Father's Day Sermons
and Stories from the Bible

Father's Day sermons give the pastor or preacher the opportunity to uphold the dignity, duty, and responsibilities fathers have with regard to themselves, their family, their wives, and their children.

They need all the inspiration and encouragement they can get.

But sometimes, maybe they hear too much of what they're supposed to be doing.

Maybe, they could use a little appreciation and thanks.

More importantly, let us ask God to give them all the graces and blessings they need in their challenges.

If you're the preacher preparing a sermon, be sure to ask the Holy Spirit for guidance what to say.

Like all the sermon topics and stories on this website, these are just some sermon ideas that may be helpful.

Bible Stories of Fathers

There are many stories of fathers in the bible. All the human fathers were far from perfect.

Adam, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, David, and the list goes on and is long.

But I'll mention 4 fathers in particular, and one of them is not human.


The Story of Abraham

God called Abram to walk with him by faith, changing his name to Abraham, meaning the father of many nations.

Abraham made many mistakes. But he continued to believe in the promises of God, and made efforts to live accordingly.

Abraham moved very often, so his hopes for being a success on earth were pretty much dashed. But by his faithfulness, he would see his children and their children grow into a nation, from which would come the Messiah, who would be a blessing to all the nations.

That Abraham had a role after his life on earth, we know when Jesus tells the story of the rich man and Lazarus, how Lazarus went to Abrahams bosom, and Abraham and the rich man had a conversation together. (Luke 16:19-31)

Often as fathers, the dreams we have don't pan out. But by being faithful to God, we will reach eternal success.


The Story of Joseph

Joseph was a simple carpenter, who lived in seclusion in a corner of the world, faithful to God, faithful to duty.

God called him to marriage with Mary, a young simple girl.

Neither of them were rich in worldly stuff, but they were rich in God's gifts and graces.

That's because God called them to become the parents of the Messiah, the best child any parent could have, the gift of God himself to the world, who would save the world from sin and hell, and open the gates of heaven to mankind.

Joseph, directed by angels in dreams, saved Mary from being stoned to death for being pregnant out of wedlock (by the power of the Holy Spirit) when he took Mary for his wife (Matthew 1:18-25), and saved Jesus from being killed by the orders of the wicked tyrant Herod, by taking the child and his mother into Egypt. (Matthew 2:13-15)

While Mary is physically the real mother of Jesus, Joseph is known as the foster, or legal, father of Jesus.

Today, we honor Joseph and Mary as being 2 of the closest people to God himself.


Pain Came with the Territory

Joseph and Mary had many challenges. They suffered much poverty. They had to relocate several times. They were strangers in Egypt. It must have been difficult many times for Joseph to find work.

When Jesus was 12 years old, he was lost. His parents looked for him for 3 days, wondering who knows what happened.

When they found him, Mary told him how they both had looked for him in great sorrow. (Luke 2:48)


Jesus tells us Stories of our Heavenly Father

When Jesus was on earth, he told us much about his heavenly Father, because he is our Father too.

• He taught us how to pray to his Father. (Matthew 6:9-15; Luke 11:2-4)
• He spent many nights praying to his Father.
• He told many stories of his father:
• The friend asking for 3 loaves at midnight (How the heavenly father gives good gifts); (Luke 11: 5-13)
• the forgiveness and mercy of the prodigal son's father (Luke 15:11-32;
• how not to worry, but look how the heavenly father takes care of the birds and the flowers of the field, (Matthew 6:25-24)
• the workers in the vineyard, who eventually killed the son of the father, whom later the father avenged, (Matthew 21:33-46; Mark 12:1-12)
• and many more.
• At the Last Supper, Philip asked Jesus to show the Father. (John 14:8-14) Jesus said that he who sees him, sees the Father, that they are both one, and many other teachings of the father, and how to ask the father for anything in the name of Jesus.
• The night before he died, he prayed that his father would take his chalice of suffering away, but he still did what his father wanted him to do. (Matthew 26:39-42; Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42)
• 2 of the 7 last words of Jesus on the cross were short prayers addressed to his heavenly father:
• His first word was asking his father to forgive sinners. (Luke 23:34)
• His last word before he died on the cross, he gave his spirit into the hands of his father. (Luke 23:46)

The Story of Paul

Like Jesus, Paul the Apostle did not have a family and children.

