70 Sermon Illustrations on Father S Day

In "The Effective Father", Gordon MacDonald wrote: "It is said of Boswell[*], the famous biographer of Samuel Johnson, that he often referred to a special day in his childhood when his father took him fishing. The day was fixed in his mind, and he often reflected upon many of the things his father had taught him in the course of their fishing experience together.

"After having heard of that particular excursion so often, it occurred to someone much later to check the journal that Boswell's father kept and determine what had been said about the fishing trip from the parental perspective. Turning to that date, the reader found only one sentence entered: 'Gone fishing today with my son; a day wasted.'" (1749)

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[*] MacDonald probaby got the source wrong - it is not Boswell, but G. Brook Adams. See versions below.

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Another version from Gerald Rodgers:

Sometimes there are effects of our influence that we may never know.

G. Brook Adams kept a diary from his boyhood. One special day when he was eight years old, he wrote in his diary, "Went fishing with my father; the most glorious day of my life." Throughout the next 40 years of his life he never forgot that day he went fishing with his father, he made repeated references to it in his diary, commenting on the influence of that day on his life.

Brook's father was an important man; he was Charles Francis Adams, the U.S. ambassador to Great Britain under the Lincoln administration. (Brook was also the grandson of 19th century president John Quincy Adams)

Interestingly, the father too made a note in his diary about the fishing trip.

He wrote simply, "Went fishing with my son; a day wasted."

Of course the day was not wasted; its value may well have proved to make it one of the most well-spent days in his life. No one can measure the influence of a man on his children, and that is all the more reason to take the job and its responsibilities seriously.

Someone has written,

"Last night my little boy confessed to me some childish wrong;

and kneeling at my knee, he prayed with tears,

'O Lord, make me a man like Daddy-wise and strong.

I know you can.'

Then while he slept, I knelt beside his bed,

confessed my sins and prayed with low-bowed head,

'O God, make me a child like my child here;

pure, guileless, trusting thee with faith sincere.'"

What kind of a father are you?

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Another version from Jack Graham:

The 19th century political figure Charles Francis Adams kept a diary. On one particular occasion, he wrote: “Went fishing with my son today -- a day wasted.” His son, Brook Adams, also wrote in a diary, which is still in existence today. In the entry he made that same day, Brook wrote: “Went fishing with my father -- the most wonderful day of my life!”

While Father Adams thought his entire day was wasted fishing with his son, Brook saw their time spent together as a blessing and investment. Obviously, it wasn’t the priority of Charles to spend quality time with his son.

In our culture, we often see the scenario where the father comes home from his job completed exhausted from the day’s work. As soon as he enters, the children are thrilled to see their dad and immediately pounce on him, looking for attention. The response from dad is: “Not now. I’m too tired. Go watch television.”

The words spoken to children most often in the American household today are: “Not now. Later. Go do something else.” But I ask you, when? When will it finally be time to forget yourself and remember your children? Later never comes for many, and parents oftentimes fail to communicate clearly with their children at young ages.

Sure, it’s easy to appease him or her with the nicest car, designer clothes and electronics, but most people forget to shower them with what is most important -- time. Before you know it, your child is 16 and has already tuned you out. You finally realize there is a need to sit down and talk, only to find out it’s too late. Your chance has passed.

It has been said over and over that a positive and continuous relationship between the father and child is associated with high self-esteem, more self-confidence in personal and social interaction, better morals, greater career aspirations and life goals, and reduced rates of unwed teen pregnancy.

Fathers who are affectionate, nurturing and actively involved in raising their children are more likely to have well-adjusted kids. An active father is there in good times and bad. From him, his children learn how to handle difficulty, anger, disappointment and success. He’s the foundation.

Luke 6:46-49 records the words of Jesus, “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock.

“When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”

Being a dad isn’t an easy job. As a matter of fact, it’s tough, demanding and requires all kinds of courage. Dads have a single challenge to be brave and strong for their families. First Corinthians 16:13 tells us to “watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.”

Dads who rock build their lives upon the Rock of ages -- the Lord Jesus Christ. And they construct their families upon foundations of faith established in Jesus Christ. Proverbs 14:26 says, “In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, and His children will have a place of refuge.”

