Participants:
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW023265S
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00:17 ♪[music ends]♪♪
00:20 >>John Bradshaw: This is "It Is Written." 00:21 I'm John Bradshaw. Thanks for joining me. 00:24 You know when Father's Day rolls around, 00:26 we love to celebrate Dad: 00:28 Dad who took me fishing when I was a boy, 00:31 Dad who came to all my games, 00:34 Dad who was always there with an encouraging word, 00:36 ♪[music]♪ 00:37 Dad who could fix everything and who sang songs 00:40 and told the best jokes and bought the best gifts, 00:43 always knew what to say, 00:45 Dad who helped me buy my first car--all of that. 00:49 It's like every dad was the best dad in the world. 00:52 I don't hear too much on Father's Day 00:54 about celebrating the average dad: 00:57 Dad who never took me fishing 00:59 but did once buy me a fishing rod, 01:01 Dad who came to the occasional game 01:03 because he was always busy working, 01:06 Dad who was kind of socially awkward, 01:08 always left the gift buying to Mum and only ever told dad jokes 01:11 and kind of left me to myself when I was buying a car 01:14 and dating and all of that. 01:16 "Happy Father's Day to a pretty good dad." 01:18 "Happy Father's Day to an average dad." 01:21 ♪[music ends]♪♪ 01:22 The fact is, not all dads are great dads. 01:26 I was fortunate. I had a good dad. 01:29 Can't say he was perfect because there's no such thing. 01:33 But take it a step further, and the awful truth is 01:36 that some dads are terrible dads: 01:39 ♪[soft music]♪ 01:40 negligent, uncaring, abusive, 01:45 hardened criminals, abandoned the family. 01:49 And Father's Day can be a bit hollow 01:51 under those circumstances. 01:53 You've got some folks at the Olive Garden handing out 01:55 a Father-of-the-Year Award 01:57 while someone else is crying themselves to sleep 02:00 because their dad was lousy. 02:02 ♪[music ends]♪♪ 02:04 In the Bible there's one perfect Father, and that's God. 02:07 He is love; He is kind; He is patient. 02:11 In fact, Peter wrote 02:12 that "the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation." 02:16 That's how profound God's patience is. 02:20 The Bible says God is faithful, 02:22 that He wants the very best for everyone, 02:24 that He's more willing to give you the Holy Spirit 02:27 than an earthly father is willing to give good gifts 02:29 to his children. 02:31 He loved you so much "that He gave His only begotten Son," 02:34 that by believing in Jesus you may have eternal life freely. 02:41 But in the Bible we find a whole slew of lousy fathers, 02:46 dads who were failures or who were failures at pivotal times. 02:51 It's interesting the Bible doesn't whitewash 02:53 the failings of people. 02:55 God didn't have to tell you about Solomon's dark side 02:58 or about Gideon who won that incredible battle 03:01 with only 300 soldiers and then led Israel into apostasy. 03:05 I mean, why tell you about the night 03:07 Lot's daughters got him drunk 03:09 or about the times Abraham, the father of the faithful, 03:12 lied through his teeth and very nearly brought calamity 03:16 upon his household? 03:18 But God tells you things so you can learn from them. 03:22 As Paul wrote to the Corinthians, 03:24 "Now all these things happened unto them for ensembles"-- 03:27 or examples--"and they are written for our admonition, 03:31 upon whom the ends of the world are come." 03:34 That's 1 Corinthians 10, verse 11. 03:36 We're to learn even from the mistakes 03:38 of the people in the Bible. 03:40 You learn from Samson that lust is a harsh taskmaster. 03:43 You learn from the faithless spies that it's better 03:46 to trust in God even when things seem overwhelming. 03:50 You learn from Achan that covetousness 03:52 leads only to bad places. 03:55 That the Bible records even the faults of men and women 03:58 is an indication of its veracity. 04:01 There's no attempt to sugarcoat or mislead or obscure 04:06 the unfortunate chapters of the past. 04:09 So let's look at the example of several bad dads in the Bible 04:14 and find out what they teach us. 04:18 The truth is Israel simply should not have wanted a king. 04:22 God was their king. 04:24 At the time, the faithful godly prophet Samuel was their leader. 