; Elkanah had solved one problem only to create a handful of new problems.
• Matthew Henry: “It is probable that Elkanah married Hannah first, and, because he had Hannah first, and, because he had not children by her so soon as he hoped, he married Peninnah, who bore him children indeed, but was in other things a vexation to him. Thus are men often beaten with rods of their own making.” – Matthew Henry

• This is the Rachel and Leah story all over again. The loved wife versus the prolific wife. One wife has the joy of bearing children and the other has the joy of being loved by her husband and both are miserable because they both want what the other has.
• Hannah had the pain of Rachel, and Elkanah, like Jacob and Rodney King, thought to himself, “Can’t we all just get along?”
• The answer was a clear and certain NO!
• Every Year the family took a Trip to Shiloh and on the way there and after they got there … things always got ugly.

[Read verse 3-5]
3 Now this man used to go up year by year from his city to worship and to sacrifice to the LORD of hosts at Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests of the LORD. 4 On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. 5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the LORD had closed her womb.
• Sacrifice: Elkanah would slay an animal, and a portion of this sacrifice was used for a worship meal in god’s presence.
• Double or Worthy Portion: Elkanah would divvy out portions to his family, giving Peninnah and her children single portions, but to Hannah a double portion, or a worthy portion. Either it was twice as much, or it was a really nice cut of the meat. And it was obvious, especially to Peninnah, that Hannah was getting the better portion.
• Elkanah’s Love: Elkanah wanted to express his love for his wife. He cherished her and sought to honor her.
• But despite that ….
• The Lord had closed her womb – It almost seems like that statement had become Hannah’s identity. She was the lady with no children. She wore a scarlet letter B, for Barren.
• Peninnah Notices: She notices the double portion and is roused to jealousy. Also, she realizes that Barren Hannah has a vulnerability.


Read verse 6
6 And her rival [adversary, competitor] used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the LORD had closed her womb.
• Peninnah, lacking any compassion for Hannah, decides to hit her where it hurts. She makes jabs at Hannah…and does whatever she can to get under Hannah’s skin and to provoke her to frustration.
Read verse 7
7 So it went on year by year. As often as she went up to the house of the LORD, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat.
• This ugly scene happened every year. It was an ugly thing.
• Hannah is going to the temple for worship, an event that should have been accompanied by rejoicing, but Hannah would dread it.
• Hannah wouldn’t eat: Hannah is setting in front of this double portion that Peninnah is coveting, and she’s so sad, so miserable and downcast that she doesn’t even eat it.
• Enter the Fix it Man: Elkanah sees that she refuses to accept this honor he gives her and he thinks to himself, “This has gone too far. I give Hannah this gift of love and she won’t even eat it.” So he jumps in and tries to fix this situation.
• Elkanah’s 4 Questions: Elkanah asks his wife 4 questions. The first 3 are good questions and all the women readers get hopeful that Elkanah is going to give his wife some comfort, but that 4th question. Oh, that 4th question! It’s a major blunder!


[Read VERSE 8]
8 And Elkanah, her husband, said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? [3 good questions. It seems like Elkanah is on the right track. This is pretty good for a guy. He recognizes she’s sad, so he’s not Mr. Oblivious. And then he asks her what’s troubling her. It seems like he cares about her feelings and wants to hear what she’s going through. We’re expecting something empathy and encouragement, maybe some hugs and kisses, and then he gets to question 4 and ruins everything. Why do you weep? Why do you not eat? Why is your heart sad?] Am I not more to you than ten sons?”
• Elkanah did not start this conversation to get Hannah to open up and share her heart. No, Mr. Fixit just wants to slap a Band-Aid on the problem. He wants Hannah to suck it up and stop ruining the good time he’s trying to have. He wants her to realize how good she’s got it having a husband like him.
• Basically, he’s saying, “Why do you weep? Why do you not eat? Why is your heart sad? What is there to be sad about when you’ve got me?”
• Elkanah Thinks: That should do it. She’ll be happy now.
What happens at this point is the exact opposite of what Elkanah was aiming for, the exact opposite of what he expected. He expects her to just suck it up and start having a good time, but I imagine what really happens…is that she bursts into tears.
• Imagine how she’s feeling. “I can’t have children. I can’t have my husband to myself. I have to share him with this terrible woman who constantly makes jabs at me, who constantly rubs it in that she has all these kids when I have none. I miserable and depressed and my Husband doesn’t get it. He doesn’t understand what I’m feeling. He just wants me to slap a smile on my face and pretend like everything is just grand. Well, it’s not.”
• We don’t know how Hannah replied to these 4 questions. Maybe she doesn’t reply. Or maybe she does but it’s not fit to record.
• I imagine she wanted to say, “I’ve got you?” Oh really. How can you say I’ve got you, when you went off and married another woman?”
• What does she do? We’ll see in verse 10, she wanders off into the temple and she weeps. She weeps bitterly. Hannah is a broken woman and she just can’t take it anymore.
• This is a mess! This is the mess that Hannah finds herself in. There’s anxiety and discord in her family. The word “family” doesn’t bring up the pleasant feelings it should, and home is not a place of safety. It’s really ugly!

