Father’s Day 2025. Matt and Billy

Father’s Day 2025. Matt and Billy.

Into: I will go up and read the passage first, then ask Billy to come up.

1 Corinthians 4.

4 I do not write these things to make you ashamed, but to admonish you as my beloved children. 15 For though you have countless[b]guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. 16 I urge you, then, be imitators of me. 17 That is why I sent[c] you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ,[d] as I teach them everywhere in every church.

One of the greatest revelations a person can have is that God loves them (grace) and that he cares for them like a father… God is not a God who is all about rules, not just about order but that God, is God the father as revealed in scripture and brought to us in the person of Jesus Christ his son.

You and I before we can truly know ourselves, we have to know who is God. And the very best answer for that is to recognize and acknowledge Him as Father

“So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.””- Roman’s 8:15

Jesus said when we were to pray to pray “our father”

James and John and Peter also wrote of God being a father to his children.

So we’re gonna unpack some of this. 

By welcoming up my father in law to the platform to talk about all things fatherhood. 

Welcome billy. 

Quick intro: MJM story about meeting Dad for the first time at Sydney airport.

Question 1: (spot for some photos).

You were born in st Augustine, raised here,  but you didn’t necessarily grow up in church, what was your pathway to Jesus and choosing to follow him?

**Vision I had in church a few weeks ago. In worship. Left of me

Eden, Eli and Taylor - all worshipping

Maizey was behind me

Jeremy was leading with Jill and you and mom were all in church. And I became so presently aware that we were standing in the midst of y’alls blessing and faithfulness. That has now spanned three generations. What I often come back to a decision you made along time ago now to make Jesus your personal Lord and savior. Can you tell us about that?

1.Genuine fatherhood begins by being rightly related to God 

Genuine, true fatherhood like the Bible talks about, begins with being rightly related to God: Would you agree? What would you add?

Question 2: How has your personal choice to make God your number one priority affected your whole life (all areas but feel free to pick a couple).

This is what I have always observed about you and this is our second (and last point).

2.The Spiritual life comes first, then everything else follows.

Question 3: You and Mom made a big decision a long time ago that you would fully commit your life to the house of God (literally by living so close to it).

What did that look like back then and also today… and what have you noticed has been the outcome of that choice and what would you say to young dads facing the challenge of leading their families from this point on?

(Pivot back to the passage).

Paul is speaking here to Timothy and the church in Corinth and he makes a point of saying “you have many teachers but not many fathers”

We live in a fatherless age or a real lack of fathering and it’s clear how much of a hole that leaves…. We believe that’s where the church steps in.

Question 4: Spiritual fathering is vital in the church, can you talk about how that has both been a blessing to you but also how it’s been a way now for you to serve God by becoming a spiritual father to others?

How can men in our church begin to step into that important role in your opinion?

Final word or an encouragement for all that people if you have one.

Follow ups or possible questions.

-How was your love for God and his church grown over the years?

-When other things competed for your priorities, as you parented your Jeremy and Jill, what did you do to make sure things were aligned correctly and deal with sometimes that difficult place parents can find themselves?

-We have an amazing blessing in our church to have every age and stage represented. What encouragement would you give to people in our church today that could make a difference in the life of someone in the younger generation?

-What gets you excited about the future for our church