Eph. 6:1-4

2. Eph. 6:1-4 • 1Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. • 2 Honour thy father and mother; which is the first commandment with promise;

3. 3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth. • 4 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

4. The word Father inVarious languages… • Greek = pater • Spanish = padre • French = papa • Russian = pahpa • Danish = fader

5. The Meaning of the WordFather • Main Entry: 1fa·therPronunciation: fäth- r, f th-Function: noun1 a: a male parent bcapitalized: GOD 1 ccapitalized: the first person of the Christian Trinity2: ANCESTOR 13: one who cares for another as a father might4: a person who invents or begins something <the father of modern science>

7. Look at the men in this congregation that are blessed with children…

8. Chris Moss • Lillian - (french fries) • Abby- (the caressing little girl)

9. Mike Pressnell • Harrison - (tall, and getting taller!)) • Hamilton – (already in the kingdom of God) • Huntley – (sweet smiling girl)

10. Neil Gooch • Cameron- grew up quick • Miss Kelli – bouncing smiling little girl

11. Wait a minute daddy, I’m coming… • Stepping in his Dad’s footsteps in the • Snow.

12. And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. Eph. 6:4

13. Do not provoke them to wrath • 4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. NIV

14. 4 Fathers, do not irritate and provoke your children to anger [do not exasperate them to resentment], but rear them [tenderly] in the training and discipline and the counsel and admonition of the Lord. Am.Bible

15. Provoke • Definition of • transitive verb • 1 : to arouse to a feeling or action : to incite to anger • 2 : to call forth (as a feeling or action) : evoke <

16. How can a father provokehis children to anger? • To provoke . . . to anger” suggests a repeated, ongoing pattern of treatment that gradually builds up a deep–seated anger and resentment that boils over in outward hostility.

17. Things Which Provoke Children • 1. Cruel and harsh punishment. When a child is beaten to a pulp, when broken bones are the result of a "spanking," when bruises appear all over the child's body, etc. the child is being abused. • Ill. Case in Tenn. Step-father mistreated a child so badly that she died. Made the child walk without stopping for over a solid day. When the little girl wanted some water, the step-father drank water in front of the 4 or 5 year old child,and then offered the child tabasco sauce to drink. The punishment continued until the child collapsed and died.

18. 2. Unjust punishment • . Unjust punishment. Sometimes children are punished when they do not deserve to be spanked or to have privileges taken from them. Sometimes the parent comes home from a bad day at work totally frustrated. To vent his anger, the parent will spank his children for things for which they would not be punished on any other day of the week. The child can detect this; he knows that he was punished unjustly and will grow up hating the parent who habitually acts this way.

19. 3.Inconsistent punishment. • 3. Inconsistent punishment. Sometimes one wonders how children learn anything. Parents will frequently let Johnny get away with something nine times and then punish him for doing the same thing on the tenth time. How is the child to know whether or not he can do that thing? He is frustrated and all that he has learned from the punishment is to see what mood "the old man" is in before doing it again!

20. 4. Showing Partiality • 4. Showing partiality. The story of Jacob and Esau shows the sorry results which occur in a family when one or both parents show partiality to their children. Surely, the child who witnesses his parent being partial to his brother or sister is provoked to anger by it. When he sees his brother or sister getting away with doing the very same thing he got a whipping for doing just a few minutes before, he is provoked to anger by it.

21. A. Partiality is shown in the comparisons we make of children. The report cards of children are frequently compared even though the children might not be equally talented. • B. This is not fair to children and they will grown up resenting it.

22. 5. Neglect: A Preacher commented: • One of the things which provokes my child more than anything is just plain old neglect; it is something which I am continually forced to fight in order that I not be guilty of abusing my precious children. When I have not been at home enough or have not taken any time to sit and talk with my daughter, she begins to act badly. Frequently, the problem lies in me instead of in her.

23. Yes, we can do it… • We can be guilty of ‘provoking our children to wrath’…

24. In Ephesians 6:4, Paul writes, “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger.... • It can be done!   Paul would not have said not to do it, if it could • not have been done! • Some children have had to live under fathers who have provoked • them to anger!!

26. Fathers And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. Eph. 6:4 2 Things we must never forget:1.Honor Fathers & Fathers Provoke not your children to wrath

27. A Doctor once said:

28. “I came back to tell you that I never deliver any bad babies. This baby is a good baby today, and whatever goes into him that is undesirable, that is unsocial, that might make his life a life of regret, will get into him after today. Keep that in mind and bring him up right!”

29. “We are not raising grass, we’re raising boys.”

30. Traits of a Godly Father Accepts being a father with joy: Ps. 127:3 “heritage of the Lord” Gives leadership ..Who in this church would you pick out as being a good leader in his family? Eph. 5:23 “head” Provides for his family ..works.. 1 Tim. 5:8 - food, clothing, shelter, education Disciplines..not afraid to correct his children Pro. 3:12 - corrects Prov. 23:13- Don’t fail to discipline Your children.They won’t die if you spank them.” N L T

31. Traits of a Godly Father An example of Christian Character Spiritual matters. Gen. 18:19 I know him A faithful member. Wanta be just like you Dad! Instruction in God’s word. Gotta know it, to teach it! Pro. 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go…” Eph. 6:4 nurture = training admonition = instruction Sex Education..Teach your children about the facts of life.. If you don’t, someone else will. And may give the wrong direction!! Prepare your children for marriage. Heb.13:4

32. Traits of a Godly Father Good Christian Literature.. Read good books…videos, etc. Pro. 23:7 “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” Provide good association in the home 1 Cor. 15:33 “evil company corrupts good habits” Pro. 13:20 “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise.”

33. A Father who obeys God! • Abraham obeyed ..Heb. 11:8 • When called..went. • Saul disobyed. I Sam. 15:22,23 • A dad who did not obey God! • The Early Disciples: Acts 5:29 • We must obey God rather than man.

34. Blessings of being a Dad • See your children grow physically • Observe your children grow socially • Help them grow spiritually • See them obey the gospel • Watch as they begin their own families

35. Fathers Can improve Who is going to train our children ? “A wise son maketh a glad father”. Pro. 10:1