Wisdom for Family Relations:
Part 8
THE INSTRUCTIONS
OF A FATHER
1 Listen, my sons, to a father's instruction;
pay attention and gain understanding.
2 I give you sound learning, so do not forsake
my teaching.
3 When I was a boy in my father's house, still
tender, and an only child of my mother,
4 he taught me and said, "Lay hold of my
words with all your heart; keep my
commands and you will live.
5 Get wisdom, get understanding; do not
forget my words or swerve from them.
Proverbs 4:1-10 (NIV)
6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect
you; love her, and she will watch over you.
7 Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom.
Though it cost all you have, get
understanding.
8 Esteem her, and she will exalt you; embrace
her, and she will honor you.
9 She will set a garland of grace on your head
and present you with a crown of splendor."
10 Listen, my son, accept what I say, and the
years of your life will be many.
Proverbs 4:1-10 (NIV)
A boy’s view:
"Father’s Day is just like
Mother’s Day, only you
don’t spend as much on
the gift."
“If you want to know
what kind of father you
were, don’t look at your
children; look at your
grandchildren.”
-Dwight L. Moody
Genesis 18:19
19 For I have chosen him, so that he will
direct his children and his household after
him to keep the way of the LORD by doing
what is right and just, so that the LORD
will bring about for Abraham what he has
promised him."
1 Listen, my sons, to a father's instruction;
pay attention and gain understanding.
2 I give you sound learning, so do not forsake
my teaching.
3 When I was a boy in my father's house, still
tender, and an only child of my mother,
4 he taught me and said, "Lay hold of my
words with all your heart; keep my
commands and you will live.
5 Get wisdom, get understanding; do not
forget my words or swerve from them.
Proverbs 4:1-10 (NIV)
I. MIND YOUR OBLIGATION: (vs. 1-2)
1 Listen, my sons, to a father's instruction;
pay attention and gain understanding.
2 I give you sound learning, so do not forsake
my teaching.
3 When I was a boy in my father's house, still
tender, and an only child of my mother,
4 he taught me and said, "Lay hold of my
words with all your heart; keep my
commands and you will live.
5 Get wisdom, get understanding; do not
forget my words or swerve from them.
Proverbs 4:1-10 (NIV)
6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect
you; love her, and she will watch over you.
7 Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom.
Though it cost all you have, get
understanding.
8 Esteem her, and she will exalt you; embrace
her, and she will honor you.
9 She will set a garland of grace on your head
and present you with a crown of splendor."
10 Listen, my son, accept what I say, and the
years of your life will be many.
Proverbs 4:1-10 (NIV)
6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect
you; love her, and she will watch over you.
7 Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom.
Though it cost all you have, get
understanding.
8 Esteem her, and she will exalt you; embrace
her, and she will honor you.
9 She will set a garland of grace on your head
and present you with a crown of splendor."
10 Listen, my son, accept what I say, and the
years of your life will be many.
Proverbs 4:1-10 (NIV)
6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect
you; love her, and she will watch over you.
7 Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom.
Though it cost all you have, get
understanding.
8 Esteem her, and she will exalt you; embrace
her, and she will honor you.
9 She will set a garland of grace on your head
and present you with a crown of splendor."
10 Listen, my son, accept what I say, and the
years of your life will be many.
Proverbs 4:1-10 (NIV)
6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect
you; love her, and she will watch over you.
7 Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom.
Though it cost all you have, get
understanding.
8 Esteem her, and she will exalt you; embrace
her, and she will honor you.
9 She will set a garland of grace on your head
and present you with a crown of splendor."
10 Listen, my son, accept what I say, and the
years of your life will be many.
Proverbs 4:1-10 (NIV)
6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect
you; love her, and she will watch over you.
7 Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom.
Though it cost all you have, get
understanding.
8 Esteem her, and she will exalt you; embrace
her, and she will honor you.
9 She will set a garland of grace on your head
and present you with a crown of splendor."
10 Listen, my son, accept what I say, and the
years of your life will be many.
Proverbs 4:1-10 (NIV)
You can leave your children money, but
eventually they will spend it. You can leave
your children property, but eventually they
will sell it. You can leave your family trinkets
and toys, but eventually they will either lose
them or give them away. But when you leave
them wisdom, your gift lasts forever.
- Dr. James Merritt
U.S. Census Bureau
• 24 million children in America, one out
of every three children, live in biological
father-absent homes
6 Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect
you; love her, and she will watch over you.
7 Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom.
Though it cost all you have, get
understanding.
8 Esteem her, and she will exalt you; embrace
her, and she will honor you.
9 She will set a garland of grace on your head
and present you with a crown of splendor."
10 Listen, my son, accept what I say, and the
years of your life will be many.
Proverbs 4:1-10 (NIV)
II. MODEL YOUR OBEDIENCE: (vs. 3-4)
1 Listen, my sons, to a father's instruction;
pay attention and gain understanding.
2 I give you sound learning, so do not forsake
my teaching.
3 When I was a boy in my father's house, still
tender, and an only child of my mother,
4 he taught me and said, "Lay hold of my
words with all your heart; keep my
commands and you will live.
5 Get wisdom, get understanding; do not
forget my words or swerve from them.
Proverbs 4:1-10 (NIV)
“We live in a world in which real heroes are scarce
and we have to settle for substitutes, such as
overrated movie stars and overpaid athletes and
rock singers, people who are famous only for
being famous and, of course, for being rich. Even
some of our favorite heroes of history have been
reclassified by revisionist historians so that their
achievements don’t shine as gloriously as they
once did. So, whether you’re reading a history
textbook, or Time, you’re probably finding it more
and more difficult to discover somebody worthy of
admiration, somebody you can call a hero or a
heroine.
-Dr. Warren Wiersbe(Preaching and Teaching with Imagination)
He teaches kindness by being thoughtful and
gracious even at home.
He teaches patience by being gentle and
understanding over and over.
He teaches honesty by keeping his promises to
his family even when it costs.
He teaches courage by living unafraid with faith,
in all circumstances.
He teaches justice by being fair and dealing
equally with everyone.
He teaches obedience to God's Word by precept
and example as he reads and prays daily with his
family.
He teaches love for God and His Church as he
takes his family regularly to all the services.
His steps are important because others follow.
Unknown
II. MODEL YOUR OBEDIENCE: (vs. 3-4)
James 3:1 (NIV)
1 Not many of you should presume to be
teachers, my brothers, because you know
that we who teach will be judged more
strictly.
III. MAXIMIZE YOUR OPPORTUNITY:
The average teen in our
churches spends only 2
minutes a day in meaningful
dialogue with his dad. 25%
of these teens say they have
never had a meaningful
conversation with their
father--a talk centered
on the teens' interests.
Josh McDowell
(The Dad’s Difference)
III. MAXIMIZE YOUR OPPORTUNITY:
Proverbs 22:6 (NIV)
6 Train a child in the way he should go,
and when he is old he will not turn
from it.
III. MAXIMIZE YOUR OPPORTUNITY:
Proverbs 22:6 (NIV)
6 Train a child in the way he should go,
and when he is old he will not turn
from it.
III. MAXIMIZE YOUR OPPORTUNITY:
Proverbs 22:6 (NIV)
6 Train a child in the way he should go,
and when he is old he will not turn
from it.
“The greatest love we can
lavish upon our children is
to train them in the fear
of God, equip them for
life, and then release
them.”
-Dr. Floyd McClung
Wisdom for Family Relations:
Part 8
THE INSTRUCTIONS
OF A FATHER