(Disclaimer: This transcript is auto-generated and may contain mistakes.)

["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] ["Pomp and Circumstance"] Good morning, and welcome, and happy Father's Day. Let's find our seats, take our song books, turn to song 409. Song number 409. ["The Fight is On"] 409, the fight is on, let's sing it out on the first. The fight is on, the trumpet sound is ringing out. The kite's new arms, the sword of power here. The lord of hearts is marching on to victory. The triumph of the west will soon appear. The fight is on, a Christian soldier. The face to face should stern never. With armor gleaming and the loudest streaming. The fight is on, but they are weary. He started in his mind of past. He counted for us, he was never lost. He seemed to make time so long past. 409, sing it out on the second. The fight is on, a Christian soldier. The shield to hold the reeds. The victory room is surely the last one on. The last one on. The armor guard is new to you and in his strength. The ladder will endure. The kite is on, a Christian soldier. The face to face should stern never. With armor gleaming and the loudest streaming. The fight is on, but he is weary. The fight is on, but we are weary. He started in his mind of past. He counted for us, he was never lost. He seemed to make time so long past. All right, you guys are doing okay, but I know the men, you can sing this a little louder, okay? I picked this song for you, all right? Sing it out on the last. The fight is leading on to certain victory. The bow and bow, the stars against the sky. The flame and evidence you ought to be the one will break. The kite is on, a Christian soldier. The fight is on, a Christian soldier. The face to face should stern never. With armor gleaming and the loudest streaming. The kite is on, but he is weary. The fight is on, but we are weary. He started in his mind of past. He counted for us, he was never lost. He seemed to make time so long past. Amen, we want to welcome you to Verity Baptist Church this morning. We're glad you're with us and of course want to wish a happy Father's Day to all of the fathers that are with us this morning. Let's go and begin the service with a word of prayer and let's bow our heads together. Heavenly Father, Lord, we do love you. We thank you for allowing us to gather together today. Lord, we thank you for all the fathers that are with us today. We pray that you would bless them today. And Lord, we pray that everything that's done today would bring honor and glory to your name. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Turn to song 288. 288. I am resolved, 288 on the first. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. And resolve to follow the sacred faith in our true history. Be glad to see you through the new year. Be this a living way. I will be so soon as long since I've had every eye. Jesus, greatest being, our Lord and Savior. Amen, all right well let's go ahead and take our bulletins. We'll look at some announcements quickly this morning. If you do not have a bulletin just raise your hand and one of our ushers can get one for you. If you need a bulletin just put your hand up and we will get one for you. The verse this week Ephesians 6 4, and you fathers provoke not your children to wrath but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. And that's a good verse there. We like that of course if you open up your bulletin you'll see our service time Sunday morning service 10 30 a.m. and we're glad you're with us on Sunday morning on the Lord's Day Sunday evening service tonight at 6 p.m. and we'd love for you to join us of course on Sunday night for the Sunday night service and then our Wednesday evening Bible study at 7 p.m. If you notice our soul winning times there our main soul winning time is on Saturday mornings at 10 a.m. and then we have additional sowing times on Thursdays at 6 p.m. on Fridays at 2 p.m. and then normally on Sundays at 2 p.m. as well but today the schedule is gonna be a little different so we'll talk about that here in a minute. If you're a first-time guest if it's your first time here at Verity Baptist Church we're glad you're with us. We have a gift we'd like to give you as you walk out of the church building this morning if you go out our main foyer or if you go out our secondary foyer you'll see a little table set up and on that table you'll see these little gift bags. Please grab one on your way out as a gift from us to you for being our guest this morning. There are several resources in this bag that we'd like you to have. The one I like to highlight is this documentary that our church made it's called Being Baptist. It's very well made very interesting we think you'll like it. We want to give this to you as a gift so please make sure that you do not leave here this morning without grabbing one of these gift bags on your way out and if you are a guest we'd ask that you please take a moment to fill out the communication card which is inserted in your bulletin. If you need a pen just raise your hand and one of our ushers can bring you by a Verity Baptist Church pen. You're welcome to keep the pen as a gift from us as well and we would love to have a record of your attendance and we actually would like to send you a little gift but we need your information to do that so please take a moment to fill the card out. When we're done singing we're gonna receive when we're done with the bulletin we're gonna sing we're gonna receive the offering and as the offering plate goes by you can drop this card in the offering plate. If you notice there in our announcements we are a family integrated church. What that means is that children and infants are always welcomed in the service. We do not separate children from their parents for any reason. We do have mother-baby rooms and daddy rooms available for your convenience so if you have a child to be distracting during the service if you need some privacy we would encourage you to use those rooms as needed. If you need to be baptized please let us know we'd love to baptize you and the baptistry is filled the water is warm we've got everything you need to be baptized shirts and shorts and gowns and hairdryers and all of that so if you'd like to speak to somebody about baptism on the back of your communication card there's a place for you to cheddar cough that you'd like information about baptism and we would love to follow up with you and talk to you about that. If you've already spoken to somebody and you know you need to be baptized then all you need to do is at the end of the service while we're singing the last song after the preaching if you step out that door one of our staff guys will meet you there and we will get you situated for baptisms. If you look at the announcements and upcoming events of course today is Father's Day so again Happy Father's Day so all of the fathers in attendance today and we have a special gift for all of the men and boys in attendance whether you're a father or not all the men and boys get a special gift today and we've got the Verity Baptist Church t-shirts the new t-shirts that we're giving away today so if you stick if you stick around for the entire service then you got to stay for the whole thing but if you stick around for the entire service after the service this morning in the main foyer there's gonna be tables set up with these nice t-shirts and you guys got lucky because my wife fought for you as well and made sure that you guys got a nice quality t-shirt as well well some of you are getting a not so quality one but I'll talk to you after the service but I'm just kidding I'm joking these are really nice t-shirts are good quality and we're giving these away to all of the men all the boys so there'll be a table set up in the main foyer with all the different sizes make sure you go by there after the service and again Happy Father's Day to all of the men we have a special music today and we've got something we've never done before but we've got a men's choir that's gonna be singing this morning in honor of Father's Day so they'll be singing right after the offering before the reading of the scripture and we're excited about that due to Father's Day there are some special just schedule changes today so there'll be a special cleaning time right after the morning service about 20 minutes after the morning service normally cleaning is later on but we're just trying to get everybody out of here so that they can go have lunch or do whatever they need to do so if you're cleaning it's 20 minutes after the service today we appreciate your help with that and also for soul winning there will be no there's no 2 p.m. soul winning time this afternoon if you would like to go soul winning then you can see brother Shaw after the morning service immediately after the morning service you'll be in right outside that door and he will have maps for you so if you'd like to go sewing that's this afternoon see brother Shaw after the service and grab a map so that way you can go but there'll be no meeting at 2 p.m. today other announcements there we have of course discipleship class begins on Sunday next Sunday June 25th at 5 p.m. and we'd love for you to be part of our discipleship class if you've never gone through a discipleship course this is a class that I wrote years ago we've used it here for years at very Baptist Church it's meant to help you go further faster and we want to encourage you to be a part of that you can sign up on your communication card then of course we have our church picnic for the July Church picnic is on Tuesday July 4th at 3 p.m. the address is there for you and the church picnic is always a lot of fun we've got a lot of different activities of course water balloon fight for the kids the ladies are going to be playing volleyball softball game for the men and then a fireworks