How To Raise Godly Men In A Toxic Culture

The culture has plenty of opinions about masculinity, but your son still learns manhood the old-fashioned way: by watching his dad. What kind of father do you want to be, and what kind of man do you want to become for your family and for yourself?

We talk about raising godly men in a toxic culture where truth gets drowned out, conviction gets softened, and identity gets rebuilt around appetite instead of purpose. We also dig into biblical discipline as freedom, humility as a real mark of strength, guarding the heart with wisdom, and building brotherhood because no man wins alone. If you want practical steps for raising strong sons, restoring your leadership at home, and pointing your family back to Jesus Christ, this message will meet you where you are.

Visit www.thefatherdifference.com/links for a free book download and information about personal coaching.

Support our ministry by checking out the donation link here!
https://www.thefatherdifference.com/donate

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 1:06

What kind of father do you want to be? What kind of man do you want to become for your family and for yourself? If you've ever wondered how to step into the fullness of your role as a father, husband, and man of God, then you're in the right place. Here at the Father Difference, our mission is to inspire and equip men to be the best fathers they can be. It's a powerful mission. And today, we're going to explore exactly how you can take steps toward that calling. Whether you're a father, a son, a husband, grandfather, single dad, stepfather, or just looking to grow, I believe God has something powerful for you in today's message. Whether you're tuning in live or watching this later, we are so excited to have you here. If this is what you're looking for, then subscribe so you can each tweet to the Father Difference Live. You can sign up below. And now your host, a husband, father, grandfather, author, and former NFL player, Pastor Ed McGlass.

