Fighting for Your Family Part 2
Welcome
Open: We started a brand new series last
week called “Fighting for Your Family”
WHO LIKES FREE STUFF? (GIVE AWAY
FREE BOOKS)
REVIEW FROM LAST WEEK:
# 1 – THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A
PERFECT FAMILY
# 2 – ONLY FAMILIES THAT LIVE BY GODLY
PRINCIPLES SURVIVE AND THRIVE
# 3 - IT DOESN’T TAKE PERFECTION TO
MAKE A GREAT FAMILY, BUT IT DOES TAKE
WORK
INTRO: LET THE FAMILY WARRIORS RISE UP!
TEXT: 2 Samuel 23, Verse 8 (probably says “David’s Mighty Men” (tell about David):
8 These are the names of David’s mightiest
warriors. The first was Jashobeam the
Hacmonite, who was leader of the Three—the
three mightiest warriors among David’s men. He
once used his spear to kill 800 enemy warriors in
a single battle.
9 Next in rank among the Three was Eleazar son
of Dodai, a descendant of Ahoah. Once Eleazar
and David stood together against the Philistines
when the entire Israelite army had fled. 10 He
killed Philistines until his hand was too tired to lift
his sword, and the Lord gave him a great victory
that day. The rest of the army did not return until
it was time to collect the plunder!
11 Next in rank was Shammah son of Agee from
Harar. One time the Philistines gathered at Lehi
and attacked the Israelites in a field full of lentils.
The Israelite army fled, 12 but Shammah held
his ground in the middle of the field and beat
back the Philistines. So the Lord brought about a
great victory.
EXPLAIN THEN INTRO MOVIE CLIP
PLAY CLIP OF BRAVEHEART
What does a Family Warrior Look Like?
# 2 – Prays daily for his family
# 3 – Prays Daily WITH His Family
# 4 – Is Passionate About Serving Jesus
# 1 – Usually Male (but can be female if the
home lacks a male)

# 5 – Sets an Example He Wants His Children to
Follow
Okay Pastor Tommy, that’s what a Family
Warrior LOOKS like, but how do I become one?
FIRST, UNDERSTAND THIS ABSOLUTE,
BEDROCK, FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLE:
• OUR WIVES AND OUR CHILDREN FIND IT
MUCH EASIER TO CONNECT TO A MAN
WITH CHARACTER!
• YOU GAIN THAT CHARACTER BY BEING STRONG IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
• IN FACT, YOUR SPIRITUAL INFLUENCE WILL BE DIMINISHED, IN FACT MUTED, IF YOU DON’T HAVE YOUR OWN WALK WITH GOD
So Pastor Tommy, how can I get strong in my
relationship with God?
• You must take ownership of your own spiritual journey!
Why is owning my own personal spiritual life
such a big deal?
#1 – Your Spiritual Life Strengthens or Weakens
Every Relationship You Have in the Family
Look at Your Wife....
• Women rank “spiritual intimacy” as number 3
intheir top five needs
o# 1 Unconditional Love
o# 2 Communication and Emotional
Intimacy
o# 3 Spiritual Intimacy
SO a better spiritual like means a better
marriage? Absolutely!!!
Look at your kids......
• Your kids are looking to you as their strong leader whether you are one or not
• We, as fathers, introduce them to the knowledge of and a right view of God in their lives!
• Did you know that.........
o63% of youth suicides are from fatherless
homes (US Dept. Of Health/Census) – 5
times the national average.
o90% of all homeless and runaway children
are from fatherless homes – 32 times the
national average.
o85% of all children who show behavior
disorders come from fatherless homes – 20 times the national average. (Center for Disease Control)
o75% of all adolescent patients in chemical abuse centers come from fatherless homes – 10 times the national average.
o43% of US children live without their father [US Department of Census]
o71% of pregnant teenagers lack a father. [U.S. Department of Health and Human Services press release, Friday, March 26, 1999]
o90% of adolescent repeat arsonists live with only their mother. [Wray Herbert, “Dousing the Kindlers,” Psychology Today, January, 1985, p. 28]
o70% of juveniles in state operated institutions have no father. [US Department of Justice, Special Report, Sept. 1988]
o85% of youths in prisons grew up in a fatherless home. [Fulton County Georgia jail populations, Texas Department of Corrections, 1992]
o80% of rapists come from fatherless homes –14 times the average. (Justice & Behavior, Vol 14, p. 403-26)
o71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes – 9 times the average. (National Principals Association Report)
oFatherless boys and girls are: twice as likely to drop out of high school; twice as likely to end up in jail; four times more likely to need help for emotional or behavioral problems. [US D.H.H.S. news release, March 26, 1999]
• Come on Church, It’s WAY past time for
there to be some WARRIOR MEN to stand
up for their families, with their families and
beside their families!
oThat’s’ the negative, here’s the positive: Notice what happens if WARRIOR FATHERS are there for their kids:
oChildren with Fathers who are involved are 40% less likely to repeat a grade in school.
oChildren with Fathers who are involved are 70% less likely to drop out of school.
oChildren with Fathers who are involved are more likely to get A’s in school.
oChildren with Fathers who are involved are more likely to enjoy school and engage in extracurricular activities.