show in the evening if you are able to grill or bring a grill then let us know on your communication card we would appreciate your help with that and if you'd like to bring a side dish or a dessert we've got two clipboards in the main foyer make sure you go by there and sign up for that ladies weight loss accountability group is starting up on Wednesday at 6 15 p.m. and this is in the mother baby room closest to the front entrance so the mother baby room is closest to the front entrance if you ladies would like to be part of this group it's Wednesday 6 15 ladies weight loss accountability group BBC choir they are practicing today at 5 p.m. so don't forget about that there's other things there for you to look at please don't forget to turn your cell phones off or place them on silent during the service or they're not a distraction to anybody if you look at the back of the bulletin birthdays and anniversaries for the month of June tomorrow is Ezekiel no Tesco's birthday on June 19th and then on Tuesday is miss Ava radari's birthday on June 20th and also miss melody Gonzalez's birthday on June 20th and then brother Evan Smith's birthday on June 24th praise report money matters all those things are there for you to look at we had a soul winning marathon in San Jose yesterday and it was a great turnout they had 34 soul winners out there yesterday yesterday 13 salvations so praise the Lord for that and thank you for all of you who went out there and participated in that okay I think that's it for all of the announcements we're gonna go ahead and sing the chorus of the week and this is of course the wonderful Jesus medley it's a medley of all sorts of songs put together so if you know it sing it out if you don't know it let's learn it together you kind of have to pay attention but we'll sing it out on the first Oh isn't Jesus my wonderful wonderful wonderful mighty God is saving me keeping me from all sin and shame Oh wonderful place filled with glory and heaven is a wonderful heaven is a glorious heaven is a wonderful place Oh Oh this world is not my home the angels back in me Oh amen good singing we'll have the guys come up and help us with the offering at this time and let's go ahead and bow our heads and have a word of prayer Heavenly Father Lord we do love you and we thank you for allowing us to gather together today Lord we think for the men that are here that are leading their homes and trying to be good fathers Lord I pray that you'd bless them today I thank you for my father and of course the great influence he had on my life Lord I thank you for the children you've given me that I have the privilege to be a father to Lord I pray that you bless today that everything has done today would bring honor and glory to your name in Jesus name we pray amen you you you you you you at this time we're gonna have our men's choir sing for us you my heart when I pause to remember Oh on the trail that's why he always it's not my my heart will go on see until then with joy I'll carry be all the city until the day God calls me well they're borrowed for a while and things of her that cause a heart to tremble remember there will only bring a smile this very world with all its oil and struggle may take its whole the misery is right the soul of man is like a waiting Falcon when it's released it's destined for the sky but until then my heart will go on singing until then with joy I'll carry on until my eyes behold the city until the day God calls me home until my eyes behold the city until the day God calls me home until then turn your Bibles to Genesis chapter 18 Genesis chapter 18 if you do not have a Bible raise your hand and an usher will bring you one Genesis chapter 18 we will read the entire chapter as is our custom Genesis chapter 18 keep your hands up and an usher will bring you a Bible Genesis 18 the Bible reads and the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of memory and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day and he looked up his eyes and looked and lo three men stood by him and when he saw them he ran to meet them from the tent door and bowed himself toward the ground and said my Lord if now I have found favor in thy sight pass not away I pray thee from thy servant let a little water I pray you be fetched and wash your feet and rest yourselves under the tree and I will fetch a morsel of bread and comfort ye your hearts after that ye shall pass on for therefore are you come to your servant and they said so do as thou has said and Abraham hastened under the tent under Sarah and said make ready quickly three measures of fine meal knead it and make cakes upon the hearth and Abraham ran unto the herd and fetched a calf tender and good and gave it unto a young man and he hated to dress it and he took butter and milk and the calf which he had dressed and set it before them and he stood by them under the tree and they did eat and they said unto him where is Sarah thy wife and he said behold in the tent and he said I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life and lo Sarah thy wife shall have a son and Sarah heard it in the tent door which was behind him now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women therefore Sarah laughed within herself saying after I am waxed old shall I have pleasure my Lord being old also and the Lord said unto Abraham wherefore did Sarah laugh wherefore did Sarah laugh saying shall I of assurity bear a child which I am old is anything too hard for the Lord at the time appointed I will return unto thee according to the time of life and Sarah shall have a son then Sarah denied saying I laugh not for she was afraid and he said nay but thou didst laugh and the men rose up from thence and looked toward Sodom and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way and the Lord said shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him for I know him that he will command his children and his household after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgment that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he has spoken of him and the Lord said because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great and because their sin is very grievous I will go down now and see whether they have done all together according to the cry of it which is come unto me and if not I will know and the men turned their faces from thence and went toward Sodom but Abraham stood yet before the Lord and Abraham drew near and said wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked peradventure there be 50 righteous within the city will thou also destroy and not spare the place for the 50 righteous that are therein that be far from thee to do after this manner to slay the righteous with the wicked and that the righteous should be as the wicked that be far from thee shall not the judge of all the earth do right and the Lord said if I find in Sodom 50 righteous within the city then I will spare all the place for their sakes and Abraham answered and said behold now I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord which am but dust and ashes peradventure there shall lack 5 of the 50 righteous will thou destroy all the city for lack of 5 and he said if I find there 40 and 5 I will not destroy it and he spake unto him yet again and said peradventure there shall be 40 found there and he said I will not do it for 40's sake and he said unto him O let not the Lord be angry and I will speak peradventure there shall 30 be found there and he said I will not do it if I find 30 there and he said behold now I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord peradventure there shall be 20 found there and he said I will not destroy it for 20's sake and he said O let not the Lord be angry and I will speak yet but this once peradventure 10 shall be found there and he said I will not destroy it for 10's sake and the Lord went his way as soon as he had left communing with Abraham and Abraham returned unto his place. Let's pray. Father God thank you for this day. Thank you for this opportunity to come together. Please bless pastor and the message. Let it bring glory and honor to you. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen. Amen. Alright we're there in Genesis chapter number 18 and of course we've been going through a series on Sunday mornings called helping people reach their full potential and this morning we're going to be ending our series. This is the last sermon in the series and of course it's Father's Day so just like on Mother's Day I preached a sermon called how to reach your full potential as a mother this morning I'm preaching a sermon entitled how to reach your full potential as a father and I'd like to of course give you men that are here this morning seven statements regarding how to reach your full potential as a father we'll try to go through these as quickly as we can and of course if you're here this morning and you're a father then this sermon is for you I hope you'll pay attention I hope you'll apply it to your life. Maybe you're a young man and you will be a father one day then this is something some of these things are things you need to be aware of you need to learn maybe you've raised your children you're a grandfather well you're still a father you're a grandfather you're better than a father you're a grandfather and so these things would be a help to you and sometimes I preach these sermons when I preach them for the ladies on Mother's Day men will say that was helpful to me well you ladies as I preach to the men you might find that some of these things are helpful to you as well so we'll look at these seven thoughts regarding how to reach your full potential as a father I want to begin here in Genesis 18 if you look down at verse number 17 the Bible says and the Lord said shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him and in