D3 Devotion Group For Dads & Divorced Dads

05/06/2025

📣 ANNOUNCEMENT 📣

Unfortunately I have to cancel D3 tonight. I will post the devotion for the into on the FB page.

If anyone needs anything or has prayer requests, please let me know.

01/07/2025

This Month’s meeting is cancelled due to weather and cold temperatures.

Please call or message me if you need to talk or anything. Please be safe and may you see the many blessings God has given you and will give you this year.

I’ll post the devotion for you later today.

Tom Harness

10/05/2024

Cultivate What Matters

Imagine you have two seeds in your hand and you can only plant one. One seed grows easily, but it produces produces ugly, terrible tasting fruit. Cultivating the other seed takes time and consistent attention—but the fruit it produces is beautiful and delicious. Which seed would you choose to plant, water, and grow?

In Galatians 5, the apostle Paul talks about two types of fruit our lives can produce: fruit of the flesh and fruit of the Spirit. “The flesh” refers to our desires that pull us away from God’s Holy Spirit. Those desires produce hate, impatience, bitterness, selfishness, rudeness, chaos, and self-indulgence—and God has no association with such things.

But when we commit our lives to Jesus, He gives us His Holy Spirit. The power of the Holy Spirit helps us “crucify” the desires of our flesh and put them to death. And when we crucify those desires, we create room for the Holy Spirit to produce fruit in us that leads to positive life change.

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”
Galatians 5:22-23 NIV

Our flesh wants to get even, but the Spirit calls us to extend kindness. Our flesh wants to entertain sinful thoughts, but the Spirit calls us to walk in self-control. Our flesh wants to dictate our emotional response, but the Spirit calls us to walk in joy and peace.

The Fruit of the Spirit reveals that we are actively seeking God and rejecting disobedience.

So right now, reflect on your life. What fruit is it producing? Are you experiencing love, joy, peace, patience, and kindness—or are there pockets of bitterness, anger, jealousy, and self-indulgence in your life? What steps do you need to take to “crucify” beliefs and attitudes pulling you away from God?

Let the Holy Spirit show you what you need to remove, and then allow Him to transform your attitudes, actions, and desires.

09/30/2024

Finding Strength in Fatherhood

"When you feel weak, remember: 'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.' (Philippians 4:13). Join us in the D3 Devotion Group for encouragement and strength in your journey as a father."

First Tuesday of every month from 6:30-7:30.
Tuesday, October 2nd
Join the community: https://www.facebook.com/D3DevotionGroupForDadsAndDivorcedDads

09/04/2024

Into The Breach – Christian Fatherhood: Day 7 • Devotional

Day 7 — Discipline

Read: Hebrews 12:5-11

Most people, when looking back over their lives, are able to point to times of trial as the moments that occasioned their spiritual growth and development of character. For some reasons, the most difficult challenges are those that promote the greatest progress in grace and virtue. This is the perspective in which fathers would like their children to understand the discipline they place upon them as they grow and mature. They hope their children are able to look back and say, “We have had our earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them” (v. 9 NABRE). Correction that is not harsh or vengeful, that is consistent and fair, that is executed with love, is necessary for a child’s development. A child who has received this kind of discipline is able to look back on it with gratitude and with respect for his father.

This fatherly discipline for his son is the perspective in which the writer hopes his readers will understand the suffering they experience as Christians. As the author quotes from Proverbs 3:12, “Whom the Lord loves, he disciplines” (v. 6 NABRE). In fact, suffering for a Christian is not only a sign of God’s love but also a sign that God is dealing with us as his legitimate children (v. 8). Our earthly fathers disciplined us “for a short time as seemed right to them,” that is, during our childhood, they corrected us according to their best judgment (v. 10 NABRE). Likewise, God disciplines us throughout our lives in accordance with his knowledge of what is best for us. The final goal of God’s discipline is “that we may share his holiness” (v. 10 NABRE) and “the peaceful fruit of righteousness” (v. 11 NABRE).