04:27 But Israel wanted to be like the nations around them. 04:31 I'll tell you it's a mistake to want to imitate the customs 04:34 of those around you who are not followers of God. 04:37 It happens in the church all the time. 04:40 And it happens when families want to be like families 04:43 around them who aren't following God. 04:45 When they want to have what others have 04:47 and act like others act and go where others go, 04:50 even when it's out of harmony with the teachings of the Bible. 04:54 It's especially hard for young people 04:55 in a media-soaked society. 04:57 Everywhere they turn there are images of people 04:59 living outside the will of God. 05:02 Their friends are doing this and that. 05:05 So young people feel the strong pull 05:07 to be like the world around them. 05:09 It was no different back in the days 05:11 when Samuel was the prophet of God. 05:13 Israel wanted a king, saying to Samuel, "Look, you are old, 05:17 "and your sons do not walk in your ways. 05:20 Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations." 05:24 That's 1 Samuel 8, verse 5. 05:26 Samuel was understandably distressed. 05:28 This couldn't end well. 05:30 Future history would show it didn't end well. 05:33 But God said to Samuel, "Heed the voice of the people 05:36 "in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, 05:41 but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them." 05:45 Interesting, isn't it, that there are times 05:47 God will give you what you want, even though He knows 05:50 it's not in your best interests, 05:53 and that's because God knows it might be that realizing 05:56 your mistake will bring you to a place of repentance 05:59 and to the place where, ultimately, 06:01 you will surrender your will to Him. 06:05 It wasn't long and Saul had been anointed Israel's first king. 06:10 The Bible describes him in 1 Samuel 9, verse 2, 06:13 as "choice and handsome." 06:16 "There was not a more handsome person than he 06:18 "among the children of Israel. 06:20 "From his shoulders upward he was taller 06:22 than any of the people." 06:24 He was a fine young man. He even looked like a king. 06:28 God worked miracles to show that Saul was His man, 06:31 and Saul even prophesied 06:33 under the influence of the Holy Spirit. 06:35 It could hardly have looked better for Israel. 06:38 He was measured early on. 06:40 When a group of the people despised him, 06:42 he kept silent, didn't make a fuss. 06:45 And then when he saved the men of Jabesh-Gilead 06:47 and absolutely routed the Ammonites, 06:50 he was gracious in victory. 06:52 It looked like Israel had their man. 06:55 But that was far from the case. 06:59 Saul turned out not only to be a train wreck of a king 07:02 but a disaster of a father. 07:05 How else can you describe a man who tried to kill his son? 07:10 We'll look at that in just a moment. 07:13 ♪[music swells and ends]♪♪ 07:22 ♪[upbeat music]♪ 07:24 >>Announcer: Planning for your financial future 07:26 is a vital aspect of Christian stewardship. 07:30 For this reason, It Is Written is pleased to offer 07:33 free planned giving and estate services. 07:35 For information on how we can help you, 07:38 please call 800-992-2219. 07:42 Call today 07:43 or visit our website: 07:45 hislegacy.com. 07:47 Call 800-992-2219. 07:51 ♪[music ends]♪♪ 07:53 >>John Bradshaw: Almost everyone has issues with forgiveness. 07:55 It can be hard to forgive an ex, a teacher, a boss, 07:58 or someone who has wronged you or your family. 08:00 Forgiveness can be difficult, but there is a way to forgive. 08:04 Jesus said if we don't forgive others, God won't forgive us. 08:08 Get today's free offer, "Forgiveness," 08:10 and learn how you can forgive. 08:13 Call 800-253-3000 08:14 or visit iiwoffer.com. 08:18 "Forgiveness," 08:19 call now: 800-253-3000. 08:23 >>John Bradshaw: Thanks for joining me on "It Is Written." 08:26 God acquiesced to the demands of Israel and gave them a king. 08:30 And to begin with, things went swimmingly. 08:33 But it wasn't long and it all turned to custard. 08:36 He didn't only develop into a lousy king, 08:38 but Saul was also a terrible father. 08:43 What kind of father attempts to murder his son? 08:47 Things when downhill when Saul started depending less on God 08:52 and taking matters into his own hands. 08:55 Instead of waiting for Samuel to arrive to offer sacrifice, 08:58 Saul became impatient and offered the sacrifice himself, 09:02 something a king should never have done. 09:06 Samuel had told all Israel that their prosperity depended 09:09 on their faithfulness to God, 09:11 but Saul evidently forgot that lesson. 