WEBVTT - The Blessing 0:00:00.200 --> 0:00:02.880 No one likes to talk about money. Am I saving enough? 0:00:02.960 --> 0:00:05.040 Can I buy a house? Am I paying too much 0:00:05.040 --> 0:00:07.760 in taxes? Will I be able to retire? What if 0:00:07.760 --> 0:00:10.360 you could unlock insights about your finances in less than 0:00:10.400 --> 0:00:12.840 five minutes, with a clear picture of where you stand 0:00:12.880 --> 0:00:15.720 today and where your money can work harder. Now you 0:00:15.760 --> 0:00:18.759 can visit facet dot com to take the free quiz 0:00:18.800 --> 0:00:23.400 and get your financial wellness score today. That's Facet dot com. 0:00:23.400 --> 0:00:25.360 This ad is sponsored by Facet. Fast Wealth in Corporated 0:00:25.440 --> 0:00:27.280 is an sec registered investment advisor. This is not an 0:00:27.320 --> 0:00:29.080 offer to buy your self securities or is it investment, 0:00:29.160 --> 0:00:30.080 legal or tax advice. 0:00:30.760 --> 0:00:33.960 You're ready for a comeback, and with Purdue Global you 0:00:34.000 --> 0:00:37.200 can do more than take classes. You can take charge 0:00:37.520 --> 0:00:41.520 of your story, of your career, of your life, Earn 0:00:41.560 --> 0:00:43.559 a degree you can be proud of, and get an 0:00:43.680 --> 0:00:48.559 education employer's respect. It's time, your time, not just to 0:00:48.560 --> 0:00:50.960 go back to school, but to come back and move 0:00:51.040 --> 0:00:55.840 forward with Purdue Global, Purdue's online university for working adults. 0:00:56.440 --> 0:00:59.920 Start your comeback at Purdueglobal dot edu. 0:01:00.280 --> 0:01:02.240 He'll forget about the video game you gave him on 0:01:02.280 --> 0:01:02.840 his birthday. 0:01:03.160 --> 0:01:05.039 Wow, thanks Grandpa. 0:01:04.880 --> 0:01:07.280 But He'll never forget how you invested in his future 0:01:07.319 --> 0:01:11.840 with the units stapp. Wow, thanks Grandpa. The units stap 0:01:11.840 --> 0:01:14.360 makes it easy for grandparents and family friends to give 0:01:14.440 --> 0:01:17.160 funds to a child's investment account for a limited time. 0:01:17.280 --> 0:01:19.440 Download the uns stap and use the code I heeart 0:01:19.440 --> 0:01:21.720 fifty at sign up to receive a fifty dollars bonus 0:01:21.720 --> 0:01:24.280 when you fund your account. That's code iHeart fifty when 0:01:24.319 --> 0:01:27.280 you sign up at unest dot co for a fifty 0:01:27.319 --> 0:01:30.120 dollars bonus. See terms and conditions at UNEs dot co. 0:01:31.120 --> 0:01:34.880 Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for downloading our podcast. 0:01:35.160 --> 0:01:37.959 We enjoy spending this time with you. I hope you'll 0:01:38.000 --> 0:01:41.360 leave Inspire. Make sure you subscribe to get new messages 0:01:41.400 --> 0:01:44.440 every week. We appreciate your support. It helps keep the 0:01:44.480 --> 0:01:45.280 ministry going. 0:01:45.680 --> 0:01:57.040 Enjoy the message. 0:01:58.920 --> 0:02:00.000 Well, God bless you. 0:02:00.240 --> 0:02:02.480 It's a joy to come into your homes and here 0:02:02.480 --> 0:02:05.200 ever in our area. Please stop buying. Be a part 0:02:05.200 --> 0:02:07.760 of one of our services. I'll promise you we'll make 0:02:07.800 --> 0:02:09.880 you feel right at home. But thanks so much for 0:02:09.919 --> 0:02:12.919 tuning in, and thank you again for coming out. I 0:02:13.040 --> 0:02:15.280 like to start with something funny and I heard about 0:02:15.320 --> 0:02:18.560 this country grandmother she'd go out on her front porch 0:02:18.639 --> 0:02:22.040 every morning and thanked the Lord for another day. Her 0:02:22.080 --> 0:02:25.280 neighbor didn't believe in God. He'd shout back, there's no 0:02:25.400 --> 0:02:29.000 such thing as the Lord. One day he overheard her 0:02:29.160 --> 0:02:32.080 asking God to give her groceries for the week. He 0:02:32.200 --> 0:02:34.600 snuck over the next morning put some groceries on her 0:02:34.600 --> 0:02:37.079 front porch. She got up and said, thank you, Lord, 0:02:37.200 --> 0:02:40.280 you did it again. He laughed and laughed and said, 0:02:40.320 --> 0:02:42.880 God didn't give you those groceries. I put them there. 