Pillars In A Palace (Mother’s Day 2026)
⌥ Type: Sunday Morning Service
⛪ Sermon: Pillars In A Palace (Mother’s Day 2026)
🗣️ Speaker: Pastor Tom Van Kempen
📜 Description: God calls us to build our homes and churches as places of safety, strength, and refuge — fortresses where his presence is easy to find and his peace is available even in the most difficult storms of life. A strong family and a strong church are not only protected by God's love, but filled with joy, laughter, and intentional celebration that creates memories lasting for generations. The legacy we build through faith, family traditions, and the stories we pass down shapes not only our children but the generations that will come after them.
ℹ️ Tip: The video is set to start at the beginning of the sermon, but you can scrub the playhead to any part of the service. ℹ️
Additional Info
The info below was generated by an AI from the audio recording of the sermon.
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Use the questions listed below as a launching point to discuss the sermon points together as a family. These are great for dinner table discussions and small groups.
Scripture References Used in This Message:
Psalm 144:12
Luke 8:2–3
1 Peter 3 (referenced)
Proverbs 31 (referenced)
Hebrews 11 (referenced)
Romans 13:7 — "Give to everyone what you owe them… if honor, then honor."
Opening (5 minutes) Take a moment to go around the group. Each person share one word that describes a woman who has had a significant impact on your life.
Icebreaker Question (5 minutes) If you could erect a "pillar" — a permanent monument of honor — for any woman in your life, who would it be and what would the inscription say?
Discussion Questions (30 minutes)
Psalm 144:12 describes daughters as "pillars sculptured in palace style." What stood out to you about the image of a pillar as a description of women? Does that image change how you see yourself or the women in your life?
The message described three qualities of a pillar: strength and support, connection and unity, and beauty. Which of those three resonates most with you right now, and why?
We heard about several women from Scripture — Rahab, Mary Magdalene, Hagar, Jochebed, Naomi, and Hannah — each of whom was shaped by painful or difficult circumstances. Which of their stories spoke to you the most? What did her story reveal about how God works?
Hagar recognized in the desert that God saw her. Have you ever had a moment where you felt truly seen by God in the middle of a hard season? What was that like?
Jochebed placed her baby in a small ark and released him to God. Have you ever had to "release" someone or something into God's hands? What made that difficult, and what gave you the faith to do it?
Hannah chose to move toward God rather than away from Him when she was hurting. What helps you make that same choice during painful seasons? What gets in the way?
The message said that honor costs something — it is more than sentiment. What does it look like, practically, to honor the women in your life on an ordinary day, not just a holiday?
Closing Reflection (3 minutes) Read Psalm 144:12 aloud together one more time. Take a moment of silence to let the words settle.
Action Step This week, reach out to one woman who has been a pillar in your life — a mother, mentor, friend, or family member — and tell her specifically what her strength, connection, or beauty has meant to you. Make it personal. Make it specific. Write it down, say it out loud, or both.
Closing Prayer Heavenly Father, thank You for the women in our lives who have carried weight they were never required to carry, who stayed when it would have been easier to go, and who have reflected Your love in ways we may not have always acknowledged. We ask that You strengthen them, sustain them, and remind them that You see them. And help us to honor them — not just with words, but with our actions, our consistency, and our care. In Jesus' name, amen.
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Historical Context: Psalm 144:12
Psalm 144 is attributed to King David and is believed to have been composed during a period of military conflict, though its exact historical setting is debated among scholars. The psalm has the character of a royal lament and battle prayer, in which the king cries out to God for deliverance and protection from enemies. By the final verses, the tone shifts dramatically into a vision of future blessing — prosperous crops, overflowing storehouses, and strong families living in peace.
Verse 12 is part of that closing vision. In the original Hebrew, the phrase translated "pillars sculptured in palace style" is a vivid architectural metaphor drawn from the world of ancient Near Eastern building. In the ancient world, ornamental columns and carved stone pillars were among the most prestigious features of royal palaces and temples. They were not merely decorative — they were structural, bearing the weight of the entire building above them. But in a palace setting, they were also elaborately carved and polished, intended to convey both power and beauty simultaneously.
The Hebrew word translated "sculptured" or "hewn" carries the sense of being cut from raw stone — a laborious, deliberate process. A pillar was not formed by chance. It required the sustained work of a skilled craftsman wielding hammer and chisel. For David to use this image to describe daughters was striking in the ancient world, where women's social standing was often defined narrowly by their roles as wives and mothers. David's vision was of daughters who were both structurally essential and magnificently formed — pillars worthy of the palace of God.