Your home should be the place where you can stand firm and not be shaken. Difficult days in our culture are among us. Satan is trying hard to hammer our kids, and while we can’t stop the fire from spreading, we can stop it at our doorsteps. It starts by making your home a place of refuge.

Believe it -- all of our families WILL be tested. I don’t know what storm you may be facing now or what fire will sweep through your family in the future, but I know that you will be able to stand firm and strong when you are built solidly on Jesus Christ. Dads who build the foundation of their family on Jesus do more than just attend church when it’s convenient, but they actually listen and apply God’s Word in their personal and homes lives.

Joshua was a dad who rocked. In the Bible, it was he who said, “And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

There are three simple building materials you need when building a foundation and future that will last for your family:

• LOVE. Embrace and show affection to your wife and children; give them encouragement through showing affirmation and acceptance, and spend quality time with your family.

• ENCOURAGE. Build up rather than tear down; equip them with God’s Word and wisdom from your own life.

• BELIEVE. Build your family upon the Rock -- Jesus Christ (see Proverbs 22:6); the most important thing your children can take with them into the world is faith in Jesus Christ.

Fathers, build your house, your life and your family upon the solid foundation of Jesus Christ and God’s Word with love, faith, and joy and your children will be unshakable. Dads that rock for Jesus Christ will produce an everlasting life change in their families and futures.

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"Fathers That Rock: The Solid Foundation For Families," Baptist Press, http://www.baptistpress.org, September 6, 2005.

Parenting advice is not hard to come by these days. Advice from grandparents and friends, articles, vlogs, and books detailing parenting strategies and philosophies all vie for our attention. When I became a new dad, it was the first time I ever crossed into the noble task of diaper changing. Thankfully my mother-in-law gifted me with a dad handbook complete with diagrams and dad-jokes. Parenting advice can be a blessing or an annoyance — some is good, some is bad, and some of it is just plain silly. It can be stressful for parents at all stages to sift through all the nonsense in search of those precious morsels of good counsel.

In the sea of parenting advice for new dads, how many people stop and dwell on the example of God the Father when looking for instruction on parenting? I wish I had done this sooner. The temptation may be to turn every which way to look for parenting advice when the example of our Heavenly Father is clear in the pages of Scripture. David even illustrates the Lord’s compassion as a father’s love toward his children (Ps. 103:13). God reveals himself as the Father on purpose, and his character and deeds are those of an ideal father. When I look to God’s Word, it is clear that the Father raises his children through presence, instruction, and love. And we dads should imitate his example.

Presence

“I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be their God. And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt that I might dwell among them. I am the Lord their God.” (Ex. 29:45-46, ESV)

Throughout the Israelite’s exodus through Egypt, God did not leave his children alone. The Father was present with his people. When the children of Israel were sojourners in the wilderness, God provided manna, quail, and water. Later, the Father’s presence through his guiding instruction sustained his people even when he was silent. His presence set them apart from the rest of the world (Ex. 33:16).

In the same way, fathers should be present with their children. They are responsible for caring for their kids. Fathers would do well to imitate God’s commitment to his presence with his people. So many things, even good things, call for our attention, but few are more important than spending genuine time with our kids. Just as the children of Israel did best when they were aware of God’s presence, so too, our children will do best when their dads are visible and active in their lives. Research even shows that children are negatively affected when their fathers are absent.

Of course, fathers must also provide — though that will look different for each family — which usually means spending time away from their children for work. While human fathers can never achieve the omnipresence of God, they can ensure that their children experience their presence through explaining why they are away and how this helps them care for their family. So, for example, when a child is eating lunch and dad is away at work, they can remember they have a father who loves and cares for them.

Instruction

“Blessed is the man whom You instruct, O LORD, And teach out of Your law.” (Ps. 94:12, NKJV)

God’s instruction of his children is perhaps one of the most neglected practices imitated in Christian homes. The evidence of his instruction is all throughout Scripture. In the Old Testament, the Father made a point to instruct his children in his law. By giving the law, the Lord revealed his character to his people and also made them aware of sin (Rom. 7:7). Then, in the New Testament, he sent his Son, In the fullness of time, to save us from our sin and reconcile us to himself (Gal. 4:4). Now, those who are in Christ have the Holy Spirit to instruct them in the Word and lead them into holiness (John 16:13).

