For Christian dads
God gives fathers a clear job:
"Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."
Ephesians 6:4 ESV
You don't need a seminary degree to do it. You need an open Bible, a few minutes, and the humility to go first.
A five-minute family habit
- Read a short passage out loud. Today's reading on the podcast works, or one chapter of a Gospel.
- Ask one question: "What does this show us about God?"
- Pray one sentence each. Kids can pray too.
Do it again tomorrow. Faithful beats fancy.
"You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise."
Deuteronomy 6:7 ESV
What leading at home looks like
- Go first. Let your kids see you read, pray, confess sin, and ask forgiveness.
- Be gentle and steady. Paul tells fathers not to provoke their children. Firm and warm go together.
- Keep the gospel clear. Obedience matters, but your kids need to know Jesus saves sinners, including dads. The gospel asks for repentance and faith, and obedience grows as its fruit.
- Love their mother. Kids learn what Christ's love looks like by watching how you treat her (Ephesians 5:25).
- Get them to church. Sit under the Word together every Lord's Day.
"But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
Joshua 24:15 ESV, partial