This was a countercultural image. In the broader culture of the ancient Near East, women were frequently treated as property or defined entirely by their relationship to men. For a psalm attributed to Israel's greatest king to include this vision of daughters as strong, beautiful, and indispensable to a flourishing society was a reflection of the higher dignity Scripture consistently ascribes to women as image-bearers of God.
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Kids Lesson — "You Are a Pillar!" Age Group: Elementary (Ages 6–12) Total Time: 45 minutes
INTRODUCTION (5 minutes)
Leader Setup: Before kids arrive, place several books in a tall stack on a table. Do not tell the kids what it is for yet.
Say: "Has anyone ever seen a really big building with huge columns or pillars outside? Maybe a courthouse, or a library, or a church? Those pillars look amazing — but they're not just pretty. They do something really important. They hold the whole building up! Today we're going to talk about how God sees YOU as a pillar. Not because you hold up a building — but because you are someone strong, beautiful, and important to the people around you."
Point to the stack of books: "These books are like a family, a team, or a church. Right now they're just sitting on a flat table. But what happens when the table isn't flat?" (Gently tilt the table or the stack.) "Everything starts to fall! Pillars keep things steady and strong. And God made some very special people to be pillars in our lives."
SCRIPTURE (5 minutes)
Read Psalm 144:12 together: "That our daughters may be as pillars sculptured in palace style."
Say: "King David wrote this. He was asking God to bless his people — and this is how he described the girls and women in his kingdom. He saw them as pillars. Beautiful ones. Palace ones. The fancy kind! That means God sees every woman and girl as someone strong AND beautiful AND important."
Ask: "Can anyone think of a woman in your life who is like a pillar — someone strong and caring who helps hold things together?" (Let kids answer.)
CRAFT — "My Pillar of Honor" (10 minutes)
Supplies needed: Paper towel rolls (one per child), stickers, markers, construction paper strips, tape or glue
Instructions: Say: "We're going to make our own pillars today — and we're going to decorate them to honor someone special in our lives."
Have kids decorate their paper towel roll with stickers, patterns, and colors to make it beautiful — like a palace pillar.
Then give each child a strip of construction paper. Have them write or dictate (for younger kids) the name of a woman they want to honor — a mom, grandma, teacher, aunt — and one word that describes her (Strong, Loving, Brave, etc.)
Tape the name strip to the pillar.
Say: "Your pillar now has someone's name on it — just like the pastor put names on the pillars at church today. That person matters to God, and they matter to you!"
GAME — "Hold It Up!" (8 minutes)
How to Play: Divide kids into groups of 3–4. Give each group a large piece of cardboard or a lightweight tray. The group must carry the tray from one end of the room to the other — but here's the catch: they have to hold it up TOGETHER, each kid using only ONE finger under the tray.
After a round or two, ask:
"Was it easier or harder when everyone helped hold it up?" "What happened if someone stopped helping?"
Say: "That's what pillars do — they work together to hold things up. And when women and moms show up and love their families and their church, they're helping hold everything together. We need them!"
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS (7 minutes)
Ask kids:
"What is one thing your mom, grandma, or another special woman does that helps your family?"
"The Bible says God shapes pillars kind of like a sculptor carves stone — it takes time and work. What do you think that means for how God is making YOU into something special?"
"How can YOU be a pillar for someone this week? How can YOU be strong and caring for someone else?"
WRAP-UP (5 minutes)
Say: "God never makes copies. Every single one of you — and every woman in your life — is a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. God made the sunsets and the stars and the oceans, and He thinks the people He made are even more beautiful than all of that. You are important to God. And the women in your life are important to God too."
Challenge: "This week, I want you to do something to honor the women in your life. Give them a hug. Write them a note. Tell them one specific thing you love about them. Let them know they are seen."
CLOSING PRAYER
Leader prays: "God, thank You for making us. Thank You for the moms and grandmas and aunts and teachers in our lives who hold us up and love us and take care of us. Help us to tell them how much they mean to us. And help each of us to grow up to be strong and beautiful pillars for the people around us. In Jesus' name, amen."
Leader Note: Send kids home with their decorated pillar and encourage them to give it to the woman they honored on it.
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Any ladies show up Wednesday night or Saturday for the T can I see your hands?
Yeah, a few of you.
We we need a few more next year.
I think there were over a hundred ladies at the tea and and daughters and stuff like that yesterday and when uh I came through the room, I was I was looking at all of the beautiful stuff that was out there.
I was reminded of a story I heard a long time ago. about a little girl who wanted to uh honor her mother on Mother's Day.
She was five years old and she knew that her her mom loved Earl Gray T.
And so she got up super early in the morning and she was in the kitchen making tea.
And yes, she was boiling the water, and yes, she was getting out the creamer and the sugar and all of that kind of stuff.
