What Makes A Mom: Mother's Day 2026

May 9, 2026
What Makes A Mom: Mother's Day 2026

What do you do when the most powerful person in the world gives an order to destroy the people you love? In this message from Exodus 1-3, Austin Garrett unpacks the story of five courageous women who refused to let Pharaoh's genocidal decree have the final word. Shiphrah and Puah, two Hebrew midwives, defied the king's command to kill Israelite boys. Jochebed, Moses's mother, hid her son and then sent him down the Nile in a basket. Miriam, his big sister, watched from a distance and jumped into action at just the right moment. And Pharaoh's daughter, moved with compassion, pulled Moses from the water and gave him a life of provision and purpose.

This sermon titled "What Makes A Mom" speaks directly to women navigating the high calling of motherhood—whether biological, adoptive, foster, or spiritual. It also addresses men who need to honor the women in their lives, people grieving unmet expectations from their own mothers, and anyone wondering if the work of investing in others really matters. At the heart of this message is a profound truth: motherhood is not a solo mission. It's shared by birth moms, stepmoms, grandmas, aunts, small group leaders, mentors, and teachers. The calling to protect, praise, preserve, and provide is Kingdom work, and it reflects the very character of God.

Scripture reminds us in Genesis 2 that God created woman to be an ezer—a helper, partner, and champion. As Andy Stanley says, "Your greatest contribution to the Kingdom of God may not be something you do, but someone you raise." Whether you're raising children, mentoring students, caring for aging parents, or investing in your community, your influence is sacred and significant. If you've been wondering whether God can use your life to make an eternal difference, this message from The Crossing in Milton, DE, will encourage and empower you. And if you're ready to take a step toward Jesus—through repentance, baptism, or simply reaching out—we're here to walk with you.

In Exodus 1-3, five women—Shiphrah, Puah, Jochebed, Miriam, and Pharaoh's daughter—protected Moses from Pharaoh's genocidal decree. Austin Garrett, explains that these women reveal what makes a mom: the ability to protect, praise, preserve, and provide. Their courage reflects the character of God and shows that motherhood, whether biological or spiritual, is Kingdom work.

Shiphrah and Puah were Hebrew midwives in Exodus 1 who defied Pharaoh's command to kill Israelite boys at birth. They feared God more than Pharaoh and protected the lives of Hebrew children. In a Mother's Day message, "What Makes A Mom," Austin Garrett highlights their courage as an example of how women step up to protect life and reflect God's character.

Austin Garrett teaches that motherhood is not limited to biological mothers but is a shared calling among stepmoms, grandmas, aunts, mentors, and small group leaders. Drawing from Exodus 1-3 and Genesis 2, he explains that women are called to be ezer—partners in God's work—reflecting His character by protecting, praising, preserving, and providing. 

In his Mother's Day sermon from Exodus 1-3, Austin Garrett encourages men to acknowledge and praise the women in their lives—wives, mothers, sisters, and aunts—for the ways they protect, preserve, and provide. He points to Moses, who was saved by five faithful women, and reminds men not to wait for a crisis to heap generous honor on the women around them.

Austin acknowledges that some people carry real hurt from unmet expectations. He mentions that motherhood is not a solo mission—God often places other women in your life to step into the gap. He encourages people to recognize and give thanks for the aunts, grandmas, mentors, and teachers who reflected God's character when a biological mother fell short.