BEING THE FATHER GOD CALLS YOU TO BE

“For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him” (Gen. 18:19 NKJV).

Fatherhood is not merely a biological role; it is a divine calling. In Gen. 18:19, God reveals why He chose Abraham: because Abraham would lead his children and guide his household in the ways of the Lord. This verse is a blueprint for every father who desires to honor and serve God. We dare not miss the parenting emphasis in this verse.

A godly father leads his home - Leadership is not forced; it is faithful guidance. A father sets the spiritual tone of the home through his walk with God. Fathers, your family follow the direction of your devotion.

A godly father teaches God’s ways - Fathers are to teach God’s ways to their children. Teaching is not a single moment; it is a lifestyle of modeling Scripture. Fathers, your children learn more from what you live than what you say.

A godly father disciplines with love - Raising children with discipline is highlighted as part of Biblical fatherhood. Discipline is not punishment; it is training that shapes character and prepares children for life. Discipline without love is harsh; love without discipline is hollow. God calls fathers to discipline with love.

So, the challenge for fathers is that they lead their homes, teach God’s truths, and discipline with love. This is the kind of father God uses to shape generations. What a tremendous statement - and to think it was spoken by God Himself! God knew Abraham intimately, and He knows every detail about us. Are we determined to do His will at any cost? Does He have first place in our lives and thinking? Do we command our children and our household after Him?

(Adapted from Theodore Epp Devotionals on the Book of Genesis)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“A godly father is a living sermon - his life preaches louder than his words, pointing his family toward Christ every day!”

Unknown

Word Study

Fitted together

In Eph. 2:21 we read, “In whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord” (NKJV).

“Fitted together” is the Greek word sunarmologéō (συναρμολογέω = soon-ar-mol-og-eh'-o). It is made up of two words: “sun” which together, and “harmologéō” which means join together. Thus, the word means to be fitted or joined together with, literally used of the parts of the body or the stones of the building. Sunarmologéō is in the present tense picturing this as an ongoing process. The word is also in the passive voice indicating that the fitting is occurring from an outside source, God. And yet as “living stones” (1 Peter 2:5) we each must be willing to allow the Master Architect to fit us just as He desires. And so, the unity and symmetry of the temple are indicated by the expression, “the whole building, being fitted together.” It is a unity made up of many individual members. Each member has a specific place in the building for which he or she is exactly suited. The Church is not a collection of loose stones and timbers; its members are in vital union with the Lord Jesus Christ, and ought to be in living and loving and considerate fellowship with each other.

Did You Know…

Job was the father to seven sons and three daughters. As a godly father, he prayed for his children and showed compassion and spiritual concern (Job 1:2, 5).

Bible Quiz

My name is Phinehas. My father was a faithful high priest but he did not correct my brother and me for our wrongdoing and so we were disobedient to God and to him. Do you know the name of our dad who allowed us to do as we pleased?

**Answer to last week’s Bible Quiz

In the parable of the sower, who is represented by the seeds that “fell by the wayside?” Those who Satan “takes away the word that was sown in their hearts” (Mark 4:15).

Prophecies Fulfilled by the Lord Jesus Christ

Into Your hands I commit my spirit (Psalm 31:5; cf. Luke 23:46)

"Into Your hand I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O Lord God of truth” (Psalm 31:5 NJKV).

These are not words of giving up or defeat but of great confidence in God’s ability to deliver and protect. The hand of the enemy was against David, but he knew he was safe in God’s hand (cf. John 10:27-30). This same confident resting in God during the onslaught of the wicked was expressed by the Lord Jesus. In the noontime darkness of distress, while dying on the cross, the Lord Jesus said, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit!” (Luke 23:46). Bearing not just our sickness because of our sin but also the death we deserved to die, the Lord Jesus entrusted Himself to the care of His protecting Father. This is a picture of total reliance on God. And note that the Lord Jesus did not entrust Himself to His Father’s care in vain, for His Father is a faithful God who has goodness laid up for those who fear Him (cf. Psalm 31:19). And He proved this on the third day, when He delivered the Lord Jesus from the power of death through the resurrection. This means that we too, can entrust our lives to God’s protecting care.

Did You Know – Christian History

Evangelization Society to Storm Chicago

Many Christians have heard of Moody Bible Institute, some by meeting a worker trained at the school, others by listening to its radio broadcasts, still others by reading its magazine or some book issued by Moody Press. The noble enterprise we know as Moody Bible Institute is linked with all those things. But Moody Institute itself was the offspring of an organization formed on February 5, 1887 under the name Chicago Evangelization Society. That day also happened to be Moody’s 50th birthday.

In addition to its other work, the Institute has trained thousands of Christian leaders whose impact has been felt across the world. Emma Dryer, a Moody associate, saw the need for a school before he did. After the Chicago Fire, she not only helped those who had lost everything, but developed Bible lessons which she taught to Chicago women. Dryer urged Moody to set up an institution to conduct this same sort of work on a larger scale. When he did not act, she and several others went to their knees in prayer.

Moody’s daily experiences confirmed the need for a Bible training institute. People crowded forward in response to his preaching, desperate to learn how they might be freed of their sins and find peace. He could not personally speak to each person, and it was hard to find counselors to assist everyone who needed instruction. In 1886 the subject of a training school came up in a meeting, and Emma Dryer’s persistence, backed by the Holy Spirit, had prevailed! One of Moody’s ushers, John Morrison, pointed to a vacant lot and urged Moody to begin praying for it that a school might be built there. Moody trustees purchased the lot, and three neighboring houses. The institute opened with eighty students. Moody died in 1899. The following year, the institute was renamed Moody Bible Institute in his honor. Evangelist Reuben A. Torrey developed a program of practical ministries and established a resident faculty and correspondence courses. Succeeding leaders added other ministries, including the Moody Institute of Science. The February 5, 1887 founding of the Chicago Evangelization Society was a pivotal moment in American evangelical history, launching a movement to train and send ordinary believers into gospel service, a legacy that endures through Moody Bible Institute. Its continuing mission of sending laborers into the Lord’s fields stands as a testimony that faithful gospel training can shape generations, strengthening believers to serve with truth, love, and steadfast hope.

A Little Humor

Why did the father always carry a compass to church? Because he wanted to stay on the right path, and make sure his kids followed suit!

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“The best news for an empty life is the empty tomb!”