verse 19 for me personally I find one of the most convicting verses in the Bible whenever I read this and of course as a father whenever I read this as a husband when I read this it brings a lot of I don't know what the right word is but a lot of emotions come to my mind and my heart I hope that you men will look down at this verse and really look at it take it seriously this is of course God the Lord of the universe speaking about this man Abraham and he says this he says for I this is the Lord speaking know him referring to Abraham he says for I know him that he will command his children and his household after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord I think it's interesting that God would write in scripture to be ran down for all of eternity in his word a statement about this man Abraham. Abraham was not perfect obviously Abraham made a lot of mistakes like anybody else but it's interesting to me that God would say of this man that I know him that he will command his children and his household after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord I wonder if God could say that about me I wonder if that God that could be said about you this morning he says to do justice and judgment that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he had spoken of him I want to begin this morning I want to give you seven statements and I'll try to move through these as quickly keep your place there in Genesis if you wouldn't go to Joshua chapter 24 if you go past Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Joshua 24 and let me give you these seven statements first of all let me say the men's choir they did a wonderful job they did a good job I taught them everything they know and so praise the Lord for that but I'm just kidding they did a good job Joshua 24 let me give you these seven statements number one to reach your full potential as a father to reach your full potential as a father you should lead your home to reach your full potential as a father you should lead your home that's what we saw there in Genesis 18 for I know him that he will command his children and his household after him that they shall keep the way of the Lord if you intend to reach your full potential as a father and I hope you do I hope you're here this morning and you say I want to be the best father that I can be for the children that God has blessed me with then you need to determine that you will lead your home Joshua 24 and look at verse 15 Joshua chapter 24 and verse 15 I know you know these verses but let's look at them together the Bible says this is Joshua speaking this is at the end of his life after he's led the children of Israel into the promised land they've conquered the land he's speaking to the children of Israel and he makes this statement he says and if it seemed evil unto you to serve the Lord he says choose you this day whom you will serve whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood or the gods of the Amorites in whose land that you dwell and then he makes this statement which again is an amazing statement for a man to make he says but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord and I will submit to you this morning that what we need in the Christian home is male leadership what we need in the Christian home is for men to step up for men to rise up for husbands and fathers to decide that they are going to be the spiritual leaders of their home I find today there are two extremes when it comes to this idea of male leadership and today this is almost a byword to even speak of men leading anything today would get you accused of being a male chauvinist and being a hate preacher and all these things but I find that there are two extremes when it comes to male leadership one extreme is that men have abdicated their role as leaders in the home and this is the world we live in where a man can't even for a man to even stand up and say hey I want to lead my wife and I want to lead my children men are looked down upon today with this idea of men leading the home today and a lot of it has to do with the fact that men themselves have abdicated the role of leadership in their home today in America, in the United States of America you do not find a lot of men that would make a statement like this but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord you don't find a lot of men that makes a statement today that will say no I am going to lead I'm going to lead my wife, I'm going to lead my children, I'm going to lead my home in the things of God that God can say of us I know him that he will command his children and his household after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord so one extreme in America today which is not hard to find in fact you can just look into the average home in America today and you find that men have abdicated their role for leadership and look if you look at our society today you will find that one of the reasons that we are in the place we are is because men have decided to be AWOL when it comes to leading their home you don't have to turn here but let me just read this verse for you Isaiah chapter 3 and verse 12 says this here God is speaking to the children of Israel and he says you know what your problem is your problem is that men have abdicated their role as leaders he says and you know when you look into the family unit today in the United States of America you know what you find? you find homes that are led by children and homes that are led by women and you know what you find is a bunch of cowardly men who are more interested in serving themselves and serving their own self than to step up and to fulfill the role that God has called them to not just to protect and to provide and to point the way for their family to be led of the Lord you say what's the problem with America today? look around at the problem with America today you know what it is? it's that it's being led by a bunch of women and it's being led by a bunch of children and I don't think you should say that let me tell you what you get when you have a society where men are afraid to step up and lead or they're too cowardly to step up and lead or they're too lazy to step up and lead or they're too just into their own selves to step up and lead you know what you get? look everything we have wrong with our society today look at it! the abortion crisis in this country you know why it is? it's because we have households being led by women I mean that is just a fact abortion and the fact that abortion is as popular as it is today is because of women that are voting in those types of things obviously in a very Baptist church we have godly women that are against abortion and I'm not talking about you but in society today even unsaved, unChristian men are against abortion you know who's for abortion? a bunch of liberal, short-haired, feminist women and the problem is that the Christian leaders, the Christian men have just decided oh I'm not gonna fight that battle I'm not gonna stand up, I'm not gonna leave my home let me tell you something, you wanna know why we have this LGBTQ nonsense going on? this transgender transvestite garbage going on in our country today you think it would have happened if there was a bunch of hair-legged men leading their homes reading the Bible with their children, praying with their wife, bringing them to church hey what's the problem with our nation today is that men have abdicated the role of leadership and look you say well that's wrong with America but that's what's wrong with Verity Baptist Church I love Verity Baptist Church but I'm telling you any home where a man abdicates his role as leader will fail as for my people, children are their oppressors and women rule over them and look that's what you find today, go to the grocery store, you know what you see? a bunch of families being led by their children a bunch of men being led by the no's, by their ornery wife men need to step up and if you're going to reach your full potential as a father man you've got to decide you're gonna lead your home now one extreme is the extreme of abdicating your leadership role but then there's another extreme and I'm against both of these extremes you say what's the other extreme? the other extreme is where these men are on power trips and this honestly just it breaks my heart and it makes me sad because some of you men are making it difficult for me to stand up and preach the Bible and preach what the Bible says and preach that the Bible teaches that men should be the spiritual leader, the provider, the protector of the home and that wives should submit to their husbands and that children should submit to their parents some of you men are making it difficult for a preacher like me to stand up and preach because when I do stand up and preach some of you guys just say well I'm not abdicating my role some of you are on such power trips that it's embarrassing you say why don't you believe in male leadership? yeah I believe in male leadership but for some reason some of you decided to be Saddam Hussein and I see this so often with men you know especially in newer marriages some of you young guys and I'm not mad at you but you've never led anything you've never led anyone and then you finally tricked some young lady into marrying you and all of a sudden it's like oh I'm going to make sure she knows you know look the Bible teaches servant leadership the Bible teaches strong male leadership you say pastor matters you're a strong leader I try to be a strong leader but you know I also try to lead for the benefit of others I'm not up here on some power trip where it's just like my opinion is the only opinion that matters nobody says anything to me nobody hey look that's stupid if you're that type of leader all that shows us is the pettiness and the weakness in yourself God gave you men God gave you a