Fathers Day Advice

Fathers Day

06-19-2022

Welcome

This morning we celebrate Fathers

I find it interesting that last week we talked about how the prodigal son came to his senses

And how we are to continue to remain in our senses

And this morning we move right into Fathers Day

Maybe our first piece of advice to fathers is you need to come to your senses

And as we do that I wanted to give you some advice just like we did for moms on mothers day

The struggle with fathers day is that fathers always think they are beat up on fathers day, so that is why I want to give you some advice

I feel a bit more qualified to give you advice than I did on mothers day because I have a father, and I am a father

Fathers you are so important

So so very important

So this morning lets start off with some good advice

Be the Leader of your home

Ephesians 5:23 NASB95

23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body.

We will not talk about verse 22 because today is Fathers Day

Dads you are the leaders of your homes

You have a responsibility to lead your wives and your children

We have used this statistic in the past

A child that comes to Christ, there is a 7% chance the rest of the family comes to Christ

A women that comes to Christ, there is a 21% to 23% chance the rest of the family comes to Christ

That is how much of an effect they have on the remaining family

A man that comes to Christ, there is a 93% chance the rest of the family comes to Christ

That is a huge effect that the men has on the family

And for far to long we have pushed that responsibility off to the mothers

And they have stepped into that lead role in the family

In Jesus name this is why our families are in the positions they are in

In Jesus name this is why are world is the way it is

Because men have side step their God given role as leaders in the family

Men it is time that we repent and step back into that leadership role within our families

Men it is time we lead our families back to Christ

Men that requires you to be running to Christ yourselves

Deuteronomy 6:5–7 NASB95

5 “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 “These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. 7 “You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.

This is your responsibility to set the tone in your home dads

This is advice for you this morning

To lead your family to run after Jesus this morning

The other part of the advice for you dads this morning is you must be growing in Christ yourself

I know it seems we say it each and every week but dads part of leading your families is to get them involved in Bible study, that means that you have to get involved in Bible Study

Then you can do what this verse talks about

Talk about what Jesus is doing in your own life around the table

Please hear me this morning

If church, if Bible Study, if growing in Christ is not important to you, it wont be important to your kids or your family

Because dads you set the tone for the family

You will decide if your family is going to run after Christ

But it just might be because you are here this morning knowing we would give you advice this morning

So dads lead you families

Lead your families to run after Christ

Make that your priority as a man, as a husband, and as a father and your family will follow

Men, the next piece of advice I would like to give you this morning is to love your wife and to love your children

Ephesians 5:25 NASB95

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her,

Husbands and dads you are to love you wife

Just as Christ loved the church

So as good students of Gods Word we ask ourselves how did Christ love the church

Look at what Jesus did to show His love

Look at what He did

He sacrificed His life because he care for them so much

Might I suggest dads, it’s not about you anymore

As the leader we love our families so much that we are willing to sacrifice

WE love our wives in such a way that our kids take notice

This is another way of how we as fathers set the example

The reason Paul calls the husbands to love their wives is because that is not always normal for men

So it takes work for us to do

It is not going to be easy

When fathers love their wives, and their children's mother they set that example of being obedient to Gods Word

That example to our children is just what they need to help them grow

To see their father being obedient to the Lord

Even when it is difficult

Remember dads you set the tone for your family

You set the priority for your family

The love you have for your wives, your children’s mother, and even your children is to be sacrificial love

Willing to lay your life to down for them

The next piece of advice I would give you this morning is to and this is very very important

Don't poke the bear

Ephesians 6:4 NASB95

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

Do not provoke them to anger

As Dads we have a tendency to raze our kids and to joke with them and that turns in to poking the bear

God calls us to love our kids and to not poke the bear

But rather look for teachable moments throughout the day

Instead of looking for moments to make a joke at their expense

For their to be teachable moments we need to spend time with them

That may mean no doing what you want to do but doing what they want to do

Again its not about you

To continue to build that relationship with them so that you can share Jesus with them

So that you can disciple them

Dads for that to happen you must be walking the walk not just talking the talk

You may know a whole lot about the Bible and Jesus but if you are not living it out in your daily lives

And trust me your kids see that wether what you are saying matches how you are living and if it doesn’t match up your kids see that and think its ok for dad it must be ok for me

Your wives

Your children's mothers see that and think it must be ok for him so it must be ok for me

And church for far to long we have had dads doing just that

Giving God lip service and giving their families lip service

It is time that we as men step up and walk the walk and talk the talk

Set the standard for our wives for our children's mother on how our families will operate

We set the standard for our familles

You may think but my kids are grown

Maybe your kids are not walking with the Lord

And dads maybe you weren’t the example of walking with Jesus when they were younger

Please listen

I would encourage you repent and continue to run after JEsus

Just because your kids are grown doesn’t mean you stop being a father

Now you continue to set the standard and continue to run after Jesus

You continue to pray for them, you continue to love them in Jesus name

Hebrews 12:1 NASB95

1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

The last piece of advice is to continue to run after Jesus

Flee from sin

As leaders of our families men, dads you need to flee from the sin that is like quicksand and super duper easy to get caught up in

The way we keep from getting caught up in is by continuing to walk with Jesus

Continue to show up for Sunday School, Bible Study, Continue to make Church and Jesus a priority

Continue to love your wife, your children

Continue to pray for them even if they are already out of the home

Remain faithful men

Continue to spend time with Jesus each and everyday

And if you are not doing any of that then you need to start

This morning as we move into a time of invitation

Maybe you are here this morning and do not have a personal relationship with Jesus

And God is calling you this morning to a relationship with Jesus

I would invite you this morning to come forward and you can speak with someone who will walk you through repenting and trusting in Jesus

Or maybe you are here this morning and already have a relationship with Jesus but have not been walking like it

I would invite you to the front this morning to repent

Or maybe you need to just spend sometime at the altar in prayer

The altar is open