Father's day illustrations for father's day sermon

Father's day holds lot's of memories for lots of people, (not all of them
fathers). Father's day is important, because it reminds us of the person who
did or who should have played an important part in our lives. I read
somewhere that there are more collect phone calls made on father's day than
any other day of the year. I would imagine that for the most part, fathers
don't mind that the call is collect, they are just glad that the one they
love called.

I know that there are those who read this, who think that Father's day is a
waste of effort, because your father was not a kind or loving person. That's
not a new problem and you are not alone in your feelings of disappointment
or regret regarding your father. Many have suffered abuse or neglect by the
one who should have been protecting and loving you above all else.

Those very problems are some of the things that make our lives as
Christians all the more satisfying. We have a father that we know loves us!
There is no doubt that he cares for us above everything else in all
creation. Our Heavenly Father is one that loved us enough to come up with a
plan that would save us from certain death (eternal separation from him).
Even when we are rotten and neglectful children, he loves us completely, no
matter what evidence there is that we don't really deserve his love.

That's the message of the parable of the rebellious son Jesus tells in Luke
15:11-24. Notice his words: "To illustrate the point further, Jesus told
them this story: "A man had two sons. The younger son told his father, 'I
want my share of your estate now before you die.' So his father agreed to
divide his wealth between his sons. A few days later this younger son packed
all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his
money in wild living. About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept
over the land, and he began to starve. He persuaded a local farmer to hire
him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. The young man
became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to
him. But no one gave him anything. "When he finally came to his senses, he
said to himself, 'At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare,
and here I am dying of hunger! I will go home to my father and say, "Father,
I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of
being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant."' "So he
returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his
father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son,
embraced him, and kissed him. His son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned
against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your
son.' "But his father said to the servants, 'Quick! Bring the finest robe in
the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his
feet. And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a
feast, for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was
lost, but now he is found.' "

If you were blessed with a loving father like the one in Jesus' story then
rejoice and let him know how much you appreciate him. But you see; it really
doesn't matter if you didn't have the best of fathers, because you can have
that wonderful relationship with your Heavenly Father. No matter how badly
you mess up your life, no matter how many wrong decisions you make, he still
loves you and will accept you back with open arms. All you have to do is
realize your condition and decide it's time for you to change. That's called
repentance and you don't even have to call collect to let him know how much
you love him.

May God bless all fathers with loving hearts and protect and nurture those
given into their care!

Russ Lawson