Did you ever see a little boy pretending to shave, while standing next to his daddy? Everyone knows that little children copy whatever they see the grown-ups in their lives doing. When you think about it, that means those grown-ups have a very heavy responsibility to be careful how they act and what they say.  It will have a big result on the children under their influence. Besides providing money for food, clothing, and shelter, dads need to provide a good example for their children.

The Apostle Paul’s Example

The apostle Paul must have realized the importance of being a good example. He lived his life in such a way that he could confidently encourage others to follow him. In I Corinthians 4:15-16 Paul said this: “Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. Therefore I urge you to imitate me.” In I Corinthians 11:1 he wrote, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.” In Philippians 3:17 we find these words of Paul’s: “Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do.”(“We” evidently means he and Timothy, since the opening verse of the book indicates it is from him and Timothy.)

Paul called Timothy his “true son in the faith.” Hopefully Christian dads will be spiritual fathers to their own children. Their example can carry over into the adulthood of their children. Some parents have a “Do as I say and not as I do” policy. That seems to be a confusing way to teach. It doesn’t convince the children that it’s important to live the way they’re being told to live. For instance, I have heard parents use bad language and try to teach their children not to. The message is that it’s OK to use bad language once you’re an adult. Consequently, their children usually do. I’m grateful my dad didn’t tell me how to live. He showed me.

Paul was a good example of working to support himself and others. In Acts 20:33-35 Paul reminded the Ephesians that he had worked to provide for his own needs “and those who were with him.”

In Acts 18:1-3 we learn that he earned money by making tents. Paul taught that those who preach the gospel deserve to be compensated. (See I Corinthians 9:11-14.) He did receive support from the Philippians, but he chose not to ask for any support from the Corinthians. Perhaps the Corinthians were cynical regarding anyone who received money for preaching the gospel. Paul said he did not want to “hinder the gospel.” But another reason Paul chose to contribute to his own support by making tents was apparently so that he could be a good example. In II Thessalonians 3:7-10 he wrote this: “For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you to imitate. For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: ‘The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.’ “He stated in

I Timothy 5:8: “Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”

In addition to seeing the importance of being an example, the apostle Paul also realized the importance of “apologetics,” meaning arguments in defense of our faith. Today’s Christian parents have a tougher job than the previous generation. The previous generation of Americans lived in a basically Christian culture. Most of the population believed in one true God, who created the world. But today’s kids are bombarded by a culture of atheism and false gods. Been to a zoo lately? The displays will likely refer to the “evolutionary background” of the animals and “millions of years.” In a book I recently read, called Not All Roads Lead to Heaven by Dr. Robert Jeffress, he told of his daughter’s acquaintance from work who had never heard of Adam and Eve or Jesus Christ. That was in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex—in what we call “The Bible Belt.”

I recently received a book by the founder and head of the Answers in Genesis organization. It is the organization that built the Creation Museum close to Cincinnati, Ohio, and the life-size replica of Noah’s Ark known as “Ark Encounter” in Kentucky, a short distance away from the Creation Museum in Ohio. It’s a great place to take kids on vacation. The book I recently received is called Gospel Reset—Salvation Made Relevant. The author explains that Paul preached in a different way to the Jews in Acts 2, who had knowledge of the Scriptures, than he preached to the Greeks in Acts 17, who had other gods and philosophies.

The Gospel Reset book gives some startling facts and makes some important points. In 2015 Answers in Genesis had some research done. Of the Americans ages 20-29 (“Millenials”) who used to attend church, 53% had stopped attending. Of those ages 20-29 still attending church, only about 58% considered themselves “born again.” The book reminds us that God, prayer, and the Bible have pretty much been completely eliminated from state-run schools. Evolution is taught as a fact, rather than a theory without legitimate proof. Many kids have never been to church and know absolutely nothing of the Bible.

The book states that, to make matters worse, many church leaders are trying to marry evolution and millions of years with the Bible. This doesn’t work. First of all, you can’t reconcile the Genesis account with the “millions of years” of fossils from animals who supposedly died before man came on the scene. There was no death until Adam and Eve sinned. If we don’t trust a literal interpretation of Genesis, then we can’t trust the rest of the Bible, including the account of Jesus in the New Testament. Without the foundation of the fall of man in Genesis, we can’t understand the need for salvation. Millenials ask how a loving God could allow so much suffering and death. They don’t understand that suffering and death are a result of the fall of man found in the Genesis account.

Answers in Genesis has created a four-year synchronized Sunday School curriculum for pre-kindergarten through adult. It contains apologetics to enable students to defend their faith. There are 10,000 churches using it, many pastors reporting that it’s stopping the exodus of the younger generation. The Vacation Bible School program they have created contains doctrine, apologetics, and the Gospel, resulting in increased commitments to Christ.

Living it Out

A dad living out his faith can go a long ways in showing kids that the gospel works. However, it would also be advisable for today’s Christian dads to find resources that will help their kids defend their faith. It might be a great idea for dads to read adult-level books themselves for defending their faith and sharing their faith with other adults. Then they could share the ideas with their kids on their own level.

In addition to reading books in defense of creation, it would also be wise to read books about why we can believe our God is the one true God. Josh McDowell and Lee Strobel are two of the authors who have written apologetics for defending our faith.

The Answers in Genesis organization has a listing of “Creation Colleges” on their website. They are universities and colleges that have signed a statement verifying that they support the Biblical version of creation. Just because a university or college was originally founded by a Christian organization, that is not a guarantee that they support creationism. Parents who don’t want their Christian kids to graduate from college as atheists, after being indoctrinated with evolutionary teachings, should consider their choices in education very carefully. Dads, do all you can to help make your family’s faith unshakable.

Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. TM Used by permission of  Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.TM