Gateway Baptist Church
May 10, 2026

      • Matthew 25:40NKJV

      • Bible Trivia
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      • Matthew 25:40NKJV

  • There Is Power in the Blood
  • Send The Light
  • Have Faith In God
  • The Family Of God

  • Acts 9:36-43

    Today, we honor mothers and all that they mean to us. Every one of us in here has stories about our mom. Without Mom, none of us would be here. I know that my mother means a great amount to me. But the greatest mother I have had in my life is my wife. I look at our daughters, and they are who they are, in large part, because of their mom. The way that she took care of each of our daughters when they were sick. How she took care of Gracelynn so we could have all the time God was giving us with her. She nurtured our children, unlike ol’ dad.
    What does nurture mean? It refers to the care, support, and training provided to foster someone's growth, development, or education. We see this in Paul’s writing 1 Thess. 2:7-8. Paul uses the word “trepho,” which means to feed, nourish, grow, provide, raise, rear, bring up, and grow up. Mothers should be the person who spends the most time with their babies in their first five years. It is during this time that they need nurturing to correctly develop social, mental, and emotional behaviors. The same can be said for new believers. It is why, as Christians, we need to develop our nurturing attribute.
    1 Thessalonians 2:7–8 LSB
    But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children. In this way, having fond affection for you, we were pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become beloved to us.
    Luke details three virtues that nurturing creates in believers. The first virtue is charity. The second virtue is gratitude. The last virtue is good works.
    Luke introduces Tabitha, a woman who embodies these three virtues.
    She was called a disciple, “mathetria (disciple)”, the feminine form of mathetes, which appears only here in the New Testament. She fulfilled her calling as a disciple as described by Paul in Ephesians 2:10 and Colossians 1:10.
    Ephesians 2:10 LSB
    For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
    Colossians 1:10 LSB
    so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and multiplying in the full knowledge of God;

    Charity:

    Christians should have a charitable heart. I know this sounds like a gimme, but it seems it is not today. The Greek word that Luke uses is “eleemosyne,” which means almsgiving, acts of charity, giving to the needy, and donations to the poor. Listen to Jesus’ words in Luke 12:33. In verse 36, Luke is clear that Tabitha was a woman who was continually charitable.
    Luke 12:33 LSB
    “Sell your possessions and give it as charity; make yourselves money belts which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near nor moth destroys.
    Tabitha kept her eyes fixed on Jesus, aligning her heart with Him. It is easy to concentrate on oneself in the world we live in. We have all the mantras to support being self-aware. Nobody is going to watch out for you but yourself. It is a dog-eat-dog world. You do you. But Tabitha showed what Christian charity truly looks like. Her worry was for the poor and others, not herself. This virtue is a cornerstone in the Christian life. Mothers exemplify and should teach it to their entire family. A charitable heart leads to the virtue of gratitude.

    Gratitude:

    Brandon Lake has a song titled “Gratitude.” The Chorus sings like this: So I throw up my hands and praise You again and again. Cause all that I have is a hallelujah, Hallelujah. And I know it’s not much, but I’ve nothing else fit for a king, except for a heart singing hallelujah.
    I agree that all we can give our Lord is our heart. But I also believe that people’s gratitude towards us shows our gratitude towards the Lord. We are a direct correlation of our Lord and Savior. We are His ambassadors here in this world. The way we treat each other reflects our gratitude to our Lord. The way these women and disciples loved Tabitha was evident to Peter. Her contribution and value to the church in Joppa were undeniable despite her loss. Her gratitude to the Lord Jesus was shown in her actions of taking charge of the widows.
    Mothers embody this virtue in the way they care for their families. Christians should embody this virtue in how we care for one another. This is evident through our good works.

    Good Works:

    I love watching my wife raise our daughters. I saw it in her good works, teaching them how to serve God by serving others. Tabitha showed her faith through her good works. I love what James says in James 2:14-20. Tabitha had good works through her nurturing spirit. Mothers show us nurturing with the way they serve us.
    James 2:14–20 LSB
    What use is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead by itself. But someone will say, “You have faith; and I have works. Show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.” You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?
    Too many times, we make converts in the church but not disciples. We are not called to make converts, we are called to make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20). Could someone identify you as a follower of the Way by your works? Tabitha was. Would your works show the lost who Christ is? Jesus said you will know a tree by the fruit it bears (Matthew 7:16-20).
    Matthew 28:19–20 LSB
    “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to keep all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
    Matthew 7:16–20 LSB
    “You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? “Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. “So then, you will know them by their fruits.

      • 1 Thessalonians 2:7–8LGCYSTNDRDBBLSB

      • Ephesians 2:10LGCYSTNDRDBBLSB

      • Colossians 1:10LGCYSTNDRDBBLSB

      • Luke 12:33LGCYSTNDRDBBLSB

      • James 2:14–20LGCYSTNDRDBBLSB

      • Matthew 28:19–20LGCYSTNDRDBBLSB

      • Matthew 7:16–20LGCYSTNDRDBBLSB

  • I Surrender All
Gateway Baptist Church
gatewaybaptistchurch@live.com
8128533787
11 members