What three verbs would most describe your fathering? How would you finish this sentence, “Today with my kids, I spent most of my time…”? Any of these fit? Loving, helping, correcting, reminding, informing, challenging, punishing, yelling, avoiding, arguing. In his letter to the Thessalonians, Paul talks to them like their father, saying, “…we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God…” 1 Thessalonians 2:11–12 (NIV) Encouraging, comforting, and urging our kids to live godly lives. If Paul stopped by our homes this week, would he find us doing these things?

Teaching our kids sexual purity isn’t easy. It’s important, as fathers, that we play good defense regarding sexual temptation. The Bible tells us to flee sexual immorality (1 Cor. 6:18, 2 Tim. 2:22). We do well to relay those same warnings to our children. Especially, in this day and age, with easy access to illicit material, we need a strong defense. No doubt about it. Be on your guard.

Even so, I believe our greater weapon in this fight might be a strong offense. I can only filter, shelter, and defend for so long. Sexual purity isn’t just about what we avoid, but about what we pursue. It’s not just about prohibiting evil but promoting godliness. Here are three ways to play offense instead of just defense.

HUGE news. We have launched the brand new Father On Purpose Podcast! Check out our inaugural episode here: Dad, It’s Time to Be Intentional. Fatherhood is awesome, sacred, and hard all at the same time. We don’t have all the answers, but together as dads, we’ll have real conversations that shine a light on fatherhood and how we can all grow to lead our families better each day.

I’m enjoying “Portrait of a Father” by Chip Ingram. I found this quote to be particularly interesting. “It’s possible to line kids up for success and watch them become successful failures if they haven’t grown to become like Jesus. We’ve all seen that happen, people who had everything going for them and achieved a lot of success but didn’t have the character to carry it. That’s not the inheritance we want to give our children.” This book is a quick read and packed full of godly advice for dads. Click here to snag a copy today.

We’re hosting our annual Father & Son Retreat – PROJECT Manhood again. August 6th & 7th, 2021 at the beautiful Country Lake Christian Retreat (near Louisville, Kentucky). If you want a special weekend with your son, register now!

Encourage, comfort, or urge. Which of these three actions do your kids most need you to take? Maybe you “catch” your son doing something positive, so you point that out to encourage him. Or, perhaps your daughter was hurt by a friend, and she needs you to comfort her. Or, your adult child is walking through some difficult challenge, and you urge him to keep going amidst the trial. Whatever God is leading you to do today, I encourage you to do it!

Make it a great week,

Kent Evans
Author of the The Manhood Journey, co-founder of Manhood Journey and Father On Purpose.

P.S. Was this Mountain Monday helpful? Tell me if you love it, hate it, or if there’s something you’d like in the next one.

Forward this to a dad you know who needs some encouragement.