wife and God gave you children to lead but you are not to lead for your benefit you are to lead for the benefit of them your wife should be better off in life because of you your children should be better off in life because of you your wife's not your slave your children are not your slaves and by the way ladies yes I preach submission but you know I don't preach that you're your husband's slave and oftentimes when I see this crazy extreme just go haywire and then people try to quote some verse to justify it it just breaks my heart because this is not what the Bible teaches I find that men tend to be on these extremes they either abdicate they submit and yield to the will of their wife or they get on some power trip where they just are mean and cruel and don't care anything about their wife or their children and I think to myself none of this is in the Bible the Bible teaches that my job is to be a husband that word husband comes from this idea of a house bander the one who bands a house together who protects the home who provides the home who is there to make sure that the people within this home are being cared for and being loved and being taken care of and none of that has to do with being mean and cruel and none of that has to do with abdicating your role and telling your wife okay you be in charge the reason we're failing in America today the reason that so many Christian homes are failing is because men have failed to leave their homes what to God would have a generation of men like Joshua to stand up and say but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord what to God that God would be able to look down at the men of Verity Baptist Church and say for I know him put your name there that he will command his children and his household after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgment that the Lord may bring upon him that which he has spoken of you say I want to reach my full potential as a father okay well lead dad stop being an absentee father show up get involved get engaged get spiritual read the Bible show up to church take the role of leadership and look I'm encouraging you to take the role of leadership but I'm not encouraging you to take the role of leadership so you can have some slave you call a wife you didn't get that from me I'm encouraging you to take the role of leadership and to lead for the benefit of others that your wife would be better off in life as a result of being married to you that your children would be better off in life as a result of being born in your home that you would be the house banner go to Ephesians chapter 6 if you would Ephesians chapter 6 Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, 1st, 2nd Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians Ephesians chapter 6 I said number one to reach your full potential as a father you should lead your home you say pastor when you preached on Mother's Day you tried really hard to be nice yeah but this is Father's Day and that's the problem with some of you men is you're weak and you can barely take a verbal beating much less a physical one which I'm happy to oblige either one whichever one you need you say I don't know pastor you're kind of small I got more heart than a lot of you guys I tell you that Ephesians chapter 6 number one to reach your full potential as a father you should lead your home number two to reach your full potential as father you should encourage your children Ephesians 6 and verse 4 the Bible says this and you fathers provoke not your children to wrath it is so easy often for men to be harsh and hard the Bible admonishes us that we provoke not our children to wrath in Colossians chapter 3 keep your place there in Ephesians put a ribbon or a bookmark or something there because we're going to leave it and we're going to come back to it Ephesians chapter 6 go to Colossians if you would after Colossians you have Philippians then Colossians after Ephesians you have Philippians then Colossians, Colossians chapter 3 verse 21 Colossians 3 verse 21 I mean I don't know because I live in this bubble called Christianity and I live in this bubble called Verdi Baptist Church and all the people I'm around for the most part are godly people that love the Lord and obviously I go soul winning every week and I meet but I think to myself like it cannot be I mean it cannot be that just the average man in America today just thinks it's totally fine for some other dude to just show up to work in a skirt I realize most of them are not saying anything but imagine what would happen in America if men would step up we get so focused on all the reprobates and the queers and all the disgusting vile people coming out of the closet you know what I'm concerned with I wish men would come out of the closet men are hiding in the closet from their wives Proverbs calls it you know they're on the rooftop because they're afraid of their wives because their wives are in charge afraid of their children because their children are in charge I think it's time for maybe just a straight godly Christian man to step out of the closet and say I'm here God placed me here to lead this home to lead my wife to lead my children to lead churches to lead society not for my own benefit but for the benefit of others and by the way let me just say this I'm against the feminist movement but you don't want to know why the feminist movement came about it came about because of abusive men because of men who thought that leadership meant overpowering and enslaving people so you say I don't like feminism okay then step up and be a Christian man and a leader stop being so stinking abusive and weird love your wife love your children love people leave for their benefit try to make their lives better look being a servant leader doesn't mean you go home and vacuum it means that you leverage your role as a leader your resources your finances your strength your ability for the benefit of others reach your full potential as a father you should lead your home number two to reach your full potential as a father you should encourage your children in colossians 3 21 the bible says this fathers provoke not your children to anger fathers provoke not your children to anger now why does God say this fathers provoke not your children to wrath fathers provoke not your children to anger why does God say this here's why he says it because it's so easy for men to be harsh and to provoke their children to wrath and to provoke their children to anger and God says don't do it you say why here's why last part of verse 21 lest they be discouraged often our attitude and our words can be so discouraging to those that we lead but God advises us to provoke not our children to wrath go to psalms if you would psalm 103 if you open your bible just right in the center you'll more than likely fall in the book of psalms psalm 103 you know men can often may have the tendency to be too hard but men we should strive to be gentle the psalmist said thy gentleness referring to God hath made me great you know the term gentle men I'm talking about hundreds of years ago when the term was first developed it was a term used for men who were chivalrous who were brave who were courageous who were strong who went out to battle and they fought for the honor of their wives and their children and those men were referred to as gentle men and this idea that we are not to be these harsh angry dictatorial you say are you against me look I'm for leadership some of you may not like this but let me just let you in on a little secret ready Baptist Church is ran I run this church as a dictator I run my home as a dictatorship I can't believe you say that then yeah that's the problem but let me tell you something it's a benevolent dictatorship the difference between you and me is you're Saddam Hussein people want to be part of this thing because they know that there's a leader who's looking out for them who's got their best interest in mind who's trying to help them and encourage them and leverage whatever resources God has given me to help you you got to step up be a gentle man gentle with your wife gentle with your children Psalm 103 verse 13 notice what the Bible says like a father notice the words pitieth his children that word pity or pitieth means to have compassion like as a father pitieth his children so the Lord pitieth them that fear him go to Proverbs 29 look at verse 21 Proverbs 29 verse 21 you just flip over one book to Proverbs 29 do me a favor keep your place in Proverbs you should have your place in Ephesians keep your place in Ephesians then keep your place in Proverbs Proverbs 29 verse 21 notice what the Bible says he that delicately bringeth up his serving from a child shall have him become his son at the length here again the Bible speaks to this idea of delicacy pitieth gentleness he that and this is not even talking about his son it's talking about a servant like an employee he that delicately bringeth up his servant from a child shall have him become his son what does that mean that means that a man and of course this is in the ancient world the idea is that a man could bring a servant into his home not his flesh and blood just someone else that comes for the purposes of serving and working with his home but this man as a leader delicately bringeth up his servant what does that mean bring up it means that he's encouraging them it means that he's making them better it means that he's serving for their benefit they are there to serve him but he's leading them for their benefit they're being brought up they are better in life as a result and he does that delicately he does that lovingly he does that compassionately he does that pitying and notice the Bible says he that delicately bringeth up his servant from a child notice shall have him who the servant become his son become his son at the length what does