DAD

It's Father's Day - but I also want to say "HAPPY ANNIVERSARY" to my bride and congratulate her on 29 years of marriage TODAY. Here's to 29 more, honey.

Real men ... real followers of Christ who are blessing the Lord with their mouths ... verbalizing what God has done for them ... end up saving their children. Nothing you do for your children will be more effective at establishing the covenant of God inside them - at producing the fear of the Lord in them - than you continually blessing the Lord -- SO THEY CAN HEAR YOU.

Let your children hear you bless the Lord for His sovereignty and Kingship.

So at the breakfast table - at the dinner table - when you take them to bed at night --- let them hear you say, “Lord, I bless You that Your Kingdom rules over all people -- over all governments -- over all weather systems -- over all animals -- over all galaxies -- over our family, God. I bless You, I bless You, I bless You, I bless You, Amen. Let's eat!"

Wouldn’t that be impressive to your children? Wouldn’t something go down deep in their spirits to hear you talk and pray like that. “Weather systems, Dad? Really? What are you talking about? God of the weather over KENOSHA?” YES!

Let your children hear you bless the Lord for His justice and righteousness.

Let them hear you say: “Lord, I bless You because you advocate for the poor and the weak and the oppressed - those being treated unjustly here and around the world. You are the Ruler over all and justice will be done, if not in this age, in the age to come. Amen. Let's eat."

Let them hear your heart, not just your brain. Because if you look like God doesn’t have your heart, why on earth should they give Him theirs? Let them hear you bless the Lord for His righteousness and justice.

Let your children hear you bless the Lord for His mercy and forgiveness.

This will be the most powerful thing your kids will ever hear coming from your mouth because it will just crush you to the ground - and they need to see and hear that.

Kids will hear all the do's and don'ts. That’s all Christianity becomes to them very often. But that's not what Christianity is at all. What a wonderful miracle to see them come to the place where they say, “Christianity is the fact that my dad says his sins are forgiven ... that dad says he has experienced God’s mercy ... and if that's true, God might forgive things in my heart that even my own mom and dad don’t know about.” What a wonderful gift to our children and families.

So yes, come to church ... go to all the classes ... get in a small group ... stand next to your children at church and let them see and hear you blessing the Lord. GREAT!

THEN ... go home and model this life for your family.

And be blessed, dad.