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Deut. 6:4-7
We invite you to join us for worship each Sunday morning at 9:30. You can download our service on iTunes or tune in for “The Good Word” each day on AM 1230 WSAL or on Hoosier Country 103.7 FM just after 8am. According to one survey: more children will go to sleep tonight in a fatherless home that at any time in American history. In 1960, 5 percent of the children in the U.S. were living with only their mothers. By 1990, that number had increased to 25 percent. Today that number has climbed to an incredible 52 percent. We’re now living in a day when we have taken down the Ten Commandments and put up metal protectors. It used to be that schools biggest discipline problems were talking in class, chewing gum, and running in the hallway. Now it’s stealing, violence, and sexual assault. After examining 11,000 crimes, researchers found not correlation between crime and poverty, or crime and race. But a strong link was found between crime and “father-absent households.” What we need today are godly fathers. The Bible gives us clear and certain guidelines as to what a godly father must do.
- TEACH YOUR CHILDREN THE LAW. Our focal text in Deut. is given specifically to fathers. The 1st 9 vss. of this passage is a good summary statement of a father’s material, or the curriculum he uses to teach his children. Ps. 78:1-8 should be every Christian father’s mission. You teach them to be steadfast in the Lord, by being steadfast in the Lord yourself. In Eph. 6:4. We see a father’s manner in teaching his children. Notice how Paul 1st states a negative manner or attitude to avoid, and he immediately follows that with a positive manner to develop. No dad who expects his children to become men and women of God can continually provoke/beat them down/discourage or belittle them because they don’t do something right or catch on from the 1st Chances are you still don’t get everything right the 1st time. Stop whatever you are doing to provoke your children to anger/frustration /discouragement or a negative self-image, and start telling and showing them how the Lord loves them. You show them by treating them the same way you want The Lord to treat you!! If you look carefully you will see a common truth about all the verses in these passages. That common truth is that to teach Biblical truth a father must spend time with his children! To be a Godly Dad you must also:
- TEACH YOUR CHILDREN THE LANDMARKS 22:8 tells us, “do not move the ancient landmark that your fathers have set.” Some of those landmarks include: A. God’s Word. You know Ps. 119:105, Your Word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path. Prov. 2 tells us if we search the Scriptures diligently, we will find the wisdom, fear, and understanding God wants us to have. A 2nd landmark is: B. PRAYER. In John 16:23, 24 Jesus tells us we can ask Him for anything in the Father’s name and He will do it for us. Prayer is the most powerful weapon any Christian has. Another landmark is:
- FAITHFULNESS IN WORSHIP. One of the most effective principles of life you can teach your children is the art of worship! The NT principle of giving is to give of your 1st fruits to the Lord. That includes the 1st of your week, and listen, the 1st of every day. There is a reason God made worship the 1st Then:
- LOVING CHRIST must be a landmark you help your children establish. There is no other person to love more, nor is there any greater love that that for Jesus Christ. Dad’s it is your responsibility to teach your children to love Christ with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength. Finally, Dads help your children establish the landmark of:
- LASTING COMMITMENT. As your children watch you every day, what level of commitment do they see in you for Christ? It is important to know, because what they see in you, they will practice when they are grown. There are many more landmarks we could discuss, but you get the idea, don’t you! Don’t you? Dad’s it is an awesome privilege to be a dad! It also carries awesome responsibility and accountability to God. Your best philosophy as a father is this: Be the kind of a dad to your children, God is to you!
If we can help you with your spiritual questions, call us at 574-643-9419.