Out of this abundant example of God’s priority for instructing his children in his ways, Christian fathers must also place a high value on instructing their children (Prov. 1:8). When it comes to instructing children, opinions abound. But dads can be sure of this: God expects them to diligently raise their children, by his grace, to fear and love him (Deut. 6). Young children are sponges — they perceive new things about the world each day. Even small children will slowly begin to recognize that their parents submit to One who is their authority. However, this must eventually take the form of intentional instruction from the Bible.

The instruction of children is anything but passive. Fathers cannot outsource this responsibility, though other trusted adults will often play a role in a child’s spiritual formation. It is a blessing for fathers to get to raise their children in the fear of the Lord. And it’s vital, for it helps paint a picture of who our Heavenly Father is, even in the mundane things of life like eating dinner, getting ready for the day, traveling, or doing chores.

Love

“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom. 5:8)

The Father’s love is not contingent on our actions but proceeds from his very heart. God gave what was most precious to him in order to save his children while we were still in active rebellion against him, while we were his enemies. And he is committed to his children all the way until the end (John 13:1). God’s love is unconditional and sacrificial.

In a world full of independence and self-serving motivations, Christian fathers should see to follow God’s example of sacrificial and unconditional love, however imperfectly. When we forsake other good things to spend time playing with our children, for example, we model a small piece of God’s sacrificial love for us. The love displayed in this sacrifice is not conditional on a lack of temper tantrums or clean rooms. Instead, fatherly love finds its origin in the Father’s love for us. The realization of how it pleased God to sacrifice for the sake of his children in ways that should lead Christian fathers to ask him for a heart to love our kids well.

Conclusion

Even in a world in sexual crisis, society is coming around to the fact that fathers are instrumental. That’s because God’s design for the family — which includes a married father and mother with children — leads to individual and societal flourishing. Because of the fall, families will not be perfect, but fathers should try their best to lavish their children with their presence, faithful instruction in the Lord, and love that points to the One who loves their kids best. As we strive to bring up our children in the ways of God, let us cast aside worldly advice and follow the example of our Heavenly Father. We will not always get it right, but we can trust God to sustain us and ask him to give us the joy of seeing our children walk in the truth (3 John 4).

Most men today say they are better fathers than their fathers were, caring more and trying harder. Is that true? And is the new, "sensitive" dad what kids really need? In an obituary for William S. Paley, founder of CBS, a friend said he wasn't the kind of guy to attend his kids' Little League games, but when they needed him, he was there for them. But Little League games are precisely when your kids need you the most.

It has always been hard to be a man. There is often a gulf between fathers and sons. Modern fathers think they are doing a better job (they are much more likely to change diapers) but researchers question this. The big dilemma is divorce. Andrew Cherlin, a Johns Hopkins sociologist, says, "Men today are better fathers when they're around - and worse when they're not." Studies of different nations shows that American fathers are about average, spending 45 minutes a day on childcare; Japanese dads spend only 3 minutes. However, a review of research has found there is little evidence and no coherent reason to expect that increased paternal involvement in itself has any clear-cut or direct effects." But it does have an effect on the fathers. Fathering takes work, just like our jobs.

Father's Day, contrary to popular misconception, was not established as a holiday in order to help greeting card manufacturers sell more cards. In fact when a “father's day” was first proposed there were no Father's Day cards!

Mrs. John B. Dodd, of Washington, first proposed the idea of a “father's day” in 1909. Mrs. Dodd wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart. William Smart, a Civil War veteran, was widowed when his wife (Mrs. Dodd's mother) died in childbirth with their sixth child. Mr. Smart was left to raise the newborn and his other five children by himself on a rural farm in eastern Washington state. It was after Mrs. Dodd became an adult that she realized the strength and selflessness her father had shown in raising his children as a single parent.

The first Father's Day was observed on June 19, 1910 in Spokane Washington. At about the same time in various towns and cities across American other people were beginning to celebrate a “father's day.” In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge supported the idea of a national Father's Day. Finally in 1966 President Lyndon Johnson signed a presidential proclamation declaring the 3rd Sunday of June as Father's Day.