Prayer For Families In Texas

Why Culture Feels So Toxic

Manhood Under Pressure

Screens That Soften A Boy

When Churches Follow Passions

Stuck In The Bog Of Sin

Fathers Lead With A Living Gospel

The Bible As A Candle Walk

Discipline Builds A Strong Track

Humility Guards The Heart

Brotherhood And Pointing To Christ

Prayer And Coaching Invitation

SPEAKER_00 2:32

I'd love to know where you're you're calling from, how you heard about us. I see your Ohio Photo Guy, welcome. Number of guys from TikTok, Rumble, YouTube, all over the place. I'm so glad you'll be here today. And today we're going to talk about how to raise godly men in a toxic culture. You might be a pastor, or this is really about also the fathering aspect of fathering your young man to be the kind of man that your best friends take seriously. That's the kind of guy that changes the world. So as you log on, let me know where you're from. Any questions you might have today, we'd love to uh connect with you here at the Father Difference Live here for men and excited about sharing with you today. So we're gonna get right into what we're gonna talk about today. And before we do that, I just want to take a minute, a moment, and I want to pray with you. Gosh, for all the the moms and dads who lost children in that horrible flood, sudden flood in Texas. It's been all over the news. And so Lord, uh we just we just come before you as your men and and we ask you, Father, that you the only way you can, there is no end there. How can you answer a dad who just lost his two little girls or a mom in the midst of all those things? So many young Christian girls were killed and and young boys. And Father, we pray that you're the only one that can turn around something just so horribly uh wicked, you know, to something that that will guide that those families. And so we pray your grace upon them, your life upon them, your your mercy upon them, your provision upon them. Father, I pray that you know our president would send a great team down there. And Father, you would raise up the number one group to make a difference with all those families, and that's your men in the South, your men in Texas, your men in in in neighboring communities, that army of guys who walked with God, whether they're louder or softer. But you're godly men to stand up as fathers and spiritual fathers for a time just like this. And so we we come to you tonight and we we ask you to heal these families. I ask you to show us if there's anything you want us to do. And we ask you to be with so many that have lost their lives in just something so horrible and devastating and unpredictable. And so, Lord, we thank you. We we come to you tonight, and we ask you, Lord, to make us the kind fathers to give our children every advantage possible. And all God's men said, Amen. Well, wow, what a what a weekend. Uh, hope your fourth was great with you didn't blow up anything uh too badly. And there's one of my buddies, uh Jerry Burrell, powerful spiritual papa around Mammoth area for many years, pastor, does done roofing, done snow plowing, rebuilt homes, preached, and and not only that, I'm bragging on Jerry tonight, he's he's an incredible baseball player. My goodness, he was a powerful uh force as a young man, and and God used him actually not make it in the professional ranks to grab his heart and make him an intercessor and a godly father and spiritual father, not only to his son, his amazing son that lives here close to me, but also to so many men. So many men, no matter where they've come from. So I love you, Jerry. Glad you're on the show tonight. Bless you, Miss K. Bless you, Ohio photo guy, and and people coming in from all over, just and grateful that uh you're here tonight. And so, how do how do you raise godly men in a toxic culture? That's what we're gonna talk about tonight. And because there's the reason why the the culture is toxic is because for a number of years, and there's still a tremendous amount of attack around this issue, political people have gotten into the ministry game, and when they get in there, they can screw the whole thing up. And and and all the crazy wokeness and all those kind of things that was taught to our children. You thought you were sending your son to Yale to learn about law, and he got indoctrinated. And most of those indoctrinations in the cancer culture cancels moms and dads, grandmas and grandpas, too. Because the devil knows this, and it's what I'm starting the show tonight. The devil knows this if he can knock you out of your game as a dad. You might say, Well, I I've not done that great a job. Well, it it's not about you just getting it perfectly right, the issue is staying in the game, walking with the Lord, because there's something extraordinarily powerful about your voice, dad, to your sons and daughters, and you, grandpa, to your grandchildren. And so we're gonna talk about how to unlock, and I'm gonna give you nine things, actually ten, to think about that I'm probably preaching to the choir. If you've been going to church ever, you've heard these things, but I want to put a little twist on it because I I've learned one thing. I remember years ago preaching in my church, and I would look at all my men, and my men were sort of like this, and they were listening. Sometimes they're looking down at their watch, you know, is it gonna be a long one today? And I remember going to the Lord saying, God, what what can I do? Because I I thought I was pretty funny, and I think they liked all that kind of craziness about me from all my NFL brain damage. But when I started to talk about what they could do, they started leaning forward in their seats. See, I think this generation of fathers is amazing, and the one that's coming is amazing, and grandpa's because when we learn how to apply the word of God into our life with action, that's when we make the biggest difference in our family. You agree with me, say amen, share it with me, so glad you're here. So let's get right into this. Here's number one, right? And I've sort of talked about this. We live in a world that's constantly trying to redefine manhood. You know, politicians want to redefine it. To what? To make children feel good that never got to have a dad in their story. Raised by a lot of single moms. And that confusion, that lack of identity, of never getting that from their dad, boy, it really tweaked them. And so, how do we raise our sons to love God with and walk with integrity, lead with courage? How do we actually do that? That's our challenge, and I would be willing to say it's our highest calling for our families. So, here, slide number one, how to raise godly men in a toxic culture. In a world that's gone soft, soft, right, on God's word and on truth and courage, where lies where lies kind of dress it as truth, we raise men of iron, men who fear God and not men. And I love this verse. Be watchful, man of God, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. 