Reflect: What are some of the benefits that discipline offers?

Prayer: God our Father, who disciplines the children whom you love, look upon my family with your love, and help me with your grace as I seek to make my home a place to grow in holiness.

Hebrews‬ ‭12‬:‭5‬-‭11 (NASB1995)

“and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, Nor faint when you are reproved by Him; For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, And He scourges every son whom He receives.” It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.”
‭‭‬

09/03/2024

🙏🏼This Tuesday, September 3rd🙏🏼
🧍🏽‍♂️Dad’s and Divorced Dads🧍🏽

D3 Devotion Group meets the first Tuesday of every month from 6:30 to 7:30 at the Bleyer House, 327 North Division St., adjacent to the Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Carterville, IL.

This group is for Dads and Divorced Dads has 3 missions:
1) Provide a place for Dads and Divorced Dads to meet, pray, and work on their own relationship journey with Jesus.
2) Bring their prayers to the group to be prayed for and lifted to God.
3) Welcoming ALL denominations, people who do not have a church home or want to know more about Jesus.

This group is meant to be positive and will make sure to support each other through healthy communications and model to the best of our abilities the gospel of Jesus. We know that being a Father comes with many challenges and seasons. This group is for you.

07/10/2024

This month’s D3 Devotion Group Bible devotion from YouVersion Bible App: 'Fatherhood Gold'. Check it out here:

https://www.bible.com/en/reading-plans/36773

How's your fatherhood journey today? Whatever your response, God wants it better. He wants you to thrive in your role as a father because being a father is a sacred and divine responsibility. It's work He has created us to do as men, and the blessings that emanate from being an engaged and loving father benefit the world tremendously.
As you strive daily to be a better father, lean on your heavenly father and the divine wisdom He provides for you to be at your best. Your role as a father has significant implications for the future and hope of generations, and as men, we ought to commit ourselves passionately to doing this good work. When we do, the rewards are outstanding, and the impact is more than we could calculate in multiple lifetimes, not because we are perfect, but because it's a good work our heavenly father created us for and ordained that we will walk in.
Your fatherhood journey may not be where you hoped, and your story may not have turned out how you expected. But remember this - It takes your whole life to be a great father. While you can't change how you got here, you can change your direction and destination. It's not too late.
So be kind and gracious to yourself, your father, and the fathers around you because the work of being a great father never ends until your final breath. Seasons will change, the challenges will be different at every level, and there will be highs and lows, failure and success, sorrow and celebration. But your most exhilarating fatherhood experience is still ahead of you. The best of your relationship with your offspring still has possibilities to explore.

“But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”
‭‭James‬ ‭1‬:‭5‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

07/09/2024

🙏🏼This Tuesday, July 9th🙏🏼
🎄Dad’s and Divorced Dads🎄

D3 Devotion Group meets the first Tuesday of every month from 6:30 to 7:30 at the Bleyer House, 327 North Division St., adjacent to the Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Carterville, IL.

This group is for Dads and Divorced Dads has 3 missions:
1) Provide a place for Dads and Divorced Dads to meet, pray, and work on their own relationship journey with Jesus.
2) Bring their prayers to the group to be prayed for and lifted to God.
3) Welcoming ALL denominations, people who do not have a church home or want to know more about Jesus.

This group is meant to be positive and will make sure to support each other through healthy communications and model to the best of our abilities the gospel of Jesus. We know that being a Father comes with many challenges and seasons. This group is for you.

07/04/2024

06/25/2024

How did you do today?

06/22/2024

I know that feeling.

06/16/2024

🙏🏼Happy Father’s Day🙏🏼

To all the Dads and Divorced Dads celebrating this day. Remember that God chose you to be the parents for the child or children you have. No matter how your day is spent today, your Heavenly Father loves you and will continue to bless you. Make this day a reminder of how you are part of God’s will for your child or children.

Amen 🙏🏼