0:02:43.480 --> 0:02:45.760 She said, Lord, thank you. You not only gave me 0:02:45.800 --> 0:02:48.040 the groceries, but you made the devil pay for it. 0:02:51.320 --> 0:02:53.840 Say it like you mean it. This is my Bible. 0:02:54.240 --> 0:02:56.560 I am what it says I am. I have what 0:02:56.600 --> 0:02:58.880 it says I have. I can do what it says 0:02:58.919 --> 0:03:01.519 I can do. Today I will be taught the word 0:03:01.560 --> 0:03:05.680 of God. I boldly confess. My mind is alert, my 0:03:05.800 --> 0:03:10.360 heart is receptive. I will never be the same. In Jesus' name. 0:03:10.560 --> 0:03:11.360 God bless you. 0:03:12.600 --> 0:03:15.079 I want to talk to you today about the blessing. 0:03:16.160 --> 0:03:19.560 As parents, we have the ability to impact our children 0:03:20.000 --> 0:03:23.600 like no one else can. While the mother's role of 0:03:23.720 --> 0:03:29.119 nurturing and caring is vitally important, Without the father's approval 0:03:29.520 --> 0:03:35.000 and validation, the child will fill avoid Every person needs 0:03:35.040 --> 0:03:36.680 the blessing from their father. 0:03:37.880 --> 0:03:40.240 Many adults still struggle today. 0:03:40.520 --> 0:03:44.200 Low self esteem, working all the time trying to prove 0:03:44.200 --> 0:03:48.200 that they're good enough, all because of their father's lack 0:03:48.400 --> 0:03:53.040 of affirmation. Their father never told them I'm proud of you. 0:03:53.800 --> 0:03:57.120 He never made them feel approved, so they're still trying 0:03:57.160 --> 0:04:01.400 to measure up gain this approval that can only come 0:04:01.680 --> 0:04:05.400 from a father. Fathers, we have something to give our 0:04:05.520 --> 0:04:09.760 children that nobody else can give. Other people can tell 0:04:09.800 --> 0:04:12.840 them how great they are, how special they are, but 0:04:12.960 --> 0:04:15.920 when you tell them, it carries a whole new weight. 0:04:16.960 --> 0:04:20.599 As the father, you have the god given authority to 0:04:20.720 --> 0:04:24.800 bless your child. Every time you say I'm proud of you, 0:04:25.600 --> 0:04:33.720 I love you, You're beautiful, God releases strength into your child, value, confidence, security. 0:04:34.480 --> 0:04:38.080 Those are not just nice words, it's what the scripture. 0:04:37.720 --> 0:04:42.920 Calls the blessing. You are propelling your child toward their destiny. 0:04:43.640 --> 0:04:47.200 And we're all busy. It's easy to get sidetracked or 0:04:47.240 --> 0:04:50.400 even in odds with our children. They're not doing right. 0:04:50.520 --> 0:04:53.240 When they straight enough, I'll be nicer when I'm not 0:04:53.279 --> 0:04:54.599 so busy, I'll spend more. 0:04:54.440 --> 0:04:57.320 Time with them or Joel. They know I'm proud of them. 0:04:57.800 --> 0:05:00.640 I told them fourteen years ago, brought him home from 0:05:00.680 --> 0:05:04.160 the hospital. No, they need to hear again and again. 0:05:04.800 --> 0:05:09.919 You're the father. You carry the blessing. Don't withhold your love, 0:05:10.440 --> 0:05:14.919 your affection, your approval. Now you may not have received 0:05:15.040 --> 0:05:18.520 this blessing from your father. He wasn't around growing up, 0:05:19.160 --> 0:05:22.239 or maybe he was there, but all he did was correct. 0:05:22.279 --> 0:05:25.839 You tell you what you're doing wrong. He didn't show affection, 0:05:26.240 --> 0:05:31.280 make you feel valuable. Don't let that negative cycle get 0:05:31.320 --> 0:05:35.200 passed to the next generation. You can be the difference maker. 