Father's Day has become a day to not only honor your father, but all men who act as a father figure. Stepfathers, uncles, grandfathers, and adult male friends are all be honored on Father's Day.

A Sunday School teacher was telling her children about the importance of observing the Sabbath Day.

"I never go FISHING on a Sunday!" piped up little Johnny.

"VERY GOOD, Johnny!" said the teacher. "Won't you tell the other children why you don't go fishing on a Sunday?"

Johnny replied: "Because my Daddy won't let me go along!"

Armand Nicholi, of Harvard University, found that American parents spend less time with their children than parents in any other country except Great Britain. Even compared with their Russian counterparts, American fathers spend two fewer hours a day interacting with their children.

The Washington Post, July 21, 1993, p. E13

Research has established that parents can have a significant impact on the religious beliefs and practices of their children. In one recent study it was found that fathers who frequently attend church (over three times per month), discuss religion at home, and are committed to their religion have sons who follow the same pattern concerning religious values and behavior. Interestingly, fathers who did not do these three things had an inconsistent pattern of influence over their son's religious responses.

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Dr. Michael Green, Kindred Spirit, Autumn, 1989, p. 11

Posted by Michelle Olthoff on May 19, 1997 at 20:17:41:

Dad - you've been a silent hero of mine. You've weathered many a

tough storm so bravely. Even when I've seen you cry (as real men

do!) you were the epitome of strength and character. I know that

many a time I have let you down. But now that I am on the right

road at last I need you to know that you always have and always

will mean so much to me. You and I don't have those

"father-daughter" talks; you are not one to be all mushy; and we

are physically apart....but the fact remains that you ARE Dad and

I love you today as always. I pray that your day will be filled

with good memories and that any sadness will be blessed with

peace...you deserve it.

I LOVE YOU, DAD!! HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!

Love, Mich

Dear Lord,

Thank you for this child that I call mine; not my possession but my sacred charge. Teach me patience and humility so that the best I know may flow in its being. Let me always remember, parental love is my natural instinct but my child's love must ever be deserved and earned; That for love I must give love, That for understanding I must give understanding, That for respect, I must give respect; That as I was the giver of life, so must I be the giver always. Help me to share my child with life and not toclutch at it for my own sake. Give courage to do my share to make this world a better place for all children and my own.

In recent years head coach, Jimmy Johnson, divorced his wife of 26 years when he left coaching a college team to become head coach of the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League. He said he needed a wife while coaching on the college level for social functions and to show families that he would be looking out for their sons. In pro football, however, she was an unnecessary accouterment and a distraction to winning. He said winning football was his number one priority and his two sons second. How tragic!

In contrast to this, Tom Landry, former coach of the Dallas cowboys said, ”The thrill of knowing Jesus is the greatest thing that ever happened to me ... I think God has put me in a very special place, and He expects me to use it to His glory in everything I do ... whether coaching football or talking to the press, I'm always a Christian ... Christ is first, family second and football third.”

The Fathers Day Council of New York gives us these facts and figures: - There are 80 million fathers in America today. Of these, about 1.5 million are single fathers. The average number of gifts per dad on Fathers Day is 2.5, with a combined value of $70. Very few dads get more than 10 gifts on Fathers day.

Sportswear for men was "invented" in the 1940s. Together with the growing national popularity of Fathers' Day, it gave mothers "social permission" to dress dad "the way she wanted him to look in her fantasies."

On Fathers Day, 80 million pounds of beef are consumed on picnics and barbecues, and 100 million cards are mailed.

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On the Father Front, Spring, 1993, Page 1

"Preacher, talk to my boy about drinking," said an anxious father.

"He came home last night and fell sprawling on the floor, too drunk to

get up. His mother cried the rest of the night; in fact, she has been

crying ever since."

"Why don't you yourself talk to your own boy and urge him to give

up drink?" the preacher questioned.

"Preacher, I can't talk to my son about it because I am to blame. I

wanted him to be a man, and I thought it wouldn't harm him to drink.

When I gave him his first glass of liquor, I didn't dream that he'd

ever become a drunkard. Please speak to my boy. I can't talk to him."

