Welcome to the Wilton Baptist Church, where we worship God, walk with others, and win people to the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm Pastor Steve, and our congregation is pleased to share this message with you today, and we pray it'll be a blessing and encouragement to you. Blessings as you listen or watch. We're in Proverbs 27. So if you'd find that passage this morning, Proverbs 27, happy Father's Day again. And also we want to make sure everybody, all you guys get one of those books out there. It looks like a nice prayer challenge that we hope will be an encouragement to you. Great to see you today. It's a busy week. And what a great time of year as things are wrapping up. Next week, we have our graduate Sunday, and we're looking forward to recognizing each of our graduates. So let us know about all of that. OK, so I was reading some different things, and I found this. How to tell when it's going to be a rotten day. How to tell it's going to be a rotten day. Now maybe you can associate or identify with some of these things. The first one is this. This sounds terrible. You wake up face down on the pavement. Now I suspect it's actually happened to some people here. I don't know, maybe. You see 60 Minutes news team waiting in your office. Your birthday cake collapses because of the weight of the candles. I'm sorry. You turn on the news and they're showing emergency routes out of your town. Your twin forgot your birthday. Your car horn goes off accidentally and remains stuck as you follow a group of hell's angels on the freeway. Your boss tells you not to bother taking your coat off. And the bird singing outside your window is a buzzard. I don't know what they sound like. Some of you may have had this happen. You wake up and your braces are locked together. or you put both contact lenses in the same eye. It may be a pretty bad day if you start out with some of those things. Whenever you sign your kids up for school, or the local Little League team, or our WANDA program, or teen road trip, or camp, there's always a form that says, emergency contact information. Who's the emergency contact? At your workplace, when you first got that job and you filled out all the paperwork, one of the papers that you filled in or at least a line or two said, who is your emergency contact? You go to the dentist or to the, just the doctor's office or the hospital, who's your emergency contact? They'll have a line or two, maybe several. How can we contact them? What's the relationship to the patient, the student, the person, the worker, and then how to contact them? And it's like an order of priority of who you contact. Who did you put down? Who was it that you put down as your emergency contact for your kids or for yourself right before the dentist started drilling on you? Who was your emergency contact? I do have a cough, so I'm going to do the best I can not to cough at you too much. just a little bit the word father is found many times throughout scripture it's in twelve hundred thirty four verses fourteen hundred and one times the word father or fathers is used and one of those is in proverbs twenty seven verse and from this verse i'd like to bring this message the emergency contact emergency contact notices passage dying own friend uh... in my father's friend forsake not. Neither go into thy brother's house in the day of thy calamity, for better is a neighbor that is near than a brother far off. Now this verse does not belittle the distant brother so much as commending the friend who is nearby. And there's also an impetus or an imperative, something that is rather implied about the fathers, that fathers would have good friends for their kids to look up to, to begin with. Notice the first three phrases, thine own friend and thy father's friend forsake not. Now we could just kind of read over that and not really think much about it, but this infers that Fathers, your friends are worthy of your kids looking up to. And if they could go to them in a time of emergency when perhaps you're no longer there. There's actually a story that we're gonna unpack here in just a moment in the scriptures. And it was one of Solomon's sons, the one who wrote this proverb down. And we'll see if he followed his father's advice or not based on what we just read and what we understand. And so it's so important that fathers have good friends. Men, we need good friends that our kids can look up to because there's gonna be a day when you're not gonna be there and they'll have to have somebody they can look up to in your stead. Today, we would say about friendships, there are no friends like old friends. We would keep old friends, or should keep old friends, for they are tried and tested. In times of calamity, a friend close at hand is better than a brother who lives halfway across the country. We should cultivate friendships with our neighbors, for we never know when we might need them, or when they may need us. There's an old saying, a friend in need is a friend in deed. Perhaps you have a lot of other clever sayings or things that you've picked up along the way. But the impetus in the first three phrases, the implication is that fathers would have good friends that their kids could look up to in the future. It's the emergency contact. Who is the emergency contact? The friends that you have around you that they could look up to in their time of need. We need good friends for our kids to look up to. Now, we need men that are worshiping together. I'm talking about friends who are serving together, men who are working together, men who are holding each other accountable, men who are seeking righteousness together. The fact is, part of life, the fact is that all of us will encounter troubles. Our