And and so she shows up with this You know, this well steeped, it was all done just right, and and mom wakes up and rubs her eyes and goes, You did everything yourself And the little girl goes, yeah, yeah.
And and and she says, your dad didn't help you at all?
And she said, no.
She goes, you boiled the water?
And she said, yeah, yeah.
She goes, Well, I I'm concerned.
I said She goes, the the strainer was like on the on the third shelf.
How'd you get up there?
And she and the little girl goes, well, I didn't use the strainer, I used the fleece water.
Happy Mother's Day So before we go any further, I want everyone just to take a deep collective breath.
Go ahead right now.
In through the nose, out through the mouth.
Because uh I grew up hearing the Proverbs 31 message on Mother's Day every single year.
And uh I remember my mother probably feeling a little guilty because she didn't feel like she measured up to what a mom was supposed to be.
Well I you're there.
Well look you're gonna love today's message then because it's guilt free, all right?
This has nothing This has nothing to do with trying to be the perfect mom.
This has nothing to do with cleaning the house.
This has nothing to do with matching socks or anything like this.
Today I want to honor the moms because I think it's appropriate.
One quarter of all flowers that are sold in America are sold on this weekend.
And I think appropriately so.
I think moms need to be honored.
But to be honest, I think womanhood in and of itself is a calling from God.
I believe that you are not less than if you do not have children.
I do not believe that you are less than then if you were single, even though me growing up in the church, you might have met been made to feel that way.
I think all women are a gift from God, both to church and to society as a whole.
Who can say amen?
But the Bible does say that we have to give honor to whom honor is due.
And so I'm gonna honor moms today I'm gonna honor all women today.
If you're a female after this uh service, you're gonna go out those doors, you're gonna get a free plant.
Uh we chose a plant rather than chocolates this year because the men were stealing the chocolates last Mother's Day.
We don't think the men are going to take the flowers quite as much, so maybe that will that will work.
Today's message is coming from Psalm chapter 143 four verse twelve uh just a couple of scriptures this is what it says that our daughters may be as pillars sculptured in palace style That our daughters may be pillars sculptured in palace style.
Now, now, in order for you to understand where uh I'm coming from today.
You need to understand the context of the entire psalm.
David is called the author of this psalm, and as you read it you understand that he is under attack.
Maybe it's him, maybe it's the entire nation.
There is a struggle going on, an enemy is is coming for him, and he doesn't know what to do.
So in desperation, he he starts remembering That God has been faithful to him in the past.
And in the midst of all of that, he cries out to God and he says, God, I need you to rescue me.
And the last four verses of this psalm are this prophetic picture of what David sees.
And what he sees is prosperity for he and his kingdom.
What he sees is contentment and happiness.
And what he sees is happy and whole families.
That includes healthy sons that grow up and healthy daughters that become the pillars of society that God has intended since since 3,000 years ago at least.
Because the words that David gives us are also the heart of God Himself.
God sees you, ladies, as his daughters.
And he wants you to be like a pillar, sculptured in palace style.
So when I think of uh a picture of a pillar, I I got these pillars here put on the stage.
Uh Laura has been working overtime to get these beautiful things.
Would you just give Laura a hand here?
She she did a great job putting these together And uh the beautiful flowers, the names of of Old and New Testament heroes are placed on these pillars because we're going to be talking about them a little bit today.
But but when I think of a pillar, I I think of strength.
I think of support.
I think of power.
The dictionary defines a pillar as a firm, upright support, something that can carry the weight of a superstructure.
I think the family is a superstructure that God intended for all of society.
You moms are the pillars in these superstructures.
You are the ones who remember birthdays.
You're the ones who know who has the allergies and where the medicine is.
You know where everybody puts their stuff, loses their stuff.
This morning I lived it for the one millionth time in my family.
I'm getting ready to take a shower and I open up the the cabinet in in our bathroom because there's there's not enough soap.
I needed a bar of soap.
And I can't find it.
We have a shelf here, a shelf here, a shelf here, and a basket down here, and there's no soap.
And so of course I go, Robin!
She comes running on in.
She says, what?
I go, I go, there's no soap.
And I don't know how she does it.
I think she's a magician, okay?
She reaches in and without any effort, voila, a bar of soap.
I'm like, where was it?
She goes, it's right there.
I swear I stared at that exact spot for at least two minutes And I couldn't find it.
That's what moms can do.
That's what women can do.
There's support for their family.
There is support for the church.
I read through the scriptures and it says that James and Peter and John were pillars in the church.
I think if there was an epistle written today, it would say that women are the pillars of the church No, I I'm not saying one is right and one's wrong.
I believe both men and women should be the pillars of the church, but for the last 50 years, women have primarily been holding the church up here in America.