that mean look let me tell you you want to know how you can get people to be loyal to you how you can get people to give you to allow you to influence them in life delicately bring them up delicately invest in their lives and bring them up in life help them become better than they are help them what we've been talking about for the last 10 weeks reach their full potential he that delicately bringeth up his servant from a child shall have him become his son at the length go to Proverbs chapter number 3 Proverbs chapter 3 now some of you guys please listen because this is what I've learned about men is that they're not good listeners but your wife's been telling you for years now I'm saying it to you as well listen to me listen to me because you just heard me talk about being delicate and gentle but that doesn't mean that you're soft we're gentle men we're not soy men those are the guys in the skirts those are the guys with the lipstick so number 1 to reach your full potential as a father you should lead your home number 2 to reach your full potential as a father you should encourage your children number 3 to reach your full potential as a father you should discipline your children so you just have to be gentle yeah this is a balance Proverbs 3 verse 11 notice what it says my son despise not the chastening of the Lord neither be weary of his correction for whom the Lord loveth he corrected you know what the Lord corrects his children he chastens his children this is the answer by the way to those who balk at eternal security people say oh you believe in eternal security you're just giving people a license to sin if you say that you can't lose your salvation well wait a minute I can't lose my salvation because God is my heavenly father and I was born into his family but you know the Bible says that God chastens his children so despise not the chastening of the Lord neither be weary of his correction for whom the Lord loveth he corrected notice the illustration notice the analogy even as a father even as a father of the son in whom he delighted if you're gonna reach your full potential as a father you should discipline your children you should discipline them you say but how can what about the whole being gentle this is the problem people have people think that being stern or being clear or correcting somebody or going to someone and saying hey you're doing something wrong you need to stop doing this people think that's unloving you need to get that out of your head in fact that's the most the most loving thing that a father can do is to correct his children now he should not be cruel in the process he should not be mean in the process he should not be you know just out of control in the process but it is unloving to not correct your children go to proverbs 13 look at verse 24 proverbs 13 verse 24 discipline is an act of love proverbs 13 24 the Bible says he that spareth his rod hateth his son don't miss that he that spareth his rod hateth his son what does that mean the father that fails to discipline his children hate his children I can't believe you said that I didn't say it God did he that spareth his rod hateth his son but he that loveth him chasteth him betimes word betimes means early in life if you love your children you're chasing them you'll correct them discipline is an act of love often I often tell myself you know from time to time I have to tell our staff when they're doing something wrong or when they're not doing something correctly and look I often say to them like don't don't think I'm mad at you you know when I stop correcting you that's when you should be concerned because whether it feels like it at the moment or not discipline is actually an act of love and it's the it's the parents that just ignore their children and let them do whatever they want those parents hate their children and you say but but none of those parents would say they hate their children but here's what they don't understand when they love themselves to the point where they're willing to allow their children to continue behavior that will that will ruin their lives they hate their children that's what God said now we should be gentle and we should be loving and we should lead for the benefit of others but you must discipline your children if you intend to reach your full potential as a father you should discipline your children say what does that mean listen to me dad please listen to me it means you need to stop making excuses for your kids stop making excuses for their behavior it means you need to stop enabling your children it means it means that you need to stop enabling their bad and wrong behavior I won't have you turn there but if you remember the father of the prodigal son did not go after his son he didn't stop loving him he loved him soon as the son was on his way back he ran towards him and he forgave him and he accepted him but he did not run after him why because oftentimes true love is tough love we'll see it in Galatians here soon when Paul says to the Galatians after he's given them a spiritual spanking and he says am I become your enemy because I tell you the truth it reminds me of Eli you don't have to turn here but Eli in the Old Testament where the Bible says for I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knoweth because his sons made themselves vile and he restrained them not those words are haunting to me as well he restrained them not listen to me father listen to me husband God will hold you accountable God will hold you accountable for what's done in your home now you should love your children and you should lead your children and we're going to talk about keeping your children's heart and all of that but at the end of the day if you've lost their heart and at the end of the day if you've lost their respect and at the end of the day if they are vile then at the end of the day it's your job to make sure you restrain them God will hold you accountable look up Adam throughout the Bible look up Adam throughout the entire Bible you know what you find in the New Testament when Adam is brought up wherefore as by one man sin entered into the world Adam gets all the blame New Testament every reference to Adam is like it's his fault he did it he brought sin into the world then you go back and you look at the story and you're like but wait a minute it was Eve Eve's the one that took of the fruit Eve's the one that gave to her husband again another guy submitting to his wife ruined the whole world literally Eve's the one that did it but yet God blames Adam why because Adam's in charge because Adam is the one that God set there as the leader as the head and listen to me dad God will hold you accountable because his sons made themselves vile and he restrained them not now I love my children and I've got some good children and I thank the Lord for them and today as I was reading their notes this morning and they wrote me notes and wrote me things and my heart was just burdened as I read the words from my children and thinking to myself man I hope that I can live up to these kids and I thank God for my children and they're not perfect okay one of them is going to go break something after the service and you're going to come out you said you're good and shut up I always think it's funny people whose children are nightmares want to complain about everybody else's kids it's like okay anyway that's a sermon for another day that's Mother's Day or something I don't know but you know here's the thing like when it comes to my children I want to leave them gently I want to leave them lovingly I want to try to influence them I want to try to encourage them I want to try to have their hearts but if needed I will grab them you hear what I just said when they're in my home hopefully this never happens hopefully this never happens but if they're living in my home if needed I will show up wherever I need to show up I will pour that alcohol out I will throw it out of their hands I will I will restrain them and bring them out of the bar hopefully that's never the case I'm just telling you that's my plan hopefully we never get there I don't think we'll ever get there but I will restrain them while they are under my authority you know I can't believe it and pastor you know your signs are big praise God for it I think God's just gonna have to give you some supernatural strength I'm just gonna skip a haircut and like Samson go bind them and do whatever I've got to do I just you see some of you in your life and that's okay and I understand it but some of you just got to lose some emotion in you about your families you don't have any emotions just kind of like whatever whatever whatever my wife wants to do whatever my kids want to do whatever everybody wants to do you just don't care what's a God man in this country would get right with God would take their job to provide and to protect and to be the leader seriously we can't do it without you men we need you to step up to reach your full potential as a father you should discipline your children now hopefully you never get there hopefully you don't get there the goal is to never get there but if you have to physically restrain them restrain them I'm not talking about some grown man I'm talking about when they're in your home under your authority God will hold you accountable for I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knoweth look I'm just telling you mom and dad if you know your kids are doing drugs if you know your kids are drinking alcohol they're living in your stinking home if you know your kids are fornicating living in your home say what would you do I would physically restrain them I would show up I would pull it out of their out of their mouth I'd pull it out of their hand I'd physically separate them that's what I'd do I don't know what's wrong with you it's called love it's called