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“Living As A Christian Man”: Meditation 2 - 6/17/2018

Sunday, June 17, 2018

Rev. Debbie Spangler

Sermon Text:  Proverbs 22:6

As I did for the ladies of the church on Mother’s Day, so I am doing for the men of the church on Father’s Day---a short meditation on “Living as a Christian Man”.  Fathers are just as crucial to a child’s upbringing as are mothers!

Here are two letters written by third graders about their Dads:

Dear Dad, I love it when you take me on dates! I like it when you play baseball with me, miniature golf with me, and watch movies with me. I really appreciate it! I like it when you tell jokes to me. I like it when you hug me and kiss me. Daddy, I love you!

Dear Daddy, I love you so much. When are you going to come see me again? I miss you very much. I love it when you take me to the pool. When am I going to get to spend the night at your house? When am I going to see you again? I love you, Daddy.

One letter is from a child who knows her father’s presence. The second is from a child whose father, for whatever reason, has chosen not to be present. [John Trent, Christian Parenting Today]

Are fathers necessary in the home? Consider these statistics:
• Children in single-parent families are five times more likely to be poor, and half the single mothers in the US live below the poverty line.
• Children of divorce suffer intense grief, which often lasts for years. Even as young adults, they are nearly twice as likely to require psychological help.
• Children from disrupted families have more academic and behavioral problems at school and are nearly twice as likely to drop out of school.
• Girls in single-parent homes are 2.5 times more likely to have a child out of wedlock.
• Crime and substance abuse are strongly linked to fatherless households. Sixty percent of rapists grew up in fatherless homes, as did 72 percent of adolescent murderers and 70 percent of all long term prison inmates.

Bottom line? Most of the social pathologies disrupting American life today can be traced to fatherlessness.  [Charles Colson, How Now

Shall We Live?]
 Here are a few Scripture references:
• Proverbs 22: 6: Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.
• Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
And here’s a guide to Fathers that I found:
1. Step One:  STEP UP. Lead, Initiate. Be a man of action. Assume it is your job and your moment. Hate apathy. Reject passivity. 
2. Step Two: SPEAK OUT. Silence in the midst of sin is a sin. Be courageous. Fear God, not man. Speak the truth in  love.
3. Step Three: STAND STRONG. Don’t give in when you are challenged, attacked or criticized.
4. Step Four: STAY HUMBLE. Be vigilant against pride. Get the log out of your eye. Don’t think less of yourself; think of yourself less.
5. Step Five: SERVE THE KING. Seek first his kingdom, His glory, and His righteousness. Hope in the eternal. Love for a greater reward.

Men of the church---you are a blessing! Let us pray:

Father God, we come before you today humbled and in awe of your grace and mercy. Lord, we thank you for the way you have designed what a family is supposed to look like and the specific roles you have ordained to a mother and a father of how to lead their children. We pray specifically for fathers and fatherhood across our country. Your word instructs fathers to bring up their children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. God, we thank you for the men who are leading according to your statutes and the ones that are laying down their lives for your purposes. We pray that you will continue to use these men to lead their families and other men. We pray for the single fathers out there, whether they are raising their children alone or even if they are doing the best they can with the time they have. We pray for strength, protection, wisdom, and discernment to help them through whatever trials they may be facing. May all of us follow you, Father, as our ultimate guide and example. In the precious name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.