Dads, your daughters need you. Here are some practical ways to fulfill your important role as a father to the girls in your home.
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Dads, your Daughters Need You
Category: Father – Daughter
The Greatest Joy Of Being a Dad!
As a dad, life presents its share of joy-filled moments:
- The birth of your child!
- The first steps of your child!
- That first meal prepared by your child (that you can eat)!
- Going off to camp!
- That clutch home run in the ninth inning to win the championship!
- Their first job and receiving their first paycheck!
- Getting their driver’s license!
- Finding God’s mate in marriage!
- Watching your own children become parents!
Most certainly, this could be an expansive list! But in this post, I am sharing what I believe to be the greatest joy of being a dad! It is all wrapped up in one word – discipleship!
Continue reading “The Greatest Joy Of Being a Dad!”Four Joys of Being a Dad!
As we approach Father’s Day this Sunday, may I encourage dads with a reminder of some of the joys of this God-enabled blessing of fatherhood?
Continue reading “Four Joys of Being a Dad!”DADS
One of the greatest needs in our homes, churches, schools, sports teams, and nation today is DADS, . . .
Delivered by the gospel.
All of us dads were born spiritually dead, living under the control of Satan, self and the world and under God’s wrath (Ephesians 2:1-3). As much as we think as a man we can fix our sinful condition, work our way to heaven, fill the hole in our soul, we are forever lost. We cannot fix the greatest crisis in our lives.
Here’s the Good News! But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:4-9)
The most important aspect of being a dad is for Christ to live in us that He may live His life out of us so that our children see Christ and not us (Romans 6-8; Galatians 2:20; Philippians 3:4-10; Colossians 1:27).
Daily we surrender to Christ. Daily we come to Christ (Matthew 11:28-30). Daily we seek Christ (Matthew 6:24-34). Daily we look for Christ return (John 14:1-6; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). Christ is our life (John 10:10; Galatians 2:20).
Adores his wife
Merriman-Webster defines “adore” as “to regard with loving admiration and devotion.” According to Ephesians 2:7, the reason God saves us is to show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Dads, just as God demonstrates His grace toward us through Christ every moment of each day, we can through Christ adore our children’s mom, our wife. God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us (Romans 5:5).
Dad, show your children how to love and respect their future spouse.
Demonstrate before them a grace-enabled, God-honored marriage (Ephesians 5:18-33)!!
Disciples his children
Dads spend hours teaching and coaching their children how to hit or field a baseball. Perhaps it’s how to drive a car. Maybe it’s training in construction.
The best training a dad can give his son or daughter is how to know Christ as personal Lord and Savior (Ephesians 2:1-9); to love, read, and study the Bible (Psalms 19:7-11; 119:1-176); to know how to share Jesus with others (1 Peter 3:15); to know how to pray (Study how Jesus prayed and the prayers of Paul, Ephesians 1:15-23; 3:14-21; Colossians 1:9-12); to know how to praise the Lord and enjoy life (Psalms 100, 150; Hebrews 13:15); to know how to live the Christ-life (Romans 6-8; Galatians 2:20) and to know how to laugh and have fun (Proverbs 17:22)!!
Seeks the eternal things
One day your children will depart from your home and your training. May that which they love above all things and seek after be the eternal things. Life here is so temporal as is power, prestige, position, possessions, and property. We will leave it all behind one day.
May you live in such a way that your children see you seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33), having set your mind/affection on things above, not on things that are on earth (Colossians 3:2)., that in all things Christ has the preeminence (Colossians 1:18) because the passion of your life is to know Christ (Philippians 3:4-10).
Happy DADS Day!! Be encouraged!! Stay the course!! Grace is sufficient!!
So very grateful for my Christ-centered dad, for the blessing of being of dad, and for my sons-in-law who are and will be godly dads!!!
21 Days of Prayer (Day #4)
When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel. (Judges 2:10)
What? How is it possible to be brought up in the shadow of the mighty works of God, to have lived around men like godly men such as Joshua and Caleb, and then for it to be said, another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel? How is that possible?
How is it possible that we have a young generation (Gen Z: Born 1999-2015) right now in our churches, including BCBC, that have grown up under the teaching of the Word of God on Sundays, perhaps educated in a Christian school or home-schooled, attended weekly children’s ministries and they do not have a heart for God nor for the things of God? How is that possible?
How is it possible that this generation has never seen a lost sinner genuinely transformed by the regenerative work of the Holy Spirit in salvation (Titus 3:4-7; Ephesians 2:8-9; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 Thessalonians 1:6-10)? Perhaps all they have heard are the old stories of salvation and transformation but nothing recent, fresh and grace-born!