1 Corinthians 16, 13. Paul writing to a group of guys wondering how do they stand up against this wickedness of Rome. And and and the first thing is be watchful. That's one thing I love about Jerry. Man, the guy has been praying over that church for I wouldn't say how many years, because he still thinks he's a young guy and he can do everything. But anyway, you got to be watchful because the enemy, you know, the Bible says pours like a roaring lion. You got to be watchful over your children. You got to be watchful over your grandchildren. And I meet guys every day who are afraid to interact at all with any kind of strength or determination with their children because they don't want to be, you know, boxed out by their children. But there's ways to do it where you can come in and be the most powerful version of who God has called you to be. Interested? And so how do you do it? You stand firm in your faith. You don't want, you stand there. Standing firm in your faith also means that when your knees get a little wobbly, you go to the Lord in repentance. And at the same time you go to him in repentance, you let your son see that dad's been struggling and he had to go to God to get his wobbly knees strong again. See, not only are you supposed to carry the message of grace in you, not only for yourself, but you also carry it for your children. You are the living example of how to really change their story. Because if they see a living gospel in you, my friend, they're gonna stand up in front of their friends. And that's incredibly powerful. And so the Bible says, what, act like men, be strong. I think there's some guys that were not acting like men, who, you know, with Rome and the wickedness they had in those days and the and the fear of uh persecution, they they sort of backed away. Not so with Stephen, the the Billy Graham of the day. And when persecuted by Paul, he was actually Saul of Tarsus, he was a Pharisee, he didn't back down. He stood up and preached his last message. And today he is honored as one of the one of the first Billy Graham-like evangelists in the history of the church, and he didn't back down, even though they said they're gonna kill him. He preached to the end. He acted like a man, he didn't back down, be strong. And the Bible says to be strong in the Lord and the power of whose might. I can hear you out there. His might, not your might. Because when I use big edge strength, you know what happens? But when Jesus comes and gives me his strength, it changes everything. I just realized my microphone's a little bit far away. Is that a little better? Thank you for helping me figure that one out. You know, I am an ex-NFL guy, so that's my excuse. Okay, so how to raise men when the world goes soft, you don't have. So talk the the so how do you deal with the toxic culture? You know, this culture is like a swamp. You ever been around a swamp? It breeds weakness in our children. Lust, pride. I mean, you know, it's amazing to me that there was uh, you know, one of my sons came uh you know to me about five or six years ago and said, Dad, there's a guy playing video games. He's like online 20 hours a day. He's making like$17,000 a week. I said, Okay, would you do me a favor? I want you to research him and actually get a picture of him and see if you want to be that kind of guy. So my son comes back with a little research project and he goes, Dad, this guy is like a wimp. He wouldn't even be able to do a push-up, shoot a basketball. He's completely addicted to sugar and carbohydrates. He drinks Cokes all day long, sits in a dark cave, and lives in this persona of doing it. I said, Well, is that the life you want? Is the money worth you losing your life? He goes, No. And another thing, none of these guys have girls. Well, of course not. They're not acting like men. They're trying to become a robot. They're trying to get wealthy intellectually. Now you might have a son that's in this, and I don't want to offend you if you got a son that's doing a lot of this, but you know, I did my best as a dad where I would sabotage the internet around all the games my kids were playing because I was watching them lose like five, six hours of their day during the summer playing these games, being exhausted mostly, not wanting to do anything, and just kind of do that. And you know, when we started, you know, as a family, started going up to Mammoth, California, getting in the car, getting outside, going fishing, going on Jerry's boat, catching great fish. And you know what? I mean, it's like my kids settled down, and there's just so many things begin to change. So, anyway, that's just a little side note about what we're talking about. See, screams as screaming. Now, I talked about this, be your own God. See, the end of the devil's plan is to get them to do what Adam and Eve did, and to bite into that fruit of the knowledge of good and evil and live in that place where you can be your own God, the ultimate illusion of the world. Truth is drowned out by all the noise. And you know, it's it says right there in scripture, in Timothy, writes this, 4-3. If you don't know this verse, I ask you to grab it, write it, put it on your refrigerator, put it somewhere that reminds you why it's so important for you as a dad to rise up right now and rise up your sons to be godly men in this Tulsa culture. For a time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching. Well, you all you got to do is turn on YouTube and look at some of the guys out there who are, you know, some of them, my brothers in the Lord, who are preaching a gospel with no conviction. Because they don't want to make anybody uh feel bad. It's not the gospel of Jesus. Matter of fact, you can't change without the conviction of your sin. You can't uh change your life. You if you're feeling bad about a lifestyle you're living in, well, it's there for a reason. The Holy Spirit is making you feel that way. And when he's on me, boy, oh I want it to go away. There's only one way it goes away, and that's when we repent and say, Lord, forgive me. And the only song that I agree with Britney Spears on is, oops, I did it again. I did, Lord, forgive me. We bring our stuff to him, and he is faithful to forgive us from our sins. And even the Bible says he cleanses us from all the unrighteousness that gets built around our life because of that life of sin we're living. That's why modeling is such a powerful thing for your children. But look what the church is doing. They not only not endure sound doctrine, but they they have itching ears and they will accommodate themselves, teachers, to suit their own passions. I mean, think about all of the infiltration today that the gay movement has had upon the church to find a place to find a minister who will cave to the word of God and the conviction of the Holy Spirit and to do weddings. Now, I I am not against men or women who get trapped in that life. It's it's probably one of the most devastating lives spiritually, emotionally, and physically on men. As a matter of fact, I've had some incredible, incredible encounters with men and women who were stuck in Jesus brought them freedom. And I even was an international speaker at big conventions of sharing about the love of Jesus as an evangelist and the love and blessing of God the Father began to break through some of those things that those children believe about themselves, that recreated identity, and that really, if you think about where all of the, you know, the world is going, it's made your sexual appetite your personal identity. Well, I mean, are you a lazed potato