09:14 Then, as his son Jonathan was showing incredible bravery 09:17 in winning a decisive battle against the Philistines, 09:20 Saul issued an impulsive directive 09:23 that any of his soldiers who ate food 09:25 before the enemy was defeated would be put to death. 09:29 Jonathan had no idea about this rash decision because he was off 09:33 doing the actual fighting and eliminating Israel's foes. 09:36 And he ate something. Saul decreed Jonathan should die. 09:41 His life was saved only because Saul's soldiers intervened. 09:47 Then when Saul was told clearly to completely destroy 09:50 the Amalekites, he saved the Amalekite king 09:54 and saved the flocks and herds. 09:57 Saul had lost his way. 10:00 Then he became insanely jealous of David. 10:03 He tried to kill David many times. 10:05 Then he hunted him like an animal, 10:07 even though he knew David was the Lord's anointed. 10:10 On one occasion when Jonathan interceded for David-- 10:14 David was his dearest friend-- 10:16 Saul was so enraged that he threw a spear 10:20 at his own son, attempting to take his life. 10:24 Saul goes down in the annals of history 10:26 as a catastrophic failure, 10:29 not only as a king but also as a father. 10:33 And, of course, it need not have been that way. 10:37 The reason Saul failed in life was that he was ambitious 10:41 for his own glory. 10:44 He had been humble and teachable. 10:47 As Samuel told Saul, things went well when he was 10:50 "little in [his] own [sight]." 10:53 It's not that he made mistakes; every father does. 10:56 Even big mistakes can be overcome. 10:58 Children will forgive big mistakes. 11:01 But Saul willingly separated himself from God. 11:07 Fathers who make mistakes are what we call...fathers. 11:12 They are human. 11:15 But the real fault is in stepping away from God. 11:19 We learn something from this bad dad. 11:22 It's never good to live in disobedience towards God. 11:26 You cannot be a successful father that way. 11:29 It's good to do well, to try to be the best that you can be, 11:32 but doing that for your own glory and not for God's glory 11:37 is a recipe for disaster. 11:39 ♪[soft music]♪ 11:40 Dad, take God with you. Put God first. 11:45 Live in obedience to God. 11:47 Surrender your will to His. 11:50 That's where the power is. That's where success is. 11:54 That's how you can be a positive influence as a father. 11:57 Live in connection with your Father, your heavenly Father. 12:02 A successful dad depends upon God. 12:06 ♪[music ends]♪♪ 12:07 There are two more bad dads we're going to look at. 12:09 One had every opportunity to learn from the mistakes 12:12 of those who came before him. 12:14 Another raised his children in the church, 12:16 like, right in the church, and they turned out rotten-- 12:21 so rotten that God took drastic action against them. 12:25 Eli was a priest in Shiloh, which is where the sanctuary 12:28 was located before the time of the kings. 12:30 Eli was a priest and a judge and was instrumental 12:33 in instructing young Samuel and guiding him to a life 12:37 of faithfulness to God. 12:38 But where it mattered most, at home, Eli dropped the ball. 12:44 He governed the people but failed to govern his own sons. 12:49 He raised his sons literally in the church. 12:54 Being a priest, his sons were always at the sanctuary. 12:57 You know, you hear sometimes about PKs, pastors' kids, 13:00 and about how sometimes they don't turn out well. 13:02 Well, even though that does happen, 13:04 it's not the fault of the church, and, should I say, 13:07 even though that happens sometimes, 13:09 plenty of PKs turn out great. 13:12 Those that don't, don't because that's the path they've chosen, 13:17 and it may be, as in the example of Eli's sons, 13:21 maybe because their father did an awful job. 13:25 Now, no one has to be a super father. 13:28 There are some of those, 13:29 but that's out of the reach of many men. 13:31 They don't have enough money to be always taking the kids 13:34 on fantastic vacations, 13:35 don't have the time to be hunting and fishing 13:37 and going on great adventures together, 13:39 might not have the IQ or the creativity or the opportunity 13:42 to do all the great stuff, the great dad stuff 13:46 that other dads do. 13:47 Well, I'll tell ya: That's unimportant. 13:51 You can't do what you can't do, 13:54 and you can't be what you can't be. 13:56 But you can follow the law, and you can be faithful. 