loving your children loving your family to reach your full potential as father you should discipline your children number four go back to Ephesians 6 if you would keep replacing Proverbs and go back to Ephesians 6 Pastor this is not a very nice sermon I'm disillusioned with men in America today I'm disillusioned with Christian men I'll just be honest with you it's a sad state we're in we want to complain we want to complain about the transgenders and we don't complain about all that crap but all that crap is your fault and my fault the fact that preachers are not standing up and preaching the way I'm preaching right now the reason we find ourselves in the mess we find ourselves in judgment should begin at the house of the Lord at the house of God so how about Christian men get their hearts right and say search me oh Lord and know my heart and try me and say I'm gonna get right with God I'm gonna lead my family in the right direction then we can make a difference let me tell you something some of you are so crazy you think if we could just elect Donald Trump that'll solve everything he was already elected and didn't solve anything the hope is not the White House it's God's house stop the Constitution sorry it's the Word of God and if we can get the Word of God back into people get the Word of God back into home get the Word of God back into society and we'll see a change number four to reach your full potential as a father you should disciple your children and the things of the Lord Ephesians 6 and verse 4 and you fathers provoke not your children to wrath but bring them up in the nurture you see the word nurture that's gentle that's nourishing strengthening protecting but bring them up in the nurture and admonition you see the word admonition there admonition is correction I'm going to you and I'm saying hey that's wrong don't do that that's counsel that's advice that's caution these things are put together for a reason yes we should admonish yes we should correct yes we should rebuke but it should be done nurturing in the nurture and admonition of the Lord look dad and I'm not against this but if you get to the end of your parenting career your children are married and out of the house and all your children have to say is my dad taught me to go fishing my dad taught me to go hunting and my dad taught me to to do this sport or that sport and please don't misunderstand what I'm saying those are good things but if that's all they learn from you you failed now I hope they can say my dad taught me to go fishing and he taught me to be a man of character my dad taught me to go hunting and he taught me to work hard and be a man of integrity but I'd rather they say my dad wasn't into hunting and wasn't into fishing and wasn't really into anything but he taught me how to work hard and to be honest and he taught me how to how to have discipline and how to have character and how to be a man of integrity he taught me how to treat my future wife and how to treat my future children by how I watch them treat my mother I'm just telling you your job is to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord now you can bring them up in the nurture and admonition of hunting and baseball and soccer and football I'm not against those things we do those things I'm not against those things but if that's your goal you're a failure you will fail so what should the goal be the goal is always the goal is God the goal is God I want them to be brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord I want them to love the Lord to know the Lord to be known of the Lord and to make the Lord known but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord that's your job dad that's not the pastor's job now I'll do everything in my power to help you but I can't raise your children one hour a week if you make it you've got to raise them you've got to bring them up you've got to disciple them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord go back to Proverbs Proverbs chapter 1 look at these verses Proverbs chapter 1 people come to me and they'll say things like I don't know I just kind of thought that I'd go to church and it just kind of be a nice you know I just need like a 30 minute pep talk and I just want to feel good and I think to myself like the house is on fire this is not a picnic the world's on fire somebody needs to stand up and say hey we got to change something this isn't working look at it it's falling apart men step up Proverbs 1 8 my son hear the instruction of thy father and forsake not the law of thy mother Proverbs chapter 4 verse 1 hear you children the instruction of a father and attend to no understanding dad are you instructing your children look please don't is it some of you're gonna walk out here and say pastor's against fishing I didn't say I'm against fishing I just all I'm saying is I'd rather my sons grow up and say my dad never took me fishing but he taught me how to fish for men I'm not against it just yesterday the last couple days the Giants have been playing the Dodgers and my sons and I have been keeping up on it and they keep telling me the Giants are bad but every time I watch them play they're winning I'm assuming it's the Holy Spirit I was just you know we're just giving it to them or something or maybe it's because the Dodgers are having a bunch of transvestites before their game and God's like well you're gonna lose that one I'm just I'm just I'm not again I'm not against it I'm not against fun I'm not against I'm not against those things but that's not what life is about that's not what it's all about so have the games and have the sports and have have all that but also have Bible reading and prayer and church attendance and loving God and bringing them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord also have conversations where you say my son hear the instruction of my father also have conversations when you say hear your children the instruction of a father number five go back to Job if you would you're there in Proverbs you go past Psalms if you go backwards past Psalms into the book of Job, Job 29 to reach your full potential as a father you should lead your home to reach your full potential as a father you should encourage your children to reach your full potential as a father you should discipline your children to reach your full potential as a father you should disciple your children and the things of the Lord here's number five actually I'm just gonna read it to you before I give it to you look at Job this is Job this is Job of course speaking Job 29 verse 1 moreover Job continued his parable and said I'm just reading that to you so you can see that it's Job speaking notice what he says in verse 2 oh that I were as in months past as in the days when God preserved me so obviously Job is going through a very difficult trial in his life right now he's lost everything financially his health is bad his children have died if you understand the context of the book of Job he's in a bad place but I just want you to notice that he says oh that I were as months past you say what is he talking about when I had all my money is that what he's referring to when I had my health is that what he's referring to when business was good when the economy was good when Donald Trump was in power is that what he's referring to oh that I were as in months past as in the days when God preserved me verse 5 look at it when the Almighty was yet with me notice his priority when the Almighty was yet with me and then he says this I love this I love this if you're a father you ought to underline this in your Bible I love this little phrase when my children were about me that word about means around when I was in the Air Force we had and we were marching you'd be commanded about face what does that mean it means you turn around and Job says I remember the days when my children were about me when my children were around me what's interesting and by the way let me just say this Job was an amazing dad obviously he's lost his children prematurely but that was not because of anything he'd done wrong if you study Job in the Bible you know what you'll find you'll find a man when the story begins his children are getting together on their day we don't know what that means necessarily but I tend to think it's probably like a birthday on their birthdays they would get together and Job is getting up early in the morning and he's doing sacrifices and he's praying for his children just in case they might have sinned against the Lord and I look at that and I think that's so amazing that this man because at that point his children are grown adults and as a grown as an empty nester of grown adult children Job is getting up every day and praying for his children that's humbling I often think to myself and I'm humbled by this thought if I don't pray for my children who will and you moms and dads out there who are not actively praying for your children are not praying you say oh what do I pray hey pray for your children pray for their purity pray that they'll grow up to be productive members of society pray that they'll be prepared for the future and that you and your wife can prepare them for the future pray for their future partner you know one day when my children get married I want to go meet that young lady or meet that young man maybe for the first time lay my eyes on the individual that will marry my children and maybe learn their name for the first time but I want to be able to look them in the eye and say this is the first time I've met you that I've never seen you before and I've just learned your name I've been praying for you for a long time praying my wife and I have been praying for the individuals that our children will marry praying that our children will be ready for the day that they get married to be the benevolent leader that that young