How Do I Raise my Daughter to be a Godly Lady?

Isn't she wonderful?  Of course she is ... she's mine!

As fellas, it is not as easy raising a girl as it is a boy.  Baiting a hook, defending a woman's honor, mowing the lawn ... these are natural to us.  But when it comes to the fairer sex, it's a bit confusing and uncomfortable for the average Dad.  We see everyday the product of not guiding a daughter to her Godly purpose and role when we switch on the TV or walk through a mall.  We can easily point out what she won't do, won't wear (go right back upstairs and change!), won't say and who she will NEVER date (not over our dead body, right?) ... but how do we, as her Father, lead her to - and along - the right path?

It's starts with the Word, of course, and how God designed women.  That's the first and most important step.  We also need to better understand the creature we are dealing with (and during some phases of her development, she will seem like a "creature", or even an "alien" to our male minds) ... from a physiological, mental and spiritual perspective.  In case you hadn't noticed, girls aren't the same, although they are equal and equally loved and valued by God despite our different roles.

A lot can be learned from the experts, such as Dr. Meg Meeker and Dr. James Dobson.  Two books upon which we'll base our next TVCdads session will be Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters by Dr Meeker, and Bringing Up Girls by Dr. Dobson.  If you plan on coming, I'd highly recommend reading one or both of these books in advance to increase your return on investment of time during this next session.

Also, RSVP!  To do so, go to TVDdads.org/rsvp/ and fill out the form.  That way we can keep you in the loop!

Raising a Knight: Transforming your boy into a Godly Man

On December 13th, TVCdads.org will hold it's first official session.  I'm hoping I'm not the only one who shows ;)  Seriously, this will be a momentous session ... focused on marinating our sons in God's definition of manhood as we as Dads escort them into the world of true Godly Manhood.

We're basing the content on Robert Lewis' book, Raising a Modern Day Knight.  It's a fantastic and powerful read, pointing out a real flaw in our American culture.  We have no Right of Manhood, nor do we have an accurate, gospel-centric Definition of Manhood.

It's time we - as Dads - change that.

Join us on December 13th from 1 to 3pm for a deep-dive into this topic, and be prepared to take notes.  This will not be fluffy - it will be hard hitting, with real ideas, and real scriptural backing.

See you there!

To RSVP, go to tvcdads.org/rsvp/ now and you'll be added to the roster!

God bless.
TVCdads.org

As Iron Sharpens Iron

If you attend The Village Church, you know that we've been studying the Apostle's Creed, focusing this past weekend on "The Holy Catholic (universal) Church, the Communion of Saints".  What does that mean?  The ideal would be to listen to Pastor Matt's sermon:  Click here for the Sermon >>

In essence, it spoke to why we've started TVCdads:  To sharpen one another, as iron sharpens iron.  To encourage, to rebuke, to teach, to walk along side as we all walk through the many stages of fatherhood.  We can't do this alone ... we weren't designed to.

Here are my sermon notes:

• There is a longing for community.  To be in relationship with one another.
• We are all creations of God, but only some of us are Children if God.
• We are part of a global family. No set language but the Gospel.  No Socioeconomic status, or race, or opinions.  Revelation 7:9-10 ... every tribe, tongue and nation.
• The "Communion of Saints"
  • Belong to a church is not the same of going to a church
  • You won't find a perfect church.  If there was, YOU shouldn't go there!  You'll mess it up!
  • Jonathon Leeman, definition of a local church:  "A local church is a group of Christians who regularly gather in Christ’s name to officially affirm and oversee one another’s membership in Jesus Christ and his kingdom through gospel preaching and gospel ordinances. That’s a bit clunky, I know, but notice the five parts of this definition:
    • a group of Christians;
    • a regular gathering;
    • a congregation-wide exercise of affirmation and oversight;
    • the purpose of officially representing Christ and his rule on earth—they gather in his name;
    • the use of preaching and ordinances for these purposes."  http://9marks.org/article/what-is-a-local-church/
  • Our default is to serve ourselves, not others.  It's poisonous to be that way though.
  • We must be part of the church universal AND a local church
  • If you know EVERYONE, you don't know ANYONE.  Choose a few and get DEEP.
    • The biblical model is "fewer but deeper" when it comes to your immediate circle
    • Getting to know people DEEPLY is what God wants, and that can't happen with too many involved
  • Who points out your flaws?  Is it not other people?  "Put up with one another". This assumes we know one another and spend enough time with one another top annoy one another periodically.
• We have to prioritize our time and focus on what's MOST important
  • We CAN'T say yes to everything
  • Choose and dig in.  Go deep.
  • Allow your life to get smaller and deeper.
• Counsel.  Proverbs 11:14  Proverbs 24:6  we NEED good godly advice.  Wise counsel.
• Max Lucado:  "Questions can make hermits out of us, driving us into hiding. Yet the cave has no answers. Christ distributes courage through community; he dissipates doubts through fellowship. He never deposits all knowledge in one person but distributes pieces of the jigsaw puzzle to many. When you interlock your understanding with mine, and we share our discoveries, when we mix, mingle, confess and pray, Christ speaks."

Welcome to TVCdads!

Let me be the first to commend you as a father for your desire to improve and grow in your semblance of our Heavenly Father.  It's a destination you'll never reach, but a good, honorable and obedient quest nonetheless!

TVCdads was created for Dads to sharpen other Dads in Christian fellowship, to improve as fathers and husbands, and to resemble Jesus more and more.  We will do this through consistent sessions that touch on the key issues we face as fathers, including:

• How do I reflect Jesus to my kids?
• How should I lead my family?
• How do I protect them from the enemy coming in through digital media and day to day exposure to our culture?
• How do I raise my son to be a Godly Man?
• How do I raise my daughter to be a Godly Woman?
• How can I teach my children to be good stewards of God's blessings, whether financial, personal, or from His creation?

We will also throw some fun activities, such as Father/Son camping trips, Daddy-Daughter dances, and the like.  We will do these things as an opportunity to pour into them.  To love them and BE there for them and with them.

Why does any of this matter?

• A person whose FATHER took them to church as a family when they grew up has a 80%+ probability of continuing their life of faith and regular church attendance
• The average dad spends only 30 minutes per day with his kids
• Kids whose fathers are actively engaged in their lives do significantly better academically than those pre-teens with uninvolved fathers.
• Highly involved fathers increase their children’s economic and educational attainment.
• Mothers in two-parent households report fewer behavior problems among children with involved fathers compared to children with detached fathers.

Join us.  Be the father God (the Ultimate Father) created you to be.  Go to tvcdads.org and get involved.  Take the first step and fill out the simple form there.

God bless, fellow Dad.