kids will encounter troubles every year, every decade, every stage of life. There's going to be different things that we face and encounter along the way. a nearby friend, according to this proverb, is better than a brother who's far away in your time of need. And a father's friend, think about how important a father's friend could be, because it's not just a peer, it's someone that you can look up to, someone who has some experience, someone who's accomplished some things along the way. So who do your kids go to when they need an answer? They could go to Google today. Google has an answer. AI, artificial intelligence, has an answer. There are other peers. There are talking pundits. Who do your kids turn to when they have a problem? We see it all the time. Sometimes they turn to an addiction. I mean, they have a problem, so they turn to an addiction to kind of cope through or to go through those problems. Sometimes they avoid people altogether. I mean, they just hide in their basement. They hide in the attic. They just avoid people altogether. They're trying to avoid their problems. Sometimes they go to their peers who have no experience or track record of faithfulness. Sometimes they resort to a predator who's preying on them and, beknownst to them, they're preying upon them fulfilling their own selfish lusts. Where do our kids turn to for help? It could be friends. Sometimes they turn to education. If I just get a little more smarts, if I get a little more education, I could make it. Sometimes they turn to money. If we just get more money, I could survive. Books. Maybe they'll turn to a book or just the internet. It's taken most people by storm today, of course. What kind of emergency contact or friends? will you give to your kids? And the second question is this, what kind of emergency contact or friend will you be to other people? That was a cool sound effect. I have no idea where it came from, but that was real peaceful. Is that someone's phone or something? I'm not trying to embarrass you, but I like that, whatever it was. Men need good friends for their kids to look up to. Our illustrative passage is 1 Kings 10. So go ahead and find that if you would, 1 Kings 10. So let's go to 2 Chronicles instead. Can I change it on you? There's actually two narratives of the same event. All right. 2 Kings 10, Rehoboam went to Shechem, for to Shechem were all Israel come to make him king. And it came to pass when Jeroboam, the son of Nebad, who was in Egypt, whether he had fled from the presence of Solomon, the king heard it, that Jeroboam returned out of Egypt. And they sent and called him, so Jeroboam and all Israel came and spake to Rehoboam, saying, Thy father hath made our yoke grievous. Now therefore, ease thou somewhat the grievous servitude of thy father and his heavy yoke that he put upon us, and we will serve thee. And he said unto them, Come again unto me after three days, and the people departed. Okay, so there's two main characters here. There's Rehoboam, and they're going to make him the king of all of Israel. He is the son, one of the sons, of Solomon, King Solomon. And then there's Jeroboam. He's not related, but a similar name. You have the om's at the end like that, so don't confuse the two. But he actually had been an outcast for a little bit. Solomon had driven him away. We'll find out why here in just a moment. But notice what happens then. He comes back. Everyone's coming back. And they're going to have a coronation. But they ask him some questions. You know, your father. demanded of us. I mean, he had a great taxation system, he built the temple, he had built cities and fortresses and all kinds of things that he was able to accomplish. And he said, you know, he expected a lot out of us. What are you going to be like as our king? And king, in verse 6, Rehoboam took counsel with the old men that had stood before Solomon, his father, while he yet lived, saying, while counsel give ye me to return to his people. This is a great start for him. He's asking advice of the older guys that are there, the experienced ones, the ones who've been around the block a little bit. who knew Solomon, who helped institute some of the things that he had instituted. And here's their response. They spake unto him, saying, if thou be kind to this people, and please them, and speak good words to them, they will be thy servants forever. But he forsook the counsel which the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men that were brought up with him, and that stood before him. So he asked his peers instead. And he said unto them, What advice give ye that we may return answer to this people which hath spoken to me, saying, Ease somewhat the yoke that thy father did put upon us. And the young men that were brought up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou answer the people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it somewhat lighter for us. Thus shalt thou say to them, My little fingers shall be thicker than my father's loins. For whereas my father put a heavy yoke upon you, I will put more to your yoke. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions. He says, if you think it was tough under my dad, it's gonna be more difficult, more strenuous, more tough than it was under him, under me. And so he spaked to them roughly here. In verse 15, so the king hearkened not unto the people, for the cause was of God, that the Lord might perform his word, which he spake by the hand of Ahijah, the Shilonite, to Jeroboam, the son of Nebat. And when all Israel saw that the king would not hearken unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? and we have none inheritance in the son of Jesse. Every man to your tents, O Israel. And now, David, see to thine own house. So all Israel went to their tents. But as for the children of Israel that dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them. Then King Rehoboam sent Hadarim that was over the tribute and the children of Israel stoned him with stones and he died. But King Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot to flee to Jerusalem. And Israel rebelled against the house of David until this day. So Rehoboam, he acts like nothing happens here with their decision of Israel. 