0:05:35.839 --> 0:05:39.680 You can set a new standard. Start blessing your children, 0:05:40.320 --> 0:05:43.960 Start calling out their seeds of greatness, telling them what 0:05:44.000 --> 0:05:49.039 they can become, prophesying their future. Let them know you're 0:05:49.040 --> 0:05:52.159 their number one fan. When you see them in the morning, 0:05:52.360 --> 0:05:55.840 give them a hug. Don't let them pass by without 0:05:55.880 --> 0:06:00.640 showing your affection. Sometimes we were raised to think men 0:06:00.920 --> 0:06:04.000 we don't express our feelings. We don't hug, We don't 0:06:04.000 --> 0:06:06.839 say nice things that would make us look weak. It's 0:06:07.000 --> 0:06:10.680 just the opposite. When you show your feelings, you're strong. 0:06:11.320 --> 0:06:15.839 Real men hug their children, Real men show affection, make 0:06:15.880 --> 0:06:19.800 their children feel valuable. Real men go out of their 0:06:19.880 --> 0:06:25.760 way to approve, to validate, to encourage fathers. Our children 0:06:25.920 --> 0:06:29.120 have been given to us as a gift. Do you 0:06:29.160 --> 0:06:32.160 know how many people would love to have kids. They're 0:06:32.200 --> 0:06:37.600 going through infertility treatments, spending thousands of dollars, enduring pain, suffering. 0:06:37.839 --> 0:06:40.280 They do anything to have children like ours. 0:06:41.080 --> 0:06:46.080 God has entrusted you with his most prized possession. He's 0:06:46.120 --> 0:06:49.880 counting on you as the father, to give them the blessing, 0:06:50.600 --> 0:06:56.039 your approval, your love, your affirmation, carries more weight than 0:06:56.120 --> 0:07:00.479 any other man. Without your blessing, your children and will 0:07:00.480 --> 0:07:03.880 struggle in areas that they did not have to struggle in. 0:07:04.760 --> 0:07:10.080 There's a reason people are insecure, angry, overly competitive, promiscuous. 0:07:10.920 --> 0:07:14.240 Many times, the root cause can be traced back to 0:07:14.400 --> 0:07:16.120 they never got the blessing. 0:07:15.920 --> 0:07:19.960 From their father. I know a man that's extremely successful. 0:07:20.440 --> 0:07:24.120 His business has taken off, but he's never satisfied. He 0:07:24.160 --> 0:07:27.680 works all the time, so competitive, he's got to go higher. 0:07:28.520 --> 0:07:30.200 We were talking one day. 0:07:30.280 --> 0:07:34.440 He brought up how his father has never acknowledged his success, 0:07:35.240 --> 0:07:37.280 never once told him he was proud of his son. 0:07:37.960 --> 0:07:39.520 When they visit on the holidays. 0:07:39.880 --> 0:07:43.880 His father never brings up his accomplishments, and this son, 0:07:44.360 --> 0:07:48.240 instead of being proud of who he is, enjoying his success, 0:07:48.800 --> 0:07:52.600 he keeps working harder and harder, hoping one day he'll 0:07:52.640 --> 0:07:56.640 gain his father's approval. What a difference it would make 0:07:57.160 --> 0:07:59.920 if the father would just pick up the phone and say, 0:08:00.000 --> 0:08:02.560 my son, Have I told you how proud I am 0:08:02.600 --> 0:08:06.000 of you, how I think you're amazing, How you mean 0:08:06.040 --> 0:08:10.320 the world to me. It seems so simple, yet it 0:08:10.400 --> 0:08:14.760 carries so much weight. It fills a void that only 0:08:14.840 --> 0:08:17.720 the father can fill, something we were all born with, 0:08:18.520 --> 0:08:21.920 even as little children on the playground. There can be 0:08:21.960 --> 0:08:26.320 twenty other adults people that we know, but we're constantly saying, 0:08:26.520 --> 0:08:29.960 look at me, daddy, watch me run, Daddy, watch me. 0:08:30.040 --> 0:08:31.680 Jump, Daddy, Watch how fast I am? 0:08:31.760 --> 0:08:32.120 Daddy. 