William Moses Tidwell, "Pointed Illustrations."

A man was walking through the deep snow when he heard the voice of

his oldest son saying: "I'll step in Father's tracks." He was trying

to do it, and two younger brothers were at the same thing. The father

went to the house of prayer to seek God that evening, thinking, "If I

lead my sons thus, I'll make tracks for heaven."

While I was preaching in a certain town, there was a boy who would

come into the back part of the church and lie down and go to sleep. He

was drunk. His father, who was a good Christian man, would take him

home.

One morning after one of these experiences, the boy came

downstairs. The father met him and said, "Hold on, Son. I want you to

go to church with me and be a Christian." The son said, "No, Father, I

do not want to be a Christian. I am not going to church. Please get

out of my way, for I am going to town."

The father pleaded tenderly and said, "Son, your mother has slept

little for nights. She is almost dying. You are killing us all. Please

go and become a Christian like your father has." But the son glared at

him and said, "Do you know who the man is who gave me my first drink?"

The father answered, "No." Then as he rushed past him and out of the

door, he angrily said, "You are the man, sir." The father said that if

the boy had shot him through the heart, it could not have hurt more.

Yes, we reap what we sow. -- SAM P. JONES.

William Moses Tidwell, "Pointed Illustrations."

The Illinois Bell Telephone Co. reports that the volume of long-distance calls made on Father’s Day is growing faster than the number on Mother’s Day. The company apologized for the delay in compiling the statistics, but explained that extra billing of calls to fathers slowed things down. Most of them were “collect.”

To send your kids to Rodeph Sholom, a prestigious day school on Manhattan's Upper West Side, you'll need an extra $20,000 a year and a high tolerance for politically correct nonsense.

In a letter that arrived just in time for Mother's Day, parents were told that "after much thought and discussion," Rodeph Sholom "will not be celebrating Mother's Day and Father's Day." Why not? As a school director explained, "these holidays are not needed to enhance our writing and arts programs."

Well, by that standard, no holiday is needed. But if you think something's missing here, you're right. The letter goes on to say, "families are changing ... there may be two fathers, two mothers, the mother may not have custody, it could be a grandmother."

Thus, "[our school has] many different family makeups." And that requires "[recognizing] the emotional well-being of all the children." Celebrating Mother and Father's Day "may not be a positive experience for all children."

In other words, a kid with two mommies or two daddies might feel bad if other kids are drawing their mom a picture or making their dad a pen holder.

Well, as you might expect, the decision didn't go down well with every parent. One mother called the decision "politically correct" and "inappropriate." She wondered whether "there are ways of showing sensitivity to the needs of children in unusual situations that don't require undermining traditional family structures."

Well of course there are, but the problem is that, for the people making this policy, there's nothing "unusual" about the situations she's referring to. What happened at Rodeph Sholom is only the most recent expression of what our culture seems to believe about the family: that no arrangement should be considered normative, and families can take on an infinite number of forms to suit the needs and desires of the parties involved.

It's not just a matter of recognizing that some children will be raised in single-parent homes or by grandparents. The authors of this policy are saying, in effect, that no one arrangement is better than any other for children.

This is utter nonsense. As Jennifer Roback Morse reminds us in her new book, Love and Economics, by every reasonable measure, living in an intact two- parent home is best for children.

So why pretend otherwise? Because, as Morse says, this pretense fits so nicely with our culture's exaltation of personal autonomy as the value that shapes every decision we make. Dropping the pretense would put us in danger of acknowledging an unpleasant truth: that we don't love our children as much as we say we do -- certainly not enough to let them get in the way of our personal desires.

If we really valued the "emotional well-being" of our kids, we would be working to strengthen intact two- parent families, instead of banning Mother's Day. We'd worry less about providing "positive experiences" and more about putting our kids' needs first.

But we don't. Instead, some people will go to any length to keep the subject from coming up. Anything to keep them and us from realizing that it's their bad choices, not our holidays, that are the reasons they feel so bad.

For further reference:

Morse, Jennifer Roback. Love and Economics: Why the Laissez-Faire Family Doesn't Work. Dallas, TX: Spence Publishing, 2001.

