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STRAIGHT
FROM THE PULPIT Pastor Larry Gatlin, So Oregon |
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A GODLY FATHER Hey Folks, it's time
once again to come together and break bread. The Bread of Life! For June I had a
thought, what is a true Father? Is
he just a guy who is able to procreate or is he more than that? My conclusion is that he is more. In
fact a true father isn't just a father to his own children but to others as
well. One of the first scriptures that came to
mind was Heb. 11:1 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the
evidence of things not seen.” Then in verse 6 we read, without faith it is impossible to
please God for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a
rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Anyone who chooses to be a good Father
must also be a man of faith. Verse 8 then describes Abraham as a man of
faith. Abraham, the Father of many nations walked in faith. Verse 10 says
that Abraham was looking for a city whose builder and maker was God. Guess
what, he found it! If we are going to be the kind of earthly
Fathers that are pleasing to God we too must be looking for that city and we
must maintain a life of faith. What are some good characteristics of a Godly Father? 1. He is a man of
Faith 2. He is a man of
character 3. He has strong moral
ethics and is willing to live by them and never compromise the truth of God's
Word. 4. He is man that is
full of Gods Love and passes it on to his family and others. 5. He is a man who
walks in wisdom and understanding 6. he is a man that
will reach out to help others whenever possible. 7. He is a man who
knows how to walk upright with a strong back bone, but he also knows how to
get down on his knees and reach out to God. 8. He is a man that
will also look you in the eye and speak the truth in Love, but is not afraid
to get down on his knees and speak into the life of a child. 9. He is a man who
follows the heart of our Heavenly Father. "For God so love the world
that He gave His only begotten Son, He is a giver like Father God. 10. He is willing to
make his life an example to others. Paul wrote "For tho you might have ten thousand instructors in
Christ, yet you do not have many Fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten
you through the Gospel.” A real Father is a man
who will take on the responsibility to give direction to his own children as
well as to others. We live in a society where there are many absentee
fathers; both naturally and spiritually. Let's
take up the mantle of being good fathers; father to your own children and
to others that the Lord may place in your pathway. Oh, by the way, outside of
your biological family, the others you may Father can come in all ages,
shapes, sizes and colors. So keep your hearts open to any that our Heavenly
Father may place in your path. Pastor Larry |
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