0:08:32.679 --> 0:08:35.160 We long for our daddy to watch us. 0:08:35.800 --> 0:08:39.560 We long for our father to say, that's good, you're strong, 0:08:39.800 --> 0:08:43.239 you can run really fast. We could have our babysitter 0:08:43.280 --> 0:08:46.200 watch us, our cousin watch us, our neighbor watch us. 0:08:46.880 --> 0:08:49.440 But when it's our dad, it takes on a whole 0:08:49.480 --> 0:08:54.000 new meaning. This longing for our father's approval was put 0:08:54.040 --> 0:08:58.360 in us by our creator. Your children may be fifty 0:08:58.440 --> 0:09:03.600 years old today. Deep down they're still saying, watch me, daddy, 0:09:03.920 --> 0:09:06.079 look at what I'm doing, Look at how I'm raising 0:09:06.120 --> 0:09:08.680 my children, Look at how I'm excelling in my career. 0:09:08.880 --> 0:09:14.200 They still long for your approval. Fathers, here's the good news. 0:09:15.440 --> 0:09:19.559 It's never too late to bless your children. You may 0:09:19.559 --> 0:09:21.760 not have done this growing up. This is not the 0:09:21.800 --> 0:09:24.560 way you were raised. But I wonder what would happen 0:09:24.720 --> 0:09:27.600 if you picked up the phone called your son daughter. 0:09:28.200 --> 0:09:30.600 They may be thirty, forty years old, You hadn't spoken 0:09:30.600 --> 0:09:33.079 to them in a while, but you call and say, hey, 0:09:33.080 --> 0:09:35.400 I just want to tell you how proud I amma you, 0:09:35.880 --> 0:09:38.480 how much I love you, how I think you're amazing. 0:09:39.440 --> 0:09:43.520 Your approval, even later in life, can be a turning 0:09:43.559 --> 0:09:48.559 point for them. Your validation of their family, their success, 0:09:48.760 --> 0:09:52.679 their accomplishment, can put an end to issues they've been 0:09:52.679 --> 0:09:56.520 struggling with, can bring healing and wholeness, set them on 0:09:56.600 --> 0:10:00.400 a whole new path. Friend of mine named Robert grew 0:10:00.480 --> 0:10:03.240 up with an alcoholic father. They lived way out in 0:10:03.280 --> 0:10:07.000 the country. His dad was known as the town drunk. 0:10:07.760 --> 0:10:11.040 Robert was the star football player in high school. He 0:10:11.120 --> 0:10:14.120 was named an All American went on to play in college. 0:10:14.559 --> 0:10:17.880 Football was what he lived for. But in spite of 0:10:17.920 --> 0:10:21.840 all of his accomplishments, deep down there was a missing piece. 0:10:22.679 --> 0:10:25.920 As far as he knew, his father had never seen 0:10:26.000 --> 0:10:30.000 him play one football game. His dad had never complimented him, 0:10:30.480 --> 0:10:32.840 never told him that he was proud of his success. 0:10:33.679 --> 0:10:37.480 Even though his father was an alcoholic, Robert still longed 0:10:37.559 --> 0:10:41.680 for his approval. Years later, he found out that his 0:10:41.800 --> 0:10:44.720 dad did attend many of his games, but he stayed 0:10:44.760 --> 0:10:47.800 way over to the side because he was so embarrassed 0:10:47.840 --> 0:10:52.320 by his drinking problem. After Robert's football career, went to 0:10:52.360 --> 0:10:55.960 seminary and became a minister. One day, he received a 0:10:56.000 --> 0:10:59.160 phone call saying that his father had a heart attack 0:10:59.600 --> 0:11:02.560 and might not make it. Robert rushed up to the 0:11:02.559 --> 0:11:06.440 emergency room saw his father lying on the bed. His 0:11:06.520 --> 0:11:10.040 dad was going in and out of consciousness. He wasn't 0:11:10.080 --> 0:11:14.800 completely there. He thought Robert was the doctor, the cardiologist. 0:11:15.480 --> 0:11:20.000 He said something that forever changed Robert's life. He said, doctor, 0:11:20.720 --> 0:11:23.520 have I ever told you about my son Robert? And 0:11:23.640 --> 0:11:27.360 how proud I am him? He was the star football player, 0:11:27.880 --> 0:11:31.080 led the league in tackles. Now he's the great pastor 0:11:31.160 --> 0:11:34.600 of a church went on and on, braggon on his son. 0:11:35.400 --> 0:11:39.520 Robert began to weep that day he heard the words 0:11:39.760 --> 0:11:43.000 that he had waited thirty five years to hear. It 0:11:43.040 --> 0:11:46.720 was like a healing bomb was released on the inside. 0:11:46.920 --> 0:11:50.040 It filled a void that only a father can fail. 0:11:50.840 --> 0:11:53.480 You think, well, come on, Robert, he's an alcoholic. 