Fathers, train your children to be worshipers

May 23, 2011 by mscottfoster

This following quote from Matthew Henry serves as a check to our fatherly ambitions. Fathers will go to great lengths to see their children succeed in sports. Sadly, that same vigor is rarely matched in a father’s spiritual discipleship of his children. We fathers must remember that God has given us children for his glory. He desires each child to be a worshiper of him alone. Our job is to train them towards this goal.

Here are Henry’s words…

Consider what your children are now capable of, even in the days of their childhood. They are capable of receiving impressions now which may abide upon them while they live. They are capable of honoring God now, if they be well taught; and by their joining, as they can, in religious services with so much reverence and application as their age will admit, God is honored.

read more

The Fruit of Fatherlessness

May 16, 2011 by mscottfoster

The repercussions of fatherlessness are difficult to overemphasize.

God designed the family to have both a father and a mother. Those are essential components to the family. You remove either one and you’ll get an absolute disaster.

Here are just two examples of the consequences of fatherlessness. Also, remember fatherlessness often comes in the form of abdication and not just outright abandonment.

First, John Sower has collected some stunning stats in his book Fatherless Generation. He writes that children from fatherless homes account for:

• 63 percent of youth suicides
• 71 percent of pregnant teenagers
• 90 percent of all homeless and runaway teenagers
• 70 percent of juveniles in state-operated institutions
• 85 percent of all youth who exhibit behavior disorder
• 80 percent of rapists motivated with displaced anger
• 71 percent of all high school dropouts
• 75 percent of all adolescents in chemical abuse centers
• 85 percent of all youths sitting in prison

Second, Robbie Low wrote an insightful article on the importance of fathers to churchgoing. Low explains:

read more

Fatherhood & Facebook

May 2, 2011 by mscottfoster

Every dad should check out this article entitled “Your Kid’s Facebook” written by Doug Wilson over on Credenda Agenda. It grabbed my attention because it touched on the largely ignored issue of social media and parenting. Wilson doesn’t tackle the specifics (e.g. privacy) as much as he deals with the underlining parenting issue. Still, what better place to begin?

Here is a little excerpt to hook you…

read more

Father Hunger

Oct 13, 2010 by mscottfoster

I’m convinced that “father hunger” is our generation’s most pressing issue. Gloria Steinem, the de facto leader of the Women’s Liberation movement, once said, “It’s clear that most American children suffer too much mother and too little father.” Even radical feminist recognize the problem. Do you?

Pastor Tim Bayly has written an excellent article detailing the problem of father-hunger. He challenges us (aka the church) to do something about it:

God cares about the bonding of fathers and children and his servants ought to share this commitment. The recovery of fatherhood in the church, home, and society should not simply be ceded to social scientists or Dr. James Dobson; rather, it must be central to the strategic agenda of the Church as she witnesses to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

What is fatherhood and why does it matter? The subject is inexhaustible, but let’s focus on two aspects of fatherhood—the fatherhood of God over all creation and that of pastors and elders in the Church, the household of faith.

You can read the article in its entirety here.

read more

Books for Fathers: Thoughts for Young Men

Oct 10, 2010 by mscottfoster

Every father should own a copy of J.C. Ryle’s Thoughts for Young Men. This book is loaded with extremely biblical and practical counsel. Here is just one example of Ryle’s timeless wisdom for young men:

“You can be sure that no wicked man ever meant to be so wicked at his first beginnings. But he began with allowing himself some little sins, and that led on to something greater, and that in time produced something greater still.” (pg. 66)

What boy doesn’t need to hear this type of counsel?

You can get this book brand new for just $5.95. Whip out that credit card dad and get to work!

read more

Fathers Always Dominate

Oct 9, 2010 by mscottfoster

I posted this quote on the ClearNote Blog several days back but it is so good I thought I’d repost it here:

Because the husband is the head of the wife, he finds himself in a position of inescapable leadership. He cannot successfully refuse to lead. If he attempts to abdicate in some way, he may, through his rebellions, lead poorly. But no matter what he does, or where he goes, he does so as the head of his wife. This is how God designed marriage. He has created us as male and female in such a way as to ensure that men will always be dominant in marriage. If the husband is godly, then that dominance will not be harsh; it will be characterized by the same self-sacrificial love demonstrated by our Lord—Dominus—at the cross. If a husband tries to run away from his headship, that abdication will dominate the home. If he catches a place to the other side of the country, and stays there, he will dominate in and by his absence. How many children have grown up in a home dominated by the empty chair at the table? If the marriage is one in which the wife “wears the pants,” the wimpiness of the husband is the most obvious thing about the marriage, creating a miserable marriage and home. His abdication dominates. (Doug Wilson,Reforming Marriage)

read more