Fathers Day 2025

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I for one love our Fathers Day service it’s the one day during the year I get to share. . .you guessed it, dad jokes.

So here we go. . .

• What did the grape say when it got stepped on? Nothing it just let out a little whine.
• What did the horse say when it fell down? Help I’ve fallen and I can’t giddy up.
• Why can’t you hear a pterodactyl going to the bathroom? Cause the p is silent.
• What do you call an angry carrot? A steamed vegetable.
• The waiter asked me if I wanted a box for my left overs, I told him I don’t like fighting.
• Which reminds me, I was going to tell a joke about boxing, but I forgot the punchline.
• Why are pirates called pirates? They just arrrrrre
• Why should you wear glasses in math class? Because it helps with Di-vision
• So Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd break into a distillery. Daffy turns to Elmer and says, “ Is this Whiskey?”  Elmer says, “ Yeth but not as whiskey as wobbing a bank.”

In Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary father comes right before fatigued. And right after fatheaded, not sure what that means.

I heard a comedian, not sure of his name, but he talked about Father’s Day.  He said something like this. . .

Father’s day is the worst holiday in the world.  I’ve done the research already.  I already know, let me tell you something.  Mother’s Day is the second most celebrated holiday in the world.  Christmas is first.   So, that means it’s Jesus then your mama.

Do you know where Father’s Day falls at?  Number 20.   I can’t think of 18 other holidays.

Do you realize, Halloween is number 6.  That means ghost and goblins go before fathers.  Arbor Day is number 13.  I don’t even know what that is, I just know it comes before me that’s crazy.

Columbus Day is number 16.

Now let’s get started with the message. . .

It’s fortunate, but we live in a culture that has really marginalized the role of fathers in the family. If you watch television, the father character is usually portrayed as a goofball, or an idiot.

Don’t get me wrong I enjoy watching, some of those shows are hilarious. Tim the tool man Taylor on Home Improvement funny but he was always blowing things up and looking like an idiot.

And of course there was Everyone Loves Raymond, funny, but again Ray Romano was portrayed as an idiot.

We’ve come a long way from Father Knows Best and the Andy Griffith Show.

And what we need to understand is that when dad is undervalued, often times our relationship with Abba, our Father in Heaven is as well.

Mark Twain once 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 be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man learned in 7 years.”

Romans 8:15–17 (NLT) – So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children.* Now we call him, “Abba, Father.”* 16 For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. 17 And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.

And that’s really good news, because of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus we go from condemned orphans with no hope to adopted children with no fear.

And listen church I’ve said this before but let me say it again.  It is of vital importance that you understand who you are in Christ.  Your identity is not determined by what you do but by what Jesus has done for you.

Luke 15:11–32 (NLT) – 11 To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. 12 The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons. 13 “A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. 14 About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. 15 He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. 16 The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything. 17 “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! 18 I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, 19 and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.” ’ 20 “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. 21 His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.*’ 22 “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. 23 And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, 24 for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began. 25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, 26 and he asked one of the servants what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother is back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’ 28 “The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, 29 but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. 30 Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’ 31 “His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. 32 We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’ ”

This parable gives us an overwhelming glimpse into how much love our Heavenly Father has for us.

There is something you need to understand here.  Inheritance was given after the father had died, so this younger son was basically saying your dead to me.

With this story of the prodigal son I would like to bring out a couple of points.  First, if we focus on the prodigal son, we miss the main point of the parable.

The central character in this story is not the son, but the father.

Secondly, There are two sons in this story, not one. And honestly, neither one of them had a right relationship with their father.

The younger son saw him only as a pipeline to his own pleasures, the elder saw him as a taskmaster that made him serve in the fields.

While they both lived in the house, neither understood his love, or the access they had to him as sons.

You know the story (Talk about it)

There is no doubt that the father deeply loved both of his children, but the truth is neither of them embraced that love.

Here’s the point I’d like to make there are two ways to run from God. Probably more but let me just deal with the ways we see in our text.  And honestly, we see much easier in the younger son, who ran into rebellion, satisfying his own selfish desires.

The second is a little harder to notice.  But it’s those who run headlong into religious activities thinking they can impress God with their commitment and earn His love. They slave away for him because they fear the consequences if they don’t.

And like the Pharisees Jesus told this story to, they feel justified by their anger because of more obvious sins of others.