0:11:53.840 --> 0:11:56.959 He's never been there for you. Just blow him off. No, 0:11:57.120 --> 0:12:01.120 the father holds a blessing that is a strategic peace 0:12:01.160 --> 0:12:06.920 to our puzzle. Maybe, like Robert's father, you haven't been 0:12:06.960 --> 0:12:10.480 there for your children, had struggles and issues, and now 0:12:10.520 --> 0:12:14.120 you think my children don't need anything from me. Joel, 0:12:14.200 --> 0:12:16.520 I've made a lot of poor choices. They're doing better 0:12:16.559 --> 0:12:20.320 than I am. No, just life with Robert. They still 0:12:20.440 --> 0:12:25.680 need your approval. Don't withhold your blessing. Sometimes we think 0:12:25.920 --> 0:12:28.400 they know I love them, they know I'm proud of them. 0:12:28.440 --> 0:12:31.400 I don't need to tell them. No, a blessing is 0:12:31.480 --> 0:12:35.120 not a blessing until it's spoken. People don't know what 0:12:35.160 --> 0:12:39.480 you're thinking. They can't read your mind. Even though it 0:12:39.520 --> 0:12:43.320 may seem minor to you as a father, when you 0:12:43.440 --> 0:12:46.200 tell your children you're proud of them, it can do 0:12:46.280 --> 0:12:49.920 something major in their life. The blessing of the father 0:12:50.080 --> 0:12:53.600 carries so much weight. It can help release them to 0:12:53.679 --> 0:12:57.800 a new level of their destiny. I think about growing up, 0:12:58.080 --> 0:13:00.760 how many times I heard my pa parents tell me 0:13:01.080 --> 0:13:03.280 that they were proud of me, that I was going 0:13:03.320 --> 0:13:07.240 to do great things in life. My father would brag 0:13:07.280 --> 0:13:09.599 on me so much in front of other people it 0:13:09.640 --> 0:13:13.560 would embarrass me. Every place we would go together, he 0:13:13.600 --> 0:13:16.320 couldn't wait to say, have you met my son Joel. 0:13:17.040 --> 0:13:19.640 He'd go on and on telling all of my history. 0:13:20.040 --> 0:13:23.600 How I did the television production at the church. Nobody 0:13:23.640 --> 0:13:24.640 could do it better than me. 0:13:25.000 --> 0:13:28.080 I was the greatest producer, the greatest director. None of 0:13:28.120 --> 0:13:29.559 that was true. 0:13:29.679 --> 0:13:33.000 I wasn't the greatest anything. But I kind of liked 0:13:33.000 --> 0:13:36.720 the fact that I had my father fooled. But really, 0:13:36.760 --> 0:13:39.960 more than bragging on me, he was speaking the blessing. 0:13:40.520 --> 0:13:47.480 He was approving, validating, honoring me. There's a reason people 0:13:47.559 --> 0:13:50.800 are secure, confident, they feel valuable. 0:13:51.080 --> 0:13:54.120 It has a lot to do with the blessing. 0:13:53.800 --> 0:13:57.680 From their father. One time, in the fourth grade, the 0:13:57.720 --> 0:14:00.920 principal's assistant came and got me out of class and said, 0:14:00.960 --> 0:14:04.000 my father needed to speak to me on the phone. 0:14:04.080 --> 0:14:07.520 I was alarmed, wondering what was going on, walked to 0:14:07.559 --> 0:14:10.880 the office, my heart beating fast, answered the phone. Yes, Daddy, 0:14:10.920 --> 0:14:14.480 what is it? He said, Joel, I'm ordering red lobster 0:14:14.600 --> 0:14:17.679 for lunch today. Do you want tater tots or French 0:14:17.720 --> 0:14:22.120 fries with your meal? One thing about it, I knew 0:14:22.120 --> 0:14:25.400 my father cared. He traveled a lot when I was 0:14:25.440 --> 0:14:28.280 growing up and couldn't attend many of my basketball games, 0:14:28.320 --> 0:14:30.560 but every once in a while he would show up. 0:14:31.320 --> 0:14:32.960 My father normally wore. 0:14:32.800 --> 0:14:36.160 Suits, he didn't have many casual clothes, but when he 0:14:36.160 --> 0:14:38.760 had come to my games for some reason, he would 0:14:38.800 --> 0:14:43.840 wear short pants. His legs were so white you needed sunglasses. 