Father's Day - Duct Tape

Title: Father’s Day (FATHER – acrostic)

{Display a roll of duct tape.}

What are some other uses of duct tape that you can think of?

(Ask congregation!)

{WATCH: Duct Tape Video}

[ILLUS: Duct Tape is one of those invaluable items that is able to solve many of life’s little problems. We have seen some examples in the video we just watched. In recent years, Red Green has certainly increased the sales of duct tape. He used duct tape for many of the contraptions that he developed. Red Green was also known for his advice such as …

- If it ain’t broke, don’t lend it.

- If women don’t find you handsome, they can sure find you handy.

- Keep your stick on the ice

- Spare the duct tape, spoil the job.

There was another element of his show that he had made famous. It is known as the ‘Man’s Prayer’.

{I feel like I should get all the men to stand up and recite the Man’s Prayer together. What do you think?}

RED GREEN – MAN’S PRAYER

I’m a man…

But I can change…

If I have to…

I guess.

“But I can change if I have to”. As I keep thinking about this Father’s Day, my thoughts kept going back to the Man’s Prayer. I want to suggest some advice that each father ought to seriously consider. For some it may mean that there needs to be a change and for others it will serve as an affirmation of what you are already doing.

I decided to do it in the form of an acrostic for FATHER with biblical support.

F – FAITHFUL:

a. To God:

Deut. 6:5 “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”

- Scripture is very clear that the 1st priority of fathers should be evident in their faithfulness to God. Every aspect of your life should show that.

b. To wife:

Ephesians 5:25 “Husbands love your wives just as Christ loved the church…”

- In marriage union, you are responsible to be faithful to your wife as Christ is to the church.

- She should be able to always count on you to be there.

- (Ex. Christ was willing to die for the church.)

A – ANCHOR:

1 Peter 5:10 “…God himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”

- Anchor: “chain or heavy object that is thrown overboard to hold a ship in place”.

- I believe it ought to be the role of the father to be the anchor in the family. We should not be looking to our wives to fulfill this role.

- Families are under severe attack even bombarded from all angles. Look at the stats concerning: divorce, teenage pregnancy, suicide, drug addiction, peer pressures, etc.

- Sorry duct tape just won’t do for this one.

- Every family needs the father to be an anchor.

- Every family needs the father to step up to the plate.

- Every family needs the father to the glue to holds the family together.

- GO further: Every family needs the father to be the spiritual leader in the home. It’s time to give our wives a break!

The Bible encourages us to bring up our children according to God’s ways and purposes.

T – TRANSPARENT:

1 Timothy 2:14 “In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity…”

- It is one thing to give our children instruction – it’s quite another to set for them an example. The example you set is the one seen at home because that’s where you are who you really are.

- A transparent family man allows his children to see him during the good and bad times. During the good and exciting times; the stressful and anxious moments. Because they will learn how to deal with those situations by watching you deal with them.

- Let your children see you make tough decisions as it will prove invaluable when they have to make tough choices.

So a real man, God’s man, is a transparent man.

H – HARD WORKING:

1Timothy 5:8, “If anyone does not provide for his relatives, & especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith & is worse than an unbeliever.”

- Hard workers get noticed even by the God above.

[ILLUS: My memories of my father growing up was that of a hard-worker. He worked tirelessly to provide for the family. Like his family – their reputation went before their name. The Pinksens were known as people who were not afraid of work. My father exampled that for us from a very young age. In fact, I remember going in the logging camp with him on a number of occasions. There with my two own eyes, I seen for myself how hard he worked day-in and day-out.]