10 tribes say we want nothing to do with this. And so he actually sends Solomon's former tax collector to go and say, all right, I'm going to lay down the law now. And they kill him because of that. He sends the wrong guy for sure. It was sending a bad message. And I kind of feel bad for that guy. But he was just doing what the king said. Who's your emergency contact? We need good friends. Now, as we read this passage, when the three days are over, Rehoboam delivers the harsh message. And the scribe who writes this down, as God explains this, says that the king did not listen to the people. This is a lack of judgment on his part. And he had this turn of event that takes place was from the Lord, so that God's word through the prophet Ahijah, we don't know much about him, but he does give a prophecy about Rehoboam, that Rehoboam would be a ruler in Israel, and that's what takes place. Now this is not a chance thing, this isn't just like an accident that the nation is divided at this point because from this point on in Israelite history the nation is divided. It's a divided nation at this moment. Now God is sovereign but still Rehoboam's decision is his own. This is a great a great uh... study here in a really good illustration of how the bible maintains a tension between god's sovereignty and the free will of man because he got to make his choice here and the whole event could have been different if he had listened to his father. Now God would have still divided the nation, we'll see why in just a moment, but he would have done so in a different way. But this man decides that he's going to listen to his peers and be a very aggressive and mean to the people rather than gentle and kind like the older guys had suggested to him. Now Jeroboam was an aggressive leader who Solomon appeased by giving him some control. I'll give you some background, 1 Kings 11. And King Jeroboam, the son of Nebath, the Ephrathite of Zerida, Solomon's servant, whose name was Zeruah, a widow woman, even he lifted up his hand against the king. And this was the cause that he lifted up his hand against the king. Solomon built Milo and repaired the breaches of the city of David, his father. And so this man is kind of aggressive, Jeroboam, and he's very much of a leader, and people are already willing to follow him. And so Solomon gives him a position, because he sees this aggressiveness in him, to try to contain him and utilize his leadership skills in other areas. Now, the prophet Ahijah told Jeroboam why part of the kingdom was going to be given to Jeroboam. The man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor. And Solomon, seeing that the young man was industrious, this is 1 Kings 11, he made him ruler over all the charge of the house of Joseph. And it came to pass, at the time when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah, the Shilonite, found him in the way, and he had clad himself with a new garment, and they two were alone in the field. And Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him and ran it in 12 pieces. And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces. For thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and give ten tribes to thee. But he shall have one tribe for my servant David's sake and for Jerusalem's sake and the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel. And so you can see why Solomon had taken this area and given it to him. He was this leadership type person. But because of this prophecy, Solomon says, all right, I'm done with this guy. And that's why in the very first verses we read, he had fled to Egypt. Solomon had banished him from the kingdom because he didn't want to see his kingdom divided like God was going to have it divided. Now, why was the nation divided? It's because God's people were not acting like God's people. Instead of God being their God and them being God's representative to witness and to testify about Jehovah, the one true God, they had adopted the false gods of those who were around them. In 1 Kings 11, because they have and forsaken me, and worshipped Asherah, the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh, the god of the Moabites, and Milcom, the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did David my father. Howbeit, I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand, but I will make him prince all the days of his life, for David my servant's sake. whom I chose because he kept my commandments and my statutes. If Rehoboam would have listened to his father Solomon's advice and listened to his father's friends, the old guys who said Be less aggressive. Be more gentle. If you show kindness to the people, then they will serve you forever. If he had listened to them, the situation would have fallen out differently. God would have still divided the nation, but he would have done so with a different person or with a different circumstance. On his father's day, to men of all ages, parents and non-parents, adults and teenagers, I'd like you to know this. Our friendships matter. Who you're a friend with matters. Men, who you have as your friends makes a difference. And when you're gone, who is older than your kids that they will look up to? Men need good friends for their kids to