I look at the churches that I've been a part of and most of them are about 60% women and 40% men.
That's not God's plan, but I do say thank you to all of the faithful women who can say amen.
This is the question I asked.
If women in the world went on strike, when would civilization collapse?
Would it take one day, two days, at the most three or four days, and men would be standing around going, what in the world just took place?
Women are the strength and pillars of much of society, but pillars are also an image of connection.
When I think of my my own mom, she was the glue of the family.
She was the glue of holding everything together.
She kept us connected when life tried to pull us apart.
A pillar is a uniter.
It holds things together.
Women connect generations and they keep families talking, they remember traditions, they organize reunions, they keep pictures nobody else would save.
They remember recipes nobody else would keep They hold together relationships.
They they nurture individuals.
A lot of men think in straight lines.
Women think.
Relationally. . .
A man walks into a room and thinks, what needs to be fixed?
A woman walks into the room and thinks, who needs to be helped?
That's connection.
Some of the strongest pillars in this room are women who held families together through difficult seasons.
When Dad walked away, she stayed.
When money got tight, she stretched it.
When the family was hurting, she was the counselor, the nurse, the prayer warrior, the chauffeur, and the referee, all at the exact same time.
Sometimes women become the emotional bridges over troubled waters, and they do this in a million different ways.
And this is why one of the other Things that are so important about a pillar is that they are simply beautiful.
Especially a pillar that is made for the palace.
They're ornate.
They're they're beautiful.
The dictionary says a a pillar can be an ornamental column You're not just functional moms, women.
You are a masterpiece of God.
He is the artist, and because he's the greatest artist of all time, you are a masterpiece.
You're not mass-produced.
Amen.
You are a hand crafted human being.
The same God who painted the sunsets, the same God who who hung the stars in place, the same God who designed the oceans, he looked at you and said, You are more beautiful by far.
The enemy wants women comparing themselves with each other, constantly being in fear of that.
Comparison is the thief of joy.
God never created copies, only originals.
So your uniqueness alone makes you beautiful.
Or, in the words of Joe Cocker.
You are so beautiful to me.
You are so beautiful to me.
Can't you see?
You're everything I ever hoped for.
I'll stop there while I'm ahead, all right?
I have to admit I I think I was one of the most blessed guys in the world marrying my wife Robin.
Uh I always thought she was pretty.
I thought she was uh smart and cute and all of the things in between and and uh you know she's been a a beauty contestant winner.
My daughter played a trick on her this weekend if you were not a part of the service.
My daughter showed pictures of her in her gowns and and these different poses when she won Miss California Teenager and Miss Oregon Petite and Mrs.
Nevada and and all of these different pageants that she was the winner of.
And and and so So it's interesting.
We've been married now for going on 41 years, and uh and and I catch her still to this day reading or watching makeup tutorials I I think the YouTube believes that she works for Sephora, if you really want to know the truth.
I've never seen Robin's birth certificate, but it would not surprise me if her real name is Mary Kay No, I'm not saying that makeup's evil or bad.
You know, that used to be in the Church a long time ago.
You know, uh First Peter chapter three says that you shouldn't wear makeup.
No, it doesn't That's the dumbest thing I ever heard of, okay?
It does say that there is beauty that is deeper and more important than outward beauty.
It talks about the gentle and quiet spirit.
It talks about the character that actually shows beauty even more than anything outward.
And it never say never.
It never ever fades.
It actually intensifies.
It gets stronger and stronger and stronger.
But God doesn't just tell us what a pillar is in this scripture.
He also shows us how pillars are made, how they're formed.
And unfortunately, it's a difficult and trying process because it can be painful.
If you want a pillar, you don't just wish it into existence.
You have to take a rough rock, a hammer, a chisel of some kind, and start hitting it.
With the the the tool.
The word sculptured, listen to this.
It means to cut.
It means to be hewn out of stone.
It means to be struck.
And I'm sure if I was to ask you ladies right now, some of you are in the middle of being struck.
You feel the pain.
You feel the angst of the world hurting you and hitting you.
But the scripture tells us here that first and foremost, you have to be cut out of the world.
I want you to think about that.
Rahab, this is one of the names on our pillars here.
Rahab is this one here.
And many of you know the story of Rahab.
She was an outsider.
She was not a part of the family of God in any way, shape, or form.
You might say she was as far away from God as somebody could be.
And yet, for some reason, God saw something in her.
He cut her out of the world and he graciously placed her in the lineage of Jesus Christ.
Your past does not hinder your future.
Who can say amen?
It can actually be the vehicle that God uses to bring you to the ministry that God has for you.
Mary Magdalene in the New Testament.
She was cut out of the occult itself.
