Father’s Day – A Fathers Love – 06/15/2025

The Little Chap Who Follows Me
A careful man I ought to be
A little child follows me;
I do not dare to go astray
For fear this child will go the self-same way.
I must not madly step aside,
Where pleasure’s paths are smooth and wide,
And join in wine’s red revelry—
A little child follows me.
I cannot once escape this child’s eyes:
Whate’er the child sees me do they try—
Like me, the child says, I’m going to be;
The little child who follows me.
This child thinks that I am good and fine,
Believes in every word of mine;
The base in me this child must not see,
The little child who follows me.
I must remember as I go,
Through summer’s sun and winter’s snow,
I’m building for the years to be,
A little child follows me.

Colossians 3:12-17
¹²Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. ¹³Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. ¹⁴Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. ¹⁵And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
¹⁶Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. ¹⁷And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.

Some characteristics and attributes of God that we should imitate.
We cannot be omniscient; all-knowing
We cannot be omnipotent; all-powerful
We cannot be omnipresent; all-present

Nor are we sovereign, having supreme authority over everything.

But we can, and should, emulate God in certain areas:

Mercy – Patience – Gentleness – Faithfulness – Grace – Humility – Kindness – Forgiveness, and this morning, we are going to look at the attribute of Love.

#1. God’s love is sacrificial and redemptive and so should our love be sacrificial and redemptive.
John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
The Father’s willingness to send His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for all humanity’s sins is the ultimate act of love, offering salvation and eternal life to all who believe.

#2. God’s love is unconditional and so should our love be unconditional
Unlike human love, which can be fickle and contingent upon actions or circumstances, The Father’s love is steadfast and unchanging.
Romans 8:38-39 reassures believers of this unwavering love: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
No matter what challenges or obstacles we face, the Father’s love remains constant and unbreakable. Our love, no matter what, must remain constant and unbreakable.

#3. God’s love is personal and intimate and so should our love be personal and intimate.
He knows each one of us individually, our struggles, our joys, our fears, and our hopes.
Psalm 139 beautifully illustrates this personal aspect of the Father’s love: “You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.”
The Father is intimately aware of every detail of our lives, and His love is tailored to each person’s unique journey. So we too, should be intimately aware of every detail of our loved one’s lives.

#4. The depth of God’s love is also demonstrated through His provision and care for us. So we too, must demonstrate our love by providing and caring for our loved ones.
In Matthew 6:26, Jesus points to the birds of the air: “They do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?”
This verse reminds us that the Father, in His love, ensures our needs are met, and, we too must make sure our families needs are met.

#5. God’s love is its transformative power meaning that His love will change our lives. Through our love, our loved ones lives can be changed.
When we open our hearts to the Father’s love, it changes us from within. It brings healing to our wounds, comfort in our sorrows, and strength in our weaknesses. The Father’s love inspires us to love others and to show kindness, mercy, and forgiveness.
The Apostle John writes in 1 John 4:19, “We love because He first loved us.”
This indicates that our ability to love others is a reflection of the love we have received from Him.

#6. God’s love also calls us to a higher standard of living and we must express our love to our family and call them to a higher standard of living.
It invites us to live in accordance with His will, to pursue righteousness, and to embody His love in our interactions with others.
Jesus encapsulates this in His commandment in John 13:34: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”
Jesus sets the example of divine love as the standard for how we should love others.

#7. God’s love is a source of hope and assurance
In times of uncertainty, fear, or despair, knowing that we are loved by an omnipotent and benevolent God gives us hope and assurance.
He provides a profound sense of peace and security. It reassures us that we are never alone, that we are cherished, and that there is a divine plan for our lives, even when we cannot see it.

1 Corinthians 13
Love is patient, Love is kind
Love is not jealous, boastful, proud, or rude
Love does not demand its own way
Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of wrong
Love does not rejoice in injustices but, rejoices whenever truth wins out
Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through everything