GCV Blog

Grace Church of the Valley blog.

This week in our Men’s Bible Study we enjoyed studying Ephesians 6:4, where earthly fathers are commanded to discipline and instruct their children in the Lord, rather than provoke them to anger. What a blessing to consider the paramount responsibility that lies upon fathers with their children. As our culture celebrates Father’s Day, I trust that you will celebrate true biblical fatherhood.

We gather this morning most importantly as sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father. What a marvel to say “Our Father in heaven...” (Matt. 6:9) and to celebrate the reality that we, through Christ’s substitutionary work, “receive adoption as sons” (Gal. 4:5). Your Father loves you in Christ (Col. 3:12), instructs you through the Word (Jn. 17:17), and disciplines you for holiness (Heb. 12:3-12). This morning, allow me to encourage you to first celebrate your relationship to your Heavenly Father. As the author of Hebrews states,

For [earthly fathers] disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it (Heb. 12:10-11 ESV).

What a God we serve! We stand forgiven, adopted, loved, and disciplined in the gracious family of Father God. May we honor earthly fathers today and everyday (Eph. 6:2), and may Grace Church fathers strive for godliness as the leaders of our children to praise of Father God’s glorious grace through His only begotten Son!