Luke chapter 8, verses 2 and 3 tell us that Mary had seven demonic spirits living on the inside of her.
It doesn't sound like a very good church member to me.
But Jesus saw something different.
The scripture actually tells us in this passage that That Mary had so turned her life around that she was one of those who traveled around with Jesus supporting his ministry financially.
She went from demon-possessed to filled with the Holy Spirit.
Who can say amen?
Once you're cut out of the world, then God starts carving you into that pillar that He wants you to be.
God uses a number of different tools, hammers, chisels uh sandpaper, uh his favorite I describe as difficult circumstances.
You might think, what am I doing in this circumstance?
You're becoming a pillar.
Why is this happening to me right now?
You're becoming a pillar.
Why is God putting me through this?
You are becoming a pillar God loves to use the grit of life to polish us and make something remarkable out of our lives.
Who can say amen?
Hagar, this is another name on one of the pillars back here.
Hagar was uh from the the Old Testament And she was a slave.
She was a part of Abraham and Sarah's family.
And they used her.
To get what they thought God wanted.
And then once they got what they wanted or thought, Sarah wanted to discard her.
Sarah got upset and jealous and angry and mad and all of these other things and wanted to get rid of her and Abraham didn't stand up for her.
Abraham said, fine, get rid of her.
So she was on her own, a pregnant woman out in the middle of the desert by herself.
She was rejected.
She was lonely.
She was scared.
In the middle of all this, the Bible says she recognized that God saw her.
Ladies, I need you to know that whatever you're in, whatever you're going through, God sees you right now He knows how hard life is.
He knows how challenging it is.
He knows the stresses and the pressures you face.
He sees every single one of you.
You just need to be a woman of faith.
And that reminds me of Jacobed right here.
Not much is talked about in Jacobed.
We do know that she had three children.
She had a daughter, and then she had the son Aaron, and then she had Moses, and when Moses was born, she was supposed to let Pharaoh kill him.
She just couldn't do it.
She she hung on to her her son for three months, the scripture says.
Maybe because he was making too much. noise we don't know but but she decided to put him in a basket and and float him down the Nile.
Now now you might be thinking that's not a woman of faith but you're missing the point In the Hebrew language, did you know basket is the same word as ark?
Do you understand that that that Jacobed probably had heard the oral tradition of the story of Noah and that Noah had built an ark and finished it with pits?
So she She built a little ark for a baby, and the scripture says she finished it with pits and she put it in the water and she trusted that God would do a miracle if she would release him into his hands.
Many of you moms have had to do the same thing.
Some of you are going to have to do the same thing.
When our oldest was 18 years of age, he decided that he wanted to be a U.
S.
Marine.
And it was during the time when when war was actually taking place over in the Middle East.
And it was a scary situation.
And I remember Robin and I and his sister and the two brothers, we were taking him to the recruiter and we were dropping him off.
And as we're driving away, Robin starts to cry.
All of a sudden the kids all started to cry.
I started to cry.
But Robin was able to release Thomas. into the hands of God because she is a woman of faith who can say amen.
That's Shacabed She was carved by the pain of letting go.
Naomi was carved by the physical loss of letting. of her two sons, they both died.
She could have been bitter, but instead she became a woman who literally saw the redemption of God.
It is always a difficult process becoming the person God wants us to become.
One final story, and that's the story of Hannah.
She lived far away from the action in the mountains, the scripture says.
You might call her a a country girl, and things were not going her way.
During that time in history, a woman's only value was found in whether she could have a child or not.
And she couldn't have children.
The scripture says that she was barren.
And because of this, she was provoked by a rival.
She was misunderstood by her husband.
She was depressed, the scripture leads us to believe.
She was really low in spirits, but but Hannah teaches us something powerful.
That pain will drive us away from God or towards God, but the choice is ours.
And so what did she do?
She started using another one of God's favorite tools, and that's the tool of prayer And she started praying to God that God would give her a son.
And here's what's a little scary: in the middle of her prayer, the priest accused her of being drunk.
Talk about a bad day at church, right?
I mean, but but she stood up for herself.
She said, no, uh, I I I'm just simple Praying and I'm super zealous about my prayer.
And with that, the priest then prayed a special prayer over her life.
She said, This is what he said: go in peace and the God of Israel grant your petition, which you have asked of him.
Hannah latched on to another tool of God's, and that's the word of God.
She heard a word from the prophet and she believed that it was true for her.
And because of that, a baby was born into her life.
Because of that, multiple babies were born into her life.
L let me tell you a story.
If i I I don't even know why I'm saying this, but if you're dealing with infertility right now, um Robin and I got the opportunity to pray for a cancer victim a number of years ago. uh probably six years ago at this point and uh she was she was doing very poorly she was engaged to be married the the wedding was put off And so during this prayer that God would heal her of cancer, I prophesied that she would be a mother with healthy children.
