What Must a Father Do?

Ephesians 6:4; Col. 3:21 Listen as Paster Thad talks to Fathers about their responsiblities in raising children. I. a Father must embrace the Lord’s Warning- Do not/Stop provoking (to stir up) your children to anger. How are children provoked?-Warren Wiersbe shares his list; it goes as follows: 1. Neglect 2. Abusive Language (4:29) 3. Favoritism (Jacob toward Joseph) 4. Unfulfilled Promises 5. Always Negative/Never Praising Why not provoke children? - so the child will not lose heart -to lose heart mean to break a child’s spirit/to become disheartened. II. a Father must embrace the Lord’s Command - Bring up/Nourish toward maturity -this is not optional for a Christian father A. Fathers bring up your children in the Discipline of the Lord. The word discipline involves the whole/makeup of the child. In other words it involves the overall training of children with an emphasis on discipline. Remember what Solomon said as recorded in the Proverbs: “He who withholds his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him diligently.” “Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; the rod of discipline will remove it far from him.” “Do not hold back discipline from the child, although you strike him with the rod, he will not die.” B. Fathers bring up your children in the Instruction of the Lord (literally means to put into the mind/meaning a father is to be devoted to putting God’s word in the mind of their children. 1. Salvation-the gospel of grace 2. Sanctification-living the Christian life Albert Barnes said, “If a man does not teach his children truth, others will teach them error.”