Your Children are Your Responsibility
-1st child born, c-section, mom out of it, vaccination form filled out, eye cream (vd) Hep B (needles, prost) = unknown nurse vs dad
-2 fathers story tucking daughter in
DOMINION = over children (not govt, school, social media) = delegate vs abdicate ur authority
Proverbs 3:12 [NIV] “the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.”
- Delight – most of the time
- Discipline – correction to return to having fun/delight
Ephesians 6:1-4 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Children (Jesus had imperfect parents but still obeyed & honored them)
- 1 of 10 Commandments
- Young children, not adult grown children (leave father & mother)
- Parents are to instruct & correct their children
- Children are to listen to both mom & dad
Reward = 1. Better life 2. Longer life
Fathers “in the Lord” = You are the Father’s child before you are the child’s father
Do Not Provoke
- Making more withdrawals thru criticism than deposits thru encouragement
- Physically – shoving, intimidating, threatening, not physically affectionate
- Correction without instruction
- Verbally – yelling, name calling, cursing, barking
- Publicly humiliating
- Not distinguishing sins & mistakes
- Favoritism
- Not listening (view, voice, vote)
- Absent – forcing mom to do both jobs, or siblings
- No protective boundaries
- Unreasonable performance expectations (sports, grades)
- Non-relational parenting style (aloof, unloving, detached)
- Not generous (green light vs red light)
- Never repents of own sin
= Ask your kids/grandkids
Do Train
- Dad is the most powerful spiritual influence in the home positive or negative
- Bring Holy Spirit non-anxious presence (prayer, Scripture, worship, fun)
- Modeling – read Bible, attend church, pray, repent, lead the family
- Age appropriate Bible as kids get older
- Integration – eg tv, in life, family dinner
- Other families & friends
- View – Voice – Vote
- Proverbs – positive & negative examples
- Fun on the calendar
10 Facts about Fatherhood
1. Your child is your blessing (Psalm 127:3).
2. You are Pastor Dad.
3. You need to be the father each of your children need.
4. Your child starts with a sin nature and no theology.
5. Your child is vulnerable so you have to protect them.
6. The Holy Spirit knows your child better than you do and will help you raise them.
7. A child cannot raise themselves.
Dr. Benjamin Spock 1970’s & 1980’s family democracy =Parenting as peer
= Growing a garden vs growing weeds
8. Raising sons and daughter is different than raising androgynous children
9. It takes a man to raise a boy to become a man
https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s11199-023-01364-y.pdf?pdf=button
10.We need more fathers, less government
America First Policy Institute on Fatherlessness
1 in 4 children (18.3) million have no father in their home (300% higher than global average)
Fatherless children account for 85% of behavioral disorders, 75% of high school dropouts, and 63% of suicides.
Fatherless children have 200% higher mental illness, 400% higher poverty, 500% higher mood disorders, 1000% higher substance abuse
Discussion Questions
- What were your father and grandfather like?
- What did the Holy Spirit highlight in the sermon for you?
- How well do you relate to God as your Father?
- How can we be praying for you?