What I didn't know is after all of her chemotherapy treatments, she went into a fertility clinic and they sent her home because they said she had the the women's organs of an 85 or 90-year-old woman that she would never ever have a baby and so they wouldn't even take her money to even experiment on having a child Eight months later, she was pregnant.
With triplets.
That's God going above and beyond, all right?
God can do anything, God can answer prayer, but it will cause some cutting.
There will be some pressure.
There will be some pain.
But God doesn't hide pillars in a basement, He puts them in the palace.
Who can say amen?
So point number three is a place in the palace.
If God honors women this way, we need to do the exact same thing.
Culture swings between two extremes.
Culture loves to use women or ignore women.
But the kingdom of God dignifies women.
Jesus elevated women.
He spoke to them, ministered to them, defended them.
He was they were the first ones who saw Jesus after the resurrection.
I need you to understand that oftentimes we wait until a tragedy before we give praise. before we give flowers.
Let's not wait for someone to die before we bless them.
Let's bless them today in Jesus' name.
So ladies, I rise up and call you blessed.
I rise up and call you wonderful and beautiful in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
We know Proverbs 31 says that the children will do that.
We know that the husband will do that.
But so does the pastor.
So does this group of men.
We honor you today with our words verbally.
There's something powerful about encouraging people with their words.
Words can shape people's identity.
One encouraging sentence can strengthen people for years to come.
One cruel sentence can really wound somebody for just as many years.
That's why the proverb says that the children rise up and call their mother blessed.
Some men consider themselves, you know, the strong silent type, but today's not the day for that.
Today is the day to use your words to bless the ladies in your life.
But honor is proven in our actions.
Words are shallow if they're not followed up by actions.
Biblical honor is more than just sentiment It costs us something.
We're to honor those to whom honor is due.
In the Old Testament, when they went to honor a king or or a queen, they always brought gifts They sacrificed.
They paid a price.
Anybody can post Happy Mother's Day, but honor is demonstrated in how you treat people on a consistent basis.
So it's not just today, it should be tomorrow too.
Honor also includes the spiritual aspect of things.
Sometimes it looks simple, but other times it looks like prayer.
Sometimes it's helping with the dishes, other times it's Interceding for mom.
Sometimes it's breakfast in bed.
It's a beautiful card.
It's a bouquet of flowers.
It's a special lunch after church.
And sometimes it's just Cherishing them in a very, very special way.
Can I have everybody stand with me right now?
I was thinking as to how we were going to honor the women in our service today.
And uh so, you know, we're giving away flowers, a special message.
Um these pillars were created But you probably don't see your name up here.
You might.
You might see Naomi.
I doubt if you see Hagar out in the congregation.
Maybe Hannah, Mary.
I doubt if there's any Rahabs out here either.
But listen, two of these pillars are blank on purpose.
And so I want to do something special today for all the ladies.
We have some name tags that are on both sides, my left and my right.
They're in some little baskets there or there are some pins there.
And so I want to do a special intercessory prayer over your life today.
And so this is what I'm going to ask you to do if you're physically able.
I want you to walk on up here, starting right now, if you want.
Robin, you go first, alright?
I want you to grab a sheet of paper, write your name on it.
And I want you to place your name on a pillar.
Because we recognize the heroes of the faith.
Yeah, we know Jacobed.
You know, even Hebrews chapter 11 describes her as a wonderful uh woman of faith.
But sometimes we fail to get the credit that we deserve in the here and now.
I believe that there needs to be a pillar erected for you.
And so As you walk on down and write your name on this, you're going to come and you're going to place your name on these pillars, and then you're going to come and fill in the stage behind me.
Because I want the men of this church, I want those who are watching online, I want them to all to recognize how many awesome, beautiful women of God are at Oxford Assembly of God Church.
Let's give him a round of applause.
And so the worship team is going to sing a song right now, which will give us plenty of time to get on up here.
And uh so uh Min, you're gonna be a part of this too.
Because once they all get up here, I'm gonna ask you to extend your hand in prayer over them.
Now if you're not able to come up on the stage, uh there will be room here at the front available for you.
And uh uh or we will come to where you are, give you a name badge with a marker, and we will come and place the name up on the pillar for you.
Whatever is most convenient for you.
But Pastor Pastor Jeff and the team are gonna lead in a song right now.
Lord bless you and keep you make his face shine.
Upon you and be gracious to you.
The Lord turns face towards you.
We need we need the entire stage because there's way more women.
Coming up here.
So stay right there.
Robin wants the money so that I can give it to him.
Lord bless you and keep you.
Make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you.