chip because you like eating a bag of them? Or are you a piece of meat, a steak because you're on a carnivore diet? And what happens is I think the reason why, I don't think these kids have any idea about the negative impact and the wickedness that's awaiting them when they make these steps to choose a life, because it doesn't just stop with an act. It's the same way with adultery. It doesn't just stop with a little act or a screenshot. If you don't repent it, you don't confess it to a brother, it'll own you. It doesn't just stop with, you know, yeah, I've had a couple of weeks where I've drank too much, and you know, eventually you can become a slave to whatever that sin is. And when we base our identity on being sexual, and I'm not talking about healthy sexuality within a marriage between a man and a woman, but anytime you're looking for an identity that's that you can kind of rename yourself based on your appetite, and the hope is, and all my interviews and coaching with men and women in this, their hope when they got into this lifestyle was somehow I won't feel so guilty about the way I think God has made me. See, that's that lie that's twisted into their very psyche. And so what they do is is they're they're they're really conflicted and they're totally dis destroyed. The the the illness. See, s when we live in sin, it becomes a sickness in our body. And our body begins to resemble whatever that sickness is. It has symptoms from that just like alcoholism and and you know people that have gambling addictions. And I mean, it's amazing what how that persona of that that sin begins to overtake you, and then the next thing you know, you're a captive, you're not free. And that can and that compulsion that you have turn turns into a whole lifestyle. And it gets so deep, it seems so far away. But I I gotta tell you, I've watched, I've watched men who have been gay for 45 years have a sudden encounter with Jesus and discover their pure identity in their life. So anyway, went along on this. But they have itching ears, they suit their own passions. See, we this is what we're battling. And, you know, we we have to carve a path through the mire to a new time. I'm gonna tell a funny story myself. I was up in Mammoth, California, and one of our my buddies up there, Ed Bellamy was up there. We were standing with him, and he's in heaven. He's just such a one of those amazing mountain men up there. And so I went fly fishing and I was going through the meadow in my brand new Bronco, and I saw this sign that says, Private property, do not enter. And I'm thinking, I'm gonna drive through the meadow, because there seemed to be some kind of a road there, and go to a little inlet where there are supposed to be some fish. And so I'm going through the meadow and went over a little bump and into a bog I went. And my truck started to sink, no matter how high hard I pushed. And then the suction of the mud underneath kept me from moving. And so I called my friend Ed Bellamy. I was so grateful I had cell phones because for me to get out of there, I would have had to jump in the muck. I probably would have pulled both my boots off and just walked out of chocolate mess when I was done. So I called Bellamy. He said, What do you do? He said, Okay, I'll take care of you. So he calls a buddy, and I don't know how long it's gonna come, and all of a sudden the cowboy, this is his ranch. And he he's there and he comes out in his truck and he is pissed. He's cussing me out. You've torn up my pasture. Can't you read, boy? I mean, he was pissed. And I'm standing kind of on my railing. I opened my door on my side railing to get up into the truck, and he's looking at me, yelling at me, and I said, Sir, would you forgive me for being such an idiot? You know, I did. I saw that sign, and you know, I I broke your rules. I've ruined your beautiful meadow here. Would you forgive me? And this guy didn't quite know. I he looks at me and he goes, Oh hell, I've made a lot of mistakes myself. So let me see if I can pull you out. So he he bats his truck around. He's got a Ford, he hooks a big uh kind of chain on his bumper and hooks onto my toe line. And he goes, Man, when I start pulling, you hit the gas, and he starts pulling and pulling. We're rocking, it's moving, it's moving, and boom, he pulls off his bumper. Oh my gosh! He comes out, and I figured this guy's gonna be even more pissed. And he looks at me, oh hell, I need a new truck anyway. Picks up this bumper that's broken the weld off the back of the truck because it pulled so hard, and he threw it in his back. And I said, Man, let me pay for your bumper. He says, Oh, it don't matter. And then I and then up comes this big tow truck that kind of has a big crane on it. I mean, it's a gigantic truck truck. He's backing this thing in. And see, what I needed wasn't something just to tow me out of the hole. What I needed is something that was strong enough to pick up my truck, break the suction of the bog, and pull me out. That's exactly what happens when Jesus comes in our life. He doesn't just pull us through the mud and he breaks the suction of the power of sin. And in that verse that we are looking at there, you know, that verse talks about, you know, where, you know, people build even churches around their own passions so they feel good about themselves. The only way out, Jesus Christ my Lord. Here, here's the call to fathers. See, you're the you're the first in line. Hear me what I'm about to say to you. You might even be, you know, a stepdad, or your wife has divorced you and and you're having a hard time connecting your kids, and you feel second rate, because she's got another guy in her story who's acting like a father to your son and daughter. I gotta tell you, you're you're the first in line. There is an authority that birth fathers have in the life of children that stepfathers, as they walk with God, can come in when there's no other dad there and do amazing things. So I'm not saying stepdads don't matter. But you as a birth father, you're first in line, not schools. So if you're sending your kid to Christian school because you want them to live the life you're not living, probably won't work. Because I learned one thing about leading my children. The man I am when no one is looking will be the son or daughter that they will be that everyone sees. Because they know you if they live with you. They know you by how you spend your money, they know you by how you read the word, they know you how you pray and walk, they see you when you struggle, they watch how you confess, they watch you when you humble yourself. Man, you are the first in line. And you you you'll you'll never lose that role, even if your kids have said, I never want to hear from you again. We'll talk about that at the end. And so you lead them your life with your life, not just words, show them with courage, show them with sacrifice, live the word of God before their eyes. Let them see you as one guy said, I want to be a living epistle. Paul wrote the epistle to the church. Well, if they wrote a book about you, what's the living epistle that God would write about your life? And what the way your children would write about your life and watching it. Well, there you'll have a memorial service one day. And what do you want your children to say? Oh, he was a good guy. He was a quiet man. I respected my dad. I know that my dad loved me. I've heard, I've heard that in many, many different places. Oh, I know my dad really loved me. He just didn't have the words. And so we we we get the best that we got. But that's not that that's not our best, is it? Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline, instruction of the Lord, how you deal with your own anger. And so many times, you know, our coaching, I'm teaching guys how to deal with their own self-anger. When you deal with that self-anger that you have and you learn how to reconcile that with the Lord and release that before you deal with your kids, it becomes a whole new thing. It's when you don't deal with that and do some of that internal work that our our coaching uh program does at the Fatherhood Academy that keeps you kind of stuck, keeps you stuck in and you just can't get over it. And you gotta go take a walk and maybe punch a few mailboxes, whatever you do. I remember I get mad and and say some bad words when I was little, and my dad, my stepdad said, You go in your room and you get that out of you, boy. He told me later in life I'd go in there and cuss for an hour. I didn't get it out of me. I got more, I get madder. I didn't know how to go because he didn't know how to teach me how to ask for forgiveness. Because he never really modeled that to me. So, you know, don't provoke your children, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. And I'm not talking about being a hard ass on your children, but see, when you live in discipline, the words you follow matter to them. When you don't live in discipline, they're like, whatever, Dad. See, your sons watch you, they're watching all the time. And it and and so be be a man worth following. And you know, I I've said this before, but one of the finest compliments that men have ever given me, and I have a lot of friends here in Southern California who know my sons and know my daughters, is when they say, you know, I did I met your son and I got to be with him today. And he's one of the finest men that I know. And oh, thank you. Means a lot to me. He reminds me of you. Is there anything greater than that? I don't think so, not for dad. And it's not about accolades and trophies. I mean, all those things are fun, but they're temporary. Dust usually gets all of our trophies as they sit on the shelf and nobody goes, Oh, did you get the most valuable player in the Pee-Wee football league? Yeah, we were world champion Pee-wee players. Versus, man, you're I can tell you you walk with God. It's like in the book of Acts, they said they discerned people were watching that these disciples had walked with God, they'd walk with Jesus. That's like one my friend Jerry. He's like that. He's a powerful, powerful person. So don't provoke, but bring them in up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord, the discipline you live in, and the way God speaks to you. That's how that works. Here's the other one teach them the word. Now it's not about just sitting down and doing a Bible study. See, your Bible really is your map. Your map for your children. And so you plan it as deep as you can in their hearts. You read it together, speak it plain, let it shape their minds before the world does. That's all great. I don't know that that's any new news. But here's the secret teach and help answer the questions they have about God by what the Bible says. And so you ask them, what are your questions? If you could ask Jesus anything, how would you do it? Well, Ed, I'm no apologist. Well, God will show you. If you got any internet connection, you can go online and find out a lot of research about stuff and learn with them. And then you'll have that answer for your grannies one day. Because the Bible says this, your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. And so when we when we see that, the word is a lamp to my feet. We think that it's, you know, a halogen headlamp we put on for working on stuff or hiking in the mountains. I have one when I'm out doing paintings in Mammoth, and I'm out too late, it'll show me all the rocks not to trip up. It's not that. The word lamp there is one candle walk. It's a candle. Your word is a candle to my feet and a light to my path. See, we want a spotlight that goes for 10 miles to see where all the danger is. But God gives you a light that's right in front of your feet. And see, the war the walk of Jesus is a step at a time. We don't see miles ahead. It's every day. It's a it's a candle wad. I remember where I really learned this, and it was I'm I'm leaving Durango and going over past Urway down the mountain, and there's a really steep mountain, and it starts snowing where we I couldn't see the road. And if I go too far right, I'm down that I'm down the I'm down the creek. I got my family in the car. And so I could not see more than a foot in front of me. So I rolled down my window and I put my head out the window to find the yellow line. I slowed down to like 10 miles an hour. Took me almost an hour and a half to go 10 miles. And it was so, it was so scary. Because my wife reminded me how dangerous this was. And there's no turnaround. And so we got to get all the way down this mountain, going like this, and I'm looking out, and I'm just seeing that yellow line. And I just kept my left tire on that yellow line. Now, if the highway guys who built the highway were, you know, would have made that line go off the cliff, we would have been gone. You wouldn't see me today in this thing. And so there's times when you're under, you know, some tremendous spiritual warfare against you and your family, and you've got to just stick your head out the window and find that candle with you just, it's just one more step. It's just one more step. When you're going through grieving, that's what the the moms and dads are dealing with right now. They don't have a spotlight for five years to see how God's gonna work out losing their children at a camp. They send sent them there to learn about Jesus. And I hear they did an incredible job. They just get they only need one more day. But maybe you're sick, you got an illness. Just one more day. Maybe you get an addiction that's uh trying to make you a prisoner for the rest of your life, and you just choose to be sober for for one more day. See, that's that's the walk of Jesus. It's a step at a time, it's a candle watt power. But when you do, oh, it's such a victory to take that step. Because you only got to take one step toward Jesus to be different. Just one step. You just gotta have that want-to inside of you where you go, I can't do it anymore, but I want to change, I don't have the power to do it. Jesus come. He does. He loves doing that. He's an expert at it. He's an expert. Say, next slide. Build discipline. And see, the thing about discipline that, you know, people go, oh man, I, you know, we we have all kinds of reactions to the 60s. You know, I was raised in the 60s, and they had, you know, Dr. Spock's book. My mother would give us fresh orange juice, and we'd have a low tone in the house, no raising your boys. They had all these, you know, and there was a reaction against, you know, the way fathers kind of and moms