Giving honor to father’s and mothers is biblical. Today we are giving honor to father’s. Instead of preaching at our fathers today is going to be rather light. I hope you will laugh some but at the same time we will share some serious and sobering things about fathers.
TOP 10 THINGS YOU’LL NEVER HEAR A DAD SAY
10. Well, how ‘bout that? I’m lost! Looks like we’ll have to stop and ask for directions.
9. You know Pumpkin, now that you’re thirteen, you’ll be ready for unchaperoned car dates.
8. I noticed that all your friends have a certain hostile attitude. I like that.
7. Here’s a credit card and the keys to my new car. GO CRAZY!!!
6. What do you mean you wanna play football? Figure skating’s not good enough for you, son?
5. Your Mother and I are going away for the weekend. You might want to consider throwing a party.
4. Well, I don’t know what’s wrong with your car. Probably one of those doo-hickey thingies—ya know—that makes it run or something. Just have it towed to a mechanic and pay whatever he asks.
3. No son of mine is going to live under this roof without an earring. Now quit you belly-aching, and let’s go to the mall.
2. Whaddya wanna go and get a job for? I make plenty of money for you to spend.
1. What do I want for my birthday? Aahh—don’t worry about that. It’s no big deal. (Okay, they might say it. But they don’t mean it)
What Is A Father?
A father is a thing that is forced to endure childbirth without anesthetic. A father is a thing that growls when he feels good…and laughs very loud when he is scared half to death.
A father never feels entirely worthy of the worship in a child’s eyes. He is never quite the hero his daughter thinks he is…never quite the man his son believes him to be…and this worries him, sometimes. So he works too hard to try to smooth the rough places in the road for those of his own who follow him.
A father is a thing that gets upset when the first grades in school are not as good as he thinks they should be. He scolds his son…though he knows it is the teacher’s fault.
Fathers grow old faster than people. Because they, in wartime, have to stand at the airports and wave good-bye to the uniformed son that flies away to face the unknown. And while mothers can cry where it shows, fathers have to be brave and beam outside…while quietly dying inside.
Fathers have very stout hearts; so they have to be broken sometimes or no one would know what’s inside. Fathers are what give daughters away to other men who are not nearly good enough…so they can have grandchildren that are smarter than anybody’s.
Fathers fight dragons…almost daily. They hurry away from the breakfast table…off to the arena, which is sometimes called an office or a workshop. There, with callused, practiced hands, they tackle the dragon with three heads: weariness, work, and monotony. They never quite win the fight, but they never give up. Knights in shining armor—fathers in shiny trousers: there is little difference, as they march away to each new workday.
And when a father who knows the Lord dies, I have an idea that after a good rest he will not be happy unless there is work to do. He will not just sit on a cloud and wait for the girl he has loved and the children she bore. He will be busy there, too—repairing the stairs…oiling the gates, improving the streets..smoothing the way.
Dad Is Destiny
A cover article in the February 27th issue of U.S. News & World Report concluded that: Dad is destiny. More than any other factor, a father’s presence in the family will determine a child’s success and happiness.” The article noted that nearly two out of every five children in America do not live with their fathers.
Quotes
“More than virtually any other factor, a biological father’s presence in the family will determine a child’s success and happiness.”—U.S. News and World Report
“Committed fatherhood would do more to restore a normal childhood to every child, and dramatically reduce our nation’s most costly social problems, than all of the pending legislation in America combined.”—National Fatherhood Initiative. (If fathers took their roles that God gave them serious, we wouldn’t need laws that ban guns- we wouldn’t need curfews in our towns, etc.
“The most urgent domestic challenge facing the U.S. at the close of the 20th century is the re-creation of fatherhood as a social role for men.”—David Blankenhorn, Institute for American Values. (We need fathers that will take their God given places according to what God’s word says and not according to what Hollywood says. We need more Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacobs and less Archie bunkers as our models. We need Joseph (Jesus’ dad models).
A good father does these basic things: provides for his family, protects his family, and gives spiritual and moral guidance.”—David Blankenhorn.
Too Many Tomorrows
Someone once asked their daughter what she thought were the biggest problems fathers have with kids. She said, “Dads have too many ‘tomorrows.’ You know, ‘I’ll play with you tomorrow, I’ll talk to you tomorrow.’” She was right. Dad, be there now for your children, building quality and quantity benchmarks of trust. Don’t wait until tomorrow—or you’ll end up wasting too many today’s.
Maybe if a dad had not put his child off and spent more time with him there wouldn’t be any dead children in Columbine Colorado. Maybe if dads took more time with their daughters there wouldn’t be so many teenage pregnancies. Maybe if dads spent more time with their sons their sons wouldn’t be getting teenage girls pregnant.
You say, but preacher, I have to do what you said – provide for my family. What good does it do to spend all your time working and your family end up on the rocks? If you will put God first, family next, then God will take care of the provision.
Family Worship
1. If both your parents worshipped with you regularly while you were growing up, there’s an 80% likelihood that you’ll worship God regularly as an adult.
2. If only your mother worshipped regularly with you, there’s only a 30% probability that you’ll worship regularly as an adult.
3. If only your father worshipped regularly with you, the likelihood that you’ll worship regularly as an adult increases to 70%!
Fathers have an enormous impact on their children’s faith and values. One of your most important ministries is worshipping with your kids!
Devil or Santa
Two first graders were overheard as they left Sunday School class, “Do you really believe all that stuff about the devil?”
“No, I think it’s like Santa Claus. It’s really your dad.”
There are a lot of dads that will treat their family great when they are around people. They act like saints, even angels. But at home, when nobody is around, where the rubber meets the road, they treat their families like the devil would.
Just Like You
There are little eyes upon you, and they are watching night and day;
There are little ears that quickly take in every word you say;
There are little hands all eager to do everything you do,
And a little boy who’s dreaming of the day he’ll be like you.
You’re the little fellow’s idol, you’re the wisest of the wise,
In his little mind about you, no suspicions ever rise;
He believes in you devoutly, holds that all you say and do,
He will say and do in your way when he’s grown up to be like you.
There’s a wide-eyed little fellow who believes you’re always right,
And his ears are always open and he watches day and night;
You are setting an example every day in all you do,
For the little boy who’s waiting to grow up to be like you.