14:03 God's blessing on a parent's role 14:05 is what is absolutely imperative. 14:08 If God wanted you to be just like someone else, 14:11 He'd have made you just like someone else. 14:13 You can be you and a great dad. 14:20 With Eli, it wasn't a lack of opportunity or talent or wit 14:25 or anything of that nature. 14:27 It was a lack of backbone to control his kids. 14:31 I'll give you an example. 14:32 I sat on a plane once for seven hours 14:34 and endured the misfortune of sitting in front 14:36 of a couple of rambunctious young children. 14:39 It seemed like they were about 2 and 4. 14:41 These kids weren't just rowdy; 14:43 they kicked the seats and pounded the seats. 14:46 I'm talking about my seat. 14:48 And they put the tray table down and pounded on the tray table, 14:54 and they wouldn't stop. 14:55 And dad, with them, just sat there. 15:00 There was the occasional "shh," but that was it. 15:03 He just watched them, basically just cheered them on. 15:09 Now, I didn't say anything. 15:10 It's tough having a couple of little kids on a plane, 15:12 and I realize they were most likely just tired and hungry. 15:16 But all of a sudden, the kids were quiet. 15:19 I turned slightly to try to see what had happened. 15:23 What had happened was dad had disappeared, 15:26 and now mom was sitting with the kids. 15:30 She leaned in, showed interest in them, engaged them, 15:34 and they were happy. 15:36 And about 20 other people, including me, were happy. 15:41 Mom took control. 15:44 That's what you do. 15:45 The kids don't call the shots--they're kids. 15:49 Now, mom wasn't overbearing, she wasn't loud, 15:51 she wasn't demanding, there were no threats, 15:53 she was present, and she clearly helped the kids to see 15:57 that there were boundaries that they shouldn't cross. 16:01 Eli allowed his children to control him. 16:05 He hadn't impressed upon them 16:06 the importance of reverence for God. 16:08 They corrupted the sanctuary service, doing awful things. 16:12 Hophni and Phinehas had been brought up 16:13 to think of no one but themselves. 16:17 The Bible says, 16:18 "The sin of the young men was very great before the Lord: 16:22 for men abhorred the offering of the Lord." 16:25 First Samuel 2, verse 17. 16:28 One poorly governed family, one permissive father 16:33 brought so much distress to that whole society. 16:38 The same chapter tells us that when "Eli was very old," 16:42 he remonstrated with the boys, 16:44 who by now were immoral and corrupt. 16:47 But the Bible says, 16:48 "Nevertheless they did not heed the voice of their father." 16:53 God's message to Eli was, 16:55 "You...honor your sons more than me." 17:00 This is where those famous words were uttered: 17:02 "Them that honour me I will honour, 17:05 and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed." 17:08 First Samuel 2, verse 30. 17:11 What you had was a father who made a high profession. 17:14 He was a priest and a judge. 17:16 It's not simply that his kids were bad. 17:18 The best parent can sometimes have children 17:21 that just don't turn out well for a plethora of reasons. 17:24 Children have freedom of choice. 17:26 When they exercise it badly, that's on them. 17:30 But this was different. 17:31 This bad dad, Eli, teaches us that indulgent parenting 17:35 doesn't end well. 17:37 Hophni and Phinehas died in a battle 17:39 in which the Philistines took the Ark of the Covenant. 17:42 One of them left a pregnant wife, whose son, Ichabod, 17:45 would never know his dad. 17:47 Eli just needed to guide his children. 17:51 Anyone can do that. 17:53 He wouldn't, and the consequences were dire. 17:58 And there's one more bad dad I want to look at with you. 18:01 We can learn from these men, whether we're fathers, mothers, 18:04 or none of the above. 18:06 What can we learn from the bad dad 18:09 who really should have known better? 18:12 We'll find out in just a moment. 18:15 ♪[music swells and ends]♪♪ 18:25 >>John: Thank you for remembering that It Is Written 18:27 exists because of the kindness of people just like you. 18:30 To support this international life-changing ministry, 18:33 please call us now at 800-253-3000. 18:37 You can send your tax-deductible gift 18:39 to the address on your screen, 18:40 or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 18:44 Thank you for your prayers and for your financial support. 