I’m sure I don’t have to remind you that Father’s Day is this Sunday. You have probably already purchased the card and gift (if not, that was a gentle reminder!) Realizing the significance of the approaching weekend, I rearranged the sermon order in our current series – Stories of Deliverance. While I got away with preaching on Rahab the Harlot on Mother’s Day, I thought a message on the Demoniac of Gadara on Father’s Day might be a little much!
While there have always been dead-beat dads and absentee fathers, I would like to point out that there are a lot of great dads out there who are doing it right. No, they may not be able to assemble that new bike without ending up with an inexplicable number of unused parts. They may not be qualified to assist their High School son or daughter with their trigonometry. They may not even be able to spell trigonometry! And they may be totally lost when it comes to anything having to do with computers or other demonically inspired electronic devices.
But those things are not the requirements for a great dad. The things that go into making a man a great dad have to do with love, care, modeling, and just being there. As I think about my dad I realize that he did a lot of things with me that he wasn’t great at. Good, but not great. He wasn’t a great fisherman, but he took me fishing. He wasn’t a great outdoorsman, but he took me camping. And while he was a lot better at golfing than fishing and camping, he wasn’t what you would call a great golfer. But he took me golfing anyway. Honestly, I didn’t care whether or not he was great at any of those things. What mattered to me was that we did them together.
We also went to church together. The whole family. Every Sunday. Because my dad was and is a great Christian, he saw to it that his family was in God’s House every Lord’s Day.
So even if auto mechanics isn’t your gift, algebra leaves you in a cold sweat, coordinating a family vacation to Disney reduces you to sheer panic, and your best dinner dish is Cocoa Puff Surprise, you can still be a great dad! Just love your kids. Show them that you care. Model a consistent Christian life to them. And be there! More than anything you say, that is what they will remember most.
Pastor Todd Weston
While there have always been dead-beat dads and absentee fathers, I would like to point out that there are a lot of great dads out there who are doing it right. No, they may not be able to assemble that new bike without ending up with an inexplicable number of unused parts. They may not be qualified to assist their High School son or daughter with their trigonometry. They may not even be able to spell trigonometry! And they may be totally lost when it comes to anything having to do with computers or other demonically inspired electronic devices.
But those things are not the requirements for a great dad. The things that go into making a man a great dad have to do with love, care, modeling, and just being there. As I think about my dad I realize that he did a lot of things with me that he wasn’t great at. Good, but not great. He wasn’t a great fisherman, but he took me fishing. He wasn’t a great outdoorsman, but he took me camping. And while he was a lot better at golfing than fishing and camping, he wasn’t what you would call a great golfer. But he took me golfing anyway. Honestly, I didn’t care whether or not he was great at any of those things. What mattered to me was that we did them together.
We also went to church together. The whole family. Every Sunday. Because my dad was and is a great Christian, he saw to it that his family was in God’s House every Lord’s Day.
So even if auto mechanics isn’t your gift, algebra leaves you in a cold sweat, coordinating a family vacation to Disney reduces you to sheer panic, and your best dinner dish is Cocoa Puff Surprise, you can still be a great dad! Just love your kids. Show them that you care. Model a consistent Christian life to them. And be there! More than anything you say, that is what they will remember most.
Pastor Todd Weston