1. The Good Father 1

2. I. A good father is present 2

3. Why some fathers are not present Career/work Extra marital affairs Some abandon their family “without natural affection” 3

4. Eph. 6:4 – fathers must be present to do this [4] And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. 4

5. God our Father promises to be present with His family – 1 Cor. 8:6 [6] But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. 5

6. II. A good father protects his family 6

7. Today many fathers are not a protection but a threat Some fathers allow their children to do anything they want anytime they want 7

8. Some father fail to provide the basic necessities Some fathers are abusive instead of protective 8

9. Eph. 6:4 “Provoke not your children to wrath” = by unreasonable commands; by being too harsh; by discipline that is too severe; by neglecting them; 9

10. What kind of protection is needed? Protection from evil things (TV – pornography – immodesty – drugs – alcohol – sex outside of marriage etc.) Protection from harm 10

11. How is this protection to done? By proper spiritual training By limiting where they go and who they go with By providing proper recreational activities 11

12. Eph. 6:4 “Bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord” Bring them up = put them under the proper discipline and training that will lead them to become acquainted with God 12

13. Nurture = (ASV has “chastening”; ESV has “discipline”; NKJV has “training”) A. preventive discipline – refers to the teaching and training a child is given B. corrective discipline = chastening given when the child does wrong 13

14. 1 Sam. 3:13 – Eli’s failure [13] For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not. 14

15. Admonition (ESV has “instruction”) = literally means “a putting in mind” (Vine’s Exp. Dictionary) Put them in mind of the Lord 15

16. Proverbs 30:5 – God the Father is our great protector [5] Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. 16

17. III. A good father provides 17

18. Some fathers fail to provide for their family Some work but waste the money on drinking, gambling, etc. “Some even rob their children using them as gain through the welfare system.” Kevin Cauley 18

19. Love Security Training in spiritual needs Time Food Clothing Shelter 19

20. 1 Tim. 5:8 [8] But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel. 20

21. In the book of Proverbs we find that a good father provides not only physically, but spiritually as well 21

22. Acts 14:17 – God provides for us [17] Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness. 22

23. IV. A good father is patient 23

24. Col. 3:21 [21] Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged. 24

25. “Being too stern and overly demanding and hard to please will drive a child into resentment and fill him with discouragement; it will cultivate an inferiority complex, making him less valuable to himself, to the community, and to the Lord.” (Bob Winton) 25

26. 2 Pet. 1:5-7 [5] And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; [6] And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; [7] And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. 26

27. References – gleaned from an outline by Kevin Cauley 27