Today, I want to call us to pray for GOD’S INCREASE in the hearts of our Gen Z young people!! In this time of prayer, let’s go boldly to the Throne of Grace on behalf of our young folks from ages 4-21.
- Pray that our young people will truly be transformed, regenerated believers.
- Pray that our young people will come to know the heart of God (Psalm 42:1) and have a passion for Christ over happiness in worldly, temporal things/goals.
- Pray that our young people’s eyes will be “opened to the fact that sin isn’t a Christianese catch phrase; it’s a reality that shows up in our daily lives” and that they will know through the Word how to conqueror sin (Psalm 119:9-11; Ephesians 6:10-18).
- Pray that our young people will have first person accounts in their lives of the work of God.
- Pray that our young people will be like the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times but desired also to know what Israel ought to do (1 Chronicles 12:32). Point being, that our young folks would desire more to know what God would have them do than what is happening on social media or the culture is offering.
- Pray that the parents of our young people will be more about knowing, loving, and obeying God (Matthew 6:33; Colossians 1:18) than chasing and fulfilling worldly desires.
- Pray that the Word of God will have the most preeminent and prominent place in the discussion and discipleship of our homes; even as parents confront the difficult subjects of our culture and world (Psalm 119)
- Pray that our young people will see and experience a real walk with Christ on a daily basis as opposed to seeing Christianity as “Sunday only.” Pray that they will see radical transformed, obedient adults!
May For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21) be said by our young people rather than the words of Judges 2:10.
The Best Gathering Place
Is it a local restaurant?
Is it a concert venue?
Is it a college campus?
Is it a coffee shop?
Is it a sports stadium?
Is it the break room at work?
Without a doubt, the very best gathering place is anywhere the Word of God is opened, read, taught, explained, discussed, applied, and revered!
Last evening, our small group gathered around 1 Timothy 3:1-7. We prayed, read the passage, and then went through a verse-by-verse, almost word-for-word study of God’s precious Book. Never did we ask, “What do you think it means?” We looked at the passage in its context through observation (What does it say?), interpretation (What does it mean?) and application (How do I respond?).
After one hour, we could say that we had met with the Lord; He had spoken to our hearts; the Holy Spirit had guided us into truth! Our hearts were knitted closer to God and to one another. That then made our prayer time to close out the evening a true gathering around the Throne of Grace!
The dynamic of a Sunday morning service is the gathering around the reading and preaching of the Word of God whether it is inside or outside the building. This gathering is of utmost importance (Hebrews 10:25).
The best part of meeting at a coffee shop is the reading of God’s Word. I highly recommend this resource: https://matthiasmedia.com/products/one-to-one-bible-reading
The most edifying conversation and instruction in the home is when husband and wife gather around the Word to read and pray. (The same for the family.)
The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever. (Psalm 119:160)
For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)
How can a young man cleanse his way?
By taking heed according to Your word.
10 With my whole heart I have sought You;
Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!
11 Your word I have hidden in my heart,
That I might not sin against You.
12 Blessed are You, O Lord!
Teach me Your statutes.
13 With my lips I have declared
All the judgments of Your mouth.
14 I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies,
As much as in all riches.
15 I will meditate on Your precepts,
And contemplate Your ways.
16 I will delight myself in Your statutes;
I will not forget Your word. (Psalm 119:9-16)
The gathering around the Word should cause us to anticipate the great gathering in the sky at the rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) and then the gatherings around the Throne in Glory (Revelation 4, 7)!!
The best gathering place is around the Word of God!!
Who Will You Be in 2019? (Part 2)
Our greatest and most important investment in 2019 involves our personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. The statement of the Apostle Paul found in Philippians 1:21, For to me to live is Christ, and in 3:8, 10, Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord . . . that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.
With that in mind, I want to share some resources to help you move forward in your walk with Christ, your growth in the knowledge of God and the application of the Word of God on a daily basis for 2019.
Besides your passion to read God’s Word in 2019, what else to you plan to read in this new year?