But like Jesus, he had a large family with spiritual children.

He wrote to the Corinthians, saying that "though you have 10,000 teachers in Christ, yet you don't have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel." (1 Corinthians 4:15)

This can be a great encouragement to pastors, who by living and preaching the gospel, are not only spiritual teachers, but spiritual fathers.


Clearing up a Common Misconception

Jesus told his Apostles to call no man father, except the Heavenly Father. (Matthew 23:9)

This was a specific instruction for the apostles, because they had left their families to follow Jesus, and as brothers of Jesus, they shared the same heavenly father.

Many people in the bible called their fathers "father." Even Jesus, telling the story of the prodigal son, tells how he addresses his natural father, such as "Father, give me my inheritance." and "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, ...." (Luke 15:11-32)

I have met some zealous folks who get all bent out of shape when someone is called father. They are either ignorant or arrogant in demanding the letter of the law. Many of them do not want to listen to the Holy Spirit, who says that the letter kills, but the spirit gives life. (2 Corinthians 3:6)
The Teachings of Paul

If what Jesus told his Apostles was to apply universally to all Christians, then the Apostle Paul was very disobedient.

Paul wrote to the Corinthians that they may have 10,000 teachers, but not many fathers, and that through Jesus, he became their father because of the Gospel. (1 Corinthians 4:15)


The Example of Francis of Assisi

When Francis of Assisi converted from a worldly lifestyle, he wanted to follow Jesus and live like his apostles. His father Pietro (Peter) Bernadone had wanted him to fight wars, and learn the family business dyeing and selling cloth, which he imported from different countries.

His father Peter opposed him living like a beggar, so he locked him up in the basement cellar. After some days, with the help of his mother, Francis escaped.

Eventually, the case was taken to a church court, where Peter demanded everything back from his son. Francis took of his garments and gave them to his father. Then he said that he used to call Peter his father, but from now on, he could truly say, Our Father in heaven.

Later, when Francis became more famous, his father Peter repented, and even attended the sermons of his son.


What the Holy Spirit Says

If you're preparing to preach the sermon, I hope you pray to the Holy Spirit for what best to say in a Father's Day sermon.

God says that before the coming of Jesus, he would send Elias (John the Baptist) to turn the hearts of fathers to their children, and the hearts of children to the fathers, lest he come and strike the earth with a curse. (Malachi 4:5-6; Luke 1:17)

So maybe the sermon should not be directed at fathers at all!

Maybe it could be better directed to the rest of the family, to children and to wives, to do their duty to make the job of father easier, to really love, appreciate, support, help out, and serve him - and mean it from the heart.

In a family, and in a church, and in society, we should be looking for ways that God would have us serve one another. It's our duty.

I explain this further in sermon ideas for Independence Day, how we must use the gift of freedom to serve God, country, and one another.


What the World Says

Today, the world has little mercy on fathers.

Fathers are made the butt of jokes, are made to look stupid, and are shown much disrespect.

But remember, the world - which is led by the devil - is on it's way to hell. (John 12:31; 14:30; Ephesians 2:2)

Jesus said that he has overcome the world, (John 16:33), and that when the Holy Spirit comes, he would convict the world of sin, of justice, and of judgment, (John 16:8) because the world does not believe in him, and the prince of this world has already been judged. (John 16:11)

God bless our poor fathers, who have to fight so many evils just to put bread on the table. Many of them have to work in a sin sick world.

It's about time the unrepentant world be put in it's place by the power of God - with the possibility of receiving the mercy of God.


Blessing Time!

It's also about time that our good fathers, as imperfect as they are, receive love, honor, respect, support, and loyalty for a change.

May they receive many special blessings.

May they, with God's help, be courageous.

May their families and churches be a strong support in this divine appointment, the calling of God upon them to be a father.

God bless and keep them!

May they be the example to their families - in a small way - of our Heavenly Father's goodness to all of us, his children.

Thank your stars!


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