lady needs to be the godly submissive wife that that young man needs I just think some of us are just playing games with this parenting thing Job says when my children were about me you know what's interesting is this that you find Job's adult children and what are they all doing they're getting together adult children getting together Job's not even there getting together on their days whatever that means their birthdays celebrating each other having a good time together you say why are you bringing this up here's what that tells me you know what that tells me what that tells me when I look at the story of Job and I realize that he has adult children who are on their own out of the home getting together and spending time with each other you know what that tells me they must have had a good home they grew up in they must have had a lot of memories being around mom and dad they must have had a lot of memories around the dinner table they must have had a lot of good memories being together because when they can they are trying to be together I realize that as children grow and obviously sometimes they have to move and things like that and that's not possible but the point is this they wanted to be together that tells me that they had a good childhood and then Job says I remember the days when my children were about me and listen to me please understand this you do not have your children for that long you only have them for a short span you only have them for 18 years or 20 years or however many years they're gonna be in your home make sure you have a lot of memories where your children are about you where they're around you you say what's point number five to reach your full potential as a father you should spend time with your children spend time with your children have experiences with your children take them places and be with them and talk to them and spend time with them I don't know what our children will say about our home when they're adults I hope they say good things but I'll tell you one thing they can't say they won't be able to say that mom and dad didn't spend time with them I've dragged these kids with me across the country and across the world you say why? because I preach like every other week somewhere else and I'm not gonna preach at the expense of my family so people want me to preach I'm just bringing my family I'm spending time with my family I'm spending time with my sons I'm spending time with my daughters I'm spending time with my wife to reach your full potential you need to spend time with your children you need to prioritize having time with your kids I see and look I'm just telling you I see so many fathers failing because their priorities are messed up they're prioritizing work they're prioritizing money they're prioritizing things they're prioritizing things I appreciate the men singing this morning you know I just think Christian men they should be able to sing beautifully if I can use that term I don't know if that's the right term sing handsomely I don't know that I can say that about these guys if I was singing I'd be different but you know that they can sing beautifully and yet be strong men you know in the Bible David the toughest the toughest strongest warrior in the Bible David killing Goliath fighting the battles of the Lord and he was also the sweet psalmist of Israel I just think men should be able to sing and fight now some of you guys are not do not have the aptitude to sing and that's not your fault but we appreciate if you stop and that's I'm not talking to you the verse for you is make a joyful noise unto the Lord but you know and honestly like you know the reason we even had a men's choir is because I was sitting there a few weeks ago I was sitting there you know just during a Sunday night congregational service and I'm listening to these guys I think it was like brother James and brother RJ maybe some other guys were sitting there and they're just in the congregational service they're just singing and they're singing different parts and they're harmonizing and I was like man I should get these guys to do a men's choir you know I'm just saying like hey man why don't you learn to love God why don't you learn to sing and love God sing at church sing with your family why don't you learn to open your Bible during the preaching and pay attention and maybe say amen every once in a while if your wife will give you permission maybe you can say amen maybe ask your wife for permission honey would you would it be okay if I say amen to reach your full potential as a father you should spend time with your children number six go to Proverbs 23 if you would if you're there in Job pass Psalms into the book of Proverbs Proverbs 23 by the way let me just say this one of the reasons we have sometimes problems at a church like this because sometimes ladies show up to church like this and they've never met someone like pastor humanity sometimes I have to have a talk with individuals say yeah I'm not your dad and I'm not your husband you're not going to see me in shorts but I've got hair on these legs and there's a backbone back here and this is a pastor led church and I realize your husband lets you run amok and I realize your dad probably lets you run amok and I realize that your boss lets you run amok and whatever and your last pastor did but welcome to Verity Baptist Church this is a biblically ran church let me introduce you to male leadership and yes I am a dictator but I'll lead for your benefit I won't abuse you I won't use you I won't misuse you I'll value you and I'll add value to you but I'm not I'm not going to sit here and be ran by a bunch of women I always think it's funny because women get all upset and as they're walking out they make sure I know like they're all upset I'm thinking to myself I don't care I'm not your husband what my wife is nice and she's pretty so I don't care rolling your eyes at me I don't think I am it's called biblical leadership I'm just saying because some of you can do it on the way out I'm just saying except today it'll be the men I don't care I don't care power swing three number six to reach your full potential as a father you should set the example for your children my son give me that heart notice this phrase and let thine eyes observe my ways I wonder how many of us fathers would be willing to say that to our children let thine eyes observe my ways let me ask you something dad what are your sons learning about how to treat their future wife based on how they see you treat their mother the problem with some of the leadership the men leadership is that I feel like some of these guys they think that they're like better than women that is not taught in the bible sorry and sometimes I look at these guys and I'm thinking to myself you're not even that smart like you're not smart you're not talented like maybe you should humble yourself a little bit and realize like some of these women are actually smart and we shouldn't put them in charge but you know what my wife was given to me as a helpmate to help me and one of the reasons that I can lead in the way that I have led and I've been given the success to whatever degree that God has allowed me to have is because I'm not an idiot to just say my way or no way I got all the answers you know sometimes a strong confident leader can say hey honey what do you think about that a strong confident leader can go to his staff and say what do you guys think about that I've got the situation what are your thoughts you know what the bible says in the multitude of counselors there's wisdom but see it requires a strong confident leader to be able to humble yourself and say what do you think you're smart what do you think I'm constantly telling the staff they got to ask me for permission for something and I'm like well here's the thing you run that ministry you would know better than I what do you think well I think that's why I say I think that's great but see some of you guys are so petty and so insecure and so small in your mind and your heart I can't ask anybody I can't ask anybody just do what I say just do what I say the bible says the bible says and what I say to you is this if you have to remind the people following you that they have to listen to you because you're the leader you're not the leader if you have to keep pushing and just beating them over the head I'm the boss I'm the boss I'm the boss then you're not the boss because leadership is influenced and influence is earned through respect and credibility and achievements and people should want to follow you because they say I think that guy knows what he's doing I'm just saying you do what you want you should set the example for your children what are your sons learning about how to treat their future wife based on how they see you treat their mother what are your daughters learning about how they should be treated by their future husband based on how they treat their mother how you treat their mother look one of my goals in life and obviously I love my wife and I try to treat her well and love her and all of that but I also have a goal of treating my daughters well and I also have a goal of teaching my sons how they should treat their future wife by how they see me treat their mother and teaching my daughters how they should be treated by how they see me because look when some jerk shows up and starts talking down to them some jerk shows up and starts acting like he's smarter than they are simply because he was born a male I want my daughters to be like no thanks clown I grew up in Pastor Jimenez's home and I know how a true man is supposed to treat a young lady and you're a piece of garbage get out of my face but see some of you guys you treat your wife so badly and they're gonna be all upset that your wife your daughter goes on and finds a clown like you it's called daddy