Lessons from a Father

Intro.

Happy Fathers Day!

I know that as we talk today there is a lot of different emotions and histories as it comes to dad.

No matter where you are on the dad journey or dad style today, we honor you dad.

No matter what comes up when you think of a Father, just we acknowledge and love you today, and believe God is going to speak to us all.

When I think about the word Dad I think of the epitome of Style a wealth of knowledge.

When I look at this picture (show dad pic) I think there is a guy that knows what life is about.

He’s the guy that can tell you about how to make a yard green and a good fart joke.

This is my pinnacle and pursuit.

Other than hilarious jokes and great style, what is one of the main things that comes to mind when you think of dads?

Advice, Dadvice.

Let me tell you a few Dadvice thoughts/statements (he thought helpful) from my dad I remember from growing up.

“cry me a river”

“let me rub your madspot”

“How are you, Ah Fairly partly cloudy”

“Wanna tip? Don’t go down dark alleys at night time”

“You can call me anything you want, just don’t call me late for dinner”

“you can wish in one hand and poo in the other and see which one fills up first”

But this is actually one of the primary roles a Dad.

Instruct and show the way to live this life.

Ephesians 6:4

Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

Today we continue our series Word to the Wise, a pursuit of living wisely in this world.

Wisdom we defined as not knowledge, but applied knowledge.

Its the difference in knowing ingredients and cooking a gourmet meal.

getting a house and creating a home.

But we’ve brought it further and said that true wisdom isn’t just how to apply life the best way possible, but it’s actually learning to live in God’s world in God’s ways.

Today as we continue with wisdom I want to talk about Lessons from Father.

here’s the lens and viewpoint I want us all to receive this today:

Pretend that you’re just now about to leave the house, spread your wings, go off in life.

And Dad asks you to sit at the table.

As he sips his coffee, he says I want to teach give you some advice as you go.

Advice to live by.

This is the place that Proverbs 4 is coming from.

It’s the setting I’d like to receive.

this is Solomon writing about the advice and lessons he learned from his Dad, King David and now passing it on to his kids.

Proverbs 4:1-9

Listen, my sons, to a father’s instruction; pay attention and gain understanding. I give you sound learning, so do not forsake my teaching. For I too was a son to my father, still tender, and cherished by my mother. Then he taught me, and he said to me, “Take hold of my words with all your heart; keep my commands, and you will live. Get wisdom, get understanding; do not forget my words or turn away from them. Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you. The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding. Cherish her, and she will exalt you; embrace her, and she will honor you. She will give you a garland to grace your head and present you with a glorious crown.”

YOU HAVE 2 EARS AND ONE MOUTH, LISTEN MORE THAN YOU TALK.

Anyone ever heard this advice?

it’s soooo good.

I can talk way too much and put my foot in my mouth way too often!!

Live in such a way that you position yourself as a listener and a learner.

We all go through the stage in life where we don’t listen to anyone. I’ll figure it out myself.

Then we wind up coming back years later, with pain and brokenness saying, i wished I would have listened.

Reality is, most of us never get out of this.

And it’s like we are in a place in the world we everyone pretends to be an expert and have it all together.

The world is more fake than ever, more fractured, offended and critical.

Don’t fall into that!

Proverbs 11:2

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.

Humility.

Humilities position is ears open and hands up.

ready to hear, ready to receive.

Without humility I’ll never receive the wisdom that God is trying to pour into my life.

I’ll stay in a loop of the same things.

i’ll never grow and never go to all the places I’m meant to.

Pride and Insecurity will keep you putting the mask on, trying to do it yourself, never listening, repeating the same mistakes, hating any correction...

you don’t have to have it all together.

You aren’t supposed to have all of the answers.

Stop trying to be the smartest best person in the room, and the be person in every room ready to learn and grow and receive.

It’s time to live a HOT life.

Honest. Open. Transparent.

Though it costs everything, get understanding.

Ask more questions!

Sometimes we throw away the greatest wisdom God has to offer, that which he’s deposited into others.

Approach everyday with, God teach me, God show me, I’m open, I’m ready.

Proverbs 4:10-19

Listen, my son, accept what I say, and the years of your life will be many. I instruct you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths. When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble. Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life. Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers. Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn from it and go on your way. For they cannot rest until they do evil; they are robbed of sleep till they make someone stumble. They eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence. The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble.

CHOOSE RIGHT TODAY SO YOU WON’T REGRET TOMORROW.

Every single day we get to decide the kind of lives we will live.

Proverbs says there are 2 paths.

Our choices decide which path we will walk on.

The path of wisdom (godliness) or the path of the wicked.

The right path is one that is straight the wrong one causes stumbling.

No one else can choose for you.

You born looking like your parents, you die looking like your decisions.

There is no blaming others, there is only determining the kind of person I will be and deciding everyday to head in that direction.

I will trust you God. I will walk in this path.

Too many of us are sitting in the product of our poor decisions from yesterday.

We’ve all done it!!

Choose the right thing even if it’s the hard thing.

Choose the right thing even when no one is watching.

Decide now to take the path of godliness and choose it every day. Its the way of life.

It’s not just the life altering, once in a life time choices the matter, its the small every day ones.

The details matter.

How are trustworthy are you with the small things?

We all get the decide the path, choose well.

Proverbs 4:20-24

My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to one’s whole body. Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips.

KEEP YOUR HANDS UP.

There comes those moments where dad teaches to fight.

keep those hands up, protect yourself.

The greatest thing you can learn to protect in life is your heart.

We’ve heard,

A man is only as good as his word.

Your word is your bond.

Protect your name, protect your influence.

These are great.

But the greatest thing to protect is our hearts, not our names or our influence, because it’s out of our hearts that everything in life flows.

Your actions, your emotions, your thoughts… everything will flow from your heart.

Ruthlessly guard your heart.

Be careful what you are putting in.

Be careful who you are allowing around.

If it’s not protected it will be corrupted.

You can tell the the way you begin to think, by the ways you begin to speak.

We get real good at covering our butts.

trying to make ourselves look good.

but how much effort do we actually put into covering our hearts.

Psalm 119:11

I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

Give yourself a heart check… how are you??

Proverbs 4:25-27

Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.

KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE BALL.

I was not good at baseball.

I just remember this being yelled from every person in the stands as i stood in the batters box.

Let’s live lives that keep focused.

Life can be so full of distractions that we can lose focus on the things that really matter.

We can miss the life that God has for us.

Keep your eyes on the ball.

There is a calling of god on your life.

god has purposes for your life.

Get focused again.

The enemy doesn’t have to knock you out, he just has to distract you long enough to miss what God is wanting to do in and through you.

You matter, your life matter, fix your gaze.

don’t lose hope and don’t quit.

Sometimes we allow the distraction of difficulty make us want to quit in life,

keep going, Keep moving, Keep swinging, keep trusting, keep growing, keep on.

Do not quit. Do not lose hope.

We quit too soon.

Keep your eyes the ball, God is not done with you.

CONCLUSION

This fathers day, hear a lesson from a dad.

you have a life that is a bigger deal than you think, more potential than you realize and your more loved than you could imagine.

Stay humble, choose the right way, protect your heart, stay focused.

Response.

maybe one of these areas you are weak and struggling.

maybe you are struggling because you never had the dad you hoped.