subject: God Wants To Use You [print this page] Thats your daughter, CathyThats your daughter, Cathy. Ken, stand up just for a second. In fact, perfect. The Lord had this planned. Right here on the stage. Now, put your camera down for a second. Ken takes all of our pictures for our bulletin and he does a fantastic job. Okay, Ken, turn like this. Cathy, stand up very quickly. Im talking about discipline now. Cathy, you turn and face this way. Now, Ken, as youre facing this way, take your hand and kind of make a fist out of it. Take this arm and do this. Okay, now let me come up here and look. Ken is a hammer. Alright? God tells us in His Word that fathers are instruments of discipline, that God uses fathers as tools to form daughters and sons into Gods image.
So, dads, think about it. What an important role! We are tools in Gods toolbox, and when our fathers discipline us, in love, let me rush to say, with your best interest in mind, God will use fathers to chip away the excess, the things that keep us from really being the kind of person God wants us to be; and many times when were disciplining, we say, Oh no! Come on Dad! Youre being so unfair. This is ridiculous! Remember, Gods tools. Thank you so much. [Applause].
S stands for spirituality. We have a need for a spiritual leader. We really do; and dads, God wants to use you to model, to teach, to mark your children in the most important way possible, which is to mark them with Christ. We have a spiritual hunger. Dads, what kind of models are you in this regard? You cant give your children something that you dont have, and we have to have this personal relationship.
Im not talking about religion; Im talking about a personal relationship with the Living Lord, and if we know Christ, we cannot wait to share the most important treasure with our wives and with our children. Ed-Young People talk to me now and then and theyll say, Ed, my family is all messed up. My wife nags. This and that. My children have turned their backs on me. Most of the time, fathers, because you have been given the leadership role, its because we have living rebellion, living sin in our lives. Fathers, picture yourselves as a giant umbrella over your family, and every time we sin a hole is created. We sin again; another hole is created.