look up to. Again, men who worship together, men who serve together, men who work together, men who are holding each other accountable, men who are seeking righteousness. together. So what should our friendships look like? In 2 Chronicles 10 verse 7 let's listen to what these guys had said to Jeroboam. They spake to him saying, If thou be kind to this people, please them, and speak good words to them, they will be thy servants forever. What we read already in first Kings and they spake unto him saying if thou will be a servant unto this people this day And we'll serve them and answer them and speak good words to them. Then they will be thy servants forever Chronicles and Kings give similar stories same timeline different scribes wrote down the stories, but let's take the advice of Solomon's old Friends, there's three things here. That's so important in the two verses that I just read to you first off serving others. What kind of friend should you be to other people and what kind of friends do you have that your kids can look up to? Are they serving and are you serving other people? The word service used in these verses that we read means to work or to serve. Think with me for just a moment about our service to others. There's kindness, in service. When we're serving other people, there's kindness there. Ephesians 4 32, Be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you. In the events of Jesus Christ and what he did for us, he was forgiving us. And as he was doing this, he was serving humanity. He was serving us. And there's great kindness there. So we're to be kind to one another. When we're serving others, there's an element of kindness there. There's gentleness in service. 1 Thessalonians 2 verse 4, Paul was talking about him. his ministry to the people of Thessalonica. But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherishes her children. You think about a mama with her newborn and how she's caring for that little baby. There should be some nourishment, some nourishment, some gentleness in how we are interacting and serving other people. There's humility in service. Whenever you are serving somebody else, it's not like you're trying to get something back in return. I'm humbling myself. It's not a trade-off. It's not like a job. It's not a vocation. It's not an exchange of something. I'm just going to be kind to somebody by serving them. 1 Peter 5, 5, likewise ye younger, submit yourselves to the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another and be clothed with humility. For God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble. Men, when you get up each day, and you pull your pants up and you button up your shirt and you get all groomed and ready for the day, put on some humility too. Put on some humility. Next time you get dressed, just think about it. I need some humility. I need to be clothed with humility like Peter said in 1 Peter 5.5. It had changed your life. It had changed the temperature of your home, of your workplace, and your family. One person wrote about strict fathers and said, allow me to clarify up front what I mean by or what I don't mean by strict fathers. Strict fathers aren't mean to their kids. Strict fathers aren't aloof from their kids. Strict fathers aren't distant from their kids. Strict fathers aren't harsh with their kids. Strict fathers aren't verbally abusive to their kids. The kind of strict fathers our nation needs are men who fit this following criteria. We need strict fathers who love their kids. We need strict fathers who are affectionate with their kids. We need strict fathers who verbally praise their kids. We need strict fathers who emotionally support their kids. He went on to say, the strict fathers I'm referring to aren't out of balance, they're in balance. Their strictness is balanced by a host of positive qualities. that give their kids a context of unconditional love and acceptance. So serving others, number two, responding to others. The word answer is used in these verses that we read. The older guys say, if you would respond to them, if you would answer them gently or kindly. The word answer means to respond. It means to respond. So like somebody's asking a question, so I'm going to respond. Someone says something, so I'm going to respond to them. I'm going to answer them. So how do you respond to others? In that second parallel passage, he uses the term please them. They say, OK, if you would please the people. if you would please them. This word means to be pleased with or to be accepted favorably. Now, and if you read them, how the phrases are, it's all parallel. So he says to respond to them, to answer them with pleasing words, basically. I'm going to give them a good, wholesome or happy, healthy answer. So let me ask you some questions then. How do you respond to other people? Do your kids know that you accept them? This is your answer to them. This is your responses to them. This is the two verses that the old guy said to the king. This is how you should be. Do others know when you're happy? Do others know when you're content? Do others know when you're angry? Well, they probably know that. Do others know when you're pleased with them? This is where we have a lot of shortcomings is when we're pleased with our kids and happy with how they are behaving or acting or what they're doing. Do others know when you're pleased with them? Do you give praise or credit to others when they succeed? Or do you rub it in when they fail? And they already feel bad because they already know they failed. Don't be the guy that rubs it in like, oh, I told you so. Don't be that guy. Sometimes we throw verbal anchors to people who are emotionally drowning. Don't throw verbal anchors at people. Their kids