But the truth is they, too, never come to realize the depth of God’s love for them.

All that the father wanted both of them to know how deeply they were loved. It wasn’t their obedience he wanted most, but their affection.

And God feels the same way about you. He’s not necessarily interested in your service or sacrifice.   What He wants is for you to know how much you are loved, and longing for you to love him in return.

And if your one who has allowed other things to come between your relationship with Him.  He is watching, waiting, longing for you to return.  Not to say I told you so, but to show you His love never left His heart for you.

In our text we don’t read where when the son returns the father looked in disgust and said I can’t believe you did that. No he ran to his boy as he saw him in the distance, had a party and said welcome home.

Let me share a story with you but before I do I want to share a couple videos with you (talk about Todd Piece breaking a horse in an hour and riding high ministries)

 Now the story. . .

It’s difficult to find beauty in death. It’s even more difficult to find beauty in a death camp. Especially Auschwitz. Four million Jews died there in World War II. A half-ton of human hair is still preserved. The showers that sprayed poison gas still stand. But for all the ugly memories of Auschwitz there is one of beauty. It’s the memory Gajowniczek has of Maximilian Kolbe. In February 1941 Kolbe was incarcerated at Auschwitz. He was a Franciscan priest. In the harshness of the slaughterhouse he maintained the

gentleness of Christ. He shared his food. He gave up his bunk. He prayed for his captors. He was soon given the nickname “Saint of Auschwitz”. In July of that same year there was an escape from the prison. It was the custom at Auschwitz to kill ten prisoners for every one who escaped. All the prisoners would be gathered in the courtyard, and the commander would randomly select ten names from the roll book. These victims would be immediately taken to a cell where they would receive no food or water until they died. The commander begins calling the names. At each selection another prisoner steps forward to fill the

sinister quota. The tenth name he calls is Gajowniczek. As the SS officers check the numbers of the condemned, one of the condemned begins to sob. “My wife and my children,” he weeps. The officers turn as they hear movement among the prisoners. The guards raise their rifles. The dogs tense, anticipating a command to attack. A prisoner has left his row and is pushing his way to the front. It’s Kolbe. No fear on his face. No hesitancy in his step. The capo shouts at him to stop or be shot. “ I want to talk to the commander,” he says calmly. For some reason the officer doesn’t club or kill him. Kolbe stops a few paces from the commander, removes his hat, and looks the German officer in the eye.

“Herr Commandant, I wish to make a request, please.” That no one shot him is a miracle. “I want to die in

the place of this prisoner.” He points at the sobbing Gajowniczek. The audacious request is presented

without stammer. “I have no wife and children. Besides, I am old and not good for anything. He’s in better condition.” Kolbe knew well the Nazi mentality. “Who are you?” the officer asks. “A Catholic priest.” The block is stunned. The commandant, uncharacteristically speechless. After a moment, he barks, “Request granted.” Prisoners were never allowed to speak. Gajowniczek says, “I could only thank him with my eyes. I was stunned and could hardly grasp what was going on. The immensity of it: I, the condemned, am to live and someone else willingly and voluntarily offers his life for me-a stranger. Is this some

dream?”  The Saint of Auschwitz outlived the other nine. In fact, he didn’t die of thirst or of starvation. He died only after the camp doctor injected phenol into his heart. It was August 14,1941. Gajowniczek survived the Holocaust. He made his way back to his hometown. Every year, however, he goes back to Auschwitz. Every August 14 he goes back to say thank you to the man who died in his place. In his backyard there is a plaque. A plaque he carved with his own hands. A tribute to Maximilian Kolbe – the man who died so he could live. (Six Hours One Friday; Max Lucado)

And in the family of God there has been a great sacrifice made for us.  Jesus died, stepped in our place so we could live.  So, we can be born into His family, receive grace, mercy and love.

He is the perfect Father and just as the prodigal story He continues to look over the horizon longing to see sons and daughters become reconciled back to a Him.

Restored back to their rightful place.  Adopted into the family of God.

And listen I won’t say there aren’t people who do have other motives but most people adopt someone not because they are looking for a monetary benefit from the state, but because they want to share the love they have.

And Jesus wants you and I to realize the love He has for us.

Romans 8:38–39 (NLT) – And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,* neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.