BONUS: Hanna & Peninnah Nursery Rhyme
There was a Peninnah who married a Jew.
She had so many children, she didn't know what to do.
Her husband’s other wife got more meat and bread;
So she whipped her profoundly with the words that she said.


• This is not the kind of situation we’d expect God to use to do something world altering…to do something that hundreds and thousands of years later would end up being part of the plan to bring salvation to us today!

Six Actions Hannah Takes that God Used to Do Something World Altering


1. Hannah takes her sorrow to God and pours out her heart in soul emptying prayer.
a. She may be thinking, “No one understands me, not even my husband.”
b. I need to take my sorrows somewhere. So she goes to the Lord!
[Read verse 9-10]
9 After they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, Hannah rose.
• After everyone else had eaten, not Hannah.
• I imagine she’s been sitting there quietly, trying not to make a scene, looking for her moment to escape. She’s thinking, “I’ve got to get out of here. I can’t handle this anymore.”

Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the LORD. 10 She was deeply distressed and prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly.
c. Deeply distressed – Hannah was overwhelmed with sorrow, depression and grief, literally she was bitter of soul.
d. And when she was Bitter of soul and she prayed – Where do we go when we’re bitter of soul? Often, we want to pour out our pain in the form of anger on those who have hurt us. But not Hannah. She doesn’t lay into Elkanah. She doesn’t attack Peninnah. But she pours out her heart to the Lord.
e. Often, I feel like I’ve got to clean up my act before I go to God. I look within me and I’m just vile…full of hatred, anger, and bitterness. But God would say, “Bring that to me. Bring your bitter self to me and pour out your heart to me. I’m a big God. I can take it. I’ve got strong shoulders. I can carry your load.”
f. Vs. 15+16 Later she describes her prayer to Eli in vs 15 and 16: “I’ve been pouring out my soul…I’ve been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation.” – Hannah is not just praying ho-hum prayers. These aren’t just “God thank you for the day. I have a few requests for you. Amen” type of prayers. This is soul-emptying type of prayer. She pours out the contents of her heart in gut wrenching soul emptying prayer until there’s nothing left. Until she’s gotten everything off her chest.
g. 1 request – She says give your servant a son, later “for this boy I prayed” when she gets son
h. 1st Miracle – Hannah is asking the Lord for a miracle, but a miracle has already occurred. Milton Vincent says, “The fact that she’s already on her knees praying in such desperation is already a miracle. Often when God wants to do a work, the first thing he does in accomplishing that great work is he performs the miracle of reducing someone to desperate prayer.” – Milton Vincent
i. What’s God want to do in your family? What’s God want to do in the situation that you find yourself in? The first miracle he may want to do is to bring you to your knees. To have you pour out your heart to Him and trust with him to work.


2. Hannah surrenders to God what she wanted more than anything.
a. While Hannah is praying God starts to do a work in her heart.
b. Wanted – a son for herself, a son to give her husband
c. But it seems that God is showing her that her motives might be off a bit.
d. And look what she prays in VERSE 11.
11 And she vowed a vow and said, “O LORD of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.”
e. My son shall be under a Nazirite vow.
f. As Hannah is praying, it seems that she has this moment of clarity. She realizes that her desire for a son has become too important to her, so important that it has become a form of idolatry in her heart.
g. So she destroys the idol. She gives her desire to have a son the death blow by saying…if you give me a son, I’ll give him back to you. He won’t be my son. He won’t be Elkanah’s son. He’ll be yours all the days of His life. Her heart has changed.

