Foundations of Fatherhood

Introduction

Importance of the Father - Article

Mothers

Mother’s Day “The prasie due to a mother”

Mother’s role (Helper)

Read - Ephesians 6:1-4.

The responsibility of the child (vv. 1-3)

Obey parents

Children do not honor their parents when they huff and puff, pout, or talk back to them. When children dishonor their parents like this, they dishonor God Himself. We need to teach them that.

Tony Merida, Exalting Jesus in Ephesians (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2014), 149.

v. 2 - “Honor your father and mother”

In the Gospels (Matt 15:4; 19:19; Mark 7:10; 10:19; Luke 18:20)

Why?

v. 1 - “for this is right”

“When children dishonor their parents they dishonor God.”

Exodus 20:12 ““Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you.”

Colossians 3:20 “Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord.”

v. 3 - the promise “so that it may turn out well for you, and that you may live long on the earth.”

“I brought you into this world, and I can take you right back out of it!”

- Bill Cosby

Exodus 21:15 ““He who strikes his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.”

Exodus 21:17 ““He who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.”

The role of the father (v. 4)

“...do not provoke your children to anger...”

“When children dishonor their parents they dishonor God.”

Failing to take into account the fact that they are kids

Comparing them to others

Disciplining them inconsistently

Failing to express approval, even at small accomplishments

Failing to express our love to them

Disciplining them for reasons other than willful disobedience and defiance

Pressuring them to pursue our goals, not their own

Withdrawing love from them or overprotecting them

These actions create anger in a child...

“…bring them up...”

Proverbs 22:6 NASB95

Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.

Discipline of The Lord

Hebrews 12:4-11

Instruction of The Lord

Deuteronomy 6:4-9.

Conclusion (Hope)

“We all fail as parents. This does not make us bad parents; it simply means we need grace. Do not hide your need for grace, for that is part of the teaching experience too. Kids need to know that people fail in obedience, but there is One who did not fail. He stood in our place and gives us forgiveness and empowerment. They need to know Ephesians 1–3: in Christ, we are accepted, forgiven, redeemed, and made alive.”

Tony Merida, Exalting Jesus in Ephesians (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2014), 149.

“The obvious difference between Paul and us is that Paul bragged about his weakness, and we try to hide it”

Elyse Fitzpatrick

Children are watching how we obey God…(My testimony)

“Have fun and talk about Jesus a lot.”

- Danny Akin