0:14:44.360 --> 0:14:46.120 They looked like the glory of God. 0:14:47.320 --> 0:14:50.400 If that wasn't bad enough, he would wear his black. 0:14:50.400 --> 0:14:55.160 Dress shoes with those shorts. That contrast was deadly. 0:14:57.120 --> 0:15:00.040 I was so embarrassed, but I had no doubt my 0:15:00.240 --> 0:15:04.120 father was so proud of me. Maybe you're a father 0:15:04.480 --> 0:15:07.680 in a single parent situation. You don't have your children 0:15:07.720 --> 0:15:08.720 with you all the time. 0:15:09.200 --> 0:15:09.880 That's okay. 0:15:10.320 --> 0:15:13.800 You can still give them your blessing. Don't take the 0:15:13.840 --> 0:15:17.480 easy way out and make the mother do everything. Your 0:15:17.600 --> 0:15:22.640 children need your love, your guidance, your support your mentorship. 0:15:23.360 --> 0:15:27.080 If a young lady doesn't get the approval from her father, 0:15:27.880 --> 0:15:31.480 many times she'll try to get that approval from other men. 0:15:32.240 --> 0:15:37.120 She'll go from relationship to relationship, not valuing who she 0:15:37.480 --> 0:15:41.120 is because she has not been valued by the most 0:15:41.160 --> 0:15:44.000 important male in her life, her father. 0:15:45.000 --> 0:15:47.840 Your daughter. As a little girl, she looks up to 0:15:47.880 --> 0:15:48.880 you as her hero. 0:15:49.720 --> 0:15:53.640 She admires you. She thinks you can do anything. She's 0:15:53.720 --> 0:15:57.280 not going to feel good about herself until she knows 0:15:57.680 --> 0:16:00.320 you think she's the greatest thing in the world world. 0:16:01.280 --> 0:16:04.960 You're teaching your daughter how other men should treat her. 0:16:05.800 --> 0:16:10.800 She's learning from you what love is. She's felt her 0:16:10.840 --> 0:16:15.880 mother's love, but you are her first male love. You 0:16:15.960 --> 0:16:19.720 are her first boyfriend. It all starts with you. It's 0:16:19.720 --> 0:16:22.360 going to be compared to the love that you show her. 0:16:22.800 --> 0:16:25.800 It's why it's so important fathers not only to treat 0:16:25.840 --> 0:16:29.520 your wife with honor and respect, but treat your daughter 0:16:30.000 --> 0:16:30.880 like she's a queen. 0:16:31.520 --> 0:16:34.440 You are setting the tone for how she will allow 0:16:34.560 --> 0:16:35.880 other people to treat her. 0:16:36.520 --> 0:16:40.240 If you're harsh, rude, condescending, don't have time for her, 0:16:40.600 --> 0:16:44.160 You're teaching her that's how men treat women. That's Okay, 0:16:44.240 --> 0:16:47.280 find somebody like that. But when you treat her with 0:16:47.400 --> 0:16:52.960 respect and kindness, you value her, make her feel loved, important, honored. 0:16:53.400 --> 0:16:57.800 That's the standard she's going to set. Our daughter, Alexandra, 0:16:58.800 --> 0:17:02.480 her first day was not with another young man. It 0:17:02.600 --> 0:17:07.040 was with this young man. I've taken her to dinner, 0:17:07.560 --> 0:17:10.760 to the mall, to build a bear, to Disneyland. I've 0:17:10.760 --> 0:17:13.879 opened the car door for her, I've carried her luggage. 0:17:14.080 --> 0:17:17.560 I've told her she's beautiful, valuable, talented, one. 0:17:17.359 --> 0:17:18.880 Of a kind, a masterpiece. 0:17:19.160 --> 0:17:22.520 I've set a high standard. The people she chooses to 0:17:22.640 --> 0:17:26.880 date are going to have a tough act to follow. 0:17:26.920 --> 0:17:29.520 Not only are they gonna have to be good looking 0:17:29.640 --> 0:17:33.680 like me, but they're gonna have to bring their a game. 0:17:34.280 --> 0:17:36.439 They're not gonna be average mediocre. 0:17:36.600 --> 0:17:37.200 She'll know to. 0:17:37.160 --> 0:17:37.920 Weed them out. 0:17:38.119 --> 0:17:39.120 They're gonna have to be a. 0:17:39.080 --> 0:17:43.840 Cut above, exceptional, extraordinary people that are treated like a queen. 0:17:44.840 --> 0:17:49.080 That's what a father does. A father sets the standard. 