Ephesians 6:1-4- Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord,  for this is the right thing to do. “Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise: If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.”*
Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord.

A small boy said, "Father’s Day is just like Mother’s Day, only you don’t spend as much on the gift."And I say, "What gift?"

Mark Twain said, "When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to 21, I was astonished at how much the old man learned in 7 years."

Someone wrote these humorous words entitled, "The World According to Dad." These are words that most dads have said at some time or another to their children.
This is going to hurt me more than it hurts you.
Quiet. I’m watching the ball game.
Don’t forget to check the oil.
Bring back all the change.
How should I know? Ask your mother.
I’m not made out of money!
When I was your age I walked 5 miles to and from school each day and it was uphill both ways.
You ARE going and you WILL have fun!
Who’s paying the bills around here, anyway?
If you break your leg, don’t come running to me.
Don’t put your feet on the furniture. Your mother will kill you.
Get down before you kill yourself. On second thought, go ahead.
Quit playing with your food.
Be quiet! Can’t you see I’m trying to think!
Why? Because I said so!
If you don’t quit that I’m going to call your mother.
You better get that junk picked up before your mother comes in here.
Just wait till you have kids of your own.
I was not asleep. I was just resting my eyes.

We could all add a couple of quotes to this list.Being a parent and a father can be an interesting and trying experience.It is said of parents that they spend the first part of their child’s life urging him to talk and walk, and the rest of his childhood telling him to sit down and keep quiet."

A son once wrote home from college to his dad. He said, "Dear Dad, Please let me hear from you more often, even if it’s only a five or a ten."Fatherhood can be a real trial. And yet, it is also a real blessing.

Proposition:
A Father should be thanked for the efforts he has made at being a father

Thanks for provision

Thanks for instruction

Thanks for illustration

Thanks for material provision

1 Timothy 5:8- “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”

A. It is expected of a man that he is to provide for his family.

B. The family extends beyond the household

C. Even unbelievers provide for their families!

Thank God! And thank God for all the fathers who provide as best they can for their families! Thank you, Fathers!

Thanks For Faithful Instruction
Ephesians 6:4 "Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord."

A. Fathers instruct their children about many things.

A man by the name of Jim Burton said these words about being a father. "When I was young, baseball was my life. You can imagine the excitement I felt when my oldest son began playing. This game would be one of our main bonding mechanisms. If my son would just listen, I could help him be a great baseball player. Learning to read curve balls, shift his body weight with the swing, steal bases, turn double plays … these things separate the amateurs from the pros."Burton said, "A pattern developed in our relationship. Because of my familiarity with the game, I saw every mistake my son made. In addition, I knew how to correct them."So post game drives home became a critique of how to improve his game. It soon got old for my son. One night he finally said, ’Dad, could you not start by telling me everything I did wrong. Tell me what I did right first.’"

B. Faithful instruction is important, but we have to be careful how we deliver it. All criticism and no praise is not good.

C. Are you a coach or a critic? Ephesians 6:4- “Paul said, "Don’t keep on scolding and nagging your children, making them angry and resentful...."

Thanks for Godly illustrationI Corinthians 11:1- “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.”

One man said of his father, “Once when I was a teenager, my father and I were standing in line to buy tickets for the circus. Finally, there was only one family between us and the ticket counter. This family made a big impression on me. There were 8 children, all probably under the age of 12. You could tell they didn’t have a lot of money. Their clothes were not expensive, but they were clean.The children were well-behaved, all of them standing in line, two-by-two behind their parents, holding hands. They were excitedly jabbering about the clowns, elephants, and other acts they would see that night. One could sense they had never been to a circus before. It promised to be a highlight of their young lives. The father and mother were at the head of the pack standing proud as could be. “The mother was holding her husband’s hand, looking up at him as if to say, ’You’re my knight in shining armor.’ He was smiling and basking in pride, looking at her."The ticket lady asked the father how many tickets he wanted. He proudly said, ’Please, let me buy 8 children’s tickets and two adult tickets so I can take my family to the circus.’
The ticket lady quoted the price.
The man’s wife let go of his hand, her head dropped and the man’s lip began to quiver. The father leaned a little closer and asked, ’How much did you say?’
The ticket lady again quoted the price."The man didn’t have enough money. How was he supposed to turn and tell his 8 kids that he didn’t have enough money to take them to the circus? Seeing what was going on, my dad put his hand in his pocket, pulled out a $20 bill and dropped it on the ground. (And we were not wealthy in any sense of the word) My father reached down, picked up the bill, tapped the man on the shoulder and said, ’Excuse me, sir, I believe this fell out of your pocket.’"The man knew what was going on. He wasn’t begging for a handout but certainly appreciated the help in a desperate, heartbreaking, embarrassing situation. He looked straight into my dad’s eye, took my dad’s hand in both of his, squeezed tightly onto the $20 bill, and with quivering lips and a tear streaming down his cheek, replied, ’Thank you, thank you. This really means a lot to me and my family.’"The man telling the story about his father, said, "My father and I went back to our car and drove home. We didn’t go to the circus that night, but we didn’t go without."What a father that man was! What a godly illustration of Christ! Thank God for all fathers who have been godly illustrations, godly examples to follow!

A LETTER TO DAD
There are so many things I’d likeTo tell you face to face;I either lack the words or failTo find the time and place.But in this special letter, Dad,You’ll find, at least in part,The feelings that the passing yearsHave left within my heart.The memories of childhood daysAnd all that you have done,To make our home a happy placeAnd growing up such fun!I still recall the walks we took,The games we often played;Those confidential chats we hadWhile resting in the shade.This letter comes to thank you, and,For needed words of praise;The counsel and the guidance, too,That shaped my grownup days.No words of mine can tell you, Dad,The things I really feel;But you must know my love for youIs lasting, warm and real.You made my world a better place,And through the coming years;I’ll keep these memories of youAs cherished souvenirs. ...
* Exod 20:12; Deut 5:16.