June 15th 2014 Father's Day-Men of True Strength

What does it take to be a great father?  Lots of Strength!

In this message we explore the biblical picture of what it means to be a man of true strength and how we can become one.

If you want a study tool to go along with the podcast, see Lift Notes here:

Father’s Day 2014: Men of True Strength

June 15, 2014 by Kasey Crawford

Today’s Passages: Genesis 32:22-29; Psalm 18:1-39; Mark 1:11; John 13:21-25,34; Matt 26:37-8

 

The key issue of fatherhood is being a man of ____________ so that we have ___________ ___________ to offer in whatever challenging situation comes our way as fathers and spiritual fathers.

 

There are lots of cultural myths out there about what it means to be a man…but there is really only one way of becoming a man of true strength: find your ______________ in and from God.

 

3 men of true strength we will look at today: Jacob, David, Jesus

 

Jacob: Genesis 32:22-29

Every young man asks themselves the questions: “who am I as a man?” and “what does it ________ to be a man?”

______ answers that question for you is very important.

 

Jacob had been told his whole life a message about who he was. His name was Jacob, which means “heel grasper”, inferring a ____________ character.

 

After wrestling for a while God says to him, “what is your name?”. That is a question about identity. And the man responds, Jacob, or “deceitful one.” And God (paraphrased) says “no, no that is not who I made you to be. That is not the name I have for you. My identity for you is ‘Israel’”, which means “__________ _____ ________”, inferring one who goes deep with God, or who strives to know God.

How did Israel find his true identity?

He made a priority to be alone with God and wrestle until the old _______ were gone and how God ________ him was embraced.

 

David: Psalm 18:1-39

David is a confident man of strength because:

        He knows who he is in God’s ________-“He rescued me because He delights in me.” Ps 18:19

He knows what God ___ ________ and what he can count on God to do- “Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer” 18:2

 

Jesus: “You are my beloved son with whom I am well pleased.”

Because Jesus’ identity was secure in God he had the strength:

to say: “I _________ you.” John 13:34

to share ____________ and ask for _________ . Matt 26:37-38

to show tender _______________. John 13:21-25

 

 

More than anything else, our kids need fathers who know who they are ____ _______.

 

Man of True Strength Challenge:

To be the man/father/husband/friend our family needs us to be, we need to get alone with God and wrestle until the old lies about our identity are gone and how God sees us is embraced.

 

Have you had those times away from any other distraction where God has spoken to you and said: “this is who you are in my eyes?”

 

Are you making time regularly to get to know what God is like and what He promises you can count on Him to do?

 

What else is God saying to you? What are you going to do about it?

 

 

*answers: strength, good, fruit, identity, mean, who, deceitful, strives with God, lies, sees, eyes, is, like, love, feelings, help, affection, in, God

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