3. Hannah changes her countenance before God changes her circumstances.
a. Read vs. 12-14
12 As she continued praying before the LORD, Eli observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman. 14 And Eli said to her, “How long will you go on being drunk? Put your wine away from you.”
b. Peninnah has attacked her.
c. Elkanah just doesn’t understand.
d. And now the priest of God accuses Hannah of being drunk.
e. Basically, he says, “Why don’t you go away and sober up, and then come back and pray.”
15 But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the LORD.
f. I’m not drunk. I’m depressed. I’m miserable. I haven’t been pouring alcohol into myself, but I’ve been pouring the contents of my heart out to the Lord.
g. Read vs 16-18a
16 Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for all along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation.” 17 Then Eli answered, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him.”18 And she said, “Let your servant find favor in your eyes.”
h. Again, Hannah refuses to fight back. She doesn’t retaliate, but she educates. She explains the situation to Eli.
i. Eli has compassion on her and says, “May the Lord grant your request. May he give you what you desire.”
j. She says, “Let your servant find favor.” Let Hannah whose name means favor, find favor in your eyes. May I receive favor from you, the high priest, the representative of God.
k. And Eli does find favor with her. He blesses her saying, “Go in peace and may God grant your petition.”
l. This gives us a beautiful picture of Christ and the church. We come to him a mess and he grants us favor. Jesus, our great High Priest, he is the one that secures the blessing for us. It is his words that give us peace.
m. Read vs 18b
Then the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.
n. She picks herself up. She thinks to herself, “I think I’ll go back and eat that double portion.”
o. Her face was no longer sad. Literally, her face was no more. Her sad, hurt, angry, confused, frustrated, bitter face was gone. That face was no more.
p. Hannah had a new face, the face of a woman who had given up her idolatry, the face of a woman who had found favor with God, the face of a woman that had hope.
q. Imagine how this scene plays out back at the dinner table: Hannah left depressed. Peninnah thinking to herself, “I got her good.” Now she floats back in, flashes a smile, looks down at her double portion, and begins to eat.
r. I’m sure Elkanah noticed that there was something different on her face. I’m sure Peninnah noticed the change in Hannah’s countenance. She must have thought to herself, “What’s going on here? Hannah must know something that I don’t know.”
s. Ladies, when God wants to do a work in your life, sometimes he wants to start with your face. He wants to change your countenance.
t. When people see your face, let them wonder why there is so much hope, why there is so much faith. Make them curious so think to themselves, “She must be in on something. She must know some secret that I don’t know.”
u. AVENGERS: In the new movie, The Avengers, the good guys have captured Loki, the villain. It’s only half way through the movie and they have the bad guy imprisoned in the glass capsule. But Loki is as cool as a cucumber. He flashes this clever smile that is unnerving to the good guys who have him trapped. They get so throne off by his pleasant demeanor, that Nick Fury questions the super-heroes, “If everything is alright, then why do I get the feeling that Loki is the only one on this ship who wants to be here?” Loki knows something they don’t know. He knows there’s a plan in place. He knows he’s going to escape.
v. Can I encourage you with that? You know something that the world does not. You know that your God will work out everything for your good. There is a plan in place. You are going to escape this mess. Your God has good things in store for you!
w. Hannah realizes this and she changes her countenance. Her circumstances haven’t changed. She’s not pregnant. She has no son. But that’s ok. She has put her idol to death and she is fully trusting in her wonderful God to make something beautiful out of this mess.

