The reign of grace in the lives of fathers.

John Farley
Pastor-Teacher
Sunday,
June 15, 2014

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The reign of grace in the lives of fathers.

Fathers - Are we prepared to be the custodians of the reign of grace for our family?

Grace is favor and blessing toward the completely undeserving.

So we should expect to be blessed, though realizing more and more our total lack of worth.

And so should our kids.

How is the Lord looking to use us as instruments of His grace for the hearts of our children?

When you see sin in your child’s life, what is your first instinct?

Is it to put them under LAW or put them under GRACE?

Or should we do what’s best for them, without regard to what they deserve?

How are our children doing, dads?

There are few things that ache more in the heart of a man than the ache of seeing one of our children in pain.

And there are few pains more painful in the heart of a child than the pain of being discouraged.

What is the one New Testament command that the Lord has given directly to Christian fathers concerning their children?

EPH 6:4
4 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath:

EPH 6:4
but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

to cause someone to feel resentment - 'to make resentful, to make someone bitter.'

COL 3:21
Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

Do we know when our child is disheartened, discouraged, losing hope, losing motivation?

What are the important things to teach our children about the Lord?

That our God is a God of forgiveness.

There really are happy endings.

Loving.
Kind beyond our wildest dreams.

Rich in mercy.

That God’s thoughts for them outnumber the sands of the seashore.

They never have to fear-
Their God is there!

That God has counted each and every hair on their head…

And that there is a throne for them…

With Jesus Christ- the One who died for them- sitting there

And gushing forth from that throne..
Are rivers of mercy
And oceans of grace.

We Christian fathers are to be custodians of the grace of God in the lives of our children.

How do we not do things that make our children lose heart?

What is the OPPOSITE of being discouraged?

We dads are called by Jesus to ENCOURAGE our children.

We beckon our kids to soar and fly;
And we catch them when they fall.

Be optimistic, for our children’s sake.

So we do what we are built to do.
We go into training.

Because our God, our Father, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ -

Turns the curse into a blessing. Our bad things will turn out for good.

He promises that our truly good things will never be taken from us.

And He promises that the best things are yet to come!

So they can REIGN in life!
 
Says who?

Says GOD!

ROM 5:17