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Copyright (c) 2001 Prison Fellowship Ministries. Reprinted with permission. "BreakPoint with Chuck Colson" is a radio ministry of Prison Fellowship Ministries.

In 1910, Mrs. John Bruce Dodd, a resident of Spokane, Washington, convinced the city to issue the first Father's Day proclamation.

She suggested those with fathers living wear a red rose, those with fathers deceased, a white rose. Attending church together was a family priority. In 1922 President Calvin Coolidge asked that Father's Day be observed in the United States.

However, it didn't become a holiday until 1972. Worshiping together and presenting dad with a small gift has become a family ritual. Today, this special date is recognized by more than 20 countries around the world. On the third Sunday in June, [American Christians] pay tribute to our fathers through special services and music.

Growing up in a Christian home, my father, Earl Ross, taught by example more than using words. His work was manual labor, consisting of painting barns and houses. After a hard day's work he still had time to listen to my childish chatter. Like other families of that era, we sat on the porch after dinner on summer evenings, talking until bedtime. I might ask about the stars and constellations, night sounds from insects or nocturnal animals, or why moths hover around porch lights. And my father, in his wisdom, always had the answers.

I recall a special memory of walking with my father down the road to the community general store. A family with two large vicious dogs lived between our home and the store. I was terrified of their barking and snapping as we walked by. All I could see was those big teeth nipping at my ankles. My father always walked on the side next to the traffic until we reached this dwelling.

Then as we approached the dogs, he took my hand in his and put himself between me and the dogs. Nothing was ever said. But I knew from past experience that my father was between me and danger. He was my comforter, my protector. And how I loved him.

The story is told of a young child who asked her father for enough money to purchase candy. Reaching in his pocket, he brought out a handful of coins and held them in fingers scarred by hard labor. Then he said, “Take what you need.” He did not say, “Take what you want” but “what you need.” With those few words, the child realized the value of her dad's work.

As we honor our earthly fathers, it is a time also to praise our heavenly Father. When our heavenly Father opens His hands, He offers us more blessings than we can possibly imagine.

Philippians 4:10 says, “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (NIV).

Use this day to honor your earthly father and your heavenly Father. Thank God for sending His Son into the world.

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Carolyn Ross Tomlin lives in Jackson, Tenn. She is the author of “What I Wish It Hadn't Taken Me So Long to Learn”

*

My husband, whom our grandchildren have named Papa, and I drive two vehicles each week in order to take our grandchildren to church. One week I was driving home from church with 12-year-old Morgan in the front passenger seat. In the back seat were Brittany, 6, and Victoria, 3.

After a few miles Brittany started singing softly “Jesus Loves Me.” At that Victoria spoke up and told Brittany that her Sabbath school teacher had told them a story about Jesus.

Brittany asked, “What's He like?”

I was totally overwhelmed with the realization of our responsibility as parents and grandparents when Victoria calmly and matter-of-factly said, “He's like Papa.”

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Source: Adventist Review, ISSN 0161-1119, (c) December 2003, http://www.adventistreview.org/

Submitted by Mary Thayne

It is not easy being a father. One cynic, speaking from his own experience, noted that children go through four fascinating stages.

First they call you DaDa. Then they call you Daddy. As they mature they call you Dad. Finally they call you collect.

Today we salute fathers. Dads, we love you. The role of a Christian father is more important in today's world than ever before. It is a different roll than in earlier generations. In most households today Dad is called upon to play more of a nurturing role in caring for children. If Mom works outside the home, Dad must take a more active role in doing household chores. Dad is no longer "lord of the castle." Hopefully, however, he has not been reduced to being another of the vassals.

Today's father needs to be nurturing of his children, supportive of his wife, and yet at the same time provide the spiritual leadership of the home that the Bible accords to fathers. It is a rare man, a special kind of man, who can combine all three of these qualities. We salute Christian fathers this day. Your family needs you more than ever before.

