Mary & Mothers Today
By Dr. Bill Rains, Senior Pastor | May 10, 2026
Father, thank you for this Mother’s Day. Thank you for this host assembled in this place today… We pray your richest blessings upon every dear mom, upon every dear lady, and even upon every girl.
On May 10, 2026, Dr. Bill Rains preaches Mary & Mothers Today from Luke 2:41-52. Through the story of Mary and the boy Jesus, he reminds us that every child is a precious gift from God, warns against careless assumptions in parenting, and calls us to make our children’s spiritual safety our highest priority.
1. Mary’s Son Was a Gift from God
Mothers today, please get this: your child is not a burden, not an accident, and not merely a responsibility. Your child is a gift from God. Just as the angel told Mary that the Holy Spirit would come upon her and the power of the Highest would overshadow her, so that holy thing born of her would be the Son of God — every baby is God’s gift.
The pastor reminded us of Jeremiah 1:5 — “Before I formed you in your mother’s womb, I knew you…” — and of John 3:16, the first verse many of us learned: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…” Children are not happenstance. They are entrusted to us by God Himself to nurture, train, and raise in the ways of the Lord.
2. Her Supposing Brought Grief into Her Life
After the Passover feast, Mary and Joseph supposed Jesus was with their kinsfolk and acquaintances. They went a day’s journey before realizing He was missing. That one word — supposing — brought sorrow and desperate searching into their lives.
Dr. Rains warned that parents today often make the same mistake. We suppose our children are safe with certain family members, friends, or at certain events. We suppose everything will be “all right.” But supposition can lead to heartbreak. We cannot afford to be careless. We must stay involved, ask questions, know their friends, and sometimes say “no.” As the pastor shared from personal experience, kids can get into danger in a single moment.
3. His Safety Became Her Highest Goal
Once Mary and Joseph found Jesus in the temple — sitting in the midst of the doctors, hearing them and asking questions — their perspective changed. From that point forward, His safety became their priority. Though He was the Son of God, they no longer trusted Him even a short distance away without knowing exactly where He was.
The same must be true for us spiritually. We cannot suppose our children will automatically go to heaven. We must make sure they are under the Word of God, in Sunday school, learning the Bible, and given every opportunity to respond to Christ. Our goal must be their spiritual and eternal safety.
Every child is a gift from God.
Let us never suppose everything will simply be “all right.”
May the safety and spiritual well-being of our children become our highest goal.
Mom, look at that precious life in your arms or in your home and see the gift God has given you. Raise that child around good people — especially the people of God. Nurture them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. And may every mother here today feel honored, loved, and strengthened by the Lord on this special day.