In this blog post, I am giving some book suggestions for men since my wife gave many helps in her Wednesday post for ladies: Suggestions for Books, Journals, Planners and More
Biblical Manhood
The Masculine Mandate: God’s Calling to Men, Richard D. Phillips (Reformation Trust)
Disciplines of a Godly Man, R. Kent Hughes (Crossway Books)
A Man After God’s Own Heart, Jim George, (Harvest House Publishers)
Biblical Marriage
Like the Shepherd: Leading Your Marriage With Love and Grace, Robert Wolgemuth (Regnery Faith)
The Ministry of Marriage, Jim Binney (Faithful Life Publishers)
What Did You Expect?: Redeeming the Realities of Marriage, Paul David Tripp, (Crossway Books)
Biblical Purity
Finally Free: Fighting For Purity With the Power of Grace, Heath Lambert (Zondervan)
Sexual Detox: A Guide for Guys Who Are Sick of Porn, Tim Challies (Cruciform Press)
The Pursuit of Holiness, Jerry Bridges (NavPress)
Biblical Dads
Raising a Modern-Day Knight: A Father’s Role In Guiding His Son to Authentic Manhood, Robert Lewis, (Tyndale House Publishers)
The Pilgrim’s Progress, John Bunyan (Charles Foster Publishing)
Parenting, 14 Gospel Principles That Can Radically Change Your Family, Paul David Tripp (Crossway Books)
Biblical Church Body Life
Trellis & the Vine: Colin Marshall & Tony Payne (Matthias Media)
The Vine Project: Shaping Your Ministry Culture Around Disciple-Making, Colin Marshall & Tony Payne (Matthias Media)
Letters to the Church, Francis Chan (David C. Cook)
Miscellaneous
Experiencing God Workbook: Knowing and Doing the Will of God, Henry Blackaby (B & H Publishers)
Forgiveness: Discover the Power and Reality of Authentic Christian Forgiveness, Gary Inrig (Discovery House)
Power Through Prayer, E. M. Bounds
The Beauty of Intolerance: Setting a Generation Free to Know Truth & Love, Josh & Sean McDowell (Shiloh Run Press)
Stonewall Jackson: The Man, the Soldier, the Legend, James I. Robertson (MacMillan USA)
All Things For Good: The Steadfast Fidelity of Stonewall Jackson, J. Steven Wilkins (Cumberland House)
This list could go on and on, and I even feel guilty for leaving them out, but this is just a mere sampling of some good, helpful reads. I would also encourage you to visit the online bookstore of christlifemin.org and check out their devotionals, books on prayer, parenting, manhood, etc.
Indeed, “Leaders are readers.” Men let’s go against the grain and be men who read and lead! Are you ready?
Men, Your Daughters Are Watching You
To balance the scales in reference to yesterday’s post, may I, from my heart, challenge dads to consider their impact upon their daughters?
God graciously lent us three daughters to raise for His glory. He saw fit to take our middle daughter before she ever experienced the outside world of sin. She was stillborn twenty-nine years ago. What a reunion awaits us in Glory when our family will be together again for all eternity!
In spite of all the trials, bumps, mistakes, tears, miscalculations, and naivety of raising two girls, I assure you that the blessings far outweigh all the aforementioned. We are richly blessed! But . . . it takes hard work, time in the Word, and MUCH PRAYER!!!
So with that said, men, may I ask . . . what are your daughters learning from you by your example and through your instruction?
May I strongly encourage you to go back through yesterday’s list and replace all the boy/son references to girl/daughter?
And let’s add the following.
- Men, do you want your daughters to marry a man like you? They are watching how you treat their mother, how you honor or dishonor her and what you say about and to her. They hear your vocal tones, your words of endearment or criticism as well as your body actions. Men, do you seat your wife at the table, open the car door for her, send her loving texts, bring her flowers, buy her a new dress, etc.?
- Men, do you “date” your daughters? Some of the best times of my life have been spent at a gas station eating a donut with my oldest daughter . . . an every Friday morning school day routine when she was in junior high, attending a Southern Gospel concert together, driving through the night to deliver a package to a plant in Chicago, etc. And then, there was the joy of a Starbucks chat with my youngest or the meal date before heading off to college or a meal date with both girls when they were in college, or a trip to Dairy Queen. Men, you need to date your wife and your daughters.
- Men, your daughters need time with you because they need your security, your listening ear, your loving heart, your connection with their lives. If they don’t get it from you . . . then they will seek it from some fella at school or on the internet.
- Men, do you encourage your daughters; do you affirm them? (Ephesians 6:4)
- Do you show them unconditional love? (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a)
- Dads, in an absolutely appropriate way, do you still hold your daughters, hug them, kiss them on the cheek, and express your love for them?
- Do you treat your daughters with respect or talk down to them?
- Do you bring them flowers every-once-in-awhile?
To my two daughters who are now married, how blessed to be your dad!! My heart is full when you and your husbands are able to visit and we gather around our table or sit in our living room, to hear the laughter, quote our Andy lines, share our joys and heartaches, laugh at each other and just be family. How awesome to see you continue to grow in your relationships with God and your husbands!!
Accomplishing anything good as a father is ONLY by the grace of God and His sovereign leadership.
Men, your daughters are watching you.
Here are two recommend links that offer further insight:
fromapastorsheart.com 