Effective Fatherhood, Part 1

In this part of the sermon: Martin elaborates on how this love is manifested: in a gentleness of bearing (like a nursing mother), selflessness of disposition (willing to impart one's very soul), and arduous…

Martin uses the image of a tough, square-jawed man from an old advertisement, pictured gently stroking a kitten, to illustrate Paul's combination of assertive fatherhood and gentle, sensitive love. The caption 'so tough, but oh, so gentle' perfectly captures the desired balance.

It's the epitome of all maternal tenderness. And Paul says in fulfilling our role of godly, assertive, spiritual fatherhood, there was this grace of intense, sensitive, self-giving love manifesting itself in a gentleness of bearing, and I could not help but think of the advertisement that I'm sad has fallen along the way, but some of you will remember it, the Tintin Roller Bearing Act. And they would always picture this man who had a square jaw like Popeye and lots of stubble on it, who had shoulders like a professional linebacker and gnarled hands and he looked sort of like a combination of a...

11:25 - 12:34 Read in full sermon

The point: Fathers, be determined to live a life of consistent and genuine godliness before the Lord and your children, at any cost, so that your words have a grip on their consciences.

Martin recounts the story of a teenage son who, rebelling against his godly father's rule, pointed a gun at him, resulting in a knee injury. Despite the rebellion, the father's consistent godliness eventually led to the son's conversion and baptism, demonstrating the lasting grip of a godly example on a conscience.

Now they may hate it to the point that a young man in a sister church hated it. A godly father setting a godly example, administering a godly rule. He has a teenage son who takes the bit in his teeth and says, I am not going to submit to that rule. The father says, as long as you're under this roof, we go to church on the Lord's day.

34:01 - 34:23 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin shares a personal tribute to his own father's consistent godliness, highlighting lessons learned through observation. He challenges fathers to consider if their children…

Martin shares a personal anecdote about his 74-year-old father, who woke at 4 AM to prepare a Sunday school lesson for elderly congregants, even while traveling and tired. This illustrates his father's deep sense of honor, integrity, and duty, serving as a powerful example of consistent godliness.

I'll tell you where I learned them by watching my father. Some of you know that we had the privilege of a visit from the my father had to come to New York for the 55th celebration of the 55th year since he graduated from the Salvation Army Training College and I told him if he came to Jersey I'd take him into the city so he wouldn't have to buck the traffic. So they left early Thursday morning from Lancaster, Pennsylvania to visit and minister to one of the children, the in-laws, and then to minister to an aging aunt in a retirement home down on the shore and then come and visit with us. Well,...

36:31 - 37:13 Read in full sermon