Lord, turn his face toward you.
And give you your memorious favor.
May his favor be upon you and a thousand generations and your family.
And your children, and the children, and the children, may his presence go before you and behind you, and beside you, all around you.
And within you, he is with you, he is with you in the morning, in the evening, in your coming, and you're going, in your weeping, and He's for you, he's for you, he's for you, he's for you, he's for you, he's for you, he's for you Place favor, face favor, be upon him and a thousand generations and your family and your children and the The children and the children they're present, go before you and behind you, and beside all around you, and with me as flee.
In the morning, in evening, in your coming, and you go, weather and rejoicing is for you.
It's for you, it's for you, it's for you, it's for you, it's for you, it's for you, it's for you And keep you, make his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you, the Lord turns.
Turn his face toward you and with you.
How are you?
I'm good.
So what do you think of this uh picture up here?
You know, you don't I I s- I see some young ladies right there.
Do you guys want to come up here too?
No?
Oh.
Well I'm gonna pray for you anyway, okay?
Praise you, Jesus.
Praise you, Jesus.
Praise you, Jesus.
Praise you, Jesus.
Would you all just stretch out your hands toward these ladies and start praying for them right now?
Praise you, Jesus.
Praise you, Jesus.
Praise you. you Jesus.
You can come.
You want to come this way?
It's open over here.
Yeah.
Praise you Jesus.
Praise you, Jesus.
Praise you, Jesus.
Thank you.
I'm excited by what I see up here because I see multiple.
I see young, I see not so young.
I see moms.
But I see women appear who now have a pillar in honor of them.
And I believe that God has great plans for every single one of these ladies.
So let's stretch out our hands and let's begin to pray for them right now.
Heavenly Father, we come to you in the precious name of Jesus Christ.
And Lord, we've got Over 200 ladies in the sanctuary right now, maybe more.
And Father God, they're all in a different place in life.
Some of them have Had children and the children are having children and even the children's children are having children.
Some of them, Father God, are young girls who are just about to embark on the excitement of life.
Some, Father God, are going to come.
College, others are in the middle of a career.
Some have young babies at home and teenagers and some only have teenagers and college students.
Father God, what I know is you have called each and every one of these babies. beautiful women to be a woman of God.
Father God, their past is irrelevant.
All that matters is their relationship with you today.
So I pray in the name of Jesus Christ That this moment of honor will remind them all that there is no place that is better than being in the will of God.
I pray, Father God, that there will be an understanding that even late in life, that God still has a vision.
And a mission for each and every one of these ladies.
And Father God, if they're young and they haven't discovered that mission yet, I pray that there'd be such clarity in 2026 that it would be undeniable what you are calling each and every one of them to do.
Father God, I'm praying for healings in bodies.
Lord, there are there are many here that are are sick in in some way, Father God.
There's high blood pressure and there's cholesterol issues.
There are diseases, Father God.
There's aches and pains.
There's arthritis.
There's knee problems and back problems, Father God.
But Lord, nothing is too difficult for you.
So Father, in honor of moms today, I pray for a wave of healing across this building.
I pray, Father God, that you would straighten out backs, Father God.
Heal knees, Father God.
That blood pressure would come down.
That all levels, Father God, would be accurate in the name of Jesus Christ.
Make things balanced in these bodies.
Father God, so that we as the the Church of Oxford Assembly of God and these ladies as the women of Oxford Assembly of God can accomplish your will, can practice, Father God, the gospel in such a powerful way that That literally hundreds and thousands of people come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
So today, Father God, we rise up and call these women blessed.
We rise up and call them beautiful.
We rise up and call them wonderful God's masterpieces today.
And Father God, we give you all the glory.
We give you all the praise as we celebrate them today.
And we pray this, we believe this in Jesus' holy and precious name.
And together Together everyone shouts Amen and Hallelujah.
Let's give him a round of applause Praise you, Jesus.
Praise you, Jesus.
Praise you, Jesus.
The worship team is going to be singing a final song here, and uh, I need a couple of gentlemen that are in the front if you would start escorting. these ladies off the platform and make sure and get your wallets out for some beautiful lunches today in Jesus' name.
Blog Post
You Are a Pillar: Understanding the Strength, Beauty, and Purpose God Has Placed in Every Woman
There is a word in Scripture that captures something profound about God's view of women. It is not a soft word. It is not a decorative word. It is the word pillar. Psalm 144:12 envisions daughters who are "like pillars sculptured in palace style." That image is worth sitting with — because it is the image God Himself chose.
What It Means to Be a Pillar
The dictionary defines a pillar as a firm, upright support — something capable of carrying the weight of a superstructure. That is precisely what women do. They remember the birthdays, know where the medicine is, keep track of every allergy, and somehow locate the bar of soap that everyone else insisted was missing. These are not small things. These are the things that hold a family together.
