Great Dads Build Their Relationships With Their Kids

Episode Summary: One of the best insights I learned as a dad, was the difference between authority and leadership. Authority coerces obedience through punishment or the threat of punishment. Leadership is the influence in a child’ life that makes him WANT to obey our requirements and God’s Word. As we saw last week, BOTH are needed. Compassionate discipline is required to enable young children to internalize the truths that they cannot always have their way, the world does not revolve around them, and they must learn to “say no” to their impulses. But leadership, especially when kids are older, goes beyond the authoritative use of consequences. It makes kids want to follow the example of their dad. This episode examines how to love our kids well, building our love relationship with them, which also increases our influence in their lives.

For Further Prayerful Thought 

1. Why does it make sense to you that a person’s influence in another person/s life depends on the quality of his relationship with that other person?

2. What stood out to you about how to be a welcoming father?

3. Do you agree that part of fatherhood is taking the initiative to build your love relationship with each of your children? How might God be leading you to take more initiative to build this relationship?

Past Fatherhood Series

• Fatherhood Is Irreplaceable in God’s Design of Humans   S1 E#32 6/14/20
• Responding to the Argument that the Bible Teaches Patriarchy S1 E#33 6/21/20
• The Right Use of Authority to Punish Evil S1 E#34 6/28/20
• Kids Don’t Have It In them to Grow THEMSELVES Up S1 E#35 7/5/20
• Raising Kids Up in the Way They Should Go S1 E#36 7/12/20

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