Father's Day 2026

Introduction

Happy Father’s Day to all Fathers today

I remember I was in the ground watching some cricket in the night and all of a sudden I saw Lydia calling me.

I answered the call and she said - Brian we had a meeting and everyone chose you to do the sermon for Father’s Day

I was like me???

I did it last year

It seems every year now I is the Father’s Day Speaker

I better start preparing next year’s sermon from today.

I was telling Diandra like we need to get more Father’s

She said is not just father’s but those who can share the Word as well ......

While I can share the Word it is always better the hear the Word from someone who actually is sharing what they are experiencing and what they are currently living

Because let’s be honest it is very easy for me to tell people how to raise kids when I have none...

Now last year when I spoke I did have a title which is God Father

Now this year I graduated a little and I now have the title as Uncle

So who knows next year the title will be Father

Every year I keep getting closer……..

now before we go any further i would like to add

A little humor before we get started in our sermon

This is aimed at the Father’s today but I am sure the Mother’s will find it applicable

Parenthood...

1. You spend the first two years of their life teaching them to walk and talk. Then you spend the next sixteen telling them to sit down and shut up.

2. Grandchildren are God's reward for not killing your own children.

3. Father’s of teens now know why some animals eat their young.

4. Children seldom misquote you. In fact, they usually repeat word for word what you shouldn't have said.

5. The main purpose of holding children's parties is to remind yourself that there are children more awful than your own.

6. We childproofed our homes, but they are still getting in.

ADVICE FOR THE DAY: Be nice to your kids. They will choose your nursing home one day.

now i was going through the Bible to see if there were any scriptures that were addressed primarily to Father’s and I realized that there is just basically one scripture that directly speaks to Fathers and that is the Scripture we would be looking at today.

It is taken from the Book of Ephesians

Scripture

Ephesians 6:4 ESV

4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

This is basically the only scripture that speaks directly to Father’s but if you check Colossians 3:21 “21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.”

It basically says the same thing

So today I want to unpack this scipture a little to the Father’s of our church as it must be very important if this the only main scripture in the Bible that is addressed to Father’s.

Now in this portion of scriptuer we see that it gives 3 instructions to Father’s.

1 is something not to do. and the other 2 are instructions that you ought to do.

Background to Scripture

Back in the day when Paul wrote this letter, a father had total control over his children. We're talking about Roman culture here — where a father could legally decide whether a newborn baby lived or died. He could sell his children into slavery. He could punish them however he wanted, and no one could stop him. That was just normal life.

And the way children were educated back then? Harsh. Public shaming. Humiliation in front of others. The whole system was built on making children afraid of getting it wrong, not inspiring them to do right.

So when Paul writes "fathers, do not exasperate your children" — that was radical. That was countercultural. Nobody was saying that. The whole Roman world said the father's power was absolute. Paul comes along and says — no, your child's emotional state matters. Their spirit matters. You are responsible for how they feel, not just how they behave.

And then he flips the whole system. Instead of shame and fear, Paul says raise them with the training and instruction of the Lord. A completely different approach. God's way, not Rome's way.

First Instruction is Father’s Do not provoke your kids

Now firstly I never thought the day would come when I would have to say this but I need to explain the term Father.

Now in the simplest term A Father is a male gender with kids.

The reason why I need to say this is because

We live in some evil times where the words Father and Mother are being attacked with people wanting to wipe out those terms.

There are people who are taking offence to the word Father and Mother.

These are members of the woke community or LQBTQ....

While doing research on the internet for this sermon I came across this article online

The New York State Senate has passed Bill S9316, which mandates that the word ‘mother’ be replaced with the term ‘gestating parent’ and the word ‘father’ with ‘non-gestating parent’ in family court documents and education law in the state, drawing national ridicule.

38 votes in favour, 23 against, one absent and one excused on Tuesday, 2 June. 2026

Today I want to let you all know that today is Father’s Day and not Non Gestating parent’s day

It is sad that we live in such crazy times and this is the world that the little kids like Eliana and Zane and Carissa and Elijah and Ella and all the other kiddies will be living in and more than ever

As Bridget was saying on Mother’s Day service - you will have to be there to guide them in this evil world that they will be growing up in

Never in my wildest dreams did I think I will have to explain the term Father or Daddy in a Church Service but after reading that article recently it gave me a culture shock

So it begins by saying that father’s are not to provoke their children to anger

Now to explain this better - does this mean that a father is never to get their kids angry

No that is not what this is saying here

Because no matter what you do kids will get vex with some decisions you make

You cannot control how kids may react to some of your instructions or things that you do

E.g if you tell them to do their homework and they get vex with you because they want to be on their phones right through

This instructions goes way beyond getting your child angry

it means To thoroughly irritate, to push someone to the point of rage or despair. Carries the sense of a chronic, wearing-down pattern rather than a single incident. The Greek verb parorgizete means "to provoke to wrath" or "to embitter" — conveying a habitual, ongoing pattern rather than a single act.

How Do Father’s Provoke Their Kids

But there are some things that a Father can do that can provoke their kids

One thing I can think about of the top of my head is Father’s who beat their Wives….

I do not think we have any of that in our church but I remember there was someone who used to come to this church and she used to have to endure that and it used to provoke her kids

And I don’t blame them

"The most important thing a father can do for his children is love their mother." - Tony Evans

Children will look at how you treat your wife

So to the Father’s out here make sure and treat your wife good and don’t lose her and your kids because you are provoking them

I am sure someone like Diandra probably can share real life stories of clients who have fathers who provoke their kids to anger.

Another way is through Harshness

Watch the way you speak to your kids Fathers

You can crush their spirit the way you speak to them

Yes I know kids can get on your nerves at times but don’t be too harsh on them

Anoter way is inconsistency in discipline

It may have some Father’s they may have their favorities

They would allow one child to do whatever they want and the other child cant do it

If the other child do it - it will be licks for them

Father’s if you doing that you will provoke the other kids

What goes for one goes for all

Sometiems you hear kids complaining - oh they like they boy child or they aint like they girl child

Or look…Daddy like he girl child but he aint like he boy child - that girl is the angel and I is the devil

Father;s you need to be consistent in your discipline

One last one is neglect

Father’s this is one of the worst things you can do today and lots of Father’s do it

A lot of kids today are growing up without Father’s

I came across this statistic in the US

Nearly 1 in 4 U.S. children grow up without a resident father — over 17 million kids. Father-absent homes account for 85% of youth in behavioral disorder programs and 71% of high school dropouts. The presence or absence of a father is one of the most consequential variables in a child's life.

Today I want to let every Father know that your presence matters in the life of your children

Talk about Eli not impressed with my gift but cry when I leaving her

Presence is greater than Presents

Work is important but you need time with your kids to

Especially to father’s who are in Ministry

While your church needs you - you have to also make time for your kids

I think a lot of Pastors Kids and Minister’s kids can sometimes be provoked when their parents neglect them

Sanjay Elijah and Carissa needs you

Second Instruction is to Grow them up in Discipline of the Lord

So instead of provoking your kids - you as a Father needs to firstly Grow up your child in two ways

What does it nean to grow up?

Growing up a child is not a one time event but it is a continous thing you have to do for your child

Observing Bret feeding Eli

The Discipline of the Lord