Happy Friday church family!

It’s Father’s Day this weekend – a good reminder of the importance of fathers and fatherhood. So much can be said about this! Most of us know how important fathers are – some from good examples, and some from bad. Even secular studies time and again reveal how critical the father is to the family. Yes, mothers are absolutely critical too! (It’s like the family was designed to have both to function at its best) But, as the father goes – so often, so does the family.

I was reading this morning in 1 Corinthians 4 – “coincidentally” – about fatherhood. (When it comes to the Spirit and Scripture – I don’t think there are many coincidences!) Paul is writing to the Christians in Corinth – a church that he began when on his missionary journeys through the region. He spent about 18 months there sharing the gospel and discipling new believers. But after he left, the church was struggling about who to follow, both in terms of the worldly influence (Corinth was a very prosperous and morally corrupt city), and in dividing over the leaders of the Christian movement. “I follow Paul, I follow Peter, I follow Apollos…” Paul wrote to admonish the church – telling them to get rid of moral corruption and to get rid of the disunity. All under Christ! In chapter 4 of his first letter to them, he tells them to imitate him as their spiritual father as he put EVERYTHING under Christ.

To me, this says that in some things we do have choices. We do not have a choice generally of who our fathers are – good or bad. But we do have a choice of who our spiritual fathers are. Who will it be that we model our lives after, that we learn our lessons from, that we strive to be like. Scripture again and again compares God to a perfect father, who tends His flock, who seeks out the lost sheep, who protects, who yearns for the lost prodigals, who gives good gifts. Seek Him, model your life after Him, learn your lessons from Him, strive to be like Him. That’s the highest goal we could reach for.

For those Dads modeling the love of the Father, we appreciate you and thank you!  

-- In faith, Pastor Eric

“I am writing these things . . . to warn you as my beloved children. For even if you had ten thousand others to teach you about Christ, you have only one spiritual father. For I became your father in Christ Jesus when I preached the Good News to you. So I urge you to imitate me.” 1 Corinthians 4:14-16 NLT