Fathers in America and Recovery

Story of two dads

Story of a boy that grew up in his older brother’s shadow. He longed for his dad’s love and affection. He got the exact opposite.

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Fourteen: The Joys of Salvation (Luke 15)

The Joy of Returning (Luke 15:11–24)

We call this story “The Parable of the Prodigal Son” (the word prodigal means “wasteful”), but it could also be called “The Parable of the Loving Father,” for it emphasizes the graciousness of the father more than the sinfulness of the son. Unlike the shepherd and the woman in the previous parables, the father did not go out to seek the son, but it was the memory of his father’s goodness that brought the boy to repentance and forgiveness

Story of two sons one wanted his inheritance

Luke (Chapter 15)

13 And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. 14 But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. 15 Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. 16 And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.

swine and Jews

17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

came to himself or began to think or admit to himself just how bad it has gotten

18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, 19 and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.” ’20 “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’

Have you ever had a speech prepared for no reason?

22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23 And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; 24 for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry.25 “Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27 And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’28 “But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. 29 So he answered and said to his father, ‘Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. 30 But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’31 “And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours. 32 It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.’ ”

Same dad from first story waiting at the bus stop; son willing to work on farm for free but dad reinstated him as if he had never left

Who can you relate to the most in this story the son, the brother, or the father?

What comes to mind when you think of your dad?

Men let me challenge you to step up and be the men God ordained you to be.

Why admit your wrongs?

1. We lose our sense of isolation.

2. We will begin to lose our unwillingness to forgive. When people accept and forgive us, we start to see that we can forgive others.

3. We will lose our inflated, false pride. As we see and accept who we are, we begin to gain true humility, which involves seeing ourselves as we really are and seeing God as He really is.

4. We will lose our sense of denial. Being truthful with another person will tear away our denial. We begin to feel clean and honest.

Three reasons or benefits for admitting all your wrongs and your sins to another are:

1. We gain healing that the Bible promises. Look at James 5:16 again: “Con­fess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” The key word here is healed. The verse doesn’t say, “Confess your sins to one another and you will be forgiven.” God forgave you when you confessed your sins to Him. Now He says you will begin the healing process when you confess your sins to another.

2. We gain freedom. Our secrets have kept us in chains — bound, frozen, unable to move forward in any of our relationships with God and others. Admitting our sins snaps the chains so God’s healing power can start. “They cried to the Lord in their troubles, and he rescued them! He led them from the darkness and the shadow of death and snapped their chains” (Psalm 107:13 – 14, TLB).

3. We gain support. When you share your inventory with another person, you get support! The person can keep you focused and provide feedback. When your old friend “denial” surfaces and you hear Satan’s list of excuses — “It’s really not that bad”; “They deserved it”; “It really wasn’t my fault” — your support person can be there to challenge you with the truth. But most of all, you need another person simply to listen to you and hear what you have to say.

Dad’s we have to step up. It’s up to us to change the world.

Get out the streets. Step out of denial.

You ain’t fooling anyone but yourself.

Father’s day vs. pride month

18.5 million fatherless homes in america (america ranked #1 in the world in fatherless homes)

We should be protecting affirming our sons and daughters. No wonder our culture is so confused.

These statistics come from christianpost.com and utahstate university

63% of teenagers who commit suicide are fatherless

72% of adolescent murderers are fatherless

75% of adolescents in rehab centers for drug abuse are fatherless

60% of rapists are fatherless

85% of teenagers in prison are fatherless

75% of the most cited school shooters in America are fatherless-just like the teenager who walked into Robb Elementary School to murder 21 people

12-17-year-old teens are the largest group of internet pornography viewers in America says safefamilies .org

The average age for kids first exposed to porn is 10-13 years of age

the # 1 way they view porn is electronic devices such as phones and tablets

I’m going to take it a step further. What if your present but not present?

TIGHTEN UP MEN!

3.5 % of families get saved if the child is saved first

17% of families get saved if the wife is saved first

93% of families get saved if the husband is saved first.

It’s time for us to be the men God intended for us to be

God bless each and every woman picking up our slack.

Invitation

In the story earlier the boy didn’t have a good father. Therefore when he was told about a good perfect heavenly Father, he didn’t want any part of it. Because in his mind and with his past experience there was no such thing.

So what’s it gonna be men? Are we going to change the world or get lost in the world?

What kind of dad are you going to be? Or are you the older brother? Or are you simply lost and wanting to come home to the Father?

Where are you at tonight?

Tell the story of the time you fell off the ladder at Miller County K-12.

Read your Bible daily!

2 Timothy 3:16-17

16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

John 1:1-2

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God.

Importance of reading your Bible every day.

Personnel opinion first thing in the morning.

If you don’t start your day off with the word your placing too much confidence in yourself.

Do read the Bible because you have to or because you want to?

encourage Memory verses

tell about the family and memory verses

Psalm 119:11

11 Your word I have hidden in my heart,That I might not sin against You.

Jesus used Scripture as His defense against satan in the desert.

Exemplify the 12 steps and 8 principles in everything you do.

The 12 steps are a

The first three steps are getting right with God.

1. We admitted we were powerless over our addictions and compulsive behaviors, that our lives had become unmanageable.

2. We came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

3. We made a decision to turn our lives and our wills over to the care of God.

Steps 4-7 are getting right with yourself.

4. We made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.

5. We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

6. We were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

7. We humbly asked Him to remove all our shortcomings.

In steps 8 and 9 we get right with people.

8. We made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all.

9. We made direct amends to such people whenever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

Steps 10, 11, and 12 are meant to be ongoing for the rest of your life.

10. We continue to take personal inventory and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it.

11. We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, praying only for knowledge of His will for us, and power to carry that out.

12. Having had a spiritual experience as the result of these steps, we try to carry this message to others and practice these principles in all our affairs.

Accountability is crucial to real recovery!

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

9 Two are better than one,Because they have a good reward for their labor.10 For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.But woe to him who is alone when he falls,For he has no one to help him up.11 Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm;But how can one be warm alone?12 Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him.And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

James 5:16

16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

Lord Jesus! Make Jesus Lord of your life!

Romans 10:9-10

9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Story of King Nebuchadnezzar, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.

Invitation