4. Hannah remembers and acknowledges that her pregnancy is answered prayer.
a. The next day, the family gets up at the crack of dawn, and the New Hannah joins the family in worshipping the Lord.
b. Vs. 19-20
19 They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the LORD; then they went back to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the LORD remembered her [God had truly had given her favor.]. 20 And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, “I have asked for him from the LORD.”
c. Literally the boy’s name means “prayer request”… prayed for of god, answered prayer.
d. Not only does Hannah go to God. Ask God. And trust God before anything changes.
e. But when things do change, when she does get pregnant, she remembers that this is in response to her prayer.
f. “In naming her baby, Hannah remembered that his delivery was in response to her prayer made nine months earlier. I’m convinced the biggest problem in our prayer lives is forgetting what we prayed for. When the answer to our prayer comes nine days, months, or years after we asked, we say, ‘Wonderful!’ but forget it is in answer to what we were praying for previously. Forgetting what I prayed for previously causes me to think God is not responding to my prayers presently.” – Jon Courson
g. Often we get discouraged in prayer because we fail to pay attention when God answers those prayers. If we remember our prayer requests, when God answers, that will lead us to rejoice, to worship him…and it will give us increased motivation to keep being people of prayer…to keep being people who are faithful to go to our knees and cry out to the Lord for His help.
h. So Hannah has the thrill of rejoicing in answered prayer. And I think Elkanah was rejoicing with her. It seems clear from the following verses that Hannah had shared her request and her vow with Elkanah. And Elkanah had joined with Hannah in this commitment and made his own vow to the Lord.
i. Vs. 21
21 The man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to the LORD the yearly sacrifice and to pay his vow.
a. From the context, most commentators think that Elkanah’s vow was connected with his wife’s vow and their prayer that God would give Hannah a son.
b. Numbers 30 – If a wife made a commitment, the husband, upon hearing of it for the first time could overturn that commitment. So when Hannah says, “Honey, I committed our child to work in the temple for the rest of his life.” Elkanah could have said, “No you didn’t! I’m putting a nix on that one.” But he didn’t. He supported Hannah in her vow, and from the text it looks like he went on not only to support her, but to also make his own vow. And now he’s headed up to Shiloh to make good on that vow.

5. Hannah follows through and behaves according to her surrender.
[VERSE 22]
22 But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “As soon as the child is weaned, I will bring him, so that he may appear in the presence of the LORD and dwell there forever.”
c. Hannah is not having any second thoughts. She is fully committed to giving her son back to God and to have him serve the Lord FOREVER.
d. And Elkanah is fully supporting her!
e. Vs. 23
23 Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him; only, may the LORD establish his word.”
f. Or, it can be translated, “May the Lord establish your word.”
g. Basically, Elkanah is saying, “I’m standing with you on this one, honey. Do what you think is best, but be sure to follow through on the commitment that you have made to God.”
h. CONTINUING in Vs. 23 -
So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him. 24 And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, along with a three-year-old bull,[c] an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and she brought him to the house of the LORD at Shiloh. And the child was young.
a. Probably around age 3.
b. Jewish mother’s usually weaned there kids around 2 or 3 years of age…They were a little granola…and I’m sure they ate organic fruits and vegetables…and they would have fit in nicely in Sonoma County… Ladies, don’t worry. There’s no biblical command that says, “Thou shalt nurse thy child until 3 years old…” but then again there’s no command against it either. ;)
c. Vs. 25
25 Then they slaughtered the bull, and they brought the child to Eli. 26 And she said, “Oh, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who was standing here in your presence, praying to the LORD. 27 For this child I prayed, and the LORD has granted me my petition that I made to him.28 Therefore I have lent him to the LORD. As long as he lives, he is lent to the LORD.”
a. Notice what a great work that God has done in Hannah’s heart on this issue of idolatry.
b. It’s over! There are no second thoughts. She is not keeping this son for herself and she’s not keeping him for Elkanah. She’s bringing him to the Temple and she comes with 3 things, a bull, flour and wine…the three items that are brought to the Lord when someone makes a Nazirite vow.
c. Hannah is committed to this. Elkanah is committed to this. But the thing that you might find the most surprising is that the 3 year old boy, Samuel, is committed as well.
d. Look at the last sentence of the chapter.
And he worshiped the LORD there.
e. Who worshiped the Lord? The only he that’s mentioned in this verse. Samuel worshiped the Lord. He’s going to have to say goodbye to mommy and daddy and live at the temple for the rest of his life. You’d expect to see lots of tears and a little boy clinging to his mother’s leg refusing to let go…but somehow someway this little boy knew this was right and he was glad of it, and he worshiped the Lord.
f. This little boy has a heart for God at 3 years of age!
g. Quick Word to the Kids: God can use you now! You can be a man of God or a woman of God NOW! You don’t have to wait until your older. You kids be children that love God. That worship God. When we’re praising the Lord, sing a long, sing with all your heart. Sing to the God you love, the God has saved your soul. Lift up your voice. Raise your hands. Pray. Read the Word each day. I challenge any of you kids, Samuel’s age or older, Grant and Chloe’s age or older, to be worshippers of God like Samuel.
h. It’s Mother’s Day kids. What do you think your mother wants more than anything? It’s to see her kids worshipping God from their heart.
i. This Scene: You expect Elkanah to have to drag Hannah out of there. You expect her to cry out, “No! I can’t do it. I can’t leave my son.” But all you see is praise.