did it before the 60s. And and everything's, you know, peace, love, and you know, everything is just kind of if you're an old hippie, you know, you're listening to Leonard Skinner, and you're, you're, you're just everything's okay, we're cool, we're gonna feel our way through a breakthrough. And the thing is, though, discipline really is freedom. You know, you you it's like this discipline. A picture of discipline is this. How many of you is ever, how many of you like trains? I I love trains. How many like riding the old ones? There's some old trains out there. If you're in Colorado, there's other places, they're just fascinating. How many of you like getting close to the track when the train comes? Me too. I see your hands out there, right? You you love getting close to that. And the reason why is because that train is disciplined to stay on the tracks. And so you feel safe. It can be feet from you, and it's they can blow their horn, it can be diesel, it can be steam. In Switzerland, we were there, we are on all kinds of trains. And so standing, you're right, there's a there's a lip there at the at the at the edge, and of course I'm I'm pulling my grandkids, hey, hey, get back. You know, there's a line you're not supposed to get in front of, and then there's people that would be on the other side of that line, they're kind of leaning over. And they only do that because they know that train's on a track, it's disciplined. Well, imagine if someone said a train's coming and there's no track. That's the life without Christ. See, discipline is freedom for you because it keeps you going where you're supposed to go. So we got to teach them to master their flesh, anger, lust, laziness. You know, the Bible talks about hard work, builds character. Prayer, you know, builds resolve to be able to deal with all the things in their life. For the moment, all discipline seems painful, the Bible says. Rather than pleasant, and that's so true. How many have gone through the heavy hand of the Lord? That's like the number one sign that he loves you. People who have no conviction are living in an illusion, and they don't really have Christ. They have some spirit guide. Oh no, I feel good. Everything's good in my life. I don't, no, I don't, no, no, I don't have any spiritual warfare. My life just kind of, you know, it's just cool, and you know, I don't go through those hard things. I go, did you just not wake up yet? It's not the way life is. We're in a constant battle because the devil's doing everything he can to get you and me to quit. How many know what I'm talking about? So God brings discipline in our life, and discipline is one of the most loving things that a father does with his children. But it'll produce fruits of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Hebrews 12, verse 11. See, my your job as a dad is to make your kids strong, nuts off. My one of my personal goals for my children has always been I want to raise my kids and my grandkids in a way that make demons tremble, not the other way around. And the way you do that is that you live in discipline yourself. When you blow it, you confess it, but you call them to the same discipline that you live in, and you really help them learn things. And they're gonna suffer, and they might be mad, and they might slam their door, and they might do all the other kind of stuff. But the Bible's really clear that it'll produce peaceful fruit of righteousness. I had a gal this week I was coaching, and she said, I really blew it with my son because I never raised my voice, I never told him he was wrong. All I did was encourage him all the time. And my son now has got a drug habit, he's in serious problems, he's partying all the time, and he hates me. And part of that is that he he doesn't hate you because he's not connecting two and two. But our children don't feel loved when they get out of bounds and you're not calling them back in. When their train gets off the track and they derail, they take It's like you don't love them. The best thing you can do is to build a train track, to build them strong, not soft. Here's the next one. Model humility. Oh my goodness. This is the one I don't like. How many of you say, Lord, teach me more about humility? No, I, Lord, give me more power, right? Humility is one of those things, it's not like a low voice, hallelujah, brother. It's not just religious spirit. You know, Moses writes of himself in scripture that Moses was the most humble man to ever live. You gotta be really humble to be able to realize that. Humility is really agreeing with God and who he calls you to be and calls you and calls you to things he's called you to do. Humility is not about, it's not even picking less, those there's times when God will call you to do that. Humility is a fruit of the Holy Spirit where you're reacting the way Christ did towards the person that's in front of you. And it's not a badge of honor to where you're more humble, because if you're you lose that gift of humility as soon as you start comparing yourself, being more humble than other people. Oh, I know I'm trying to preach. Right? Because pride kills us. You can be proud that you're humble. That'll kill you too. The culture exalts self, right? It's all about me. And guess what? We're the best experts of that in the in the the me generation, right? You know, if it feels good, do it. If it smells good, eat it. I mean, the 60s and in our culture, everything was about us and and feeling our breakthrough and getting into that, and uh and and the result is it's leaked into our kids even more. Teach them to kneel before God, to serve others, to admit wrong. How are they gonna learn to admit wrong? You don't just beat them up till they admit it. You model it to them when you're wrong. That's that's the living sermon, my friend. See, a godly man is humble, not loud. And it doesn't mean his voice doesn't get excited. He's not trying to rule over them because we're watching for what God the Father is doing with our children. We're not making it happen in their lives. So humble yourself before the Lord and He will exalt you. Notice it doesn't say humble yourself before your friends and they will eventually exalt you. It's the Lord. Here's the next one. Well, we're gonna we're we're in home stretch. Be a be a guide to their hearts, right? And what that means is the world haunts their souls, right? Guard what you see, here, and today. Not with a cage, but with wisdom, and teach them to flee temptation and hate sin. How? By sharing your story. And here's one of those great proverbs that I learned as a baby Christian and still in my heart today. You know, keep your heart with all diligence. King James used to say, guard your heart with all diligence. For from it, from it flows the springs of your life. And if we just let our heart get grabbed by anything, we'll we'll lose our way. Well, you teach your children, you model that today. Here's the other one, and foster the brotherhood around you and around your kids. Because the truth is, no man really stands alone and wins. Raise them to seek godly friends, iron sharpens iron, let them wrestle, laugh, and pray together. It's so important. Well, guess what? You can be in small groups to do that. Get with other men. You know, I meet so