SO remember men, why do I need a better
spiritual life?
#1 – Your Spiritual Life Strengthens or Weakens
Every Relationship You Have in the Family
Transition: The second reason we men need a spiritual life is:
• Your family is asking the question “who does HE submit to?
• Who can tell HIM no?
• Is HE following someone greater then himself
(God)?
• A strong sense in your family that you love
God and follow Him builds respect within your family.
SO let’s review......
Why do I need a strong spiritual life?
# 2 - Your Spiritual Life Impacts
Your Integrity in The Home

#1 – Your Spiritual Life Strengthens or Weakens
Every Relationship You Have Within the Family,
# 2 – You need a strong spiritual life because
“Your Spiritual Life Impacts Your Integrity in the
Home”, and last but not least.....
You need a strong spiritual life because....
# 3 – Your Spiritual Life Impacts Your Ability to
Settle Conflict Within Your Family
Men, remember this.....conflict is inevitable, but
destruction is optional!
• Your commitment to God will make or break how you manage conflict in your family
• Will you follow your emotions and your feelings, or will you operate by the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5)
• Will I be part of the problem, or will I be part of the solution?
• Will I seek to understand during the conflict, or will I seek to win?
• Tell about Solomon and the baby cut in half
from 1 Kings 3)
• God wants to give us that kind of wisdom in dealing with conflict within our families, but it is directly tied to our spiritual walk with Him!
• Conflict is inevitable, but whether we will act like adult WARRIOR men is questionable!
• Families need REAL men!
• Any man can “go off” on his family, YELL,
scream and throw things, but it takes a REAL WARRIOR man to live by James 1:19, which says...
• Or, Hebrews 12:14, which says....”Make
Or, Ephesians 4:26 that says....
•“
(The Message Bible)
CLOSE: I want to close with this and a story that happened to me (actually it didn’t happen to me, I did something dumb and did it to myself)
• “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to
speak and slow to become angry”
every effort to live in peace with
everyone...”
Don’t let the sun go down while you are still
angry”

Men, your attention please....
Too many men realize too late this truth:
A strong spiritual life gives men the one key ingredient needed to make relationships healthy – new character!
2 Corinthians 5:17 says.....
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new
creation; old things have passed away; behold,
all things have become new.”
The devil knows that a strong character on
your part prevents him from making those
around you suffer, because you will serve them
and sacrifice for them, you will put others
above yourself and look not just at your own
needs, but the needs of those in your family!
STORY: Now, here is the dumb thing I did.......(left Parker in the car in the Summer) I forgot him. My actions affected him!
I want to close with this verse: Its found in 1 Timothy 6:11&12:
11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and
pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love,
endurance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good
fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to
which you were called when you made your
good confession in the presence of many
witnesses.
Our Wives and Kids Connect to A Man They Respect, and they
Walking with God
Respect Men with Character, and we gain
Character by