0:17:49.880 --> 0:17:52.639 Don't be harsh on your children, don't be too. 0:17:52.520 --> 0:17:53.240 Busy for them. 0:17:53.840 --> 0:17:56.240 If you don't tell your daughter how beautiful she is, 0:17:56.800 --> 0:18:00.159 don't be surprised if she finds a young man. 0:17:59.760 --> 0:18:01.240 To tell her how beautiful she is. 0:18:01.840 --> 0:18:04.879 If you don't make your children feel special, they'll go 0:18:04.920 --> 0:18:08.640 out and try to fill that void with something or someone, 0:18:09.000 --> 0:18:12.160 a void that you can fill as the father. Let's 0:18:12.200 --> 0:18:16.240 set a high standard. This is your legacy. This is 0:18:16.280 --> 0:18:19.560 what you're passing down. More than your money, more than 0:18:19.600 --> 0:18:23.879 your success, your accomplishments, your values, your principles, what you 0:18:23.960 --> 0:18:27.240 believe in. That's what's going to live on. I'm asking 0:18:27.280 --> 0:18:32.040 you to model excellence, model integrity. Give your children the blessing, 0:18:32.359 --> 0:18:34.720 Let them know their maid and the image of God, 0:18:34.960 --> 0:18:38.679 that they're extremely valuable, that they have seeds of greatness 0:18:38.720 --> 0:18:39.720 on the inside. 0:18:40.760 --> 0:18:44.000 In the Scripture, there was a father named Jesse. He 0:18:44.080 --> 0:18:45.120 had eight sons. 0:18:45.840 --> 0:18:48.800 When the prophet Samuel came to his house to choose 0:18:48.800 --> 0:18:53.160 one of those sons as the next king, Jesse's youngest son, David, 0:18:53.520 --> 0:18:55.040 was out in the shepherd's fields. 0:18:55.680 --> 0:18:59.000 Jesse didn't even invite David in. He thought he doesn't 0:18:59.040 --> 0:18:59.520 have a chance. 0:18:59.560 --> 0:19:04.159 He's too inexperienced. When Samuel looked at the other seven boys, 0:19:04.520 --> 0:19:07.600 he said, it's none of these. He asked Jesse if 0:19:07.600 --> 0:19:11.919 he had another son. Jesse was so surprised he said, yes, David, 0:19:12.000 --> 0:19:14.359 my youngest he's out there taking care of the sheep. 0:19:14.560 --> 0:19:18.639 But I know it's not him. The moment Samuel saw David, 0:19:18.680 --> 0:19:21.200 he lit up, said, that's him. He's the next king. 0:19:21.920 --> 0:19:25.320 Here's my point. Jesse had a king in his house 0:19:25.680 --> 0:19:28.919 and he didn't recognize it. He had one of the 0:19:28.960 --> 0:19:31.600 greatest men that would ever live, but he didn't see it. 0:19:32.000 --> 0:19:32.800 He just looked on. 0:19:32.800 --> 0:19:36.960 The outside, saw his size, his ability, his experience. He 0:19:37.000 --> 0:19:40.919 couldn't see the seeds of greatness on the inside. He 0:19:40.960 --> 0:19:45.240 didn't see the giant killer, the army general, the skilled musician, 0:19:45.560 --> 0:19:49.879 the history maker. Don't do like Jesse and have a 0:19:50.000 --> 0:19:53.680 king a queen in your house and not recognize it. 0:19:54.359 --> 0:19:57.360 You don't know the gifts God has put in your children. 0:19:57.960 --> 0:20:01.120 You could be raising the next giant killer, the next 0:20:01.200 --> 0:20:04.240 army general, the next David, the next history maker. 0:20:04.520 --> 0:20:07.000 All they need is your blessing. 0:20:07.160 --> 0:20:11.119 Your encouragement, to know that you believe in them, that 0:20:11.160 --> 0:20:13.960 you're cheering them on, that you're their number one fan. 0:20:15.040 --> 0:20:18.600 Two thousand and nine, a young man named Jonathan Sanchez 0:20:18.880 --> 0:20:23.040 was the starting pitcher for the San Francisco Giants baseball team. 0:20:23.359 --> 0:20:27.320 He'd been doing okay, but he started struggling Eventually he 0:20:27.400 --> 0:20:27.840 was sent. 0:20:27.760 --> 0:20:28.760 Down to the bullpen. 0:20:29.600 --> 0:20:33.440 When the star pitcher Randy Johnson hurt his shoulder, he 0:20:33.520 --> 0:20:37.280 was put back in the starting rotation. Just so happened, 0:20:37.560 --> 0:20:41.080 his father had flown in from Puerto Rico to watch 0:20:41.160 --> 0:20:43.880 him pitch for the first time in the major leagues. 