18:47 Our number again is 800-253-3000, 18:51 or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 18:55 ♪[piano music]♪ 18:56 >>John: Throughout the Bible, mothers have played 18:58 an important role in advancing the kingdom of God: 19:02 Eve, Sarah, Rebekah, Jochebed, 19:06 Naomi, Elizabeth, Mary. 19:10 But no mother has had a greater impact 19:12 on the growth of God's kingdom 19:15 than a mother found in the heart of Revelation. 19:19 Don't miss "A Mother at War" 19:22 as we trace history from the war in heaven 19:25 all the way down to earth's last days. 19:28 You'll encounter a great red dragon with seven heads 19:31 and 10 horns, a pregnant woman who has to fight 19:35 to save the life of her newborn. 19:37 You'll be witness to the battle of the ages 19:40 and see the ultimate victory of Christ and His church. 19:45 "A Mother at War," 19:48 brought to you by It Is Written TV. 19:52 ♪[music ends]♪♪ 19:56 >>John Bradshaw: You'd think that with such a glaring example 19:58 of a bad dad right in his own midst, 20:00 David would have figured things out. 20:03 Now again, you have kids that don't turn out well; 20:06 sometimes that's not on you. 20:08 And let's acknowledge this: Even when it is on you, 20:12 it's not too late to do something about it. 20:16 So many people wish they'd done things differently 20:18 when they were younger. 20:19 Well, parenting can be difficult. 20:21 Children are complicated animals. 20:23 You can do everything right, 20:25 and still it doesn't quite go like you wish it would have. 20:29 Don't condemn yourself. Don't berate yourself. 20:32 Call out to God and ask God to intervene. 20:35 Love your children now, 20:37 even if they're adults with children of their own. 20:40 Let them see God work in your life. 20:43 And pray for them. 20:44 Pray that God will give them a revelation of Himself. 20:47 Many people turn around and come to faith in God 20:49 later in life. 20:51 Don't ever think it's over. 20:54 I know of one dear woman whose son walked out on God 20:57 the day he left high school. 20:59 She didn't stop praying for him, and she saw him come back 21:02 to faith in Jesus when she was 99 years old. 21:07 Don't give up. 21:12 So what was it with David? 21:13 He'd been called "a man after God's own heart." 21:16 Like Saul, he was hand-selected by God. 21:19 The thing with David was this: 21:22 When he made mistakes, he repented. 21:25 He turned back to God. 21:27 He never got so discouraged 21:29 that he refused to turn to God in faith. 21:33 His prayer, as found in the 51st psalm, was, 21:35 "Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: 21:39 "wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.... 21:42 "Create in me a clean heart, O God; 21:46 and renew a right spirit within me." 21:50 So why am I including David in a list of bad dads? 21:54 Simple. 21:55 Good dads don't take another man's wife. 21:59 By the time David took Bathsheba, 22:01 he already had a coterie of wives. 22:03 There was Michal-- Saul's daughter-- 22:05 Ahinoam, Abigail, Maacah, Haggith, Abital, and Eglah. 22:10 But one night David walked upon the roof of his home 22:13 and noticed a beautiful woman bathing. 22:16 It may well have been that he noticed her innocently. 22:18 We're not told. But what happened next was not innocent. 22:23 Now, it's one thing for David to be influenced 22:25 by the prevailing customs of the day. 22:27 Oh, I'm not excusing his actions, 22:29 but polygamy had become a thing by then, 22:30 and maybe David was just caught up in all of that. 22:34 Maybe that's why he had more than one wife. 22:36 Not right, not acceptable, 22:39 but maybe that's part of why he did it. 22:41 But cultural norms did not influence him 22:44 to send messengers to bring Bathsheba to him 22:47 after finding out that she was, and I quote, 22:49 "the wife of Uriah the Hittite." 22:52 What happened next was inexcusable 22:55 and led to the death of a marriage, the death of a man, 22:58 and the death of an innocent child. 23:01 Good dads don't jeopardize their family. 23:04 They don't take what isn't theirs, 23:06 especially on this scale. 23:08 David's immorality brought reproach and hardship 23:12 on the entire kingdom of Israel. 23:15 But it doesn't end there. 23:17 When Amnon forced his sister Tamar, David didn't act. 23:22 The Bible says "David heard of all these things, 23:25 [and] was very angry." 23:27 But he didn't intervene. 