don't need a verbal anchor to weigh them down. They already know if they disappointed you. They already know if they failed. They already know if they didn't succeed or made the grade or achieve whatever they were trying to achieve. The best example of pleasing others is Jesus. Romans 15 gives us a glimpse of this. We, then, that are strong, ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbor for the good, for his good, to edification. That means to build up. Even as Christ pleased not himself, but as it is written, there were approaches of them that were approached. The fell on me. Christ wasn't pleasing himself. He was pleasing God the Father. He was pleasing us. He was serving us. He was answering us when he went to the cross. He was showing that he accepted us when he went to the cross. That's what the idea of pleasing and this answer is. Is I'm showing and demonstrating. I'm responding to them with acceptance. Jesus lets us know that we're accepted in Christ in Ephesians 1 6 to the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. What makes you accepted? It's Christ. It's Jesus. Do people around you know that you accept them? Your kids know that you accept them, not based on their performance. Because Jesus accepted you when you failed, when you were a sinner, when you were undeserving, when you were unworthy, and we're still like that. But we're made worthy because of Christ. We're made accepted because of the Lord. So respond to others like Jesus responded to you. Give pats on the back. Offer encouragement. Smile at others. As I'm coughing, I just smile at other people. That shows some acceptance. Even a body language helps with that. Somebody posted on X, that's formerly called Twitter, money is the least interesting form of wealth. Do your grown kids want to spend time with you? Does your spouse love you? Do you have friends that can tell you the truth? That's the kind of wealth that's free and available to anyone, and I can get excited about that kind of wealth. It's not about the money, it's about the relationships. What are those like? Serving others, responding to others, letting your kids know, letting others around you know that you accept them. Number three, speaking to others. Both passages uses the word good. They're gonna speak good words. Good is a word which means pleasant, agreeable, or good. Now the Old Testament uses all these words that I'm about to give for the word good. Beautiful, these are words that we should give. Beautiful, beneficial, Best, these are descriptions of the types of words that we say to other people. Better, cheerful, favorable, favorably, festive, fine, fit, fit words, generous, glad, good, gracious, intelligent, kind, pleasant, pleasing, precious, pure, right, splendid, sweet, upright, very well, precious, Well, well off or worthy. And I took a whole bunch out of the list. That's just a few of the many ways the word good in describing the words that we shared. That's just the Old Testament. I didn't even get to the New Testament in that study. Instead of controlling words or condemning words or critical words, use encouraging words. Sometimes when we're correcting and I'm guilty, I'll try to help so much that it's negative. It's like disappointing and almost sad. Have you been there? You're trying to help and you say things and it comes across negatively. Many men, including myself, can easily provoke our kids and those around us to anger or discouragement or disappointment. And in your effort to make things good or better by just saying words, if you don't use the best words available, then you could do a lot of damage with what you're saying. And here's a by the way. Men, if you think that yelling across the room or raising your voice to a shout or using crude language or saying harsh things is good parenting, I'll be harsh for a moment. You're an idiot. If you think yelling, cursing, raising your temperature of anger at your kids is going to work, You're an idiot. It doesn't work. You've got to stay under control. You have to say wholesome words to your kids. James Dobson said, the father's most important responsibility is to communicate the real meaning of Christianity to his children. So what kind of words should we use? I'll give you several. Speak nurturing words. Fathers, provoke not your children to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Speak encouraging words. Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged. So encouragement, give them some courage. with the words that you're using and saying to them. Speak truthful words. I need truthful words. Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. And if you tend to be overly harsh or critical, you need to balance that with love. And if you just are just so loving, but you never say the truth, you need to balance that with truth. There is that balance of speaking the truth and love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. I mean, you do have to deal with things. and uh... but you have to do it the right way to speak truth words speak consistent words chasen thy son while there is hope and let not thy soul spare for his crying and speak memorable words proverbs four four he taught me also said to me let thine heart retain my words hold on to my words keep my commandments and live So are your words memorable to those that you're speaking to? And speak words of guidance. Train up a child in a way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it. I could train on some tracks, you give him some direction in life. And friends, if the words that you're speaking are not getting results, okay, if they're not getting results, change how and what and when you say those words. Self-assess. I mean, I'm not getting the