September 5, 2015
This week Danny spoke a ‘Father’s Day’ message.
In your Home Group you can….
A. Discuss the summary with the six main points or
B. Watch the dvd called ‘Courageous’ which is approximately 2 hours long or
C. A combination of both if you have time.
A. Six points taken from the letters of ‘Father’ spelling out the word FATHER.
B.
1. F – Faithful.
Faithfulness needs to be in two main areas, faithful to God and faithful to your wife.
Read Deuteronomy 10:12-22. Discuss the five basic ‘do’s’.
1. Fear (reverent awe that we owe God, simply because He is the Lord).
2. Live in the way that pleases Him.
3. Love Him as He deserves.
4. Serve Him with everything you are.
5. Keep His commands.
2. A – Available (to the family)
Read in Deuteronomy 6:7. What is the key ingredient for a father to do this?
3. T – Teachable.
Read 1 Timothy 4.7-8 about Paul’s instruction to his son in the faith, a young pastor Timothy. What does he say about the value of Godly training?
So how can we continue to train ourselves to be Godly and to be a good teacher to our families? Consider the following….
· Be an example of what you teach and in the way that you live, your love, your faith and your purity. (1 Timothy 4:12)
· Keep a close watch on yourself and your teaching. (1 Timothy 4:16)
· Teach effectively and be patient. (2 Timothy 2:24)
· Gently teach. (2 Timothy 2:25)
· Remain faithful to what you have been taught. (2 Timothy 3:14)
· All Scripture is useful to teach us all things (2 Timothy 3:16)
4. H – Happy and Fun – not a grump.
Nobody wants to be around a grump, and that includes your kids! We should have fun and try not to take life too seriously. God doesn’t want you to be grumpy …. He wants you to be Joyful.
Read Galatians 5:22-23. It’s not about how much of the Holy Spirit we have, but more about how much the Holy Spirit has of us!
5. E – Expressive.
How you and I show our love and affection to our sons, is teaching them how to show and express their love to their future wives and children. We are forging the future generation now.
And if your daughter doesn’t find her love and acceptance from you as her father – she will look for it from other men – even while she is married.
And express your love to your children freely, in all things.
These are all expressive traits, ones that every Christian man should be expressing to his family.
6. R – Reliable.
Read Proverbs 3:3. Are you these things even when the chips are down?
God has never ever given up on you, no matter how much you have failed Him.
We need to stand up and never give up on our wives or our children.
· When they fail us – love and forgive them.
· When we have failed them, seek both God’s and their forgiveness- and then we need to forgive ourselves.
God’s grace was given freely to us – so we should give it freely to them.
Read Ephesians 4:31-32.
B. Watch the dvd ‘Courageous’.
This movie, when lived out in our lives will transform us, from the inside out.
We are called to be courageous men, fighting for our families.
Read the resolution that the men in the movie vowed to do.
The Resolution Message:
"I do solemnly resolve before God to take full responsibility for myself, my wife, and my children.
I WILL love them, protect them, serve them, and teach them the Word of God as the spiritual leader of my home.
I WILL be faithful to my wife, to love and honour her, and be willing to lay down my life for her as Jesus Christ did for me.
I WILL bless my children and teach them to love God with all of their hearts, all of their minds, and all of their strength.
I WILL train them to honour authority and live responsibly.
I WILL confront evil, pursue justice, and love mercy.
I WILL pray for others and treat them with kindness, respect, and compassion.
I WILL work diligently to provide for the needs of my family.
I WILL forgive those who have wronged me and reconcile with those I have wronged.
I WILL learn from my mistakes, repent of my sins, and walk with integrity as a man answerable to God.
I WILL seek to honour God, be faithful to His church, obey His Word, and do His will.
I WILL courageously work with the strength God provides to fulfil this resolution for the rest of my life and for His glory.
As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15.”
Read 1 Corinthians 16:13-14. Paul charged the Corinthian church with this verse until his next visit, I also charge you with the same until our Lord returns.
“Be on your guard. Stand true to what you believe. Be courageous. Be strong. And everything you do must be done with love” NLT