What Would You Do?

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by JoeBandy

Since we are on the subject.. Me and my father did not see eye to eye on much when it comes to life, politics, religion, nor career choices. Never once did he make me feel ashamed that he was my father in spite of all my indiscretions ( and boy was there a few). I was always welcome at his house and at his table. My Dad died on July 16 2016 unexpectedly and as Fathers day is approaching (the topic of the initial post on this thread) I would give anything to have one more with him. I would thank him for always standing firm in his beliefs, even though to this day I do not agree with some, I would thank him for his never ending kindness and love and support. I would thank him for the small fortune that he left me and my sister. I would celebrate my Father!!! In turn I am trying to do the same for my kids. I do not agree or condone my son getting his girlfriend pregnant nor any of the other stupid decisions he is making. That makes me no less his father and more importantly his Dad. I have done my part he decided to move out and try it on his own. I am no longer responsible for his actions sin or no sin. Neither is it a reflection on me as a parent I raised him right.

We're all human. Human things happen. I've seen God do beautiful things through big mistakes. I'd love my kids no matter what. And no, loving them and serving them as a loving father in no way condones or approves of every decision they make any more than God loving us and allowing us to remain under His blue sky, walking on this green earth, condones or approves of every decision we make.

Love covers a multitude of sins. You can never go wrong by being a loving, patient, kind, and merciful person.

[JoeBandy]

yea yea but you guys see nothing wrong with letting 400lb Aunt Susie eat 14,312 calories of potato salad, cornbread, ice cream and diet coke from the same table you wouldn't let your lesbian daughter and girlfriend eat at.... O lord forbid.. but Uncle Bob smokes away on the front porch, Wifey is busy texting the milkman and Dad is hoping he cleared the Porn site history off the laptop that little Billy is playing games on!!

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by aegsm76

You know, I agree with most of what you post above.
Until you went to the personal level...
I did not attack you, so not sure why you feel the need to attack me.
But again, you prove my point.
As to your situation, your grandson is your grandson. He will need you to make more of an effort to be in his life, because of his fathers choices.
God help you to be a Godly influence on him.
Let me say that we can do everything to raise our kids right and they still walk away from God.
However, I grow weary of parents who will not dedicate themselves to bringing their children up in the fear of God and then want to scream about the church being the reason their children walked away from God.
When your children are in your house, your total aim should be that they will grow up to love God and be saved.
But, we get too involved with Movies, Phones, Sports, Pleasures of this life and then wonder what happened to our children.
And this issue is growing larger, not smaller.
I can see it directly in a ministry that I am involved with, Bible Quizzing.
It has suddenly become too much and too hard for this generation. They don't have time for it. It takes too long to study and memorize. The quiz season needs to be shorter, because the family just can't enjoy the summer and "make memories".
Now back on the original topic, I believe that every situation is different and there is not cookie cutter approach. It has to be measured by those closest to the situation.
However, I have seen parents that went too far overboard to be accepting and when their pastor would attempt to speak with them about it, they would become offended.
Which again, proves my point of why their children are not in church.

If my pastor approached me to talk to me about my grown children's lifestyle choices, I wouldn't be offended. I'd be puzzled. I'd laugh and let him know that I've talked to them about it. I might also give him a phone number so that he can call them up and talk to them about it personally. lol

I mean, if the kids are grown, what can you do? Sometimes things just are what they are.

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by JoeBandy

yea yea but you guys see nothing wrong with letting 400lb Aunt Susie eat 14,312 calories of potato salad, cornbread, ice cream and diet coke from the same table you wouldn't let your lesbian daughter and girlfriend eat at....

Aunt Susie is the state champion raw powerlifter, women's division, so she eats as she pleases.

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by JoeBandy

yea yea but you guys see nothing wrong with letting 400lb Aunt Susie eat 14,312 calories of potato salad, cornbread, ice cream and diet coke from the same table you wouldn't let your lesbian daughter and girlfriend eat at....

Hey, Joe, love covers a multitude of sins. You can never go wrong by being a loving, patient, kind, and merciful person.

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by houston

Do you usually have sex when you stay in someone else’s home?

LOL

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by Esaias

Aunt Susie is the state champion raw powerlifter, women's division, so she eats as she pleases.

It sounds like your Aunt Susie and my Aunt Nileen might want to get together and go bowling sometime. lol

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by aegsm76

Forgive me for being blunt, but if the children you raised turned out that way, I do not feel that a celebration is in order.

I'd celebrate any time a woman is expecting a baby, even if unmarried. Every child should be wanted, loved, celebrated, and welcomed into this world with great delight.

Especially seeing how many children are aborted because their mothers are often made to feel such unbelievable condemnation and shame from the people they love.

[Amanah]

Originally Posted by Aquila

I'd celebrate any time a woman is expecting a baby, even if unmarried. Every child should be wanted, loved, celebrated, and welcomed into this world with great delight.

Especially seeing how many children are aborted because their mothers are often made to feel such unbelievable condemnation and shame from the people they love.

a few weeks back at the main campus Pastor told the congregation that he knew of a young pentecostal women who chose to have an abortion because she felt like God would forgive her before the church would. He assured the young people that would not be the case at our church.

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by Amanah

a few weeks back at the main campus Pastor told the congregation that he knew of a young pentecostal women who chose to have an abortion because she felt like God would forgive her before the church would. He assured the young people that would not be the case at our church.

I praise God that it isn't the case in many, if not most, churches. Personally, I think any church that isn't willing to celebrate a baby being conceived or born, and heaps nothing but shame and condemnation on a mother because she's not married, is being spiritually, psychologically, and emotionally abusive.

Every child deserves to be wanted. Every child deserves to be celebrated. Every child deserves to be loved and welcomed into this world. And every mother choosing life, married or not, deserves to be loved and supported. This doesn't condone any kind of sin. It is simply loving people in spite of sin.

I firmly believe that if we want to make a real difference in this world, we need to make a difference in the lives of women.