Women are also the connective tissue of relationships. They keep generations talking. They remember the traditions, organize the reunions, hold on to the photographs no one else thought to save, and preserve the recipes that would otherwise be lost forever. A man walks into a room and thinks about what needs to be fixed. A woman walks in and thinks about who needs to be helped. That difference is not a weakness — it is a gift.
Some of the most powerful pillars are women who held families together through seasons no one saw coming. When a marriage fell apart, she stayed. When money ran out, she stretched it. When the family was hurting, she became the counselor, the nurse, the prayer warrior, the chauffeur, and the referee — sometimes all at once.
The Beauty of a Palace Pillar
The psalm does not simply describe pillars. It describes pillars "sculptured in palace style." That language is intentional. A pillar made for the palace is not merely functional — it is also beautiful. It is ornate. It is crafted with care and with artistry.
God is the greatest artist who has ever existed. He painted the sunsets, hung the stars in place, and designed the oceans. And then He made you. That means you are not mass-produced. You are not a copy. You are a handcrafted original — a masterpiece. Comparison is the thief of joy, and God has never created a copy in all of history. Your uniqueness alone is a form of beauty that cannot be replicated.
There is also a beauty that runs deeper than the outward. First Peter speaks of a gentle and quiet spirit — a character that reveals something luminous that never fades and actually intensifies with time. The kind of beauty that is rooted in who a person is, not in how they appear, only grows stronger year after year.
How Pillars Are Formed
Here is the part that is difficult to hear, but important to understand: pillars do not appear by wishing. They are made. The word "sculptured" in Psalm 144 means to be cut, to be hewn out of stone, to be struck. Pillars are formed through a process that involves a hammer and a chisel and, sometimes, a great deal of pain.
Rahab was an outsider — as far from the family of God as anyone could be. And yet God saw something in her, cut her out of the world, and placed her in the lineage of Jesus Christ. Her past did not hinder her future. It became the vehicle God used to bring her to the ministry He had planned for her all along.
Mary Magdalene had seven demonic spirits living inside her, according to Luke 8:2–3. That is not a description that sounds like a promising start. But Jesus saw what she could become. By the time we read of her again, she had so completely turned her life around that she was traveling with Jesus and supporting His ministry financially.
Hagar was a slave who was used, discarded, and abandoned — a pregnant woman alone in the desert. She was rejected and scared and lonely. And in the middle of all of it, she recognized something that changed her: God saw her. Whatever season of life you are in, whatever you are walking through right now, that remains true. God sees you. He knows how hard it is. He knows the pressures and stresses you carry, and not one of them escapes His attention.
Jochebed — the mother of Moses — faced an impossible situation. She could not protect her baby son from Pharaoh's decree, so she built a small ark, covered it with pitch just as Noah had done, and placed him in the water. She released him into God's hands. Many women know what that kind of letting go feels like. It is an act of extraordinary faith.
Naomi buried two sons and could have been consumed by bitterness. Instead, she became a woman who witnessed the redemption of God unfold in her own family. Hannah lived far from the action and was barren in a culture that defined a woman's worth entirely by her ability to bear children. She was provoked by a rival, misunderstood by her husband, and deeply depressed. But she chose to move toward God rather than away from Him. She prayed with such intensity that the priest accused her of being drunk. She latched on to the word spoken over her life, believed it was true, and a child was born — and then more children after that.
Pain has a direction. It will drive a person away from God or toward God. The choice is ours.
A Place in the Palace
God does not form a pillar and then hide it in the basement. He puts it on display. He places it in the palace. If God honors women this way, then those around them are called to do the same.
Culture tends to swing between two extremes when it comes to women. It either uses them or ignores them. The kingdom of God does neither. It dignifies them. Jesus spoke to women, ministered to them, and defended them in a culture that routinely dismissed them. Women were the first to see Jesus after the resurrection. That was not an accident.
Honor is more than sentiment. It costs something. In the ancient world, when someone went to honor a king or queen, they brought gifts. They paid a price. Anyone can post a happy greeting on a holiday. Real honor is demonstrated in how people are treated on a consistent, ordinary, unremarkable Tuesday. It shows up in words spoken with care — because words shape identity. One encouraging sentence can strengthen a person for years. One cruel sentence can wound them just as long.
Honor also looks like intercession. It looks like helping with the dishes. It looks like breakfast in bed, a handwritten card, a bouquet of flowers — and sometimes it looks like simply cherishing someone in a quiet, deliberate, unhurried way.
Women are pillars. They are sculptured in palace style. And they deserve to be placed where everyone can see them.