results that I'm hoping for. Mix it up. Change it up. Don't keep drilling the same way. And by the way, with your kids, every child's a little bit different, so you have to change it up anyway. So if it's not working, then change things up. And so here's a conclusion then. Recently I was driving and I was on my way here. I've been in Saratoga or somewhere picking up some supplies. And I was driving and heard an interview. And whoever it was interviewing, I don't know who it was or what the radio program was, but they were talking to James Dobson over a radio. So you know how it kind of sounds different because he's not in the studio, he's on a radio or he's on a telephone. So they were talking to him over the phone and he said, in this interview that he had many good men in his life who were friends and mentors. And sometimes they would say the hard things, they would say the difficult things to help him do the right thing or to challenge him to take the next step in serving the Lord, to make better choices. He said, there's three that come to mind. My father was the first one who challenged me, he said, that I'm spending too much time away from home teaching and educating and doing other things other than being home. His father challenged him to go home, spend some more time with his two kids. The second mentor and friend was Chuck Colson. Some of you know who Chuck Colson is. And he encouraged him to stand against the evils of the culture. So you think about in the 80s and 90s and the things that Chuck Colson was leading in, in correspondence with James Dobson, in their effort to turn the tide in culture and to help families and things like this. The third, he said, was Dr. Adrian Rogers. That's one of the guys that I have great respect for. And he said that his presence, he said, we asked him to come be a board member. at whatever the organization was, probably focused on the family. And he said, when he came in that very first meeting, he said, the temperature of the room changed. Because Dr. Rogers just gave such warm greeting and welcome and encouragement to those around him. He said, it changed our board. It changed our ministry. He said, the ministry would not be what it is today if he didn't have his friend, Adrian Rogers, there. I thought, what a testimony, these three guys. Then he went on to say, all three of them are in heaven now. They're with their Lord. And he said, I suppose it's my obligation and opportunity to mentor the next generation, to be the friend to the next set of guys who are coming up. He said, my mentors are gone, but this has to continue. And guys, talking to the guys, Man, we got to do that. You have to have good friends who will be there when you're no longer there. Minister to the next generation. Serve the next generation. Have godly friends. Have good influences in your life. Have people that will hold you accountable. Have people that will talk the hard things to you and will challenge you to do the right thing. Because there will be a day When your kids, no matter if they're four, 14, or 40, will need some help, you won't be there. Who are they going to talk to? According to the Proverbs that we just read, they should be able to talk to the friends that you have right now. So get good friends, make good friends, and then be a good friend. Men need good friends for their kids to look up to. Let's take some time to pause and pray. I have three questions. They're not even on the screen. I'll just ask them of you right now that are from our three points. The Lord has challenged me that I would be serving others. I want to be that type of friend that I would be serving others with humility and kindness and graciousness. That's something that I've been challenged about today. Would you raise your hand and testify of that? Many, many of you. Thank you. The next question then is responding. When I respond to others, it's easy to say things that are negative, maybe even critical or condescending, but God, I don't want that. Let me show acceptance and love and value when I respond to other people. That's my prayer. Anybody like that, my hands included, I wanna be that, to show that I accept those around me. And then when I'm speaking to others, I want to offer them encouragement. and hope and speak wholesome, healthy words. That's my prayer today going forward. That's my prayer. Anyone like that? God help us. Yes. Let's speak those words to others today. Let's take a moment and give thanks for our fathers for all. Let's take to heart the emergency contact that we can be and that our kids will need one day. Father, we thank you. for this wonderful day to recognize fathers, to challenge everyone, and specifically men, about friendships. Let us have friendships with other Christian men who will hold us accountable, who will speak hard things to us, who will encourage us and help us along the way. And let our friends be of such caliber that when our kids need them, they'll be ready. They'll be available. Lord, we pray for your guidance as we seek friendships, as we build and make friends with others. And I pray for every man here today that they would take these truths and instill them in their relationships, in their parenting, in their marriages. And we pray for our church so you continue to bless. Thank you for all the folks that are here today and others that are watching online. And we just thank you for being our God. And thank you for being this perfect example of how we should be. when we interact with others. Thank you for Christ and his sacrifice and his love and compassion and friendship towards us. We pray for safety now as we go. It'll be a busy week. We ask for your help each day. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.