God’s Idea of a Great Dad

Psalm 103:13 (KJV)  Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.

Psalm 103:13 (MSG)  As parents feel for their children, God feels for those who fear him.

Ephesians 6:4 (KJV)  And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Ephesians 6:4 (NLT)  And now a word to you fathers. Don’t make your children angry by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction approved by the Lord.

What makes a bad dad? Bad dads are …

·         Invisible

·         Impossible

·         Inconsistent

1.    A great dad is a PROVIDER for his family.

• He must responsibly provide for his family’s physical needs.

• 1 Timothy 5:8 (NIV)  If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

• He “manages” his family so they can get the most out of life.

• 1 Timothy 3:4 (NIV)  He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect.

2.    A great dad is a MINISTER to his family.

• He must lovingly provide for his family’s spiritual needs.

• Colossians 3:21 (MSG)  Parents, don’t come down too hard on your children or you’ll crush their spirits.

• He “ministers” to his family by giving himself to them.

• 1 Thessalonians 2:8 (LB)  We loved you dearly – so dearly that we gave you not only God’s message, but our own lives too.

• What you ARE always determines what you DO.
• What you DO always wins over what you SAY.

• A father teaches his children how God ACTS and REACTS.