Fathers Teaching Children
Pastor Tan Thai · Jun 1, 2025
This sermon presents the biblical role of fathers and mothers in nurturing and educating children according to God's principles. Parents are called to teach and discipline children with the Lord's correction and instruction, avoiding provoking their anger, and guiding them toward righteousness. Understanding this spiritual responsibility exceeds any earthly honor or achievement.
The sermon opens by establishing a theological foundation for the role of fathers and mothers in the family. The preacher cites Ephesians 6:1-4 to show that children must obey their parents in the Lord, which is right and brings blessing. At the same time, parents are given a sacred mission: to nurture their children in the Lord's discipline and instruction, without provoking their anger. This foundation is reinforced by God's promise that the righteous will leave a heritage of blessing to their children.
The second section develops the spiritual relationship between children and God the Father. The sermon emphasizes that through Christ, all people become children of God through faith. The Holy Spirit dwells in our hearts and testifies that we are children of God. God's love is revealed through Christ's sacrifice on the cross, and God's discipline of those He loves is evidence of His parental care. This helps earthly parents understand that disciplining their children is an expression of love, not cruelty.
The third section addresses the practical problem of parental anger and how to manage it. The preacher warns that parents must not provoke their children to anger and cites Ephesians 4:26-27 about not allowing anger to lead to sin. The sermon poses searching questions: "What am I angry about? Is it justified? What do I want to change?" These questions help parents examine their hearts and recognize moments when anger might damage their relationship with their children.
The fourth section emphasizes the positive role of parents in teaching their children. Proverbs 22:6 reminds us to train a child in the way he should go, and even when old he will not depart from it. The preacher also cites 1 Corinthians 3:6 to show that parents are responsible for "planting" and "watering" but God is the One who causes growth. This helps parents realize they are not omnipotent but dependent on God.
The sermon concludes with a powerful story from a military general. He says he was proud to be a soldier, but infinitely more proud to be a father. A soldier must destroy to build, but a father only builds and never destroys. His final hope is that when he dies, his son will remember his father not as a general from battle, but as a father in the family. This reminds parents that the true legacy they leave is not military conquest or power, but deep spiritual influence and affection within the family.