6/16/2019 The Father Knows Best

Father God again. We thank you for the work that you give us. We thank you for the chance to not only work but work hard and maybe break a sweat and not only work for us and our families but to work for you and the chance and opportunity and it's actually a gift that you give us to be able to gift a little back to you. We ask that you take this these resources that we have and again whether it's a check or money we put in a plate or just our time and our energy and just whatever the gift comes to that. We asked to multiply it and in the Snowball Effect, let it go to your glory and to do your good work out and about just even outside of these walls Best Buy this in Jesus name I meant

I got that one read doesn't matter. Can I use this one for this? Our scripture reading for today is from Luke Chapter 2 verses 42 through 48. When he was 12 years old, they went up to the festival according to the custom after the festival was over while his parents were returning home. The boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it thinking he was in their company. They traveled on for a day then they began looking for him among the relatives and friends when they did not find him. They went back to Jerusalem to look for him after 3 days. They found him in the temple courts sitting among the teachers listening to them and asking them questions everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers when is parents saw him they were astonished his mother said to him, son. Why have you treated us like this your father and I have been anxiously searching for you the word of God for the people of God. Thanks be to God. My pleasure to introduce Carol Smith. And for those of you that have been with us, she needs no introduction. But for those of us that are newer or you may not know everyone sitting in these chairs. Carol Smith is a we talked about fathers of the Church. Carol Smith is a mother of the church and just like many of you sitting there and we are so blessed to have her and her and her family in our church family. She kicks off the summer of the Les speakers here Grace United Methodist Church, and we couldn't ask for a better person to take the point on it. She is a friend a mentor a leader should teacher administrator in our community. We are very blessed. To have her there here this morning. So I think typically Pastor Rob Praises. I'm headed off the side. So if you bow with me, we're going to pray pray for Carol hear it before she steps up so bad in prayer father. Thank you for this opportunity of giving our church in terms of having different speakers. We were glad they were in a position to support Rob as he takes some time to build his family and strength and his family and everything and that's that's an incredible opportunity for him, and it's an incredible opportunity for us. We are so blessed to have Carol speak this morning. We just lift her up God we love her so much and we don't need to tell you that, you know, how much we love her. So just be with her filler with your spirit and then turn then we're going to be filled with the spirit as well last call this in Jesus name I meant Everybody needs a Seth James Richards need to set up James cuz I tell you what those of you that are getting ready to speak at. You know, Rob said all you have to do is this in this and I get there and there and I'm going over the us at the pastor. Does that at Children's message know the pastor? Does that? Okay? Well, I guess I'll wing it today. So and then come here and take everything. You just do the message. So thank you Seth James. You are a good friend and he message on the nose and children's message. I told Sammy I might as well walk out the door cuz he already did just about everything. I was going to think alike or whatever. Whatever it is. I wanted to tell you that is written across my forehead and my husband keeps telling me you got to watch that cuz you said yes way too much but then about two weeks ago. He's in a list of the speakers in the day. They're speaking and all I said, I looked at that last two speakers and I went I got sick to my stomach. What am I doing? Because Alyssa speakers you have to come our incredible you got an amazing line-up. Next week is Cheryl Brandenburg, then you have sex and then you've got dust and Jim Whittaker. And Ron flake and then after that, I didn't know I didn't know his name. But from the conference just consider me the warm-up band but isn't the future. I'm the one that says and that's how I want you to look at it. I'll do my best, but it's probably going to be a real happy Father's Day cuz we'll probably be out of here a little quick. So that's okay. You'll love me for that. I was thinking about Father's Day. What I do on Father's day was Father's Day all about and just like Seth said, I began thinking about the father's in my life and I begin by thinking about my dad who was an amazing dad. He was intelligent. He was kind he had a lot of common sense and he was very artistic it skips a generation because I didn't get any of that. But he was a Christian and I was raised in the First Christian Church in Charleston. I dad was an elder there. We went every Sunday. I never knew that when did you know you were Christian I didn't have that. I was baptized there. You know, I was there from the child on app and I just it was just a part of who I was because of my mom and dad for my dad today for Charles Smith. Mark was 8 years old raisins first of all, because he had mark my husband have almost 41 years next week and in the service he served in World War II and he served in Korea.

