06/18 - Representing the Father

Representing the Father Psalm 103:8-17 Happy Father's Day! Today gentlemen, we celebrate and reflect on your contributions to the family, past, present and future In truth, today is a bit more "complicated" than Mother's Day Best summed up by looking at dads in our most popular shows... Men & fathers have taken it on the chin in popular opinion, and the rules for how to assess your worth have changed used to be being a wise provider now "father knows least" If we view fathers as unnecessary, we pay a high price: While no single child is destined for a bad outcome, kids from fatherless homes have it rough... And yet God chose to reveal Himself as Father! God is not male. Adam alone was not a full reflection of the divine image But God is our Father, and as an earthly father your children are looking for a reflection of the Heavenly Father in you. That is a high calling! We VALUE you! You are "Abba" to someone, as God is "Abba" to you. That is the divine intention of God... The Character of a Godly Father Steadfast Love = love that endures all efforts to repel it 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a - The Love Passage Luke 15:11-32 - The Father of the Prodigal Son Moral Courage = determination to choose that which is necessary and right even when it is hard Hebrews 12:7; Colossians 3:21 - Discipline yet do not frustrate Matthew 8:5-13 - A Roman Commander Has Faith (and Humility) True Heroism = placing others' needs and safety before your own Hebrews 12:1-4 1 Corinthians 8 (esp vs. 9,11-12) Philippians 2:5-8 The final ingredient: Faith(fulness): Philippians 2:9-11 Our relationship with The Father: A study from Switzerland around 2000... "...If a father does not go to church...only one child in 50 will become a regular worshipper. ... If a father goes irregularly, between a half and two-thirds of their offspring will come to church regularly or occasionally. ... If a father does go regularly, between two-thirds and three-quarters of their children will become churchgoers (regular and irregular). Men, if a relationship with God is important to you, and your devotion to God is genuine, God will be important to your kids, all other things being equal. Moving the ball further down the field of "getting it right" I'm not perfect, but I took the best parts of my Dad's example and try to add my best along with it, with God's help. tl/dr: Men, no matter how insecure as a Father you may feel, if you show faith, hope & love, if you show up, and if you do your best to move the ball a little further down the field of getting it right, you're doing well.