many guys totally alone. Jeff Kemp, if you, I think it's uh about two weeks back, we did a live podcast, him really sharing the things he learned on Father's Day week about his dad, but uh how he's learned to build these huddle groups and churches all over the country. He's a marvelous godly quarterback from the National Football League. And loved Jeff, loved his heart. Got written a great book, too, a tremendous book. Go seek out Jeff Kemp. I don't have his info right now unless unless I see puts it up for me. See, I uh here's a verse in Proverbs 17, verse 17. A friend loves at all times, a brother is born for adversity. The truth is different between you know, a friend can love you at all times. It's kind of a twist, you know, that's kind of a command. But I have friends who who love me when I love them back. But a brother is born for adversity. When a brother hangs in there, when you're going through a hard time, man, that's the kind of friend you build your life with. Love that. Here's another one. Point him at Christ. Well, this is you guys should write this outline. Christ is the major, not you. Not them. Boy, I tried to be big ed for a long time, didn't work. I can't be big ed myself. You see, not to the world. Show them to the cross. That's the power. Teach them to follow the one who conquered death. When Jesus said, I'm the way, the truth, and the life, there's no one comes to the Father but through me. That's the that is the truth. He's the way to the Father, the truth about the Father, he's the life in the Father. No one comes into him. Constantly pointing all your victories and things you're learning to Jesus. And let me help you with something that a big mistake I made. I sort of sermonized a lot with my kids when they were younger. Instead of just talking like this and just saying, Man, I've I learned something today in the Bible. Tell me what you think. Was that dad? And I quote the verse and say, This is what God showed me about me. And I don't know, I can't tell you how many times, but a bunch, I would share things to try to get them to listen to me. See, the most powerful testimony and sermon you can preach is the one where you make it about what God is doing in your life, and it'll leak right into your son and daughter. Powerful stop. See, here's the last slide. So the world is dark without Christ, but you are the light of the world. That's what Jesus said. So raise men who stand tall, who love fiercely. It's the same way you lay your life down for your wife. Well, maybe you blew it with her. Teach him, which you didn't know, did you know now. Fight, you know, they all who love, they love fiercely, who fight for the truth. And it tell them, it's hard. I'm not, you know, this is not this is this is not a life for whims. This isn't about being popular. This is about doing what's right. Doing living a life where God brags on you. Not something else. It's worth it. But you men of God, flee these things, pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, and gentleness. But when we do that with our kids, it changes your life. So raise your sons into the same kind of man that God is calling you to be. Well, that's all I gotta say. I went longer. You can tell I'm excited. Don't you just love God's word? Love all my friends that are online. Thank you, all of you that are showing up. You know, we declare June to be the month of fathers. Well, we're just gonna extend it and we're just making July the month of fatherhood as well. We're just gonna keep pouring it out to equip you, to, to bless you in any way we possibly can. And I want to pray for you before I get off here uh today. You might have something specific you want to send me in a text or meet with me. Maybe you'd like a free coaching appointment. You can go to our website right now and and you can sign up at the fatherdifference.com. And I do like little 15, 30 minute coaching sessions. It's for free, just to we're gonna talk about what it might look like if if we work together and and I and I was able to be just a friend in your story. Because believe me, I've made every single mistake you have made. I'm much older than many of you. I even have grandfathers older than me who have said to me, you know, you've made more mistakes than me. And yet God still uses you. Amen. It's not how many you do make wrong, but it's about those things that we bring to the Lord. And everything we do at the Father Difference is to bring hope to you as men and to your families. Maybe you want a coaching appointment with you and your wife or one of your kids or one of your grandkids. We have that available too. We call it our next level coaching for families. You can sign up, and uh we have a uh a group, the discount as well. If you do a few at a time, we'll give you a big discount. Because we we want to sew into your life, and there's a fatherhood academy as well for families, and we're here, you know. I'm I'm I I feel like I'm really clear that God's called me to give the rest of my life to equipping and coaching men to to build the stories that God wants you to have as a man, as a daddy and a husband, and and some of the moms who slipped in here. Love you, Mrs. K. You're amazing. And Hanno Becky, I bless you. You know, we have gals who who come to our men's time, and on Thursdays, I have a podcast for women called The Difference of Mother Makes. And I have guys slipping in there as well. And so all of it's good, and I'm so grateful. So let's pray. And then I got a little outro that I want to play for you as we get off. I actually have a coaching group that starts at six o'clock. So, Father, I am so grateful for the men who've come and the gals who've come today. And I pray, Lord, that you would meet them in such extraordinary ways that you would get give their children back to them. They truly would be the model of what a godly man looks like. And if they're far away from that, Lord, I pray that they would consider signing up for the academy and uh walking with the coaches and the men in our academy to become the best version of man that God you have called them to be. And so, Lord, I pray for them. I ask you to bless them. I ask you to use them, Lord. I ask you to heal the biggest things you're carrying right now. And Jesus, I pray you would just pour your spirit, pour the Holy Spirit right through this video, the only way you can into the lives of these men to give them a new beginning. Maybe you've been far away from Jesus. All you gotta do is say, I I I want you, Jesus. That's all you gotta do. I want you right now. And uh if you'd like to know more about giving your life to Christ, get a hold of me at the fatherdifference.com and I'd love to pray with you and get a hold of you and follow that up. So, Lord, I ask you to bless my brothers, bless their families, and bless the families in Texas that have lost so much, lost so many children. But Lord, I I know that the children that were lost through yours and they're all with you. Doesn't make it any easier for the parents on earth. But you got all those kids. Speak into that situation, Lord, in the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen. God bless you guys. I gotta bounce, I gotta jump on another coaching time. The Lord bless you, and check out this outro video.