Much like me from the time from the get-go just raised up through the church. So I'm very thankful for him. I'm thankful for Howard Titan who was the only father-in-law? I did know Howard was my step. Dad never have any biological children of his own. So when he got married he got all of us and then all of our kids is it came along and Howard Dean a family being a father. He absolutely loved it. He loved holidays more than any man I've ever seen and he was a good Christian. And so I'm thankful today for Howard Hutton. I'm also thankful. And I didn't want the time that they would be here. But Jeff's mom and Dad are here and yoga they came in Friday and I'd already included gym in their struggle because he gave he gave life to my son-in-law whom I love very much. Jim is also a very good man. Very good man. I'm very thankful for Jeff Strobel the father of my grandchildren. You might see that Jeff not here today. Let me tell you what is doing Jake and Jenny. That's our neighbors and Friends of Katy and Jeff had one of those great big oak trees that are over there all last night just missed her house, but wiped out their shed and he's over there with a chainsaw helping get that fixed and and then did good Christian man. Jess has become very involved in our church. He's raising his children with love and respect. So I'm very thankful for that today. I went through all this. I started thinking but it doesn't stop there. Just like Seth said it's the men in this church you our fathers, whether you're you're a biological father or you're not or your Foster father or your adoptive father or you have no children each and every man in this church be a father to our children into our young adults are raising families that are older than me and it's rapidly becoming are the fishing tournament that's being a father to our children. They're not the candy bomb, you know, I regretted that. I didn't regret that. I was worried about that, but it was awesome. I think about that the men we have two men that can message each Sunday or teaching Sunday school or helping with youth group or giving a kid or slowing them when they're running in the hallway that's being a father to our kids before. I knew our example for our kids the Christian example, and I think we need more and more of that so that we can prepare chu8 that to continue on with our children. So I have a story every sermon or message. I don't know. I look at this as a sermon and I hope it's a message. Needs a good story and I have a good story to read to you today. And you may wonder what on Earth? Oh, you know what? I had one more story that I wanted to say. I'm kind of like Seth I kind of got off on what I was doing and I want to do it. I just thought of it because Dorothy was getting up and father. In the old church church that we tore down for those of you that don't know we had long wouldn't you? So those of you that were there? I hope you remember those and on the back of those pews Willow book holders that we put the handles in the Bible sin and I think Vernon built those I think Vernon belt those book holders. So one day after church Charles Michael Smith was probably about 7 years old and in his infinite wisdom decided to stand on the Pew here and jump over to the other one. Course, what are you doing? And he broke one of those book holders and you know mother's first reaction. And Vernon was standing there. And Vernon said now Carol, it's okay and I'll go burn it is not. Okay. Keep Carroll. It's okay you go home. I'll take Michael I go Vernon. You can't do that Carol go home. Well, nobody says no to Vernon. Yes, sir. We're going so we load everybody in the car and we head home and a few hours later. I don't know remember how long it was here comes Michael happy as a little Lark he and Vernon had gone to Vernon's has gotten tools and he was out of hot water with me cuz I can't get mad at and he fixed it and he learned a great lesson that's being a father to someone who's not your biological child. Make sure I told Matt so Carol you tell Vernon today that I told that story.

All right, so she was a good story for you. This is about a bricklayer who was filling out his insurance form for an accident that he'd had and he write a response to your request for additional information in block number three of the accident reporting form. I took poor planning as the cause of my accident. You said in your letter that I should explain more and I trusted the following details are sufficient. I'm on the day of the accident. I was working alone on the roof of a new six-story building. When I completed my work I discovered that I had about 500 pounds of bricks left over. Rather than carry the breakdown by hand. I decided to lower them in a barrel by using a pulley which fortunately was attached to the side of that building at the 6th floor. Securing the Rope at ground level. I went up to the roof swung the barrel out and loaded the bricks on to it. Then I went back to the ground and untied the Rope holding it tightly to ensure a slow Descent of the 500 pounds of bricks. You will note in block number 11 of the accident reporting form that I weigh a hundred 35 lb Due to my surprise at being jerked off the ground. So suddenly I lost my presence of mine and forgot to let go of the Rope needless to say I proceeded at a rather rapid rate at the side of the building in the vicinity of the third floor. I met the barrel coming down this explains the fractured skull and a broken collarbone. Slightly I continued my rapid Ascent not stopping until the fingers of my right hand were two Knuckles deep into the pulley. Fortunately by the time I had regained my presence of mind and was able to hold tightly to the rope in spite of my pain. At approximately the same time. However, the barrel of bricks hit the ground and the bottom fell out if the barrel devoid of the weight of the bricks the barrel now weighed approximately 50 lb I refer you again to my weight and block number 11 of the accident reporting form. As you might imagine, I began a rapid descent down the side of the building. In the vicinity of the third floor coming up. This accounts for two fractured ankle and lacerations on my legs and lower body to Latin my injuries when I fell into a pile of bricks and fortunately only three vertebrae were cracked. I am sorry to report however that as I lay there on the bricks in pain and able to move and watching the barrel six stories above I again lost my presence of mind and let go of the Rope.