The most common image that Jesus used in describing God was that of "Father." It makes me think that Joseph must have been a very special kind of father. We center much of our attention on his mother, Mary, but Joseph must have also combined those very special qualities of strength and gentleness that we associate with Jesus. Jesus had a very keen knowledge of the Old Testament Scriptures. In the Jewish home it was the father who had the primary responsibility for his son's religious instruction. Of course we know that Jesus had an unique relationship with God. Still, I have to believe that Joseph, though barely mentioned in the Gospel narrative, was probably an influential role model for Jesus. Why else would Jesus have chosen the imagery of "Father" to portray God?

In Matthew 10: 29-31 we have one of the most important Scriptural reminders of the love of our Heavenly Father for His children. "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?" Jesus asks, "And not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father's will. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows." What a moving testimony to the very intimate love that God has for each of us.

1. Sparrows Do Fall from Skies 2. Life's Problems are Not Punishment for Our Sins 3. We Never Fall Beyond the Watchful Eye of the Father.

Some years ago, South Africa's game managers had to figure out what to do about the elephant herd at Kruger National Park. The herd was growing well beyond the ability of the park to sustain it. And so they decided to transport some of the herd to a nearby game park. A dozen years later, however, several of the young male elephants (now teenagers) that had been transported to the game park began attacking the park 's herd of white rhinos, an endangered species. They used their trunks to throw sticks at the rhinos, chased them over long hours and great distances and stomped to death a tenth of the herd -- all for no discernible reason. Park managers decided they had no choice but to kill some of the worst juvenile offenders. They had killed five of them when someone came up with another bright idea.

They brought in some of the mature male elephants still residing in the Kruger Park and hoped that the bigger, stronger males could bring the adolescents under control. To the delight of the park officials, it worked. The big bulls quickly established the natural hierarchy and reduced the violent behavior of the younger bulls. "The new discipline, it turned out, was not just a matter of size intimidation," says Raspberry. "The young bulls actually started following the Big Daddies around, yielding to their authority and learning from them proper elephant conduct. The assaults on the white rhinos ended abruptly." Raspberry's point was that young males -- whether they are wild animals or human beings -- need Dads. King Duncan, Collected Sermons, from October 11, 2005, Washington Post Writers Group.

To love someone unconditionally as I loved Daddy is to remember isolated and long-past moments together, to remember nuances that made such an object of love unique and impossible to replace.

That is why I remember, and cherish, the memories of the man's hair, his smell, his likes and dislikes, his speech, and his idiosyncrasies.

We had such a little time together. War took him away.

Then he came back for a short time before he was gone again. He never would return on a full-time basis.

Maybe that is why each of the nuances, each of the jokes and stories, each of the memories is so priceless to me. I have some pictures of my father. I have that packet of war records. I have the flag that was across his casket. I have his Bronze Star and his Purple Hearts in a frame and they hang on my wall.

But what I don't have anymore is him. There will be no new memories made. That is why I cling to those I have with such tenacity.

Lewis Grizzard, My Daddy Was a Pistol and I'm a Son of a Gun /

Today is Father's Day. A day of cologne. A day of hugs, new neckties, long-distance phone calls, and Hallmark cards.

Today is my first Father's Day without a father. For thirty-one years I had one. I had one of the best. But now he's gone. He's buried under an oak tree in a west Texas cemetery. Even though he's gone, his presence is very near -- especially today.

It seems strange that he isn't here. I guess that's because he was never gone. He was always close by. Always available. Always present. His words were nothing novel. His achievements, though admirable, were nothing extraordinary.

But his presence was.

Like a warm fireplace in a large house, he was a source of comfort.

Like a sturdy porch swing or a big-branched elm in the backyard, he could always be found...and leaned upon.

During the turbulent years of my adolescence, Dad was one part of my life that was predictable. Girl friends came and girl friends went, but Dad was there. Football season turned into baseball season and turned into football season again and Dad was always there. Summer vacation, Homecoming dates, algebra, first car, driveway basketball -- they all had one thing in common: his presence.

And because he was there life went smoothly. The car always ran, the bills got paid, and the lawn stayed mowed. Because he was there, the laughter was fresh and the future was secure. Because he was there my growing up was what God intended growing up to be; a storybook scamper through the magic and mystery of the world.

Because he was there we kids never worried about things like income tax, savings accounts, monthly bills, or mortgages. Those were the things on Daddy's desk.