Fatherhood Academy And Donation Ask

SPEAKER_01 57:28

Dear friends, imagine a world where every father feels equipped to lead with faith, love, and purpose. A world where families thrive and communities grow stronger because of devoted, Christ-centered fathers.

SPEAKER_00 57:42

You know, beloved, that is the vision that God's put in my heart for every single family. You know, he is on the move, I believe. He promises in Malachi that before the great coming day of the Lord, he's gonna do something profound. He's gonna turn the hearts of fathers back towards their children. So the hearts of their children will turn back to their father. That's what God is doing. I meet dads daily who want to learn to be better fathers. Yet many have never been shown how. Too many families are being fractured to bitterness and with parents and grandparents even being canceled. That's why we're launching an online community to quit and to be the fathers that God is called to be. It's more than a program, it's a part of a movement that God is already doing to reshape fatherhood. It's a sacred calling rooted in the teachings of Christ. And we're calling this the Fatherhood Academy, where men will embark on a journey of healing and spiritual restoration that helps them transform their family relationship. And to make this division a reality, would you consider partnering with us financially if we continue to reach and disciple every man dad and grandfather comes away? Your donations will help create a whiffle of squad to neighbor those communities, you know, and ultimately our nation.

SPEAKER_01 59:33

Will you partner with us? Your gift, whether a one-time donation or ongoing monthly support, will help to transform lives. Together, we can equip fathers and grandfathers to lead with faith and create a brighter, fulfilled future for generations to come. Click the link to donate today. Thank you for believing in this mission and joining us on this transformative journey.