DADs…

One of my all time favorite Christian Groups is 4HIM. One of my all time favorite songs that they sing is called the “Measure of a Man”.  

The chorus goes like this:

 Oh, I say the measure of a man

Is not how tall you stand

How wealthy or intelligent you are

'Cause I've found out the measure of a man

God knows and understands

For He looks inside to the bottom of your heart

And what's in the heart defines the man…

DADs, How is your heart condition today? 

How does your heart measure up to God’s standards?

Society tells us that the measure of the man is how the world judges us.

Society places us on the world scale.

God’s scale is much different. God measures us from the inside out!

Matthew 6:21- For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

DADs, do not let the world measure you but let God be your judge.

Do the things that leads to a heart conditionthat focuses on being the man 

God can fully use as His hands and feet. 

Be the DADand the husband God praises. 

Be the man that has a heart for Jesus in all that you say and do!

DADs…“get in the game”

Today is game day…and so is every day…

God gives you! So…C’mon DADs…Suit Up!

Dr. Jeff Springer

Dads, 

I used to hate to stretch, during team calisthenics I was the one just acting like I was stretching. Especially when it had to do with mid section core. Sit-ups. Not sure that I hate any other exercise more than doing sit ups.

Even in the weight room I dreaded the sit up station. I flourished at the push ups but avoided my core. 

DADs, even today I do all other stretches or workouts before I work my core! 

Why? Two reasons. 

Its hurts! And it doesn’t always show immediate results! 

Isn’t that what we all want, little pain and immediate results?

DADs, why is it the same sometimes in our spiritual walk? 

Even when we know it will make us a better we sometimes choose the easier path?

In the physical sense we know what's good for us, working on our core will make us stronger, faster, and better for our team and teammates, but we get distracted.

The same holds true now in our adult roles as husband and DAD. We can be detoured and shy away from church, Bible study, and prayer. All things that would only strengthen our families.

As a coach, I would ask my players; Do your individual goals outweigh your team or are your team goals more important than your personal goals?

As your brother in Christ and a Minister of Men, I would in regards to your spirtual growth ask, does what matters least serve as an obstacle for what matters most?

You see football is a team sport. When you work on your core you are working on your team. As long as your core values includes putting the team before your individual goals.

As the leader of your family, the DAD, WE can NEVER place outside priorities ahead of our “team”, our most precious gifts, our families! 

That means working on our spiritual Core daily!

As the coach, do you know the players I most admire? The ones that come to work every day. Early to practice. Last off the field. First to volunteer to run scout team. Always have their helmet on during the game but at the same time rarely plays. Wow. The difference in most games, when it comes down to the best teams, are not always the best players, but the strength of the CORE players. If our core players better prepared than theirs it can influence the result. The core becomes difference. 

DADs, the difference in your family is YOU! 

The outside world wants to celebrate the starters. The one that scores the winning TD. Believe me, as a coach I loved those too. They made me a great coach at times. 

But when one of those players is also a CORE player, humble and acknowledges that his success is based on the team, thats special. 

As DADs we may not look like the superstars to others, often not even to our own families, but we must be consistent and unwavering in working on our spiritual core!

Hebrews 10:24-25: 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

C- compassion for all

O- pen to coaching

R- relentless to be better

E - levates those around him

Be the DADtoday and everyday! Suit Up! Put on your Core!

DADs…do not stand on the sidelines of life…get off the bench…

“get in the game”…Today is game day…and so is every day…

God gives you!

So…C’mon men…Suit Up!

Dr. Jeff Springer

DADs,

How do you demonstrate obedience at home? 

Although in Ephesians Paul talks about “mutual” submission between a husband and his wife, it is the man that needs to take the lead and model that spiritual example.

Obedience in our walk starts in the home. God give many of us the precious gift of a life partner in our wives and precious legacies in our children.

If we cannot practice intentional obedience with our family it will not matter that we are obedient at work!

Paul writes in Ephesians 5:25-28:

25Husbands, love your wives, just as also Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26to make her holy, cleansing her in the washing of water by the word. 27He did this to present the church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but holy and blameless. 28In the same way, husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.

 Ephesians 6:4:

4And fathers, don't stir up anger in your children, but bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

DADs, if our faith and obedience is real it will usually prove itself first at home, in our relationships with those who know us best!

In what family relationship do you need obedience the most? 

What are the primary obstacles that are keeping you from practicing obedience in your home?

DADs, remember obedience is God’s command.

DADs…“get in the game”…Today is game day…and so is every day…God gives you! So…C’mon DADs…Suit Up!

DADs,

What do you say or do at work that communicates to your co-workers, bosses, customers, and others your obedience?  

Is your obedience at work only obvious in the “big” things or is your obedience apparent to others in the day to day plans and activities? 

At what point during the day do you hand your day over to God? 

Is it in the disappointments of a failure or in your successes?  

In 2 Chronicles 17& 18:

Ezra writes about one of Judah’s Kings, King Jehoshaphat.    

The king’s strengths and accomplishments included that he was a bold follower 

of God and carried out a national program of religious education.

2 Chronicles 17:3 & 4:

Now the LORD was with Jehoshaphat because he walked in the former 

ways of his father David. 

He did not seek the Baals but sought the God of his father and walked 

by His commands, not according to the practices of Israel.

But Ezra also wrote of Jehoshaphat’s lack of obedience in the little things 

that can often become the big things.

2 Chronicles 18:1: Ezra writes:

Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance, and he made an alliance 

with Ahab through marriage.

Jehoshaphat allowed his son to marry the daughter of the wicked Ahab. 

Without asking God he made an alliance with Ahab and later got involved with 

Ahab’s son in a venture that was shipwrecked by God. 

DADs, God wants all of us, not just when the odds are clearly against us!

God wants to be in our business, even in the details.

DADs, while on the job, what are the ways you can ensure obedience in your work 

day for the future? 

How can you model obedience in all your words and deeds?

Next week, we will continue this conversation on obedience at work and look at how your position at work can be a mission field.

DADs…“get in the game”…Today is game day…and so is every day…God gives you!

So…C’mon men…Suit Up!

Suiting Up! 

Dr. Jeff Springer