6. Hannah worships God and thanks Him for His wise and gracious providence.
a. [Chapter 2 VERSE 1]
2 And Hannah prayed and said,
“My heart exults in the LORD;
my horn is exalted in the LORD.
My mouth derides my enemies,
because I rejoice in your salvation.
2 “There is none holy like the LORD:
for there is none besides you;
there is no rock like our God.
b. This is a miracle! It is unbelievable the mighty work that God has done in Hannah’s heart.
c. She’s not sorrowful. There’s no more bitter of soul here. Hannah is exulting. She’s rejoicing at the greatness of her God.
d. [Skip down to VERSE 10]
10 The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces;
against them he will thunder in heaven.
The LORD will judge the ends of the earth;
he will give strength to his king
and exalt the horn of his anointed.”
e. Somehow Hannah realizes that God is doing something very grand here, something that will affect the ends of the earth.
f. Strength to his king: She says he will give strength to his king. There’s no kings in Israel. This is the time of the judges. Samuel would be the last judge and he would be the one to anoint the first 2 kings of Israel. Liberal commentators say, “Hannah couldn’t have said this. There’s no way she could have known that there soon would be a king in Israel.” But the Holy Spirit speaking through Hannah knew what he was about to do.
g. His anointed: She says that God will exalt the horn of his anointed…of his meshia…his messiah. This is the first place in scripture where the messiah is referred to as the messiah, as the meshia.
h. Samuel Anoints King David: It was Samuel who anointed the first king of Judah, the king from whom would come the lineage of Jesus Christ.
i. Jesus would obey all of God’s commands perfectly, never sinning in his actions or his words, never disobeying the Father even in his thoughts. Then, he would die on the cross for our sins, that whoever believes in him would be forgiven all their sins and be made right with God.
Closing:
• Consider the love of God. 2:18-21
• God goes on to bless Hannah with more kids: After Samuel, she ended up having 5 more children, 3 sons and 2 daughters, 6 children in total.


Points of Application
1. No matter how ugly your mess may seem, take it to the Lord and cry out to him for help.
2. Is there anything you want so badly that it’s become an idol in your heart? Surrender that to the Lord.
3. Trust that God is good and that he has good things in store for you, and let your hope show up on your countenance. Let people see by looking at your face that you’re in on a little secret with God.

Milton Vincent: “You might look at your situation right now and say, “What a mess!” and I want you to know that God is a God who delights to take our messes and weave them all together and do something world altering and significant and you are not beyond the reach of God doing something amazing. The story is not over. God is the one who writes last chapters and your last chapter has not been written. The last chapter of your family has not been written. God is on the throne and he’s powerful and he’s working and he loves you and he loves your children more than you do and you can take that to the bank … If you’re here as a mother or even a dad, and you feel like you’ve blown it in so many ways. You might say… “I do look around and there’s a big mess. I made the mess.” Just know Jesus died, he went to the cross exactly for those sins that mother’s commit and dad’s commit...Jesus died for those. I believe that the day will come when we stand before God at the judgment and God says, “Let me show you what I did with the good things you did” and… [we’ll say,] “Oh, Lord you’re amazing.” And then he’s going to say, “Let me show you what I did with the mistakes you made… with your failures…” and we will fall on our faces in worship of this god who is so amazing.” – Milton Vincent

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