Now you're going how is she going to make that a Father's Day message? I think that being a father is kind of like that. A young father watches his wife carry that child for 9 months and in anticipation of it being completed when that baby is born is just elated and proud just as that bricklayer was very proud of his six story building. But as that father goes along and if he's a Christian father, he has that power of prayer. So in that bit for small when that baby is born. The first thing he does is thank you God for a healthy, baby. Thank you for my wife being well. And and doing well, that's a good Christian father that does that but then is that baby begins to grow and it starts stalling around on those wobbly legs the first time that baby falls and hits his head on the corner of the coffee table that father feels like boom. He's just been hit by a barrel. What do I do grabs a child puts ice on the head and his praise to God, please let this child be okay and sure enough. Usually the child is fine and off they go again. And then comes adolescence. Broken arms broken windows be a bad decision tattoos may be a struggle in school. Maybe that child gets separated from Mom and Dad Joseph was thinking when they turn around and Jesus is nowhere in sight. I've had that happen with lost a couple times. We always found her near the TV is watching the TV.

But that's like boom. Now those Knuckles are too deep in that polling you get this pain you feel this pain when your child is hurt or hurting you feel that pain right along with that good Christian father. Praise to God father God. I know, you know best tell me what to do. And that's child continues to grow and then they become a teenager. Some guys have some things to look forward to some of you guys deserve those things. I'm just going to tell you. I'm going to sit back and smile. First time you let it go in a car by themselves first date first heartbreak many bad decisions that happened many close calls and God forbid a serious illness or something. Boom. Here's that girl coming back. You're getting hit by that again. But that good Christian father. What does he do? Father God, you know best tell me what to do that growth time College the first time or maybe they leave for the service or maybe they're just leave to get to start their life and that father feels boom. I've landed on the pile of bricks and I'm hurting because he has pregnant through beginning to be instilled in a part of their life and that continues on Even when they start having their families and then that father starts to notice, my son is praying for his kids and if it continues on it continues on my husband always told me that when you do a job, of course, if you know, he was a mechanic maintenance engineer I guess is what you were at Landers any job and do you have to have the right tool in your belt? I believe that that right tool is that power of prayer? You can pray pray for them and pray for them and it makes a difference. It makes a difference.

I noticed and I just noticed this today on the front of your Bulletin. It says I can get my glasses on.

The righteous who walks in and his Integrity are his children after him. Blessed are his children after him. That's exactly what I'm trying to talk about this morning right there. View man that every man in this room. What do you have children of your own foster children adopted children or no children it is because of your integrity that our children are becoming great adults and they will be because you are setting the examples for that. I thank you fathers today. I thank you for everything. You do the little things that you put on all the effort that you put into church. I am proud of the man of this church.

And I think that is all I was going to have to say today. So thank you Carol for being short. We can go home and cook out. I do want to talk with some of the other ministers going to be happening. So, you know, what's going on at Aetna cuz it has a different ball of wax. So I want to talk about that in a little bit.

The other thing I was just going to ask real quick. Did you notice the title The Father Knows Best how many of you in here get that who remembers Father Knows Best Man. Thank you sooo. That's an old TV show and I thought I was being really clever and then I thought well, maybe everybody's much younger than I am and it won't work out. All right before the closing song Jan. Let's Sharon Byford wanted to come up and say some things about a mission that she had.