0:20:44.560 --> 0:20:48.040 With his father up there in the stands, Jonathan pitched 0:20:48.240 --> 0:20:51.880 the game of his lifetime, striking out a career high 0:20:51.920 --> 0:20:55.760 eleven batters and not allowing one hit. It was the 0:20:55.760 --> 0:20:59.200 first no hitter in thirty three years for the Giants. 0:21:00.000 --> 0:21:01.960 After the game, the first one in the dugout to 0:21:02.040 --> 0:21:06.080 congratulate him was his father. Jonathan said, I was so 0:21:06.320 --> 0:21:09.320 pumped to know that my father was watching me pitch 0:21:09.359 --> 0:21:13.639 for the first time. Wasn't a coincidence that he pitched 0:21:13.680 --> 0:21:16.760 the game of his life on the first time his 0:21:16.800 --> 0:21:18.919 father was there to watch him play. 0:21:18.960 --> 0:21:22.880 The blessing kicked in. Fathers, when your children know. 0:21:23.240 --> 0:21:26.840 You're watching them, you believe in them, you're cheering them on. 0:21:27.240 --> 0:21:30.719 That's going to give them an extra boost to rise higher, 0:21:31.080 --> 0:21:34.600 to go further, to accomplish things they never thought they 0:21:34.600 --> 0:21:39.800 could accomplish. And I realize not everybody got this blessing 0:21:39.840 --> 0:21:40.639 from their father. 0:21:41.520 --> 0:21:44.640 Some people lost their father early in life. 0:21:44.680 --> 0:21:48.439 Half of the children today are being raised in fatherless homes. 0:21:49.200 --> 0:21:52.200 Maybe your dad was around, but he wasn't a good influence. 0:21:52.480 --> 0:21:56.560 He made it harder on you. Notice with David, even 0:21:56.600 --> 0:22:00.000 though his father didn't believe in him, that didn't change 0:22:00.359 --> 0:22:04.840 David's destinies. What God had planned for David's life could 0:22:04.880 --> 0:22:08.560 not be stopped by how his father raised him. Don't 0:22:08.680 --> 0:22:11.800 use this as an excuse. I didn't get the blessing, Joel. 0:22:11.840 --> 0:22:13.919 Now I know why I'm stuck. Now know why I 0:22:13.920 --> 0:22:17.280 can't accomplish my dream. Know what you did or did 0:22:17.320 --> 0:22:20.840 not get is not a surprise to God. You may 0:22:20.880 --> 0:22:23.840 not have had a father involved in your life growing up. 0:22:24.600 --> 0:22:27.439 God said in Psalm sixty eight he will be a 0:22:27.520 --> 0:22:31.639 father to the fatherless. God will be your father. He 0:22:31.720 --> 0:22:34.400 will watch over you in a special way. He'll get 0:22:34.440 --> 0:22:39.240 you to where you're supposed to be. For many single 0:22:39.320 --> 0:22:44.159 mothers doing an incredible job raising their children without the 0:22:44.200 --> 0:22:47.680 help of a man, God said he will be your husband. 0:22:48.359 --> 0:22:51.160 He will help you raise your child. He will give 0:22:51.160 --> 0:22:55.840 you wisdom, He will provide for your needs. There's a 0:22:55.880 --> 0:22:59.200 single mom that attends here. She has two sons. They 0:22:59.200 --> 0:23:02.320 were raised on a limited income, but today both of 0:23:02.359 --> 0:23:07.080 her sons are in major universities on full scholarships, one 0:23:07.119 --> 0:23:09.680 in medical school, one in law school. 0:23:10.680 --> 0:23:13.560 God will be your husband. God will take care. 0:23:13.440 --> 0:23:17.240 Of you and your children. Read a story about a 0:23:17.280 --> 0:23:20.879 little boy. He grew up with a single parent mother 0:23:21.320 --> 0:23:26.400 in the Hills of Tennessee. Back then, especially in that area, 0:23:26.680 --> 0:23:29.520 children that were born to unwed mothers were really looked 0:23:29.640 --> 0:23:33.800 down on. At three years old, neighbors would not let 0:23:33.840 --> 0:23:36.639 him play with their children. They would say things like, 0:23:36.720 --> 0:23:40.440 what's he doing in our town? And who's his father? Anyway? 0:23:41.480 --> 0:23:43.679