Pastor Gil Bates delivered a message of exhortation from Proverbs 17:6 in a morning Men’s Session at the Family Conference. The focus was directing and encouraging fathers to prioritize their families. His message presented the men three questions to ask themselves regarding their priorities, as well as three action statements related to what wives and children desire most from their husbands/fathers. 

God touched many dads’ hearts with this moving and timely exhortation. One father from Oklahoma commented afterward, “I read the Bible with my family, but now I realize that I should also regularly share with them what God is teaching me.” Another father, hailing from Pennsylvania, shared, “My oldest son is fifteen. His age makes me realize that I only have these kids for a short while, and I want to influence them by being present by doing things with them. That may include playing a game with them, helping build their fort, as well as reading God’s Word aloud to them. When they see me excited about good things, that excitement is contagious!” 

We fathers need to do what sports teams do to succeed—get back to the basics! Pastor Bates pointed out that often, “it is not that we don’t know what to do; it is that we don’t do what we know.” Dads, let’s do what Pastor Bates said about the basics, and like a winning team, let’s help each other to do it!