issues I'm just saying look some people pay a lot of money for this as psychiatrists I'm just I'm giving to you for free what are your daughters learning about how they should be treated by their future husbands based on how you treat your wife their mother what are your children learning about how to treat their future children based on how do you treat them I'm just saying are you setting the example my son give me thine heart and let thine eyes observe my ways here's number seven we'll be done we're still there in Proverbs 23 verse 26 my son notice this phrase give me thine heart to reach your full potential as a father you should keep your children's heart so what does that mean that means you keep influence you have influence now listen to me when your children are little you don't have to keep their hearts because they give you their hearts because children just intuitively they need mom they need dad so they just they want to be with mom they want to be with dad and you can restrain them and make them do what you need them to do please listen to me you need to be using those years when they give you their hearts for you to earn their hearts as they get older because when they're teenagers when they're young adults and even when they're married adults if you want to continue to have influence over your children you can't make them do I mean there comes a point where you you're you know you're looking at this kid you're like I'm not gonna spank you but I expect you to do what I said you know why because I'm your father and you should love me see some of you you say that to your kids I don't love you and that's a problem I'm not pick I'm not picking on you I'm just telling you you say you've got to fight for your children's hearts you got to keep their hearts you say well how do I do that I've been telling you this whole time lead your home encourage your children discipline your children disciple them in the Lord spend time with them set the right example and when you do that you'll have their heart you'll have their respect you'll have their friendship one thing my wife and I talk about often is that we need to raise we're not raising children we're raising adults we're raising children to be adults we want to raise them in such a way that when they are no longer under our authority they would still want to be our friend they would still seek our counsel they would still allow us and obviously we would we would protect that and they've got their own home and he's the head of his home or she's got a husband and we would protect that but that they would still allow us to have some sort of influence on their lives Malachi chapter 4 if you would last book in the Old Testament I think the greatest the biggest thing that parents need to do and you need to really think about this and figure this out is how to keep your children's hearts how to keep your children's hearts and I will say this that the way you keep the way you say well but my children's hearts are already turned away from me please understand something they are turned away from you for a reason look I'm not trying to pick on you I'm not trying to pick on you I'm trying to help you they are turned away from you for a reason but you know that every child I don't care how old they are instinctively wants to be loved and accepted by their parents Malachi chapter 4 verse 6 and he shall turn notice what it says the heart of the father to the children and the heart of the children to their fathers lest I should come and smite the earth with a curse you know what the Bible says the Bible says that God can turn the heart of the children to their fathers that's what I want but you know what the first step is that the heart of the fathers needs to be turned towards the children here's the truth dad your kids know when you're not they are not your priority they know it they know when other things are more important to you they know when you see them as a burden they know that your heart and your energy is turned somewhere other than to them they know that instinctively they might not say that but they know that and their heart is turned away from you because you have turned your heart away from them but when you turn your heart to your children when you say you know what I haven't been leading spiritually but I'm gonna start leading spiritually I haven't been setting the right example but I'm gonna start setting the right example I haven't been spending time with you but I'm gonna start spending time with you I haven't earned the respect to info but I'm gonna start earning that respect and I'm gonna love you and I'm gonna correct you when I need to correct you and I'm gonna do it lovingly and I'm gonna leave for your back and here's what I'm telling you when you do that your the hearts of your children will turn towards you do you know what most men are chasing? property you know what most men are chasing? money you know what most men are chasing? vehicles you know what most men are chasing? vacations I appreciate what the men saying this morning the things of earth will dim and lose their value if we recall they're borrowed for a while see that house I live in? it's borrowed for a while you say pastor your house is ugly I know I know I'm not I'm not making a joke I know it's falling apart don't you care? it's borrowed for a while pastor those clothes you wear I don't know we try to keep them clean I think it's nice but it's not like a thousand dollar suit buy them on sale hey don't you care? borrowed for a while don't you want to drive a nicer car? you only have one car you and your wife have to share the one car borrowed for a while the things of earth will lose their value when you realize they are borrowed for a while but you know what's not borrowed for a while? those kids those kids are an eternal soul for all of eternity I will be their dad so instead of focusing on things that waste away in this world I'll say son give me thine heart let thine eyes observe my ways and I would just submit to you that if men would step up in their role as a leader we could make a change in this country let's bow our heads in our word of prayer Heavenly Father Lord I come to you asking for forgiveness asking that you would forgive my failures as a leader and asking that you would forgive the failures of the men in this country because we find ourselves where we are because Christian men have decided to let their wives lead Christian men have decided to let their children lead Christian men have decided to abdicate their position of leadership and then many Christian men who haven't are just on power trips and it's so sad it's so heartbreaking that it's difficult to find the man who says yes I will lead for the benefit of others that man is hard to find but Lord I pray that you would raise up some men that you would raise up some men in some homes that would stand up and say you know what I'm going to provide and I'm going to protect and I'm going to point my family towards the things of God I'm going to lead them for their benefit and for the benefit of God and Lord I pray that a great work would be done in the homes of the families here at Verde Baptist Church we love you in the matchless name of Christ we pray, Amen Well we'll have Brother Matt come up and lead us in a final song but just let me give you some ending instructions real quickly don't forget that we've got the t-shirts for you in the back so make sure you go by there and get your Verde Baptist Church t-shirt and we've got all the different sizes up there so make sure you grab those on your way out and then also don't forget that if you'd like to sign up to bring a side dish or a dessert for the 4th of July picnic we've got the clipboards in the back as well so go back there and sign up to bring something we'd appreciate your help with that 6 p.m. tonight we'd love for you to be here just one more opportunity to be in God's house with God's people under the preaching of the Word of God and we'd love for you to join us for the most exciting service of the week Sunday night service if there's anything we can do for you please let us know I do wish you a Happy Father's Day but I hope that we'll take the things we've learned this morning seriously and step up as men if there's anything we can do for you please let us know why don't Brother Matt come up and lead us in a final song Turn to song 407 407 407 sing it out on the first Faith of our Father's name is still In spite of dungeon, fire, and sword Oh how our hearts began with joy When e'er we hear, like corn, they'll soar Faith of our Father's holy name We will be sure every time Till death, 407 on the second Our Father's shame is gone Our Father's shame in prison's dark We're sailing away when conscience strains Oh, sweet Lord, hear their children scream Let me, my friend, provide for me When our Father's holy name We will be sure every time Faith of our Father's name is still In spite of dungeon, fire, and sword Our Father's shame is gone Our hearts began with joy Faith of our Father's name We will be sure every time Good, sing it out on the last Faith of our Father's name is still In spite of dungeon, fire, and sword Faith of our Father's name is still In spite of dungeon, fire, and sword Faith of our Father's name is still In spite of dungeon, fire, and sword Amen, good singing. Before we leave here, if anybody has questions about salvation, church membership, or baptism past, we'll be out the door. He'd love to talk to you or direct you to someone who's trained to talk about that. Ask Brother Moses, close in prayer for us. Father God, thank you for this day, Lord. Thank you for giving us the ability to be fathers. I pray today that you would bless us, help us to raise our children up, help us be strong, lead our families, and bring us back to the end. Would you sing my prayer? Thank you.