23:30 Absalom, a brother of both Tamar and Amnon, 23:32 was so furious that he bided his time 23:36 and then killed his brother. 23:38 It's hard to imagine that would have happened 23:40 if David had simply assumed his role 23:42 as the leader of the family. 23:44 And when Absalom fled-- three years he was gone-- 23:48 David didn't go to see him. 23:50 The rift between the king and his son widened so far 23:53 that it culminated in full-blown rebellion 23:55 on the part of Absalom. 23:57 David, the great king, saw his kingdom rent in two, 24:02 and it could have been avoided. 24:04 ♪[soft somber music]♪ 24:05 We know how it ended: 24:06 Absalom died in battle. 24:09 David's heart was broken. 24:12 Regret may have had a lot to do with the anguish that he felt. 24:16 No, we're not asking that David be perfect, 24:19 but this wasn't a man who promised ice cream 24:21 and then didn't follow through. 24:23 This was a man who simply didn't take responsibility 24:25 when he needed to. 24:27 He could have stepped in after Amnon's disgraceful act. 24:30 He could have talked with Absalom. 24:32 He could have loved the man. 24:34 But he failed to act when he should have. 24:37 That's bad dad stuff. 24:39 ♪[music ends]♪♪ 24:41 But we can learn from that. 24:43 We can learn from Saul's failings to submit to God, 24:45 obey God, and bring faith in God into parenting. 24:49 We can learn from Eli that being indulgent might be 24:52 the path of least resistance, but it's not good parenting. 24:56 Discipline is discipling. 24:59 Eli had a responsibility to show his sons 25:02 their responsibility before God. 25:04 But he let his children run amok, 25:07 and he didn't restrain them. 25:09 And we learn from David that for a parent 25:11 to have a good relationship with their children, 25:13 there has to be communication. 25:15 Ya have to address situations. 25:17 And you have to live a moral life. 25:19 Lust and immorality are ruinous. 25:22 Don't go there. Just don't. 25:25 And remember, there is power in the Holy Spirit 25:29 to keep you moral if you'll surrender to God 25:33 and accept that power. 25:36 Bad dads, we can learn from them. 25:39 If you see something in your father's example 25:41 that falls short--and no doubt you probably do-- 25:45 then learn from that. 25:46 Let it grow you. Don't repeat those mistakes. 25:50 Let the failings of your parents or your own missteps 25:54 urge you toward being a better parent, a better spouse, 25:59 a better citizen, and, most importantly, 26:02 a fully committed believer in Jesus. 26:05 ♪[music ends]♪♪ 26:07 >>John: Almost everyone has issues with forgiveness. 26:10 It can be hard to forgive an ex, a teacher, a boss, 26:13 or someone who has wronged you or your family. 26:16 Forgiveness can be difficult, but there is a way to forgive. 26:19 Jesus said if we don't forgive others, God won't forgive us. 26:23 Get today's free offer, "Forgiveness," 26:25 and learn how you can forgive. 26:27 Call 800-253-3000 26:30 or visit iiwoffer.com. 26:33 "Forgiveness," 26:34 call now: 800-253-3000. 26:38 Let me pray with you now. 26:40 Our Father in heaven, 26:41 in Jesus' name we thank You that You are a perfect Father, 26:45 a loving Father, a patient Father, a truly good Father. 26:49 ♪[soft music]♪ 26:50 We thank You for our earthly fathers. 26:53 And even if they're not perfect, 26:54 we thank You for their many good attributes, 26:57 for the blessings that they have bestowed upon us, 27:00 and the blessing they've been to us. 27:02 Give us grace to learn from our parents, even the faulty ones, 27:06 that those mistakes don't have to be repeated, 27:08 and those generational dysfunctions 27:10 don't have to be perpetuated. 27:12 And I pray that we would mostly learn from You, 27:16 that as we read the Bible and see Your goodness 27:18 and Your love, we would want to be like You. 27:20 And I pray You would be especially close to every dad 27:24 and allow every dad who wishes to do so to reflect Jesus 27:27 to those around us, in particular, his children. 27:30 We thank You, we love You, 27:32 we ask Your blessing, 27:33 and we pray in Jesus' name. 27:35 Amen. 27:37 Thank you so much for joining me. 27:38 I look forward to seeing you again next time. 27:40 Until then, remember: 27:42 "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, 27:46 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" 27:51 ♪[dramatic theme music]♪ 28:25 ♪[music ends]♪♪ |
Revised 2023-06-15