Thank you to all the Dad’s out there, if you are listening to this podcast it’s a sign that you are striving to lead Biblically!  Way to go! Your legacy will impact the world because of your intentional efforts. You are counter-cultural defying what culture says about dads, often showcased in media as bozos, unimportant, and not involved. This episode should inspire and give direction to leading your family spiritually.

You are far more then a provider

We know you know that, but sometimes you can feel the pressure in today’s culture that that’s all people want from you.

God has made you a King of your family. You are a leader, God appointed you as the pastor of your home to cherish, encourage and take care of your wife. To be a team with her, equal in value but with different roles. You are the spiritual leader of your home.

You may not feel like it sometimes, but this episode will help you

In the old testament, King Hezekiah followed and loved God but his father did not. His father was a bad king that brought increasing idolatry into the culture distracting people away from God. King Hezekiah strived established a new legacy for his kingdom with his leadership and despite your upbringing, so can you!

He didn’t depart from following God and prospered wherever he went. The only other king to subdue the Philistines was David.  By taking out the Philistines, Hezekiah created an independent nation for Judah.

Because King Hezekiah trusted in the Lord when the enemies came in to take over their nation, God protected them. Israel to the north of Judah got taken out because that King didn’t obey God.

What kind of king or father do you want to be? We live in a world that is opposed to our families. You have to be the kind of leader that leads with real faith in God and walks in the spirit, not the flesh.

You need to build deep relationships with your kids and show them that active faith.

 

Was Isaac raised reading the Bible and knowing the Lord’s commands?

• I wasn’t, I never new my biological Dad and was largely raised by my mom in my formative years.
• I grew up without the faith, didn’t believe in God and had too much freedom in my life.
• A year before getting married I became a believer and quickly realized when we got married I needed to be the spiritual leader by reading the word, church, and asking an older man to mentor me.

How do you become a good king if you never saw a good king lead?

• When you become a believer you get the Holy Spirit.
• Listen to sermons on podcasts.
• Diligently seek out an older Godly man that can mentor you.
• Embrace the times you are home and leverage technology when you are away for work trips.
• There’s always a way to lead your family.

There is no excuse for not leading spiritually if you have a rough background

Did you have fears about becoming a father for the first time?

• I had some but I learned early to embrace whatever God gives me, and rise up.
• When fear comes in I remind myself that God didn’t give me something so I could fear it.
• My thought process turns towards growing.
• Unfortunately, too many men don’t grow.
• We are called to grow spiritually and step up.
• If we still have the same problems, we may need to grow.
• The Bible is the manual so we don’t have an excuse.

Thoughts about leading spiritually

• Ask ourselves, am I giving my family good doctrine? You can’t if you don’t study the word.
• If you aren’t used to reading the Bible then you aren’t used to teaching the Bible. You can do both simultaneously!
• You could read a whole children’s book and it’s trivial in impact compared to reading one sentence in the Bible to your kids.

You want to be able to say to your kids when they are 18. I taught you the ways of the Lord.

Dad’s must fear God

• Completely surrendered to God in a visible way.
• Your faith can’t be a private matter, we must have a public faith in God.
• How we were parented is nowhere near what’s needed today.
• People have access to everything at their fingertips today.
• Unfortunately, today’s culture is winning the hearts of Christian kids.

Trust God when things get hard. If we over-trust ourselves we glorify ourselves to our kids. We need to Glorify God and point our kids to Him.

What gave King Hezekiah courage was his strong faith and God honored him.

• Do you exhibit that kind of faith when the challenges come?
• If you don’t have a strong faith you can’t be courageous in ways that glorify God by experiencing miraculous outcomes.
• Dad’s if you are going with the normal flow of Christian ways you are probably not making the best decisions.
• Dad’s must audit where they are being passive so they can reject it so you can lead unapologetically. So you can lead Biblically.
• Knowing what the Bible says so you can impart that wisdom on your kids.
• If you are treating your marriage like you are the CEO and your wife is the assistant you have it all wrong. You are the leader that digs into the trenches with your wife to raise kids. Be a servant leader.
• When you get home and you are in your car. Ask God to put aside the burdens on you and give you the energy to lead and help. Think about how you can make a difference in the kids before they go to bed.
• The Lord can turn your heart in whatever way He wishes
• Fathers have a huge impact on the future mothers of the world too. Date your daughter and hang with your sons. Cultivate deep relationship by asking deep questions. Let silence exist until they talk.
• Water skiing example (Listen to episode)

There’s a lack of heroes in this world, that’s your job. God made you to be that hero. Your legacy is at stake.

Have a clear vision for the size of your impact

• If you have 3 kids how many kids are you raising?
• 6 generations later if they each kid onward averages 3 kids,  it’s 365 kids 6 generations later. Are you really parenting 3 kids? You are parenting future generations. Multigenerational impact.
• No matter what you do for work, the biggest way you can have an impact is being an intentional and Biblical father.
• Let’s get a vision for fatherhood. Meet with your wife and discuss it.

Be a team with your wife

• Get the biblical roles right
• Work together as a team
• The most powerful team that can exist can be the marriage team
• Ask God to help you rise up and grow

Don’t let your ambition sacrifice your number one mission

You can do this! It’s okay if you feel a little convicted during this episode. We want you to be encouraged but also feel the need to improve.

We can improve. Let’s try to do better each day and ask God to help us do it.

It’s our jurisdiction to help our kids know God, but it’s up to the kids to build their own relationship with Him.

Let us know about this episode and connect with us on social media at Resolute Man and Courageous Mom.

Scriptures In This Episode

1 Timothy 5:8 “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”

2 Kings 18:5 “He trusted in the Lord God of Israel, so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor who were before him.”

Proverbs 4:2 “For I give you good doctrine: Do not forsake my law.”

Proverbs 4:10 “Hear, my son, and receive my sayings, And the years of your life will be many.”

Deuteronomy 5:16 “‘Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may be well with you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you.”

Proverbs 14:26 “In the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, And His children will have a place of refuge.”

1 Corinthians 16:13 “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.”

Proverbs 20:7 “The righteous man walks in his integrity; His children are blessed after him.”

Proverbs 21:1 “The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, Like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.”

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