We have lots of family pictures without him. Not because he wasn't there, but because he was always behind the camera.

He made the decisions, broke up the fights, chuckled at Archie Bunker, read the paper every evening, and fixed breakfast on Sundays.

He didn't do anything unusual. He only did what dads are supposed to do -- be there.

He taught me how to shave and how to pray. He helped me memorize verses for Sunday school and taught me that wrong should be punished and that rightness has its own reward. He modeled the importance of getting up early and staying out of debt. His life expressed the elusive balance between ambition and self-acceptance.

He comes to mind often. When I smell "Old Spice" aftershave, I think of him. When I see a bass boat I see his face. And occasionally, not too often, but occasionally when I hear a good joke, (the kind Red Skelton would tell), I hear him chuckle. He had a copyright chuckle that always came with a wide grin and arched eyebrows.

Daddy never said a word to me about sex or told me his life story.

But I knew that if I ever wanted to know, he would tell me. All I had to do was ask. And I knew if I ever needed him, he'd be there.

Like a warm fireplace.

Maybe that's why this Father's Day is a bit chilly. The fire has gone out. The winds of age swallowed the late splendid flame, leaving only golden embers. But there is a strange thing about those embers...stir them a bit and a flame will dance. It will dance only briefly, but it will dance. And it will knock just enough chill out of the air to remind me that he is still...in a special way...very present.

Max Lucado /

As we celebrate Father's Day today, I would like to share the following story about the effect that one father had on his family.

This particular family had three small children who were determined to have a puppy. Mom protested because she knew that somehow or other, she would end up caring for the critter. True to form, the children solemnly promised that they would take care of it. Eventually, she relented and they brought their little puppy home. The children named him Danny and cared for him diligently - at first. But, sure enough, as time passed, Mom found herself becoming more and more responsible for taking care of the dog. Finally, she decided that the children were not living up to their promise so she began to search for a new home for Danny. When she found one and broke the news to the children, she was quite surprised that they had almost no reaction at all. One of them even said rather matter-of-factly, "We'll miss him."

"I'm sure we will," Mom answered, "but he is too much work for one person and since I'm the one that has to do all the work, I say he goes."

"But," protested another child, "if he wouldn't eat so much and wouldn't be so messy, could we keep him?"

Mom held her ground, "It's time to take Danny to his new home." Suddenly, with one voice and with tears in their eyes, the children exclaimed, "Danny? We thought you said Daddy!"

Traditional /

At the beginning of this decade David Popenoe wrote an article entitled "A World Without Fathers." He gave some rather depressing statistics then: In just three decades, from 1960-1990, the percentage of children living apart for their biological father has more than doubled, from 17% to 36%. It is now estimated that by the turn of the century, 50% of all American children may go to bed at night without being able to speak to their father.

So how are we doing? I am sad to say that I found at least one source which confirmed David Popenoe's prediction.

In an article entitled "Fathering Fatherless America" Dr. Scott J. Larson reports: One in two children now grow up without a father in the United States, and in our inner cities only one in five children live with their father. A whole new mission field has developed in America: Fathering fatherless kids.

Perhaps the most relevant missionary challenge for our society was penned by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Corinthians: Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father. (I Cor. 4:15 NIV) Paul knew that these people didn't need another teacher, their needs were much deeper, they needed a father. One can't be a father to very many, but Paul knew that God was calling him to be a father to some people in Corinth.

________

www.Sermons.com

I think that we can affirm that fathers are called upon to be nurturers. We see so much that is negative about society today that sometimes we forget that there are some very positive things that are happening. One of those positive things, it seems to me, is that society is completely rethinking what the role of the father should be. Society, and the church to a lesser degree, is saying: it is not enough dad, just to be the breadwinner. You need to help with the nurturing as well.

This is not always easy because men historically have not done this.

There was an interesting story that appeared on the NBC Today show that told about a YMCA program in California. Fathers are placed in a playroom with their children. The mothers watch from a one-way window outside in the hallway. The one rule is that if the child starts crying, the father cannot take him or her to the mother. He must resolve the problem himself. If the child is given to the mother when it is crying, so the theory goes, that sends the signal that the one who gives the comfort and love is the mother.

Staff, www.eSermons.com /