Welcome to Authorized Sword Ministries. This is Fathers Who Lead, Lesson One: Called to Lead, God's Design for the Father.

We're so glad you're here.

Where This Course Begins

This course is for husbands, fathers, fathers-to-be, and any man who wants to lead his family God's way. Over six short lessons, we'll look at what the Bible teaches about loving your wife, raising your children, and setting the spiritual tone of your home.

We'll stay close to the King James Bible, and we'll talk plainly, man to man, the way we would sitting across a kitchen table with a cup of coffee.

And before we go any further, here's something every father needs to hear. You don't have to have it all figured out to start. God doesn't call the finished man. He calls the willing man, and then He shapes him.

God Had a Plan from the Beginning

Go all the way back to the garden.

"And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it." — Genesis 2:15 (KJV)

Before there was a wife, before there were children, God gave the man a charge. To dress the garden, which means to work it and tend it. And to keep it, which means to guard it and watch over it.

That is a picture of a father's calling. To tend and to guard. To help the people in his care grow, and to protect them from what would harm them.

Now notice what that is not. It is not a statement that a man is worth more than a woman. The Bible is clear:

"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them." — Genesis 1:27 (KJV)

Husband and wife are equal in worth before God. Leadership in the home is not about being better. It's about being responsible.

Our Key Verse

Today's key verse is Genesis 18:19. God is speaking about Abraham:

"For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him." — Genesis 18:19 (KJV)

God chose Abraham, and one of the things God said about him was this: he will lead his children and his household in the way of the Lord.

That's the heart of it. A father points his family toward God. Not just by what he says, but by where he's headed himself.

What Leadership Is Not

Some men hear the word "lead" and think it means being the boss. Barking orders. Always getting the last word.

But look at how Jesus led:

"For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many." — Mark 10:45 (KJV)

Jesus is the King of kings, and He knelt down and served. That's the pattern for every Christian father. Godly leadership goes first in sacrifice, first in forgiveness, and first in prayer.

The Bible also warns fathers directly:

"And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." — Ephesians 6:4 (KJV)

Harshness doesn't build a godly home. It builds resentment. We'll come back to this verse later in the course.

A Father's Heart

Here's one of the most tender verses in the Bible:

"Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him." — Psalm 103:13 (KJV)

When God wanted to show us His compassion, He compared Himself to a father. To pity, here, means to have compassion. To feel for your children and to be gentle with them.

So a godly father is strong, yes. But he is also tender. Paul brings those two things together:

"Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. Let all your things be done with charity." — 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 (KJV)

"Quit you like men" means act like men. Be strong. And then, in the very next breath: let everything be done with charity, which is love. Strength and love belong together.

Making the Decision

Joshua led a whole nation, but notice where his commitment started:

"And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." — Joshua 24:15 (KJV)

"As for me and my house." Leading your home starts with a decision. Today, you can make it.

If You Never Had an Example

Maybe you grew up without a father, or with one who didn't lead well. If so, take heart. You are not disqualified. You have a perfect Father in heaven, and you have Jesus as your example. Paul said:

"Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ." — 1 Corinthians 11:1 (KJV)

You can learn. Find an older Christian man you respect and ask him questions. And if you've already made mistakes as a father, we'll talk about grace and a fresh start in Lesson Six.

Simple Steps for This Week

First, pray for your wife and each of your children by name, every day.

Second, lead in one small, visible way. Give thanks before a meal, or read a short verse at bedtime.

Third, ask your wife a simple question: "How can I support you better this week?" Then listen.

Next Time

In Lesson Two, we'll look at the course's key verse, Ephesians 5:25, and what it means to love your wife as Christ loved the church.

"Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;" — Ephesians 5:25 (KJV)

A Prayer

Let's pray together.

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for being a perfect Father to us.

Thank You for the families You have given us, and for trusting us with them.

Lord, make us men who lead with a servant's heart. Make us strong, and make us tender. Help us to point our wives and children to You, not just with our words, but with our lives.

Where we have fallen short, forgive us, and teach us Your way.

In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Thank you for spending this time with us. We'll see you in Lesson Two.

This is Authorized Sword Ministries. God bless you.